Babolat’s Diverse Line of Rackets in 2016

This is the era of having equipment that isn’t just cutting edge, lightweight, perfectly balanced, & highly responsive.  Today’s new tech tennis world wants to be able to analyze their game in ways that decades ago the world would have thought to be impossible. Enter the Babolat Play Rackets, TechCrunch even mentioned them in a recent article discussing how:

““You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” This well-known management rule also applies to sports and explains the success of “quantified self” technology. More people are willing to record, monitor and share personal data on nutrition, sleep, physical activity, well-being, etc.”

Of course this data needs to be accurate…. and from what the reviews say… the data isn’t always accurate.

We are talking not just the ability to measure what you do, but then share it with your friends with cool reports in social media through your iPhone or smartphone to showboat in ways our ancestors would not have even imagined. Babolat calls this feature the “Babolat Pulse” as seen below.

Now you can even have an idea of the style and quality of  player before you ever even see his game.  Now this technology isn’t perfect.  The battery is only going to last about 6 hours which should be enough for 2-3 average matches in a day.  It is best designed to be used for lessons and be analyzed by a coach or teacher at the end of the lesson.

This racket isn’t designed to be used in your day to day play since

1. The cost is double the average racket
2. Most players own at least 2-3 of the same racket to play in a match with to maintain a backup if a string breaks
3. If you are prone to throwing your racket on the ground or hitting things accidentally it can mess up the sensors in the racket.

If you are looking for more information about this racket check out the Babolat’s main website and see there other performance tennis rackets over at Tennis Plaza here:

Babolat Pure Aero – For power baseline players who want the most ball speed and spin they can get with maximum stability.
Babolat Pure Control – Designed for advanced players with a premium on control, accuracy and responsiveness
Babolat Pure Drive – Most popular racquets to date and are the primary choice of many touring professionals
Babolat Pure Strike – Created for aggressive ball strikers looking to control the court,

To see a few reviews around the internet from trusted news sources on this Play racket series check out the other following reviews:

• The Guardian UK – 2015/04
• The Sport Review – 2015/04

5 Creative Christmas gifts for the avid tennis player in 2014-2015

If you are anything like me then Christmas is a time to update your tennis wardrobe and find the next new thing thing that can take your game to the next level.  There are plenty of options out there this year and here are just a few!!

1. Velocity by Athla is an app that can turn an iPhone into a speed radar detector. T0ishe $7 app calculates the speed of a ball flying through the air using just the camera. Warning, this app can only calculate speed for up to 110 mph so if you’re like me it’s just going to say 110mph+ and not give you your real speed for that cannon serve (Mine is only 115mpg but still)

2. How about reducing injuries this holiday season with a racquet that is diagonally string vs horizontal and vertical?

powerangle diagonally strung tennis racket

According to PowerAngle’s own antiquated website their $179 racquet absorbs shock 40 percent better than any previously designed traditional racquet. The racquet’s unique stringing does this by cutting down on excess vibrations and stress, which protects the muscles and joints of a player’s shoulders, arms, elbows, and wrists. The diagonal strings are able to reduce the vibrations felt by the ball, while simultaneously dispersing the impact away from the handle, where a player is most likely to feel the impact.

Doctors and tennis players alike have been endorsing PowerAngle racquets, noting its ability to lessen the stress of impact during play, while simultaneously creating a great sense of control.

3. Technology and a competitive edge are the themes of H&M’s new tennis collection, made in collaboration with Tomas Berdych, who helped release this new heat reactive tennis t-shirt that is only $24.95.

4. The Zepp Tennis sqing analyzer turns ANY racket into a high end feedback device for $149.99.   Measure the most important aspects of your swing, then analyze and improve each one. Zepp offers an incredible set of 3D and video analysis features that give you instant feedback. You can even compare your swing to the pros.

5. Last but not least, Ralph Lauren’s tech-infused tennis shirt (which monitors heart rate, breathing and stress levels) were said to be coming out this year but has been pushed to 2015. The form-fitting nylon t-shirt sporting a Ralph Lauren logo up front doesn’t look too different when compared to a conventional t-shirt. However what many will miss is the conductive silver-coated thread that has been woven discreetly into the fiber. Price: Unknown

Did we miss anything you think would have been good for this list, would love to hear your feedback on what item you want this year!!

Tennis Tantrum by David Nalbandian saddens me and injures lineman

I first saw David Nalbandian play in person at the US Open back in 2008 I believe.  I will never forget when he missed a key point to lose the set and bit into the collar of his shirt and ripped it off and threw it on the ground.  Before he did this I was thinking how surprised I was that he wasn’t ranked higher, he played with the skill set of the top 5 BUT his lack of self control caused his mental game to fall apart after that where he went on to lose a match that I thought he was sure to win.

David Nalbandian injures linesman final – Queens Club London, England. This is the warm up for the 2012 Wimbledon.

We’ve all heard of players that went through phases of temper tantrums in their youth that learned how to control it with the help of great coaches. Then there were legendary players that were known for their tantrums like John McEnroe.  I believe his conduct actually helped ticket sales since you never knew what he was going to do out there on the court or what would slip out of his mouth.  With most players you can expect certain things:

• Maria Sharapova will scream like a little girl every shot.
• Sharapova also does not step on the lines between points, she’s superstitious.
• Djokovic will bounce the ball at least 8x before he serves it
• Nadal’s constant de-wedgifying of his butt crack

Nalbandian was leading 7-6, 3-4 at the time but was forced to default the match, forfeiting his prize money and rankings points in the process. He definately is a hot head and will be back at Wimbledon next week unless the British police put him in prison for longer than that.

Watch the video of this stupid act below:

Why do people love to watch Tennis?

Tennis is a game which I’ve always enjoyed watching. The four most famous championships are the Wimbledon Championships, the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open. We all love watching heroes battle it out on the court with skill that we could never imagine to have.  They are the most important when it comes to tradition, world ranking, public attention and prize money.

People faithfully watch tennis in spite of the summer heat during Australian Open where it is held on grass courts in Melbourne Park or during occasional rain showers in Wimbledon Open. Sometimes however, a drizzle would postpone a game like what happened in the US Open last September 2011. Those who cannot afford to buy tickets to watch these tournaments are glued in their televisions at home just to be able to witness these sports events.

So, why do people watch tennis? It is a fast-paced game where the tennis ball is being volleyed back and forth with tennis racket. Some tennis players have made themselves famous with their acrobatic moves just to be able to send the tennis ball off to their opponent which make the crowd cheer for more and for their opponent be taken in surprise. A bit of drama also surfaces in some tournaments where fans would bicker insults to the players that they dislike or would run in the court just to be able to kiss their favorite tennis player. But the most important event is the real drama on who will emerge as the winner in the championship in the singles event. It showcases the frustration and disappointment of the player who lost and the triumph and glory of the one who won.

Mistakes From The Baseline, Doomed Azarenka’s Winning Streak

Marion Bartoli beat Victoria Azarenka in their match at the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, FL. This game led to Azarenka’s first loss after her 26-match winning streak. As we remember Azarenka’s unbeaten streak, including her Australian Open title, was the best on the woman’s tour.

Azarenka Victoria winning streak broken after loss to Marion Bartoli in the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open.

On the contrary, some tennis fans were being skeptical about this loss, that is why Azarenka said in an interview, she was not a superwoman and she wished she could be, but she’s not. With a smile on her face she admitted to herself, she felt disappointed and she reiterated also who would not be after the loss? But she was very proud of herself especially what she had done and shown to her past games in the last couple of months. Her avid fans are continually supporting her through blogs and posts expressing their thoughts about Azarenka’s loss in the game against Bartoli, it became trending on social networks. There are tennis viewers still consider the past games she’s been playing pretty awesome.

Consequently, Bartoli advanced to the Key Biscayne semifinals, as her rallies by playing inside the baseline to defeat Azarenka worked ostensibly and she became very extreme on the ball, as other observation Azarenka is a baseline hugger and Bartoli have gotten a strategy by pounding those balls straight on the baseline. Bartoli just has doomed the winning streak that Azarenka holds, for this reason Azarenka’s mistakes were notably in her game. Moreover, Bartoli will be face today Agnieszka Radwanska, after beating Venus Williams 6-4, 6-1.

Golf and tennis seem to be closely related

So much of the worl believes that once you get a membership at a country club you must love to do the following:

• Leave work early on Friday and play 18 holes of golf
• Gamble against your golfing buddies with a minimum wager of $50 on anything you can think of.
• Use the club pool to do laps each morning for a refreshing workout
• Meet at the club for a guys night out and drink crown and coke telling old stories of what you did in your yonger days.
• Play tennis OR at least get lessons from the local young woman tennis coach who wears the short little skirts everyday.

I just want to clear up a few things.  In the past I worked for a large golf retailer and have played tennis since I was young kid.  I feel the need to clarify a few things. Golf and tennis players are a COMPLETELY different breed.

Golfers & Tennis Players show anger differently

• Tennis players actually sweat from running around on the court and enjoy the sport for both the technique and physical fitness aspect.
• You WILL NOT see an amazing tennis player that is OUT OF SHAPE.  You often see really good golfers that look like they were rolled out of a local buffet joint.
• Golf does take a high level of skill.  In tennis I can hit a ball within 6 inches of my target 25 feet away and it’s perfect. In golf you can use any of the golf putters and only be 10 feet away and miss the target by 3 inches and look like a complete idiot.

I will be honest, from my personal involvement in both sports I would say golfers drink a WHOLE lot more on average than tennis players. Tennis players drink alot more water. Golfers believe more in the technology of their equipment to make a difference more than tennis players. Often golfers will buy new golf drivers each year hoping for a few more yards in distance.  Tennis Players on the other hand often have a racket for 5-7 years because the stick works for them.  Of course, we mess with our string often BUT that is much cheaper than buying a whole new racquet. Cleveland Golf does a good job of keeping the upgrade costs to a minimum in golf unlike some other brands.

What do you think the biggest differences are between the two sports?  Do you play both?  I have to be honest, I prefer tennis….. of course you probably knew that….. this is a tennis blog 🙂

30 Rock

Post contributed by Hilton Miranda

My favorite show on television, hands down, is 30 Rock. I am so excited it’s back on the air. I actually can’t figure out why it comes on so late in the season. I know there are tons of people who love it as much as I do and who would definitely watch every episode if it came on at the same time as the reset of the shows. I’m assuming it has something to do with the schedules of all the other actors, because I know they are all really busy. In any event, I am super happy it’s back on. I’ve missed Tina Fey since she left Saturday Night Live, and I love seeing her back in her element. Obviously there are parallels between the shows—30 Rock revolves around a group putting on a comedy show, and each character is hilarious. Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey are my favorites, but Tracy Morgan is a very close third. The three of them play off each other perfectly and each story line is sidesplittingly funny. Check out http://www.direc4u.com/fl/f/ft-lauderdale/ to find out when it airs and definitely tune in next week.

The Bryan Brothers and their 2 lives

When we were first introduced to Bob and Mike Bryan in 1998, they were identical twins living identical lives. Both sharing a serious passion for tennis.

For real. They shared a house and shared hotel rooms. Rumor has it that they even admitted to occasionally sharing a toothbrush. But it seems that marriage and babies will change everything.

Early on, the two had visions of their future. They repeatedly talked about when they would get married and buy a bigger house, where their two families would live together.

Bob fell in love with Miami’s Michelle Alvarez and Mike found his match in London’s Lucille Williams. Bob and Michelle married in December 2010, reside in Sunny Isles, Fla. (just north of Miami), and welcomed their daughter, Micaela, on Jan. 31 of this year. Mike was engaged to Lucille late last year and will wed in Santa Barbara, Calif., in November. Mike and Lucille live in the house where both brothers resided in their hometown of Camarillo, Calif. Mike bought out Bob’s half of the property.

Mike understands that Bob’s life has moved at a little faster pace than his own, and he’s comfortable with it.

“His priorities have shifted and I come third in his life now,” said Mike, after the two won their first-round match at the Delray Beach Tennis Championships on Wednesday. “Like he’s going down to be with his family tonight. It’s cool. I’m loving experiencing [it]; I’m part of his life, and I’m doing the uncle thing pretty often.”

It’s hard to erase a bond that started in the womb, however, so it was no surprise that Mike immediately flew to Miami the day after his niece was born. Bob is making sure to include his twin in the baby experience. The doting daddy already has snapped about 2,000 photos of Micaela — he’s counting — and has sent every picture to Mike. Playing the proud uncle, Mike quickly held up his cell phone and rolled through all the Micaela photos.

“All the doubles players are getting older and older,” Bob said. “If you look at the rankings now, we’re 33 and we’re some of the youngest guys up there. This is a good lifestyle. Everyone who retires tells us, ‘Geez, you’ve got a good gig, so keep doing it.'”

As you can tell in this following video, these guys still have it.

Few Things

Contributed by Milford Woods

There were just a few things that I had to do this morning before I made my noon lunch date with my best friend. We try to go to lunch at a different place once a week. I was running really late because of a mix up at the pharmacy. I had gotten everything done that morning, dropped off the mail and Shop electricity rates TEXAS to get a better rate. I went in plenty of time to get my prescriptions filled, but for some reason the insurance that I have with my husband’s new job didn’t have me registered on the prescription plan. The pharmacist called the company and spoke with them for thirty minutes with no avail. I ended up having to call the company and spend another thirty minutes. I feel like I always have so many problems with insurance companies. Sometimes I feel like they make it difficult to get in touch with them just so they don’t have to pay your benefits!

Gay community targets old Australian former tennis champion

Pastor and former Australian tennis champion Margaret Court says she has been the target of a hate campaign since publicly speaking out against gay marriage.

Margaret Court - Australian tennis champ in the 60's

The 70-year-old made headlines around the world in December after saying marriage should be between a man and woman, and was criticised by openly gay tennis stars including Rennae Stubbs and Billie Jean King.

Gay activists launched a Facebook campaign asking Australian Open spectators to wear rainbow colours and wave flags at the show court named after the former player on Friday.

Golf and tennis just go together

If you play tennis, I’m sure you’ve got some friends playing golf too.  Many of my golfers have been talking about how good Srixon has been at improving their balls over the years.

Many golf companies make golf balls, but many cannot match the quality of Srixon golf balls. Srixon does not just list their golf balls as “premium,” they actually are. The company offers three different families of balls – Tour, Premium Distance, and All-Ability. Each family of golf balls is meant to perform a separate task. The Tour balls are designed to have the best spin and acceleration. Premium Distance are best for using on the first shot to gain the most distance.

After experimenting with different types of golf balls, Srixon was definitely a quality ball, and they lived up to the expectations. The ZSTAR XV Tour series in the Tour family impressed me most. At only $44.99, these balls blew me away. On Srixon’s website, they said that the ZSTAR XV Tour can be compared with the Titleist Pro V1X, Nike One Tour D, Callaway HX Tour, Bridgestone Tour B330, and TaylorMade TP Black. I found that the ZSTAR XV Tour adequately compared with all of those models. Besides the premium selection of balls, Srixon also offers cheaper models. In the All-Ability category, Srixon offers the AD333 balls for $24.99 for two dozen. The premium golf balls, the AD333, are the number one balls in the United Kingdom. It has a high launch angle and penetrating trajectory for greater distance.

All in all, I really enjoy Srixon’s golf balls. They compare to all of the top brands and the prices are quite fair. I definitely suggest one of the three tour yellow golf balls or the All-Ability at the very least. The prices beat some other manufacturers $70+ range and definitely match the quality.

Hubby’s Gift?

Guest post of the week by Quincy Rowe

I had the hardest time thinking of what to get my husband for Christmas this year and part of it is because he already has everything he could ever want. He as the hardest time telling me what he wants which mean I just have to guess. This year was different though because for the last three months he’s spent just about every waking moment at his friend Benny’s house and now I know why – Benny’s got Directv packages that get all the games! So for the holidays I’ve gotten my hubby the best package I could find and I know he’s going to be OVERJOYED. He’s really into basketball and with the strike just about over I know he’s going to love it when he opens up the picture of the satellite dish I wrapped up for him to open on Christmas morning! I can’t believe we haven’t thought of this before now but I guess it’s better late than never, you know what I mean?hubby gift

Setting the stage for scary Halloween decorations

Guest post written by Bill Roades

One of my favorite things about fall is that you can really spend a whole lot of time just decorating with a whole bunch of scary decorations. It really is a great thing and I love seeing other people’s reactions to it. My family would never really decorate our house for Halloween besides a simple little jack o lantern and I always wished that they hung up some really scary decorations like some of our neighbors.

Will tennis get better at the University of Alabama?

University of Alabama Director of Athletics Mal Moore announced today that Shane Lyons, Associate Commissioner at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), has been hired as Deputy Director of Athletics at the Capstone wearing full Alabama apparel to show his support.

University of Alabama Tennis Shirts worn by their own players

Shane Lyons will work hand in hand with Billy Pate, head coach of the Alabama tennis team. In fact, the men’s tennis team enjoyed a successful day one at the 2011 USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships, which are being held at the Yarborough Tennis Center at Auburn University. The Crimson Tide collected a combined seven wins on Thursday at the four-day tournament.

“I was very pleased with the results today and was especially pleased with the effort and energy,” said Alabama head coach Billy Pate. “Each guy played hard and with good focus.” Of course they looked good sporting their University of Alabama shirts.

Of course, let’s focus on this new athletic director shall we. “Shane Lyons accepted our offer early last week and we have finalized an agreement to add him to our athletic staff,” Moore said. “Shane brings to our department impressive administrative experience, having served at the ACC for more than 10 years while just completing his term as Chairman of the NCAA’s Division I Legislative Council. I am delighted to welcome him to our staff.”

Drinking and tennis don’t mix

Wofford College tennis player Randall Heffron died of inhaling food he had vomited after a heavy night of drinking, the Spartanburg County coroner confirmed on Thursday afternoon.

 

Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger said alcohol did not kill Heffron, 20, who died at 1:11 a.m. Sept. 10 at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.  The nurses were wearing their normal medical scrubs when this happened.

But the coroner confirmed that toxicology revealed Heffron had a .253 blood alcohol level, which is three times the legal definition of intoxication in the state of South Carolina for driving purposes for of-age adults. This would mean he had to have had 10 drinks in the span of 1 hour.

“A large mass of food was removed by Emergency Physicians at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center,” Clevenger said in a release. “At autopsy the following was recorded: ‘Mr. Heffron died as a result of respiratory insufficiency secondary to aspiration of food (so called café coronary).’ The elevated ethanol level may have contributed to the vomiting episode which led to extensive aspiration of food.'”

Heffron’s death has been ruled as accidental.

Heffron collapsed on the bathroom floor at Shipp Residence Hall at Wofford College just after midnight on Sept. 10. Such a sad end to a shining star in the tennis community.  Of course you still will not see nurses playing tennis in the emergency room, http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/.  They keep that to their free time.

This was written in memory of him:
Randall George Heffron, Jr. was born on April 10, 1991 and entered into eternal rest on September 10, 2011. He was the son of Robin Walker Heffron and the late Randall “Randy” George Heffron, DMD. He was the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. W. Howard Walker and the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Heffron, Sr. and brother to Walker Heffron, a member of the BEHS Class of 2011 and a member of the freshmen class at Wofford College. Randall attended Mason Preparatory School where he was awarded The Roy Barth Tennis Excellence Award. He was a 2010 graduate of Bishop England High School where he played JV basketball as a freshman and varsity tennis for four years. He served as captain of his tennis team and led them to the state playoffs all four years earning 2010 Player of the Year honors. Randall was the recipient of a 2010 South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundation Scholarship and The J.C. and Alberta Long and Pinckney Scholarships through the Community Foundation and was entering his sophomore year at Wofford College having earned both Wofford tennis and academic scholarships.