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TENNIS BASICS


TENNIS INSTRUCTIONS, TENNIS COACH, MOTIVATION, FITNESS, EXERCISE

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STARTING YOUR TENNIS JOURNEY? START WITH YOUR RACQUET.

Apr 27

Posted by stevekahm

Photo by Patrick Case on Pexels.com

Making the decision to start your tennis journey is the most exciting time.
Perhaps you are looking to join a league or tournament and meet new friends.
Maybe you have friends already playing and you want to join them. Maybe you want
to start a health and fitness regimen and have decided tennis is a great sport
to begin. And you would be right! I can’t think of a better sport that offers
great cardio, some muscular tone, balance, problem solving and fresh air. But a
pretty important item to consider when starting your tennis game, is of course
the tennis racquet. I have coached many children, juniors, and adults and I am
often surprised when a student shows up at the first practice with an old
racquet they found in the garage, or something haphazardly purchased with no
real thought or idea about what they just bought. “Aren’t all racquets the same”
they ask. I usually carry extra racquets with me at my practices and many times
I will have new students try one of my racquets after hitting with theirs. They
are usually amazed at the difference they feel with a players racquet. After a
couple of practices they usually go out and purchase one. I am not hyping one
racquet over the next, or one price over another, but if you are looking for an
optimal experience spend some time with your coach, local pro, or visit amazon,
tennis warehouse and check the racquets for the style and level you are at. The
websites have great descriptions and I spend a lot of time reading reviews.

My Racquet of choice is the Babolat Pure Aero Drive. Rafa Nadal’s Racquet. This
racquet combines power, control and crazy access to spin. It is slightly head
heavy but is almost a perfectly balanced racquet. The top spin is very
noticeable on both backhand and forehand and on the serve, you can hit a big
flat serve and of course spin and kick serves are very easy. The racquet also
plays amazing at the net.

Another great racquet choice is the babolat pure drive. The racquet has access
to good spin and power. This racquet has tremendous feel and precision and an
ability to “drive” the ball on both the forehand and backhand shots. The racquet
is suited for popping a big flat first serve and a nice slice second serve.

The Head 360 + Radical is a players racquet. A smaller sweet spot means you need
to be an intermediate to advanced player to unlock this racquets true ability.
Good for flat and spin shots, good maneuverability at the net.

The Yonex e-zone 98 or the octagonal shaped head blue racquet. Not necessarily a
power racquet but a good tweener racquet with good control and solid play at the
net.

It is a fun and exciting time learning to play tennis, or to start playing again
after some time away. The racquets today are so well engineered and designed, it
will be hard to not find a racquet designed just for you. Take your time and
enjoy the process. A good racquet if taken care of can last easily up to 5
years. It’s worth spending a little extra time and money to pick a great racquet
to assist you on your tennis journey.

Still confused, drop me an email with your question and I will get right back to
you.

email: s.kahm@yahoo.com

See you on the courts.

Photo by lebih dari ini on Pexels.com

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RAFA NADAL TOP SPIN FOREHAND VERSUS INTERMEDIATE PLAYER.

Jan 11

Posted by stevekahm

If you are a tennis player, you have surely spent time watching your favorite
tennis player and trying to emulate some form of their game in to your own game.
The Rafa Nadal topspin forehand is a shot of beauty and pure animalistic power.
I thought I would take a look at my own forehand on video and for some reason I
thought it might be a good idea to compare my forehand with the 20 time grand
slam champion Rafa Nadal. The video details the beginning of what I believe will
be a long but yet fulfilling journey to truly try to emulate the great Rafa
Nadal topspin forehand. I only say trying because Rafa Nadal is a once in a
generation player and no one on this planet can hit a forehand like him.



There were some interesting takeaways from the video that I found. My take back
of the racquet took way too long making me hit the ball late. I was striking the
ball at or even with my body, meaning I was restricting my own power and top
spin by not getting the full momentum of my racquet swing. I also found I was
not bending my knees during the racquet take back sequence meaning there was no
use of my legs to coil and uncoil during the shot. This is also a major flaw in
developing any type of repetitive power and a solid topspin forehand. Lastly my
follow through was around my body, except Nadal’s follow through is more
pronounced straight up above his head with a helicopter motion as his follow
through. The last finding was my left arm was not distanced as far from my body
as Nadal’s, meaning he is picking up even more power and speed with the “whip
action” of the forehand.

More articles and videos will follow as my journey continues.

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Tags: tennis forehand, top spin forehand


TOP 5 SOLUTIONS FOR RELIEVING TENNIS ELBOW DISCOMFORT

Jan 11

Posted by stevekahm

In this article, we will look at some off the shelf products and remedies that
will relieve the discomfort of Tennis Elbow and get you on the court sooner than
later. Once again, I am not a doctor, but a tennis player who has experienced
this injury myself. Any continued pain or discomfort should be cause to see your
doctor right away.

 1. Get some rest and particular your elbow. This is tough for tennis fanatics,
    but it is a necessity. Sometimes you just have to give the elbow some rest,
    mixed in with some ice to keep the swelling down. This doesn’t mean to
    completely go away from using your elbow, some slight to moderate usage is
    recommended, but stay away from the tennis courts until the elbow starts
    feeling better.
 2. As mentioned in number 1, ice your elbow. When you are relaxing and watching
    some TV or listening to some music, elevate your arm (like on the arm of an
    easy chair, or pillow in bed) and place some frozen vegetables or some other
    edible from the freezer that won’t get ruined if it thaws a bit. I will put
    a washcloth on my elbow and place the frozen veggie bag, or ice directly on
    the swollen portion of the elbow.
 3. NSAIDS. Non Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( Ibuprofen ) can do wonders
    to reduce inflammation and take some of the pain away. Again, see a doctor
    if you are taking any medication, especially for prolonged periods. These
    are ideas to treat your pain and swelling. Now if you insist on getting back
    out on the court, once again, start slow. Don’t rush back on the court and
    pick up where you left off. Spend some time reviewing my top 5 causes and
    make sure you have at least double checked those potential causes before you
    jump right back out on the court.
 4. After concurring with your doctor, it may be helpful to restrain the wrist
    and forearm while sleeping, thus not causing any additional damage to the
    inflamed tendons.
 5. Again, start by asking your doctor, but there are hundreds of tennis elbow
    braces and bands available on the market today. These braces and bands all
    do pretty much the same thing. They are worn just below your elbow a little
    above your forearm. Other more advanced braces are made of neoprene, with
    adjustable tension straps, and still others are copper compression sleeves.
    When you put one of these on, you will almost instantly feel some relief.
    The bands take pressure off of your tendons in the elbow and provide some
    added support.



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Tags: tennis elbow, tennis elbow pain


TENNIS ELBOW, TOP 5 CAUSES

Jan 7

Posted by stevekahm

Tennis Elbow is a frustrating and painful injury. The causes are many and we
will look at the top 5 tennis causes of Tennis Elbow.

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is a painful condition that occurs when
tendons in your elbow are overloaded, usually by repetitive motions of the wrist
and arm.

Despite its name, athletes aren’t the only people who develop tennis elbow.
People whose jobs feature the types of motions that can lead to tennis elbow
include plumbers, painters, carpenters and butchers.

The pain of tennis elbow occurs primarily where the tendons of your forearm
muscles attach to a bony bump on the outside of your elbow. Pain can also spread
into your forearm and wrist.

Rest and over-the-counter pain relievers often help relieve tennis elbow. If
conservative treatments don’t help or if symptoms are disabling, your doctor
might suggest surgery.

I have suffered this injury several times and I can state several causes from my
own experience as well as multiple players complaining of this injury.

Cause #1: Wrong type of strings. I was playing maybe 4 or 5 times a week and
NTRP tournaments once a month. The commitment you make preparing for tournaments
is grand, but the strain on your equipment is also very large. I was using a
polyester string that had sharp edges that would literally cut into the ball and
create some amazing top spin. Of course my favorite professional player was
using this same string and so I had to use the same. Plus the string was pure
black and it looked awesome with my yellow Babolat frame. To gain even more spin
I went with a 17 gauge string and the ball would just pop off my racquet with
crazy spin. Of course I was breaking strings often, but I didn’t really care, I
was hammering that forehand all over the court with some awesome spin.

Then one day it happened. I noticed a large bump on top of my outer elbow and it
hurt to touch it. I started noticing the pain in my elbow more pronounced while
playing. I would come home from playing and take a few aspirin and put some
frozen vegetables on top of my elbow. After some time the pain and swelling just
wouldn’t go away. I decided to take some time off. I took a few weeks off,
picked up the racquet and within a few days the pain was back. I started reading
articles on my strings and found that many other players suffered from tennis
elbow with the same string I was using. I was not happy, but I knew I had to
change strings. I went to a pro stringer and discussed the problems I was
having. He also said he had many players complain about the string. He switched
me over to a blended string of Babolat VS gut on the mains and Babolat RPM on
the crosses. I noticed the difference right way. The strings were smooth and I
could instantly feel the difference. I also didn’t have that crazy spin on the
ball, but at least I was playing pain free.

Cause #2 String tension was wrong. The other string related cause to tennis
elbow was the string tension. I had my strings strung around 63 pounds. The
added tension certainly added some control with spin, but at what price? I had
the tension reduced to 57 pounds and with the new string combination, I was back
to playing painless tennis.

Cause # 3. Wrong Grip Size. I had never really measured my hand for proper grip
size, but I was mostly using a 4 5/8 grip which is pretty large. As I was
converting to more of a semi western grip on the forehand, that grip just became
too large and caused extra strain on my wrist and forearm causing discomfort
once again on the elbow. I changed the grip to 4 1/2 and noticed immediate
improvements. Today I still play with 4 1/2 but I have been experimenting with
an even smaller 4 3/8 grip. I will make sure there is no elbow pain if I make
that change.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Cause # 4. In-correct form. I was in the middle of converting my two handed
backhand to a one handed backhand. This was.a year long effort, but through the
process I was not using good form on the one hander and started to develop elbow
pain. I was in the middle now. I was no longer using the two hander, and my one
handed backhand hurt. I almost went exclusively with the slice backhand during
this transition period. The good part about using the slice backhand, there was
no pain, good control and the ball stayed nice and low for my opponents. The
other good part is that I have now developed a very good one handed backhand and
if I want to mix in some variety, I have the consistent slice backhand to keep
my opponents off balance.

Cause # 5. Wrong racquet for your style of play. I was demo testing another
racquet and within 15 minutes of play my elbow started to hurt. Instantly
started to hurt. I put the demo racquet away and used my normal racquet and no
pain. From my pro stringer and others, they say the swing style of the racquet
did not match up with my swing style and therefore caused me pain. I had to
agree with them, because as soon as I changed to my racquet the pain went away.

These are certainly some causes and cures, but if you are experiencing continued
pain, I would recommend seeking out a doctor who can correctly diagnose your
causes.

See you on the courts.

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Tags: tennis elbow, tennis elbow causes, tennis elbow cures


INCREASE POWER ON YOUR FOREHAND AND BACKHAND.

Jan 3

Posted by stevekahm

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

Are you lacking power and accuracy on your forehand and backhand. First check
out my article on getting the right grip. I referenced an eastern grip for the
backhand and a semi western for the forehand. Both of these grip types will
ensure you have the racquet turned correctly to impart spin and power, but the
grip alone will not generate consistent power on your forehand and backhand. To
do that, you will need to generate power from your racquet take back which
includes the shoulder turn and thereby the waist turn. Several aspects not
reviewed in this article is the importance of the knee bend and utilization of
your large leg muscles, arm, elbow, wrist, footwork, open or close stance to
name a few. There are many coordinated actions that must take place to hit a
clean, smooth, spinning and powerful ball. Today we are only looking at the take
back and follow through.

See the slow motion video below as I take the racquet back on the forehand first
and then the one handed backhand. I slowed the video down so you can see my non
dominant hand, ( my right hand ), grabbing the racquet throat before I take the
racquet on the backswing. As I take the racquet back, my non dominant hand gets
pulled backward with my racket, forcing my shoulders and waist to to rotate or
coil with the backswing. You can see my back at the top of the backswing right
before I begin to uncoil for the forehand or backhand.



Just as important as the shoulder turn and waist coil on the take back of the
racquet, is the acceleration of the racquet head as you uncoil your waist and
step into the shot. If you look at the video again, you can see after the
shoulder turn my non dominant hand comes off the racquet throat and swings
forward creating more uncoiling action as the shoulders, waist and hips create a
kinetic chain with your bent knees also springing up, causing the racquet to
accelerate at the contact point creating an enormous amount of spin and power on
the ball.

The last part of this article will focus on completing the swing. I can’t tell
you how many players who do the first 2 parts of this swing satisfactorily but
don’t finish the swing by not not following through. They actually slow the
swing down or stop mid swing after contact! This will ruin all of your efforts
of the shoulder and waist turn and the uncoiling of your shoulders and waist,
only to stop the swing before completing the kinetic chain. All of your power
and spin gains will be lost as well as the control aspects. Take one more look
at the video and observe the end of the forehand swing. The racquet comes all
the way across my body and finishes somewhere around neck high behind my head.
The one handed backhand finish is even more pronounced with the racquet
finishing high above my head racquet head pointing to the sky. The follow
through is what will separate you from the pack. Please don’t try to force the
racquet finish by flicking your wrist or twisting your arm. This will quickly
lead to arm and elbow injury and not give you the desired outcome.

Photo by Bogdan Glisik on Pexels.com

To find out more about the forehand and backhand swing, stay tuned for more
follow on articles and videos. Also coming this spring is the Tennis Basics
guide to better tennis. Available for free.

In the meantime practice your grip, shoulder and waist turn, uncoiling and
follow through, and in no time at all you will see big improvements on your
forehand and backhand power and spin.

See you on the courts.

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Tags: kinetic energy, shoulder turn, top spin backhand, top spin forehand


RACQUET REVIEW 2022 BABOLAT AERO PRO DRIVE

Dec 31

Posted by stevekahm

RAFA NADAL’s Longtime Racquet with a wild new look!

The first time I saw this new Babolat Aero Pro Drive I thought “VAMOS RAFA”. The
Racquet looks absolutely crazy. I think your game will improve from just how
cool this racquet looks on the court. Rafael Nadal‘s racquet of choice,
the Babolat Pure Aero Rafa is here. This racquet features the same cosmetic as
the one he plays with on tour. The Pure Aero Rafa features the same
specifications as the 2019 Pure Aero of which I am the proud owner of 4 of those
racquets. The driving force for the Aero series is the Aeromodular beam
construction for less wind drag and increased racquet head speed. The Pure Aero
incorporates Babolat’s Cortex Pure Feel to make the response a little more arm
friendly at contact. The tech comes from a partnership with SMAC, a company with
long standing ties to the aerospace industry specializing in shock and vibration
reduction. SMACWRAP, a thin viscoelastic rubber has been placed at the 3 and 9
o’clock positions of the Pure Aero for outstanding feel and comfort. Babolat
added the CARBON PLY STABILIZER to improve stability. CPly Carbon was developed
by Chomorat, a French industrial company, and added above the throat of the
racquet for more precision and stability. FSI Spin incorporates an open string
pattern with oblong shaped grommets for easier access to spin while the
established Woofer grommet system enhances the interaction between the ball and
strings. The Pure Aero Rafa is just over 11 ounces strung, 27 inches long, and
features a 16×19 string pattern. This makes for a very maneuverable, arm
friendly racquet that produces a lot of spin and accuracy on all of your
favorite shots. If you are looking to add spin, power and touch to your game,
look no further than the 2022 Babolat Aero Pro Drive. Be on the lookout for the
new Pure Aero Rafa RHx12 bag!.

Here is a video of my top spin forehand and backhand using the 2019 Babolat Aero
Pro Drive. You can see lots of top spin action.



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Tags: Babolat aero pro drive, top spin forehand


PROBLEM WITH THE FOREHAND. 5 QUICK FIXES

Dec 26

Posted by stevekahm

 1. Get a grip. Make sure you are using the correct grip for the forehand. If
    you are a right-handed player a solid grip is the eastern forehand grip
    which would be bevel number 2 for the right-hander view. Same bevel number 2
    for the left-hander view. The eastern forehand grip will steady your
    forehand stroke because the contact point is relatively flat and with the
    proper swing, the ball can be easily brushed up against to cause the ball to
    spin in the court.

2. Take back on your backswing too long. If your forehand continues to give you
problems after correcting your grip you may be taking your racket back too far
on your backswing. With the eastern forehand grip, a large backswing is not
required as the contact point is flat and a simple brush up on the ball is all
that is required for.

3. You are letting the racket head drop too early on the back swing. The racket
head needs to stay above the shoulders on the backswing. As you progress towards
the hitting the ball, the racket needs to make a loop from the backswing to the
contact point causing the racket to brush up on the ball creating top spin and
providing net clearance and depth on your shot.

4. You are not following through on your swing, and stopping your swing after
you make contact. This will cause the shot to lose power and spin. This is a
very common problem for beginners and even some intermediates. All of the effort
goes into the grip, backswing, keeping the racket head up, but there is no
follow through on the shot, thus canceling out all of the previous steps.

5. You are not getting to the ball and preparing early enough. If you have
successfully corrected the first 4 steps and still struggling with the forehand,
you may not be getting to the ball with sufficient time to get the right grip,
take your racket back, keep the racket head up, follow through on your swing.
There are many reasons why you may not be getting to the ball on top, but court
position is key. You should always try to position yourself at the center of the
baseline and standing a foot behind the baseline. This will ensure you can move
laterally either way and the ball will be in front of you so you don’t have to
back pedal.

In summary, give yourself enough time to perform steps 1-4 as you move towards
the ball. If you get to the ball in time with proper techniques as listed, the
forehand will soon become the ultimate weapon in your tennis game arsenal.



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Tags: eastern forehand, quickfix, tennis forehand, tennis grip, tennis tips


HOPE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Dec 23

Posted by stevekahm

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Christmas is a time for peace on earth and goodwill towards man. It is also a
stressful time organizing or attending the Christmas get together, last minute
gift shopping, crowded malls, or waiting for that package to arrive. For many,
myself included it has been a time of change. The last few years with the
pandemic, restrictions, mandates, employment shortages have made life more
challenging than usual. Many people are choosing to change their lifestyle, some
are relocating to other states or countries, changing their careers, and really
assessing what are the important factors for a happy and fulfilling life. Many
people have also looked deep into their faith and formed a relationship with God
and his Son Jesus Christ. I am also one of them. I wrote a blog about why the
whole world celebrates Christmas, but this article is about hope. Feeling
despair, anxiety, stress around this time of the year is heightened by the
aforementioned changes and finding God and seeking forgiveness for past sins is
like finding refuge from the craziness of the world.

A favorite bible passage about hope says it all for me;

“For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you
and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. JEREMIAH 29:11

In this passage, although things may not be going the way you hope, the Lord
declares that your plans are already laid out and you will not be harmed but
prosper with plans to give you hope and a future. I have realized that one I
realized my plans were already laid out, I could relax and not stress about the
future. Each day I wake up and have food and shelter provided and a sound mind I
can relax and know that my future is filled with hope and prosperity.

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Pexels.com

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Tags: God, Holy spirit, hope, Jesus Christ, prayer, stress

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 * RECENT POSTS
   
   * Starting your tennis journey? Start with your racquet.
   * Rafa Nadal Top Spin Forehand versus intermediate player.
   * Top 5 solutions for relieving Tennis Elbow discomfort
   * Tennis Elbow, Top 5 causes
   * Increase power on your forehand and backhand.


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   * December 2021


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