The old good tennis

Table tennis casually also known as ” ping pong ” and is also a very well liked Olympic game for two or else four contrasting players opposing the team match. It is more or less like tennis in all concepts, apart from the difference in their rule. To take pleasure of this game, one should know how it is essentially been played. It is the sport for everybody in leisure time, provided that the ergonomic extent of table tennis is suitable to maneuvers of a child.

Table tennis comprises of a table with the dimensions of: 9 feet x 5 feet, and painted in green, black or blue. The ball is lightweight made of solid plastic material and 40 millimeters in diameter. Net stretches all along half the segment of the table, diagonally with the height of 15 centimeters.

Rackets for the table tennis are around 10 centimeters in the length that is covered with uneven rubber on equal sides to make soft the impact of a ball. Uncovered rackets without rubber covering are not permitted because it stops the ball from spinning. As it is an obligation, some coatings are not satisfactory.

Scoring happens after each error of every player based on following instances:

1. When the player allows the ball to rebound on his table two times, then other gets scored.

2. Not hitting the ball once it productively landed as well as bounced on one’s surface.

3. When hitting back to return the ball, and if it bounces on one area despite the other side, then opponent gets the score.

4. Hitting the ball with hands by chance is acceptable; however, hitting it once more to racket means double strike. When the player gives double strike, his challenger gets scored.

5. If return is not good also it did not bounce to opponent’s half surface, then error is counted.

6. One should allow the ball to bounce on his half table area prior hitting the ball. It is an error and will give challenger a point.

Although originally designed for Tennis, the tennis shoe has evolved into many things. Still carrying the same name, the tennis shoe has become used as an athletic shoe, used for sporting and strenuous activities. Tennis shoes are also known in different names in different parts of the world like trainers in U.K., runner shoes in Canada, sandshoes in Australia.

These shoes are used extensively in sports like tennis, running, jumping and basketball. Tennis shoes are made up of very flexible material and rubber sole are used to give ultimate comfort. Costly and branded tennis shoes are available in different shapes for different types of users. For those with more disposeable income, you can still opt for custom made tennis shoes in case you are not able to find your right shoe size or shape.

Here are some great tips for picking up a great pair of tennis shoes to put to good use.

Do not go in only for brand names and looks. Looks do not matter as long as the shoe serves your purpose and though brand name has some worth, they should not be the sole criterion to choose a tennis shoe. You should give more consideration to its functionality. That being said, a nice shoe and one you want to wear is important. The point is, don’t buy just on looks. If it looks good but doesn’t fit well, then don’t get the shoe. Find something else.

Choose tennis shoes according to your foot type. The foot should fit comfortably without any stretching. Do not fall into the trap that a sales person will say that your shoes will stretch a bit to fit you. If you are buying a good pair of shoes, then they need to fit well from day one. If you think they need to stretch to fit, then they don’t fit.

Many people overlook to check the robustness of the heel box. A heel box is the part of the tennis shoes that covers the heel of your feet and keeps your feet in control while playing. Ideally the heel box should be made of leather with some rubber or plastic as support. To see the resistance of your heel box, you can try squeezing or bending it over. The heel box should be firm, and not flex. Excessive flex will not give you the support you need.

Flexibility is an important aspect to look at while choosing tennis shoes. The ideal shoes should bend easily. In addition, tennis shoes should have cushioning and shock absorption quality. It helps while playing tennis on hard courts. Also consider the weight of the shoe. If it is very heavy, it can slow you down.

Watch out for the air max unit in the heel area of your tennis shoes. The air max unit provides great protection to your feet especially on hard court surface. You may want to consider one that does not have a air cushion, as these tend to burst after a great deal of activity. They feel good at first, but when they deflate, the shoe can become uncomfortable.

The upper part of the shoes covers the fore and mid foot and saves you from any unforeseen injury. Hence ultimate care should be given to see if your feet fit comfortably in the upper region.

Replace shoes when they are worn. If the material is excessively frayed, and or the soles are worn and uneven, then pick up a new pair of shoes. The worn soles can have negative effects on your posture, and the worn soles can cause you to slip unnecessarily. Over time, the action of the shoe, also known as it’s responsiveness, will also diminish.

Lastly, make sure you know which kinds of surfaces you will be using your shoes on. Talk with your sales person and make sure the shoes you buy are designed for the surface you will be playing on.

Yonex Badminton rackets are used by more top players than any other manufacturer. Yonex are the dominant force in badminton today. The question is, are they the best?

The latest Yonex racket is the ArcSaber 10 and it retails at around £160, which just about makes it the most expensive badminton racket ever made. Other top end Yonex rackets are the Armortec series and the Nano speed series. The muscle power series are also still going strong. Prices for these rackets range from around £80 to £110, which is a significant amount of money to invest in a badminton racket.

In my opinion, Yonex badminton rackets are quality products, but i do think the prices are a bit too high. There is no fun in breaking your badminton racket in a clash with your partners racket, especially when your new bat has just set you back over £100. This happens time and again, and no warranty on this earth will cover accidental damage. I know this from personal experience, and at that moment, no racket is worth the money, especially if only your racket has broke.

I have used many Yonex badminton rackets over the years, from the early CAB 8DX, CAB 20 and CAB 21. The CAB 21 is one of my favourite rackets of all time, an absolute classic. I then moved to the Yonex Aerotus series, which proved to be a big disappointment. I had 3 of these and they all snapped, and not on someone elses racket i might add.

After this bad experience i started to use Carlton badminton rackets, and i can say that they are excellent badminton rackets. If you are looking for an alternative to Yonex badminton rackets then i recommend giving Carlton a try. I still use the Carlton Airblade Tour, as well as Yonex rackets.

Yonex has now got strong competition in the west. Wilson and Head are now bringing out more and more badminton rackets. With a proven track record in tennis, they are now putting their expertise into badminton. This can only benefit us players, and variety is the spice of life.

However, in the far east, Yonex dominates. They have a larger selection of rackets that cater for all standards. They have been producing badminton rackets or longer than the other companies, and are always at the forefront of technology. The ArcSaber range is proof that they do not rest on their laurels.

Yonex badminton rackets are probably the best you can get. The fact that you can see almost every top ranked badminton player using their equipment adds to their reputation. After all, if they are good enough for the best players they must surely be good enough for us,right?

As the game of tennis grows more popular with each passing year, an increasing number of people all over the world take up the sport and indulge many hours each day pursuing the game and improving their own level of play on different types of tennis courts. While these tennis fans and players learn to love the sport in its various styles, they also subject their bodies to long hours of stress through the workouts they have training with a coach or playing games against friends.

What many of these tennis fans fail to recognize is this stress that they subject their bodies through each time they step out on a tennis court. With the game moving towards a more power-based focus due to the influence from the professional tennis players’ circuit, players now use more strength and power in their game compared to those who played it in the past. As a result, the momentum and force that is concentrated on their bodies grow as they improve in the sport.

What this translates to is a lot of stress that is placed on a tennis player’s feet, as they serve out each game and also when they move around the tennis court. In many sports, the foundation of a person’s stability and strength comes from how well grounded their lower body is. And to support that, a person’s lower body strength is an important factor in providing the force and power his or her upper body needs in carrying out an action. And with that comes an equal and opposite reaction on the feet. The stronger and more powerful a tennis player becomes, the heavier is the stress his feet is subjected to.

Therefore, in order to protect one’s feet in tennis, a good and stable pair of tennis shoes is of utmost importance in achieving that. The shoes must have cushioned soles that can not only absorb the impact of running around the court on different types of surfaces, but they must be able to shield the player’s feet from the stress that is placed on them when carrying out serves or returning shots from opposing players. A good pair of tennis shoes will also provide advanced sole technology that can give a player an advantage when exchanging forehands and backhands through the course of a game.

While providing a player’s feet with comfort is critical, one should also ensure that the tennis shoes are durable. If they can be used for a prolonged period of time and yet have an optimum level of performance throughout, the tennis player would have chosen well. With the sometimes smooth surfaces that a tennis grass court might have, tennis shoes for such a playing surface should also provide sufficient grip to prevent unwanted slips during a game. No one would want to experience a fall which can lead to unnecessary injuries that might even be career threatening. Good tennis shoes should provide these qualities that not only enhance a player’s experience, but also indirectly contributes to the health and longevity of his career.

I get a lot of questions about tennis scorebooks.  Most coaches in the know are looking for the Wirtanen tennis scorebook and who could blame them as this book is like royalty among tennis enthusiasts.  That being said I know of a couple of other options that sell very well and are quite popular.

Let’s take a quick look inside of three major tennis scorebooks and see what each has to offer.  I will explain the differences between the Wirtanen tennis scorebook, the Glovers Short Form tennis scorebook and Accuscore Official tennis scorebook.

The Wirtanen Tennis Scorebook

Behind the green cover of this coveted tennis scorebook is something I have never seen in any other scorebook.  A story about an athlete and his coach.  I’m going to provide an exact copy of that story below as it is the story behind the development of this scorebook.

Taken from the Wirtanen Tennis Scorebook page 1…

“    The name WIRTANEN on the cover of this scorebook is in memory of John Wirtanen whom Paul Bouchard coached while at Greenway High School, Coleraine, Minnesota.  John began playing tennis in the ninth grade.  After only two year of competitions, and with 02 schools competing, John led his high school team to an undefeated season as well as leading it to the state team championship in the spring of 1961.  John Wirtanen teamed with Jim Miller to win the State Doubles Championships that same spring.  What was unusual about this situation was not only the winning of the state championship in two years, but that in the 60 year history of high school tennis in Minnesota, this was the first and only time that a team from Northern Minnesota had ever won a State Tennis Championship.

    Following his high school career, John enrolled at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota where he was instrumental in leading Hamline to three consecutive Minnesota State College Championships.  In his senior year at Hamline, John discovered that he had cancer.  John never gave up and never once felt sorry for himself.  He fought to the end of his short life.  John passed away on September 7, 1969 at the age of 22.  It is in memory of John that this book has been published.  In education, many teachers and coaches come in contact with outstanding young individuals whom they never forget.  For Paul Bouchard, John Wirtanen will never be forgotten.”

I thought the above was worth passing around to even those who don’t buy the book.

Now I do highly recommend this book.  It features a superior quality cover like that of a hard cover novel.  In fact the cover is so stiff that you will not need additional support when writing.  You can write neatly into this book without worry that it will flex suddenly.  The next page of he book shows a sample page filled out.  Flip the page and you’ll find a team record and schedule page and adjacent to that is a weekly schedule page.  Flip the page one more time and your ready to keep score.  The top of this page is titled “Tennis Score Sheet”  There is a column for Home Team and column for Opponents followed by Winner, Set1, Set2, Set3.  You get 6 singles lines with 1 extra line and 3 doubles lines with 1 extra.  Each score page features a Team Records box with All Matches and Conference tables.  There is a Final Score section and lastly an information box with spaces for Site, Date, Weather, Opposing Coach, Court Surface and Remarks.

The adjacent page is Match Notes with weakness and strength lines as well as grade line for each match.  Finally you find a Team Summay of Opponents.  There are 30 sets of these pages.

After scoring pages you will find a page with generous tables for Individual Player Results and Tournament Achievements.  This page is followed by 10 pages with tables for Individual Player Records.  Next you get 12 pages of tournament charts to use followed by a Match Report Form, Tennis Team Roster page and last but not least a Tennis Season Summary Page.

The Wirtanen Tennis Scorebook is full of everything you need to keep score and statistics for your team.  If you looking for the best you’ll find it here.

Glovers Short Form Tennis Scorebook

The Glovers short form tennis scorebook is also a fantastic book.  At first glance you’ll see that it features a very durable plastic cover in color light blue.  In addition to this water proof cover you’ll notice a very thick spiral binding that can take a beating.  The first page of the books is  titled ” Glovers Tennis Directory” and it gives spaces for all your players contact information, your school information and coaches information.  Turn the page and you find 2 full pages of scoring instruction in the form of example pages.  After a quick review you’ll be ready to go.

From there you head straight into scoring pages.  There are two pages for each meet.  The left hand page is the Score Sheet and the right hand page is the Match summary.  You get 6 lines for singles matches plus 2 extras and 3 sets of doubles plus 1 extra.  The match summary is straight forward with spaces for final score, strokes, best shot, weak shot, right and left.   You get enough sets of scoring pages to score 30 matches.

At the end of the scoring pages is a page with tables for Team Season Summary and Tournament Results.  Following this page are 12 pages for Player Summaries with tournament results at the bottom for each player. 

The Player Summaries are followed by 12 pages of “Glover’s Challenge Charts”.  Each page has a Singles Ladder and Doubles Ladder.  Singles has 16 boxes total in a triangular layout and doubles have 6 boxes total in the same type of tournament layout.

The Glover’s book if very well laid out and features a bit of an oversized page for more writing space.  The pages are made of thick paper and the cover is very durable plastic.  Definitely a great book.

The Accuscore Tennis Scorebook

The Accuscore tennis scorebook looks like all of the other Accuscore books.  Thick card stock cover in a standard 8.5″ high x 11″ wide format.  Inside the book you first find a note to the scorekeeper which offers general instruction on how to use the book and keep score.  The next page is a Season information page where you can fill in the year, team roster, schedule, and coaches names.  Flip the page and your into the scoring pages.  The layout of this book differs from our previous 2 books and is very open.  The left hand page scores the singles matches and the right hand page scores the doubles.  You get 7 rows for singles and 6 for doubles.  The bottom of the right hand page offers cumulative scoring for the meet and a final team score area.  The very bottom of this page is a couple of lines for comments.  You get 24 sets of these scoring pages.  A little less than the 30 in both the Wirtanen and Glovers but this book is half the price.

The final page of the book is a Season Summary that offers tables for Team Totals, Singles Totals and Doubles Totals.  There are also lines for Team Honors and Single/Double Player Honors.  The back of the Accuscore is even thicker card stock that is stiff enough to offer an ok writing surface.

For a closer look at these books check out my tennis scorebook review review video.

I hope this short article will assist new coaches in picking a scorebook that suits there needs and that experienced coaches who aren’t happy with there scorebooks find a better one.  Thanks for reading and be sure to check out more review articles at TeamSportsBlog.com.

You can purchase any of the above scorebooks at The Tennis Scorebook Store.