The old good tennis

My son has gained an edge on me after he became a staunch fan of Federer. Kids will learn from example, whether we’re talking matrices in precalc during highschool, picking their nose as a toddler, or in our case, the basics of mental tennis.

Federer vs. Safin, a short compare and contrast. Actually, just a contrast. Well, fine, both of them happen to be tennis players.

Changeovers (Federer)- Sits down in his chair, meditates, clears his mind, visualizes victory.

Changeovers (Safin)- Screams at umpire, heads back to line to show mark of ball, tosses racket while getting a point penalty, has a fit, repeat cycle

During Point (Federer)- During a point, or in the whole match from a bigger perspective, you will probably notice Federer’s consistency. He has an amazingly few amount of errors for the number of winners and aces he hits. He is able to hit the shot over and over again.

During Point (Safin)- Safin recently broke a tennis record. Two actually. And possibly a third but that one’s unofficial. He had the longest game (time) in Wimbledon history, over 20 minutes. He also went over 13 deuces; I’d lost count during the match.

However, Safin has beaten Federer. At the 2005 Australian Open Semifinals he took down Federer in your epic 5 set tennis battle. People remarked at how calm he looked through the match. He’d taken his mental game to the next level.

Getting to the mental level of Federer takes years, even decades of experience. I never had any resources to find out how I’m supposed think while playing tennis. Nor did my son. We both figured it out after years of practice, but still only had a rough understanding. When he did some research on it, he soon surpassed me, and then I did some research to get my edge back on him!

Here are some tricks I learned:

* Bounce-Hit: I can’t stress enough how useful this one is. It helps you concentrate without thinking all the time: how do I hit this shot, am I doing it right, is this how coach told me? When you are actively thinking about hitting any tennis shot, you are guaranteed to miss it. Eh, maybe miss it 90%, you get lucky a few times. What you do with bounce-hit, is when the ball is hit by your opponent, say hit. When it bounces, say bounce. When you hit the ball, say hit. Try it out, this works in rallies and on serve!

* Be Happy! This is as much a tennis tip as a life tip! If you look happy, it will not only confuse your opponent, you might play better too. Seeing you dejected on the other hand, will only make them to play better, knowing that they have the upper hand. They’ll be having fun, but you won’t!

* Control Your Emotions! Don’t go on a racket rampage, throwing it at the fence, the ground, and certainly not at your opponent. However, the reverse is true as well. Federer, even after a great shot, displays none or very little emotion. You should do the same. When you display emotion, you ruin chances of getting into ‘the zone’. ‘The Zone’ is the state of mind where you are completely calm, completely aware, yet at the same time, not thinking about anything much. Everything becomes effortless and easy. That is the ultimate goal.

Thinking of starting to play tennis? Tennis is a great sport that requires mental preparation and physical agility. The first part of being able to play the game properly is understanding the rules, and in this article, we’ll be discussing what are commonly agreed upon as the official rules of tennis. The rules that we will discuss are based on the provided courtesy of the International Tennis Federation.

THE COURT – Tennis should be played on a court that is built to certain specifications. The court should be 78 feet long. For a singles match, the court should be 27 feet in width, and for doubles matches, the court’s width should be 36 feet. The net should be composed of a net with a cord of metal cable supporting it at a height of 3 and a half feet. Service lines should be placed 21 feet from each side of the net, designating the area in which serving should be performed.

THE RACKET – The rackets used in tennis should only have one pair of crisscrossing strings. Vibration dampening devices are allowed on the rackets, but they can only be placed outside of the strings. No devices that incorporate batteries to help your play are allowed.

THE SCORING – Tennis is a unique game in that it has special names given to the various points awarded. When calling out the score, the person serving the ball should always say their score first. A score of zero is called out by saying ‘Love’, and from there, the points go to 15, 30, 40, and game. If both players get a score of 40, the game must become a tie-breaker, and a 40-40 score is announced by saying ‘Deuce’. In a ‘Deuce’ situation, if a player gets a point, they are said to have ‘Advantage’. If a player with an ‘Advantage’ gets another point, the game is over. If a player gets a point while the other has ‘Advantage’, the score is reset to ‘Deuce’. When a game is won, another game is begun until someone gets the best of 7 games. One catch is that they must win by two. If, at the end of 7 games, a player is up 4 to 3, another match must be held as winning by two is necessary. If a player takes the best of 7 games, winning by 2, they are said to have won the match.

Jewelry is not only fashion its culture, its history. Jewelry-there is no escape from it. One has to wear it one-way or the other. Jewelry is almost becoming a necessity currently. You can brighten-up your day or make a new friend with a mere piece of ornament. Jewelry has been getting considerable attention at all times. Jewelry of different eras will tell you the stories of that time due to its design and craftsmanship. You can actually trace history with jewelry. The history of jewelry is as old as mankind itself. With the passage of time the art of jewelry has marvelously evolved to the heights of perfection.

With every passing year jewelry has stood for different symbols and reasons. This symbolism changed from time to time. If we take a look, well find the traces of jewelry before the time of Stone Age when people use to bury dead bodies along with their precious assets including jewelry with them. Then in Stone Age when the humans were not civilized but still they were aware and also felt the need of ornaments, their jewelry was fashioned using their primitive tools out of wood, stones bones, animal teeth, pebbles, feathers, shells and leather. Gold and silver made its first appearance with the ancient Egyptians. They liked gold because of its warm, glowing color and its ease to work on it, being relatively soft and pliable. And I believe since then gold never loses its charm actually the craze of gold is getting wilder with every coming year.

Use of precious stones started in Egyptians time. Especially the jewelry using turquoise and lapis lazuli was very much liked by them. Egyptian were shown wearing bracelets, brooches, headdresses, pendants and rings made of gold, silver and precious gemstones in ancient pictures and sculptures. Ornaments took a primary importance in their lives and thats is why jewelry craftsmanship was developed a lot in this age. Elegance and sophistication was a trademark of old Greeks jewelry. They used several designs but mainly their specialty was gold filigree of wire openwork in the naturalistic shapes of flowers, leaves and animals. Whereas for Romans jewelry was a status symbol, middle Ages also followed the same rule though styles and income levels relatively discouraged wearing of most jewelry. But Brooches were an important part of the wardrobe as they were practical in holding up tunics and cloaks. In this period all social classes commonly wore rings. Rings made of iron, copper, and silver or gold with the metal referring to the wearers social standing.

Renaissance period came with the revival of ornaments, fashion of showing more skin gave ample chance for jewelry to become a trend. Jewelry transformed into art in this era, jewelry was equally used by men and women though mens necklaces was more like chains and women tend to wear more complicated designs with twists and bead work. Pearls came in Elizabethan era, in contrast to Renaissance period delicate one droplet pearl earrings with simple matching pearl choker made its appearance in England. Georgians Jewelry was entirely handmade and therefore quite individualistic. Both men and women wore heavy, richly jeweled chains, rings, shoe buckles, and hair ornaments, buttons and brooches. Clothes with gemstones sewn on them were a pretentious flaunt of wealth. Jewelry settings were designed to exhibit the color and sparkle of gemstones, predominantly diamonds. The principal theme of the period was stimulated by nature, including flowers, leafs, insects, birds and feathers.

Art of jewelry making was further refined in Victorian period in Europe, and exquisite lockets and cameos were made. They started stamping out Standard Jewelry to be duplicated, this feature brought quality jewelry to the middle-class as well. Platinum came on the scene in 20th century. Long dangling earrings, long strands of pearls or beads, diamond watches cocktail rings, and multiple bracelets on both upper and lower arms was the gift of 20th century. Platinum and precious stones, particularly diamonds were also in. From 1940s flamboyant curves and bows in large pieces of jewelry became identified as Retro Modern. Yellow gold again regained distinction these years, Semi-precious stones and man-made rubies and sapphires became more popular. Cocktail rings, bracelets, watches and necklaces were enormous.

Todays clients would consider that style quite extravagant and flashy. Early 1990s gave a comeback to platinum and novel pieces like the tennis bracelet and the diamond solitaire pendant made their way this time. Men leaned to wear bracelets, necklaces and even earrings more when the Twentieth century drew towards its end. But now jewelry is fairly used by both sexes. From bracelets and toe rings, to necklaces and tongue studs, jewelry continues to be a popular titivation for the human race and most body parts have been pierced to allow for the wearing of such. Watches also have been an important part of jewelry, as jewelry improved on the whole watches also got better and better and today we have a long list of watches having different designs and functions. Analog, digital, LCD, LED, quartz (which is one of the most famous nowadays), mechanical, jewel, diving watches, all are used according to ones liking. Just like any other jewelry piece in watches too there are several brands you can go for. Watches are not mere necessity anymore they are much more than this.

Todays jewelry is the mirror of wearers soul and personality. Jewelry is the license to stamp your own individuality. Jewelry says a lot more then you can think. It actually talks. You can experience it, if you are going to a new place where anyone hardly knows you then wear an eye catchy piece and people will definitely drew near you to ask you about it. Trust me sometimes an ornament can actually compel someone to talk to you. Youll be thinking this is sheer exaggeration. No, Jewelry affix beauty to your charm, in fact it adds to your body language. It reflects the definitive style and persona of the person wearing it. Zany and colorful wearable art works best, it shows you have a wanton spirit, are playful, light-hearted, and spontaneous. Try experiencing the wonders of jewelry do in your life, make it a point not to leave your home without a piece of jewelry as it is worth it.

For more details about jewellery and watches visit: http://www.bargainvaluedeals.com/jewelry-and-watches.php

Tennis Court Sport Lighting Fixture Sales & Sport Court Photometric Lighting Design Services.

The best tennis court lighting fixtures are forward throw fixtures that feature either precision optics or cut off designs that focus illumination on the court and minimize glare from surrounding viewpoints. Tennis court lighting systems should always be designed with two simultaneous objectives in mind: lighting the court and lighting the ball in play. Optimal illumination depends on striking this balance, and this balance in turn depends upon several other factors as follows:

1. The number of light poles

2. The physical location of lighting poles

3. The type of lighting fixtures attached to poles

4. The number of fixtures per pole

5. The proper number of footcandles

6. The purpose of the court

7. The physical size of the court

When each of these factors is properly balanced against the other, a uniform distribution of the light and non-glare optics can be created. Optimal tennis court lighting should cover the entire court and extend approximately 6′ beyond the sidelines and 10′ behind the base lines. Metal Halide luminaries are the most common HID source used for tennis court lighting.

Selecting the Right Tennis Court Lights, Poles, and Accessories

Customers can find individual lighting fixtures, supplies, and individual light poles and lamps in our online store. Typically, tennis lighting fixtures come equipped with a 1000 watt, Metal Halide bulb. These sports lights are manufactured for both residential and commercial applications, so customers have the flexibility of installing these devices in a variety of settings. RLLD Commercial tennis court lighting pole sizes come in a variety of heights and can be used with narrow, tournament, and club size tennis court playing fields. For the convenience of both professional designers and certified electricians contracted by homeowners, we have developed tennis court lighting packages that are specifically approved and designed for six standard tennis court layouts.

Standard Tennis Court Layouts Dimensions Packages

Single Recreational & Residential Court 120′ L X 60′ W Court 1

Dual Recreational & Residential Court 120′ L X 120′ W Court 2

Single Tournament & Club Court 120′ L X 60′ W Court 3

Dual Tournament & Club Court 120′ L X 120′ W Court 4

Dual Narrow Recreational & Residential Court 120′ L X 108′ W Court 5

Dual Narrow Tournament & Club Court 120′ L X 120′ W Court 6

A few additional points bear further notice. Some of our tennis court lighting kits come with a double lamp pole light fixture. This creates a more evenly spread illumination and a different look compared to the conventional single lamp pole. We also have quad light poles that have four die cast light fixtures for a distinctive appearance. RLLD Commercial Lighting includes all necessary accessories for these lighting kits, include mounting hardware, brackets, and lamps. RLLD Commercial Lighting tennis court light kits can also be used with basketball and volleyball courts, or any other type of athletic or sports lighting area that requires superior lighting for game purposes. We have tennis lights for club or tournament courts, and we also have packages for single and dual playing fields as well. Please reference the following for more information:

Tennis Court Fixture Mounting Methods

In tennis court lighting you can choose between low-mast and high-mast pole configurations. Generally speaking, residential tennis court lighting is better accomplished with low-mast lighting, while high mast lighting is used in areas where higher light levels are required. Low-mast systems used in conjunction with sharp cut-off luminaries produce good uniformity, low glare, reduced amounts of spill light and are relatively easy to maintain.

Country clubs, resorts, five star hotels, and municipal parks can select from over 40 sports lights specifically designed for tennis courts. Call an RLLD Commercial Lighting Specialist now for detailed suggestions on how to use these high-end, durable tennis court lights and accessories. Consultation over the phone is free to clients and serious inquirers, and competitive fee-based consultation is also available for those seeking information only from our expert staff.

While many are familiar with the basic aspects of the game of tennis, few realize exactly how much difference a type of course can have on their game. In this article, we’ll help you learn to identify the differences of different playing surfaces and allow you to be able to efficiently adjust your game to make up for the changes a court makes.

- One commonly used surface for tennis courts is one that is known as Rebound Ace. This substance is hard, and it is found in may courts throughout the world. It consists of a basic layer of asphalt and/or concrete that is topped with acrylic paint that is combined with sand to get a semi-sticky, grippy, consistent surface. Tennis courts that are made of Rebound Ace have a predictable bounce and speed due to the fact that the court is uniformly created of the same hard materials. To that end, it’s a good place to begin playing tennis so that you can get the feel of a consistent surface.

- Another type of tennis court that you may run into is one that is made of clay. Clay courts are made of crushed-up bricks and covered with a layer of rough, loose clay. Clay courts make the ball stick to the ground more, causing the ball to slow down. Consequently, you may find yourself skidding when performing quick movements due to the loose surface. To win on a clay court, work on hitting the ball deep into your opponent’s side of the court, putting as much spin on the ball as you can. This limits your opponent’s opportunities to return the shot. Also, you may want to consider making shots that will put your opponent off of their footing, causing them to miss the return.

- Grass tennis courts are not seen as often as they used to be, but you can still find them out there. Wimbledon is a grass court, and is one of the few remaining competitions held on grass. Grass can cause the ball to bounce much lower, making grass courts a field of advantage for those who make quick, low shots. Changing up your shots from shot-type to shot-type can also provide to be an efficient advantage over your opponent when playing on grass.

Now that you know more about how the courts of tennis can effect your game, you can better understand exactly what you need to do to keep on top of your game. Happy playing!

Tennis is a sport with numerous rules and regulations, and getting them all in your head can take a while. In this article, we’ll examine some commonly occurring issues regarding the game so that you can have a clearer outlook on exactly what should happen should these questions come up in a game.

Q: What should I do if a ball from another court rolls onto my court during the middle of a match?

A: The rules laid out by the International Tennis Federation state that a request by another tennis player to remove their ball from your court must be honored. However, the request doesn’t need to be honored while you have a ball in play. If a player from another game hits a ball that doesn’t land on your court but near the court’s lines, the sportsmanship-upholding rules of the federation state that you should take time when you are not in play to retrieve the ball for the other player.

Q: Can I call my own let?

A: Lets are not allowed to be called by the player performing the service. Regardless of the situation, be it a snap of the player’s racket strings or a distraction such as their hat blowing off, nothing that a player does can entitle them to call out their own let. Similarly, if a distraction occurs such as a cell phone ring while a player is serving, they are held responsible and no let should be given. The opponent of the person who is being distracted is completely in charge of whether or not their opponent should be allowed a let, and they should let sportsmanship and fairness guide their decision. However, it should be a players responsibility to ensure that any distractions will be minimized by doing such things as turning off their cellular phone. If, however, the referee doesn’t state that cellular phones should be turned off before the game, in certain cases, a referee may allow a player to have a let. However, this can only happen once per game at most for any player, since after it occurs, every player should be familiar with the fact that cellular phones should be left aside. In addition, lets should not be allowed due to the sounds made by any of the audience members. Although it can be distracting, spectator noise is not the basis for the replaying of a point.