APRIL 2009 ISSUE
Green Tennis Club home
Rally for the Cure
G.T.C. will host its second annual Rally for the Cure event on Saturday, April 25 from 7 to 10 p.m. Minimum donation is $25. If interested, please sign up by Saturday, April 18.
Justin Ball to run in Boston Marathon
Justin Ball, recipient of the first Dave Rea tennis scholarship (2007), will be running in the 2009 Boston Marathon on April 20. In order to be distinguished from the other anticipated 25,000 runners, he will be wearing his kelly green GREEN TENNIS CLUB T-shirt that he received from Dave while helping him with summer camps.
Justin qualified by running in the 2007 Akron Marathon. Good Luck Justin!
Cardio Tennis to switch to Tuesdays
Cardio Tennis will change days from Wednesdays to Tuesdays starting in May. It will be the same time from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The cost is $15. We also will continue to offer Saturday morning classes from 8 to 9:30. Hope to see you there.
Panthers loose at G.T.C
A Manchester Middle School program (above) is strong at G.T.C. It runs on Thursday from 3 to 4:00. Go Panthers!
‘Breaking Back,’ the book by James Blake
By Keith Ginnetti
If you are looking for a tennis book that is more than just tennis pick up "Breaking Back" by James Blake. It goes deep in the life of James Blake and shows that anything is possible. To read about the obstacles that James overcame to be one of the top players in the world currently was amazing and quite enjoyable. I recommend this book for the any tennis or non-tennis fan. It inspired me, and I hope it will do the same for you!
Free overgrip with restringing
G.T.C will put an over grip on your racquet at no charge when you have your racquet restrung during the month of April. So get a grip on your game and racquet before U.S.T.A leagues start.
Buckeyes vs. Gophers
G.T.C collaborated with Hall of Fame Tennis and Fitness club to see the best collegiate tennis in the area. We went to Columbus on Sunday, March 29 to see the No. 6-ranked Ohio State men’s tennis team play No. 28 Minnesota.
The Buckeyes have won a school record 81–consecutive home matches prior to this match. The Bucks beat the Golden Gophers 7-0. The stretch of consecutive home matches won began in the 2002- 2003 season. Go Bucks.
Small Things Matter
By Dave Forman
My brother has often told me that if you 'watch your pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves'. The message in this saying is that attention to detail can and will lead to big results.
In a related note, when I am teaching a lesson I often tell my students that they should 'work hard to make it easy'. My message is that determined preparation leads to positive results. What brought this topic to mind is the recent junior tournament held recently at the Green Tennis Club.
Keith Ginnetti and I were watching the girl's final and we both remarked how good the players' footwork was in preparation for each shot. The quality of their play was so good and their shots were so accurate and powerful because they took the needed steps in their preparation.
I believe that preparation requires practice. You must practice the individual pieces and parts so that they can be combined to form a more powerful game. My lessons are designed to isolate one aspect of the game and allow the students to focus on one change at a time. Once the individual aspect is mastered, we work on incorporating this into match situation. Many people just want to play points during their sessions. However, I believe that in order to improve you must work on the details.
One item that separates the pros on the circuit from the club player is their footwork. The pros work very hard to make small adjustments, which make it easier for them to execute their shots. They spend hours working on their steps so it is natural for them when they play their matches.
By contrast, club players do not take the time to practice their footwork and their strokes are awkward as a result.
Chris Evert often remarked that it was her feet that took her to the championship. These play on words ought to remind you to work on this aspect of your game. Next time you practice try these two routines. First, count your steps between each stroke. Typically, a club player will take 6 steps between shots while a pro will make 12 small adjusting steps. Try to increase the number of steps you take. Second, try the 'bump and hit' drill with a partner. When the ball comes to you, pop it up to yourself and after it has bounced hit the ball back to your partner. You will find that you will have to make a number of small adjusting steps to control the ball effectively.
Regardless of the routine you use, make certain that you increase the number of steps you take in preparation for your strokes. Remember, small steps in practice can lead to big leaps in results.
Summer Camp Schedule Announced
G.T.C is hosting is 21st year of junior camps.
The schedule this year is as follows:
- Session 1… Beg. /Inter… June 15-19, $130
- Session 2… Elementary… June 22-26, $100
- Session 3… High School …July 6-10, $130
- Session 4… Beg. /Inter…July 13-17, $ 130
- Session 5… Elementary… July 20-24, $100
- Session 6… High School… July 27-31, $130
- Session 7… Beg/Inter… Aug. 3-7, $130
Tennis exercises from Keith
Any tennis player knows that high performance tennis requires on and off court training.
Each month, I will introduce an exercise to help improve your body’s muscles in order perform movements in a repetitive fashion throughout a match. Last month, I wrote about an exercise that strengths forearm muscles for control of the wrist thru the use of an exercise band. This month, I will introduce an exercise that strengths lower body.
In today’s modern game of tennis, you will see groundstrokes with open stances and explosive movement on the court. In order to perform these movements repetitively, tennis players must have leg strength, and balance. While there are many ways to increase leg strength, I will write about one exercise I do on a regular basis.
Lunge with Rotation: I use a medicine ball (6 to 8 lbs) to perform a forward lunge bending the front leg about 45 to 60 degrees. It is important that you maintain proper alignment with the knee directly in line with the foot during the lunge.
In this position, rotate the upper body and trunk 45 degrees or more to the left, then right, maintaining balance and an upright posture. Then return the ball, with arms outstretched, to the straight ahead position and repeat the other step with the other leg and begin rotating the arms as described above. I recommend doing multiple sets for 15 to 20 repetitions.
Quote of the month
“If you can win one set, you can win two.”
Todd Martin's advice in James Blake's book, "Breaking Back"