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| BB&T Tennis & Sports |
Today's Tips |
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 Boca Bath & Tennis offers many unique amenities to enjoy right in our own backyard. Take advantage of these amentities to truly enhance your lifestyle.
 
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COME JOIN YOUR NEIGHBORS & GET IN SHAPE
Boca Bath & Tennis .... Outdoor Group Fitness
Run by a Personal Trainer
Tuesday & Thursday: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Classes meet in front of the community clubhouse.
High school and College students welcomed.
Please call Christina Butzer at 754-224-0658 for additional information or to pre-register.
1st Class is FREE!
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SWIMMERS WELCOME Our pool has energy efficient, geo-thermal temperature maintenance and is held at a comfortable 84 degrees year round ... heated in the winter and cooled in the summer.
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 TENNIS UPDATE:
Women's Tennis League: Scores; Standings; Schedules; and much more ...CLICK HERE
Please look for community events listed in The Babble. To open a recent copy of The Babble ... just click on the bottom item in the menu to the left, labled, "The Babble Newsletter"
For information on leagues and events, including those mentioned in The Babble, please contact our pro shop.
Remember keep hydrated, and drink plenty of water, add a little Gatorade/PowerAde to your water to supplement your electrolyte loss through perspiration. Fruit is also a great supplement especially bananas and/or kiwi fruit; consider wearing a hot or visor, change clothes regularly and please apply and reapply sunscreen often.
To upgrade your racquet, strings and sneakers, we have new equipment and demos available at the Pro Shop.
To view EVENTS, ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION ... Click on "The Babble Newsletter" in the menu bar to the left
Friday Frolic – Great fun, totally mixed up doubles, everything goes and usually does, please call and try it; it’s great. Usually once each month on a Friday: 7:00PM – 9:00PM. Cost $10.00 per couple. Mixed Up Doubles ... social tennis, just for fun.
To see a COMPLETE LIST of Events, Activities and Information, click on the above link to open your current issue of The Babble and also check the online Community Calendar
Ball Machine – Tremendously effective once you have grooved your strokes; plus it’s a great workout. Available most non-peak times, please call in advance.
See you on the courts.
Your Director of Tennis,
Ken Hine
THE FOLLOWING TIPS WERE COPIED FROM THE BABBLE. EACH TIP WILL REMAIN POSTED FOR ABOUT 12 MONTHS.
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DECEMBER '04 TIP OF THE MONTH – “BABY STEPS”
It’s a great feeling when you’re playing your best tennis. But what happens when you’re having an off day? In my experience, players do one of two things to turn a match around. They either stay the course and try to struggle their way through or they make a bunch of changes to their game, hoping to find something that works. Unfortunately, neither alternative offer much of a solution.
My suggestion is to keep it simple. Pick one essential component of your game and focus on that. It could be that you’re not keeping your head down where the ball is. Therefore pulling up with your head which eventually pulls your racquet up off the ball; also stopping you from focusing on the contact point. It could be your footwork, lack of early racquet preparation or perhaps your ball toss.
Just pick something easy, you can build on; start with the easiest things, the beginnings of the individual technique. Once that part of your play falls in line, pick another to work on.
By keeping it simple and concentrating on one thing at a time, plus most importantly starting from the beginning of a particular maybe incorrect technique; you now have the opportunity to bring your game around. You have started a new chain of corrective behavior.
Have a great, fun, healthy and safe holiday season. Any questions, comments or suggestions, love to hear from you. See you on the courts.
Your Director of Tennis,
Ken Hine
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| JANUARY '05 TIP OF THE MONTH – INJURY PROTECTION
Tennis – Injury Protection
Where increased chance of injury occurs: shoulders, elbows, calves.
How to stay in the game … strengthen your rotator cuffs.
The tennis serve may be one of the most unnatural motions an athlete can make. Not only does the serving motion itself render players susceptible to rotator-cuff tears, but the stress on the shoulder and elbow is magnified by the stop-shock of racket hitting the ball.
That can produce tennis elbow, tendonitis in the shoulder, or both. Either injury makes playing tennis painful, if not impossible. It can in general be painful just doing life’s little necessities, shaking hands, turning a door knob.
The solution starts with the rotator-cuff exercises shown below. Combine them with the arm and shoulder exercises always using light to comfortable resistance/weights with relatively high repetitions.
Next check with Dina or myself to see if you’re using the right racket and proper string tension for your body and the type of game you play. And when you do buy a new racket, remember that you need a get-acquainted period. Each racket requires your body to make minute mechanical adjustments for each stroke.
Give your muscles and connective tissues a week or two to adjust before you go out and play three sets or more. And if you're injured? “Sometimes you have to eliminate a part of the game to aid recovery. You may have to forget serves or overhead shots for a few weeks until the inflammation goes down. 
Bonus tennis tip
Playing tennis also puts a lot of stress on your calves and especially, your Achilles tendons. Quick starts, stops, and changes of direction put your Achilles at greater risk of rupture than most other sports. To help protect them add calf stretches to your routine.
Any questions … love to hear from you.
Your tennis director,
Ken Hine
PRINT January '05 Tip of the Month
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| MARCH '05 TIP OF THE MONTH - IMPROVE YOUR BACKHAND
BY DINA LAVOE, U.S.P.T.A. PRO
Want to improve your two handed backhand and play like one of the pros? Follow these tips to success:
First, you will have to use your continental grip with your right hand and place it on the bottom handle of the racket.
Second, put your left hand in front of your right hand, eastern grip, be sure to keep both hands together. The left hand is the dominant one because it supports the right hand generating power, topspin and angles. Be sure to turn your shoulders with the ball.
Third, take your racket back dropping the racket head below the ball. Step into the ball with your right foot and swing low to high.
The grips may require some adjustment based on your natural right arm/left arm dominance, which is just a matter of trail and error, checking comfort and full use of a safe range of motion.
Now you are off to a good start. Check with your pros to fine tune all the above and practice, practice, practice.
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| FEBRUARY '05 TIP OF THE MONTH –'THE CODE'
THE PLAYERS GUIDE FOR UNOFFICIATED MATCHES – “THE CODE.”
As requested by popular demand, every month or so, I get asked for some rulings. So based on these requests, I will occasionally in the Babble give some of the solutions to some of the more hotly contested questions.
OPPONENT GETS BENEFIT OF DOUBT. When a match is played without officials, the players are responsible for making decisions, particularly for line calls.
There is a subtle difference between player decisions and those of an on-court official. An official impartially resolves a problem involving a call, whereas a player is guided by the unwritten law that any doubt must be resolved in favor of his opponent.
A player in attempting to be scrupulously honest on line calls frequently will find himself keeping a ball in play that might have been out or that he discovers too late was out. Even so, the game is much better played this way. OUT CALLS CORRECTED.
If a player mistakenly calls a ball “out” and then realizes it was good, the point shall be replayed if he returned the ball within the proper court. Nonetheless, if the player’s return of the ball results in a “weak sitter,” the player should give his opponent the point. If the player failed to make the return, his opponent wins the point. If the mistake was made on the second serve, the server is entitled to two serves.
Any questions, comments or suggestions, love to hear from you. See you on the courts.
Your Director of Tennis,
Ken Hine
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| Congratulations to Division 7 Ladies - 2005
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| MAY '06 TIP OF THE MONTH OVERHEAD FOOTWORK
Move back with crossover steps. Everybody has a preference for how you move back for the ball. I recommend using crossover steps because I believe it gets you in position more quickly.
Take a couple of big crossover steps toward the baseline and use small adjustment steps to get yourself into good hitting position. It’s always better to move too far back and then adjust forward than it is to let the ball get behind you.
Unless it’s absolutely necessary, you don’t want to reach back for the ball on an overhead. In fact, stepping forward with your lead foot as you swing will give your shot more power and control.
During practice, a good way to check your balance, shoulder turn, and positioning is to catch the ball with your non dominant arm. If your body is under control and you’re not reaching or lunging to catch the ball, you know you’re in the right spot.
Your Director of Tennis,
Ken Hine
----------- Last May's Tip -----------
DOUBLES OFFENSE - 'TIMING THE POACH'
The key to poaching is to leave in time to cover almost any crosscourt shot, retrieving the down-the-line return becomes the responsibility of the server. Once your team decides to cut off the return of serve, you should generally start your poach at the same time that the returner starts his forward swing. But there are three variables that can affect your timing.
1. Your quickness. This is probably the most important. If you’re light on your feet, you can wait a little longer to move, so as to disguise your poach. But if you’re on the slow side, you’ve got to leave earlier to make sure you can reach a wide crosscourt return. Even leaving early alone can make your opponent lift their head and create anxieties, the advantages are many.
2. The pace of the serve. Before poaching, a team should decide what type of serve to hit. If it’s hard and flat, the net man will have to leave earlier, because the return will come back faster. If it’s slower and has more spin, the net man should hold his spot longer because the receiver will have more time.
3. Stepping into the court and taking the ball early, the net player has to move across sooner. But if the returner is behind the baseline, the net player can be a little more patient because he knows he’ll have more time to cross and intercept the return. All these variations and variables take time to get down, be patient, work out the timing and your best plays (most comfortable) and you’re heading down the right path to being a superior team.
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| OCTOBER '06 TIP OF THE MONTH – “RECOGNIZE YOUR STRENGTHS ...”
'RECOGNIZE YOUR STRENGTHS AND THEN USE THEM'
Know thyself.' - Delphic Oracle, 6th Century B.C.'
Learning to consistently win points has much to do with understanding what shots you rae MOST comfortable playing (as well as which shots you are uncomfortable with). In other words, when you get a bll that you like, take full advantage!
For example, when Andre Agassi gets to hit a forehand from the middle of the court, he almost always attempts to do some damage whit that shot. He often chooses to patiently keep the point going until he gets an opportunity to play his favorite shot from a commanding position. Andre plays the percentages, HIS percentages, brilliantly. Agassi has always effectively used his forehand to punish opponents with his pace, consistency and accuracy.
--------- October 2005 Tip --------------
MY STRENGTH IS YOUR WEAKNESS
When serving have you ever had one of those long deuce service games in doubles that you can't close out? Usually it happens because you can't win the ad point against the stronger opponent.
Try this strategy: Start off in the Australian/'I' where both players line up on the same side of the court. After the serve, your net man should stay in place. The returner will most likely opt for the lower percentage shot down the line, since going crosscourt would mean an easy volley for your net man. The server then moves across the baseline and hits his forehand down the line (strength) versus the ad court player's backhand (weakness) down the line.
You have now made him/her play their weaker side to an unfamiliar target (down the line) to a higher part of the net, shorter part of the court and even if they make the shot, it's now your forehand' your strength versus their backhand, their weakness.
This is going to immediately increase your probability of success. All their points are assuming everybody playing is a righty. They work just as effectively against a lefty as well; be aware, observe, communicate with your partner and 'setup' success.
Any questions, concerns, or suggestions, love to hear froim you.
Your Director of Tennis, Ken Hine
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| DECEMBER '06 TIP OF THE MONTH – 'RECOVERY'
TIP OF THE MONTH – 'RECOVERY'
If you analyze the movement habits of the best players on the tour, you'll notice that they are almost always elevated off the ground at the exact moment the opponent makes contact with the ball, during a baseline rally. At times, you'll find them as high as a foot off the ground, to prepare to react to the opponent's next shot.
Behind every shot hit in a rally, the top pros make every effort to fully recover their court position in time. But once the ball they hit reaches their opponent, that time for recovery is over, whether full recovery position was achieved or not. As the recovery time ends, these players elevate off the ground as they determine the direction of the next incoming ball.
By the time their feet touch back down, they already have a read of which direction they need to move next and have begun making the footwork adjustments required for an explosive move in that direction. This technique allows them to neutralize the momentum in their body created during recovery, gaining control so they can sharply react and even reverse directions when necessary.
Remember, in a short race the runner with the quickest, most explosive start has the edge. Movement in Tennis is like a series of very short races and to effectively cover the court you must be prepared for an explosive start every time the opponent strikes the ball.
So the timing of this technique is the most critical factor needed to stay in sync with the pace of the ball and to be elevated at the moment of the opponent’s contact. Timing it too early can lead to sluggish first step reactions. If you elevate too late, you’ll get a late start to the next ball. When you time it right, you’ll create the opportunity to “hit the ground running” in the right direction.
Any questions, comments or suggestions, love to hear from you.
Your Director of Tennis
Ken Hine
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| FEBRUARY '07 TIP OF THE MONTH –'SWINGING VOLLEY'
A swinging volley is an aggressive shot, much riskier than a conventional volley, but also much more powerful. The closer to the net it is hit, the easier it is to put away.
The best time to try a swinging volley is on a moderately high ball that’s too deep or too low to hit as an overhead. The swinging volley is especially useful against the type of player who nits everything back high and deep. Against “human backboard” or simi-“moonballer” types, hitting the ball after it bounes can often mean hitting from too deep to be able to create a winner. By taking the ball in the air farther forward in the court, you can greatly reduce the amount of time your opponent has to react.
Key points:
Assume a right-handed hitter: |
| MARCH '07 TIP OF THE MONTH - THE OVERHEAD
When you think of power shots in tennis, the overhead immediately comes to mind. After all that’s why it’s called a smash. It’s not a shot to just get back in the court – it should be put away almost every single time. Here are tips to help you consistently hit your overheads with that kind of power.
GET BEHIND THE BALL – In baseball, the first rule for playing in the outfield is to not let the ball fly over your head. Same for tennis: When a lob goes up, your first step must be backward. It’s easier to recover forward, if you’ve moved back too soon, than it is to retreat. That’s why it’s important not to stand too close to the net; you need to give yourself the chance to track down a deep lob. Also, getting behind the ball allows you to bend your knees and propel your weight up and into the shot.
TURN SIDEWAYS – As you track the lob, take a big shoulder turn, so your back is practically facing your opponent. A common mistake is to face the net while moving back. Players attempting to hit with power
from this position will fold over at the waist and their shots will likely find the net. Sure, you can be accurate while facing forward, but you’ll just be guiding the ball to the target. To get some juice on the shot, turn you shoulders. It’s the difference between aiming a dart and firing a baseball.
KEEP MOVING – After you turn, don’t drop the racquet as you would on a serve. Start the motion with the racquet at shoulder level and slowly move it into the hitting position until it’s time to accelerate toward the ball. The best overheads are ones in which the racquet
never stops moving. Keep the racquet locked behind your head and you’ll become rigid and lose rhythm. You’ll end up muscling the ball and not getting any pop.
RELAX YOUR GRIP – While you need a big wrist snap on the overhead, it’s not something you should think about. If you’ve got an easy grip on the racquet, your wrist will pronate naturally. Keep the arm loose and let the racquet fly through the hitting zone. If you put a stranglehold on the racquet, your whole arm will tense up, and you’ll get a weak wrist snap.
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March '06 Tip:
The lob is undervalued and can be an effective shot in doubles. When your opponents are at net, they should have most of the court covered.
The largest opening to get the ball by them may be an effective lob, but you shouldn’t be too dependent upon using the lob when playing higher level tennis. The risks may outweigh the rewards: opponents will become aware to the idea and start to anticipate that anytime they’re at the net you will be lobbing.
Unless your lobs are perfect, your opponents will have time to move back, get into position and hit an aggressive shot. It is better for the opponents to beat the team at net with passing shots; and to use the lob as an occasional change up. You can hit a winner with a lob: it is however primarily a defensive shot.
If you hit lobs most of the time from the baseline you will put yourself and your team in a reactive mindset, a defensive position. Generally speaking you are basically hoping your opponents will make errors and lose for you.
You can experience some success with this style against weaker opponents, but the best doubles teams are the ones that are aggressive, move forward, follow the ball as a team and use a combination of block volleys, angle volleys and overheads to finish points at the net!
Any questions, comments or suggestions, would love to hear from you.
Your Director of Tennis
Ken Hine
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| APRIL '06 TIP OF THE MONTH - ENERGY PLANS
Daily Intake – To start, here are four simple nutritional rules every athlete should live by:
1. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Five servings a day should be the minimum. Fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants to boost your immune system and electrolytes that help nerves and muscles function properly.
2. Eat plenty of beans. Black beans, lentils, kidney beans, chick peas, the options are endless and they’re all rich in protein and keep you going for a long period of time.
3. Start your day with complex carbohydrates and protein. Too many people rely on simple carbs at breakfast. A bagel or a bowl of cereal won’t keep you full for long. Go for oatmeal or oat bran or any hot or cold cereal that’s high in fiber (at least five grams of fiber per serving) and throw in some protein, like an egg or milk or yogurt.
4. Eat high-quality protein. Athletes need protein to build muscle, but while most Americans get their fair share of it, it’s not always from the best sources. The best options contain Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory properties and help your immune system. Lean red meats are also good, since athletes need iron and zinc to combat the stresses of training. Stay away from burgers – they sit in your stomach and don’t do much good.
Any questions, comments or suggestions, I would love to hear from you.
Your Director of Tennis, Ken Hine
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| JUNE '07 TIP OF THE MONTH “PLAYING WITHIN YOURSELF”
The most important shots which define how the
point will be played are the serve and the return. If you have a weak serve and return, then you’ll be on defense the whole point.
A good serving tip is to first find your serve. Don’t
blast your first serves in the match at your full power. Start
at 75%, then increase the speed and see where is the best feeling and percentage of shots. The same rule applies to returns – start with medium paced returns down the middle and then add speed and placement when the match progresses. The main goal of the return on the first serve is to get it back deep down the middle and on the second serve to make your opponent run – so preferably a cross court return, progressively work them around the court mostly cross court, corner to cross court corner until you get a short ball then take the ball on the rise and come in.
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JUNE 06 TIP: Some coaches believe that a player’s footwork – the ability to move around the court and get into position for the ball – is the single biggest determinant of success on the tennis court. They may be right.
Rarely has a player who didn’t cover the court well reach the top of the pro ranks. And it’s just as important at the recreational level. Although successful court coverage has a genetic component – some of us are naturally speedier than others – there’s one thing all players can do aside from becoming more fit, that will immediately improve their footwork: Learn to take small steps.
Many players move around the court as if they’re running on a track. They use loping strides to go up and back and side to side. That’s fine if you’re running a10K, but it’s not so good for tennis.
Instead, try to take lots of little steps, especially in the final moments before you hit the ball. Taking adjustment steps, as they’re sometimes called, becomes especially important when you’re playing on clay or in the wind, where the bounce and movement of the ball is less predictable.
Need further proof that small steps are key in tennis? Next time you watch a great mover like Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer or Justine Henin-Hardenne play on a hard court, close your eyes and listen to the sounds they make with their shoes. You’ll get the idea.
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| 2006 Ladies Tennis Celebrations
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| SEPT '06 TIP OF THE MONTH – “Keep Your Head Still On Mid-court Balls”
I always hated it when coaches would tell me to watch the ball after I’d miss a shot. Of course I was trying to watch the ball. Perhaps a more important message is to keep your head still throughout the shot. By keeping your head still, your eyes will instinctively follow the path of the ball.
Experts agree that while you can watch the ball, you can’t actually see the ball during contact anyway. By keeping your head still, you will maintain better balance (our heads actually weigh a lot and when you move your head it has an immediate affect on your balance) through the course of your swing. And often if your head lifts up, it automatically lifts your shoulder therefore pulling your arm away from your desired swing.
-------------- Last September's Tip: -------------------
Location, Location, Location!
I’m sure we’ve all heard these words before. These three words may be something to consider while you are about to serve during your weekly doubles game.
The best location for the serve would be right down the middle, or centerline. By playing the ball somewhat near the centerline, your opponent will not be able to generate a wide angle return.
In addition, your net player can move more to the center (following the ball) as it will be very difficult to return down the alley. When your player can slide more down the center, they can become more effective in poaching the opponent’s return. And now you probably have the center of the court open for your volley.
This is a great 1 – 2 punch. Server hits their spots (good location), net player slides/follows the angle of the serve and puts away the poach.
Please remember it’s time to upgrade your equipment, be prepared for the heat and humidity, don’t just play tennis to get fit, consider getting fit to play tennis.
The pros spend a serious amount of training off the court, check out Rafael Nadal. Try to take most of the luck out of the equation; some smart and serious preparation definitely gives you an edge both in confidence and court coverage.
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| AUGUST '06 TIP OF THE MONTH “PLAY THE PERCENTAGES ON YOUR VOLLEYS”
A bad-looking shot hit to the right place is more effective than a pretty ball hit to the wrong spot. This is true of most strokes, but particularly the volley.
If I’m serving and volleying off a wide serve to the deuce court and my opponent hits a hard return to my backhand, the right play almost 100 percent of the time is to volley crosscourt. Even if it’s not a perfect shot, it’s still better than a great volley down the line and back to my opponent.
HAVING SUCCESS AT NET MEANS LEARNING TO UNDERSTAND COURT POSITIONING. Smart volleyers like Tim Henman and Amelie Mauresmo usually adhere to these simple rules around the net:
1. When you approach, think about keeping the ball low, not necessarily deep, so that your opponent must hit up on the passing hot.
2. Follow the ball and make sure you cover the line on the side of the court that you’re hitting toward.
3. If you’re volleying from below the level of the net, keep the ball deep and in front of you.
4. When a volley is up high, that’s when you should think about angling it wider and shorter to go for a winner.
Your Director of Tennis
Ken Hine
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| NOV '06 TIP OF THE MONTH: 'FEET FIRST'
Almost every net player can benefit from becoming more aggressive with their feet. Being quick with your feet will help you turn a knee-high volley into one that’s waisthigh and a waist-high volley into a shoulder-high putaway.
The single most effective way to handle a low volley? Hit it
before it ever becomes a low volley. The higher the ball and the closer you are to the net, the easier it is to attack. Hitting down into the court will let you create a sharper angle and give your opponent less time to respond. Take one more step forward before you hit and I guarantee you’ll become a more “powerful” volleyer. Volley with your feet!
Any questions, comments ore suggestions, love to hear from you.
Your Director of Tennis
Ken Hine
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