Posts Tagged ‘enjoyment’

Tennis Apparel

Saturday, September 26th, 2009

If you already take part in tennis, then I imagine that you already know what tennis players wear, so this article is aimed at those individuals who would like to buy tennis kit for a loved one for a special occasion. After all, it is not as straightforward as it seems to obtain sports wear for the participant of a sport you understand nothing about.

There is a certain image we tend to relate with a tennis player: white Polo shirt with shorts or skirt and matching shoes. They are fashionable and elegant, comfortable and characteristic at the same time. Items of tennis attire often mean a great deal to people who are not just sports fans. If the person you are shopping for is a tennis lover, tennis kit becomes a great gift that can also be quite reasonably priced in spite of the rumors that it costs a great deal.

In case tennis attire is something unfamiliar to you, Google it over the Internet and you will be amazed to see how much information there is on hand. Very many forums will tactfully let you know you about prices and deals going on at an assortment of retail shops and online dealers.

They will also provide you with information as to which marques are considered the best, which are considered the least hard-wearing and reliable, which are affordable and which more than usually dear .

What many tennis outfit wearers advise is that you purchase the type of top or shirt that will make you feel most comfortable and that would allow the very wide angled activities that are peculiar to the practice of this sport. For example, the shorter the sleeves of your tennis clothing, the freer the swing during the game. Some purchase tennis apparel also according to the season in which they expect to play. Still others go for the materials that can be worn in both warm and cold seasons.

They firmly believe that the tennis clothing must keep them both warm and cool at the same time. As far as the t-shirts for men are concerned, you should know that most players speak of Polo shirts in very high terms, as the collar offers you some neck protection from the sun’s rays.

Advice about tennis clothes like that above are to be had on very many web sites. If you are not quite sure what to go for when purchasing your friend a gift, then you can always inveigle him or her to have a discussion about his or her favourite sport. Using a little guile, you will surely be able to direct the conversation to a connected topic that interests you, i.e. tennis clothes. Making it all look like idle conversation will not make him or her guess what you have in mind for the special occasion.

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French Open Tennis

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

It is highly unimaginable that you will not have heard of the French Open tennis championship, because it is a competition which is a regular topic of conversation. In French the name of the competition is ‘Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros’ or ‘Tournoi de Roland Garros’. This tournament, which lasts for about two weeks is held in Paris at the Roland Garros Stadium, from which it got its name.

It is one of the most advertised and broadcast sports events throughout the entire world and many VIPs go to it. The attendees are fanatics who wait with baited breath on every stroke, especially when there is a tight struggle between two players, doing|trying| their best to win. Even TV viewers actually get a feeling of being there live.

The French Open tennis championship comes in second on the annual schedule of the Grand Slam tournaments and its history goes back to the year of 1891 when it became an international competition. At that time it was named the ‘International Championship of Tennis of France’ or ‘Championat de France International de Tennis’ in French.

First of all, only players that were registered or licensed in France were permitted to participate in this competition, but things took a different turn in 1925, when the French open tennis tournament finally became accessible to foreign players. In 1912, the ground the players used was made of red brick dust. Actually the crushed brick was formed into red clay that covered the ground, which until then would have been a green lawn.

The popularity of the French Open tennis tournament held at Roland Garros dates back to a competition between the Philadelphia Four (Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet and Jacques Brugnon) who won the Davis Cup in 1927. It triggered the desire in the French to defend their cup in future competitions. This new tournament designed to bring back home the cup was held on a stadium named after the World War I pilot Roland Garros and since then the name has stuck.

The term ‘open’ was has been used since 1968, when the tournament allowed|was open to| both amateurs and professionals alike who wanted to test their skills at tennis. Since then the French Open tennis tournament has also brought some novelties in terms of prizes.

Beside the regular winners’ prizes, they also award a ‘Prix Orange’ for the most correct and press friendly player, a ‘Prix Citron’ for the player with the strongest personality and a ‘Prix Burgeon’ for the one that turns out to be the revelation of the tennis year.

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The General Psychology of Tennis (Part 2)

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

The hard-hitting, erratic, net-rushing tennis-player is a creature of impulse. There is no real strategy to his/her game, no understanding of your game. He will make brilliant coups at the drop of a hat, mostly by instinct; but there is no, mental power of consistent thinking. It is an interesting type of character.

The really unnerving player is the one who mixes his/her strategy from back to fore court under the direction of an ever-active mind. This/her is the player to study and learn from. He is a player with a definite intention. A player who has an answer to every query you present him in your game. He is the most subtle opponent in the world of tennis. He is of the school of Brookes. Second only to him is the player of dogged determination that sets his/her mind on one plan and adheres to it, bitterly, fiercely battling to the end, with never a thought of change.

He is the player whose psychology is rather simple to understand, but whose mental standpoint is difficult to derail, because he never permits himself to think of anything but the business at hand. This/her player is your Johnston or your Wilding. I respect the mental capacity of Brookes more, but I admire the determination of Johnston.

Pick out your type from your own mental processes, and then work out your game along the lines best suited to you. When two men are on the same level as regards stroke, strength and equipment, the deciding factor in any game is the mental standpoint. Luck, as it is called, is often no more than grasping the psychological advantage of a break in the game, and turning it to your own account. People talk a lot about the “shots we have made.” But few people realize the importance of the “shots we have missed.”

The psychology of missing shots is just as vital as that of making them, and at times a miss by an inch is of more value than a return that is killed by your opponent. Let me tell you why. A player drives you far out of court with an angle-shot. You run hard to it, and getting there, drive it hard and fast down the side-line, missing it by an inch. Your opponent is surprised and put off his stride, understanding that your shot might just as well have gone in as out. He will expect you to attempt it again and he will not risk it next time. He will try to play the ball, and may fall into error. You have thus stolen some of your opponent’s confidence, and increased his/her chance of error: all this by a miss.

If you had merely popped back that ball, and it had been killed, your opponent would have felt increasingly confident of your inability to get the ball out of his/her reach, while you would merely have been winded without result.

Let’s just say that you had made that shot down the sideline. It was an apparently impossible achievement. First it amounts to TWO points, in that it took one away from your opponent that should have been his/her and gave you one that you should never have had. Second it also upsets your opponent, because he feels that he has lost a big chance.

The psychology of a tennis match is fascinating, but easily understandable. Both men begin with equal chances. Once one player establishes a real lead, his/her confidence goes up, while his/her opponent worries, and his/her mental viewpoint becomes weaker. The sole aim of the first player is to hold his/her lead, thus holding his/her confidence.

If the second player pulls even or pulls ahead, the inevitable result is an even more drastic contrast in psychology of the players. First, there is the natural confidence of the leader of the game, but it is boosted by the great stimulus of having turned a seemingly inevitable defeat into a likely victory. The case of the other player is the reverse. He is apt to lose confidence and play worse. The collapse of his game plan will be the result.

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The General Psychology of Tennis (Part 1)

Saturday, June 13th, 2009

Tennis psychology is the same as understanding the make-up of your opponent’s mind and assessing the effect of your own game on his/her head and also understanding the mental effects resulting from the various external causes on your own mind.

Nevertheless, it is also true that you no one can be a successful psychologist of others without first understanding his own mental processes. So, you have to study the effect on yourself of the same thing occurring under different conditions. This is because people react differently in different moods and under different circumstances.

You must understand the effect on your game of the resulting irritation, pleasure, confusion, or whatever other form your reaction is. Does it increase your efficiency? If so, strive for it, but never give it to your opponent. Does it rob you of concentration? If so, either remove the cause, or if that is not possible, strive to ignore it.

Once you have accurately assessed your own reaction to circumstances, study your opponents in order to decide their temperaments. Like temperaments react similarly, and you may judge men of your own sort by yourself. Opposite temperaments you must seek to compare with people whose reactions you know.

Someone who can control his/her own psychology stands an great chance of determining those of another for the minds works along definite lines of thought and can be examined. One may only control one’s own thought processes after studying them meticulously.

A steady, phlegmatic baseline player is seldom a quick thinker. If he were he would not adhere to the baseline. The physical appearance of a player is often a pretty clear indicator of his/her sort of mind. The stolid, easy-going player, who usually advocates the baseline game, does so because he hates to stir up his/her torpid mind to think out a safe method of getting to the net.

However, then there is the other kind of baseline player, who would rather remain at the rear of the court while supervising an attack intended to break up your game. He is a much more dangerous player and a deep, keen thinking opponent. He obtains his/her results by mixing up his/her length and direction and worrying you with the variance of his/her game. This player is a very good psychologist.

The first type of player mentioned above just strikes the ball with little thought about what he is actually doing, while the latter always has a definite plan and adheres to it.

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Tennis Basics

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

I trust that this first foray of mine into the world of literary work will find a place with both novices and experts in the tennis world. I am trying to interest the student of the game by a somewhat lengthy discussion of match play, which I trust will shed a new light on the game of tennis.

I will turn to the novice in my opening and speak of certain matters which are second nature to the skilled player. The best tennis equipment is not much good to the beginner even if he really is trying to succeed. However, one has to buy good quality; it is a saving in the end, as good quality material far outlasts poor quality gear.

It is vital always to wear tennis apparel when playing tennis. The question of choosing a tennis racquet is a much more serious decision. I do not like to force a certain brand of racquet upon any player, since all the standard makes are of excellent quality. However, the weight, balance, and size of the handle are the really important considerations when choosing a racquet frame, while good stringing is essential to get the best results.

After you have acquired your racquet, make a firm resolve to use only good tennis balls, as a regular bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a “dead” ball is no use at all. If you really want to succeed at tennis and advance rapidly, I strongly urge you to watch all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the leading players and strive to copy their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction books you can get your hands on. They are a great assistance.

More tennis can be picked up off the court, in the study of theory, and in watching the top players in action, than can ever be learned in actual play. I do not advise miss opportunities to play tennis. Far from it. Play whenever possible, but try when playing to put in practice the theories you have read or the strokes you have seen.

Never let yourself become discouraged by slow progress. The way of playing some stroke you have worked on over weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when you least expect it. Good tennis players are the product of very hard work. Very few players are born geniuses at the game. Tennis is a game that pays you dividends all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any city.

The fellowship of tennis is universal, for none but a fit sportsman can succeed in the game for any lengthy period of time. Tennis offers relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the person who is bound hard to his business until late afternoon.

The order of development that produces the quickest and most lasting results is: a. Concentration on the game. b. Keep the eye on the ball. c. Foot-work and weight-control. d. Strokes. e. Court position. f. Court generalship or match play. g. Tennis psychology.

Concentration. Tennis is played first with the mind. The best racquet technique in the world will not suffice if the directing mind is erring. There are many reasons for a wandering mind in a tennis match. The chief one is loss of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any expectation of real success unless he cares sufficiently about the game to be willing to do the practice necessary to learn the game correctly.

Pack it in immediately unless you are willing to work very hard. The weather, conditions of play or the noises in the gallery usually confuse even experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Total concentration on the game is the only remedy for a wandering mind, and the sooner that lesson is learned the quicker the advancement of the player.

The surest way to keep a game in mind is to play for every set, every game in the set, every point in the game and, finally, every shot in the point. A set is merely a conglomeration of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the final winner.

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Appropriate Retirement Gifts For Golfers

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

There is a commonly-held belief that golf is a pastime and sport of entrepreneurs and businessmen. It also has the reputation of being exclusive and elite and not being accessible to ordinary blue collared workers. However, this is not really true, since modernization and commercialization have brought this so-called elite sport into the realm of normal people.

This is because you don’t need to buy expensive equipment to play. Unlike big game fishing or polo which need a lot of resources – a boat or a horse respectively – golfers just require a set of golf clubs, which are reasonably affordable these days. Bearing this in mind, retirement gifts for golfers and aspiring golfers are more pretty thought of.

Personalized retirement gifts to personalize golfing equipment is very simple. You could easily make personalized gifts by embroidering such items as golf club pouches or caddy covers. These can be knitted, if you are a knitter or by any similar craft which may use different materials.

Another good idea is to think about the apparel fashion of golfing which means to look at the clothing worn by golfers. You may even be able to establish a new fashion in golfing apparel by using your imagination to create an interesting design.

Common gifts. The most common method of buying a retirement gift for golfers is to go to the nearest sports shop and get your retiree one of the things sold there. It may sound a little impersonal to just get the retiree a commercially made gift, but then this may actually be really useful, if the retiree is still a beginner golfer. Maybe you might want to get him a set of golf clubs since it is the basic requirement to be able to play golf.

Moreover, you may find other accessories there that your retiree golfer still needs, but then perhaps you could also use your imagination and think about what you can make to enhance the golfing equipment he may already have.

Commercially available golfing equipment is also useful, if you want to make your retiree feel professional. You could give him a famous set of clubs, making him look like a pro.

Gags and Jokes The fun part of deciding to give a joke gift instead is the humour such items can invest. It also adds to the lighter aspect of the golf-playing retiree’s party and his friends will be able to take part in with smiles, laughs and jokey comments too.

The joke gift should be chosen quite carefully as the gag gift may represent a sensitive matter for the retiree, especially if he is still a novice player. Joke gift for golfers might be taken badly and discourage their progress if they are disturbed by the idea represented by the joke present given to them.

However, to veteran players who already know the game inside out, the gift of a good joke present on their retirement day would be very amusing as they would already see golfing not only as a way to reduce their stress and get some exercise but to actually just have some fun too.

People ought to see retirement gifts for golfers as merely a simple method of encouraging your golfing friend to appreciate the funny side of life after his career has ended.

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