SF Tennis Freak

Archive for May, 2013

This week’s question comes from Peg S. of San Francisco.  Though it’s directed towards the ladies, I think everyone can benefit from Marla’s reply.

Question: You’ve coached a lot of women. What are the top three upper body strength exercises you would recommend?

Answer: Upper body strength, with a focus on the shoulders) is extremely important in achieving good racquet control and preventing injury. Here are my top three suggestions:

1.  Push-ups

2. Seated Rows (machine or band)

3.  Internal/External Rotation with a band.

And I can’t stress enough the benefits of simple push-ups. That is, regular push-ups, not “girl” push-ups! 🙂

SFTennisFreak Note: Both women and men can benefit from exercises that can help protect the muscles of the shoulder, like the rotator cuff. Take it from someone who’s had shoulder surgery! Instructional videos to help with the above exercises tips are readily available online, like this one for internal/external rotation with a Theraband.

Thanks Marla!
Got a tennis question, but no one to ask?
Send it via email or tweet for “Ask Marla”, a (hopefully) weekly (or biweekly) question-and-answer with Marla Reid of San Francisco’s City Racquet Shop.

About Marla Reid

Marla Reid is a respected tennis pro/coach in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s coached nationally-ranked teams and players at Occidental College, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, University of Kansas, and Florida Tech, and has over 15 years of experience at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels. Marla has an M.A. in Exercise Physiology, and is a seasoned racquet stringer.

About City Racquet Shop

City Racquet Shop offers, superior products/services, outstanding customer service, and a community-oriented destination for tennis players to shop, hang out and talk about tennis.

City Racquet Shop online: www.cityracquetshop.com
City Racquet Shop on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/city-racquet-shop-san-francisco
City Racquet Shop on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cityracquetshop

(Fourth match in the documentation of my 2013 USTA Adult League season)

With Eddie after the match

Date: 5/5/2013
Location: San Francisco State University
Conditions: 60-65, overcast and windy
Doubles or Singles Played: Doubles
Personal Match Result: 6-3 6-2 Win
Team Match Result: 2-3 Loss
Personal Season Record: 2-2

Match Notes: After the slice and dice nightmare of last weekend at SFTC, I made a return to winning ways in today’s doubles match with my partner Eddie. Conditions were mostly fine in spite of a few sprinkles. Temperature was pretty mild, and the early winds died down as the match progressed.

I played doubles with my buddy Eddie, a tricky lefty who hits with almost as much spin as Rafa (j/k, but only slightly). He’s solid on both sides with lefty spin and an ability to work crafty angles.  He’s also aggressive at the net (which makes my life easier when serving). With his strong lefty game and my pace, we’re a formidable team if we execute well.

Our opponents were decent players.  One had great hands at the net and came in whenever possible.  The other was okay from the baseline with a strong serve, but prone to to mishits if pressured.  It was a little hard to gauge how we would match up at first, but I felt pretty good about our chances.

After falling behind 1-3, we pretty much steamrolled through the match. Between my pace and Eddie’s spin, they had a difficult time with our groundstrokes. And though the one guy had great hands on his volleys, there’s not much he could do if we hit at his feet or passed him.

Mentally I stayed calm/relaxed throughout, and all aspects of my game felt good.  FH crosscourt returns were blazing, down the line were untouchable, BH slice was on, and the serve was working well. My only blip, and it was a big one, was a horrific service game to start the second set. I “pulled a Maria”, double-faulting 4 times to give them a one game headstart.

What can I say? Since shoulder surgery, it occasionally happens. Eddie didn’t walk off the court in disgust, though, so I knew we’d be okay.
I understand, Maria, really I do!

The video in Part 1 covered my immediate impressions after hitting with the Speed Pro. Part 2 will cover a quick discussion of the racquet specs, and how that might have impacted my reactions to hitting with this racquet instead of my Speed MP 315.

My on-court impressions of the Speed Pro don’t quite match up with the specs in comparison to the MP 315. The Pro is .1 oz heavier (strung), but feels lighter in the hand when playing. It cuts through the air easier, and delivers more zip on the shot even though the power level is rated as low. This was true on both my forehand and my backhand. The MP 315 is a great racquet for control, but the Pro gives you control and pop.

I’ll end with one caveat that might account for some of the differences I felt between the two racquets. The demo I used was strung at 55 with Livewire. My Speed MP 315 is strung with a hybrid of NXT 16 in the crosses, and Stamina 17 in the mains at 52. My good friend Marla (from City Racquet Shop) suggested that I put Livewire into my current racquet the next time it’s strung before coming to a conclusion on the Speed Pro after my demo.

(My apologies for inconsistencies with the spec format. It’s tough to find consistent specs on the various sites.)

HEAD YouTek Graphene Speed Pro
Head Size : 100 in.2
Length : 27 Inches
Weight : 11.2 Ounces (unstrung) / 11.7 Ounces (strung)
Balance: Head Light
Balance Point: 33.0cm. / 13in.
Power Level: Low
Swing Type: Fast & Long
Tension: 48-57 lbs.
String Pattern: 18M x 20C
Flex (RDC): 66
Swing Weight: 338

HEAD YouTek Speed MP 315 18×20
Head Size : 100 sq. in.
Length : 27 Inches
Weight : 11.1 Ounces (unstrung) / 11.6 Ounces (strung)
Balance: Head Light
Balance Point: 31cm. / 12.2in.
Power Level: Low
Swing Type: Fast & Long
Tension: 52-62 Lbs.
String Pattern: 18M x 20C
Beam Width: 20mm
Flex: 65

To Graphene or not to Graphene?

That’s the question I’m left with after demo’ing the new HEAD Graphene Speed Pro, the updated version of my current racquet the HEAD YouTek Speed MP 315. Actually, “souped up” is a more accurate description to describe the difference between the two. But rather than writing more, I’ll let you enjoy the video I shot immediately after using it.

(Click here for a discussion on the racquet specs in Part 2.)

(This is raw unedited footage video shot on the fly with my Galaxy S3.)

The word ‘hero’ is overused these days.  But I can find no better word to describe Jason Collins after his decision to publicly come out as a gay man in the NBA.

The story of Jason’s coming out hit the airwaves with the release of this Sports Illustrated excerpt:

I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.

I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, “I’m different.” If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.

Jason Collins (Sports Illustrated, May 6, 2013)

Many praised Jason as a pioneer, though I’m sure that probably wasn’t his intent. After all, the media glare that comes along with being a pioneer is usually not very positive, especially with respect to issues such as sexual orientation.  One need only look at Ellen Degeneres to see what’s in store for Jason.

Ellen had a high-profile coming out with lots of initial support, followed by intense media coverage and the public spectacle of her failed romance with Anne Heche.  It took a while, but Ellen finally found sustained success both professionally and personally.

Even if Jason’s coming out qualifies as a trailblazing moment, does it also warrant giving Jason the label of ‘hero’?  In the aftermath, there’s been a ton of discussion about Collins’ status as a hero, with many detractors blanching at Jason being labeled as such for simply coming out as a gay man.  Conservative columnist Ben Shapiro of Breitbart.com tweeted this to his followers:

So Jason Collins is a hero because he’s gay? Our standard for heroism has dropped quite a bit since Normandy.

Ben has previously used the word ‘hero’ in tweets about conservative columnist Mark Levin, Adam Carolla, and Tea Party extremist Ted Cruz. It’s hard to get up in arms about comments like his when these guys are his definition of a hero.

But I must admit that I also struggled with the use of the word ‘hero’.  We live in a country where anyone who does the right thing is described as being a hero. I don’t want to get into a discussion about what it means when helping someone in distress is “heroic”, but I will say that the word ‘hero’ is used so often that it’s become trite.

I’d like to think that heroic actions meet a higher standard of qualification. It’s heroic when someone does the right thing in a situation when doing so defies logic, and puts them at risk of harm/injury.  But if that’s my working definition, then Jason’s coming out qualifies on all fronts.

At 34, there was no need for him to come out.  He wasn’t being blackmailed, and he didn’t come out with the expectation of a huge payday. Jason came out because he wanted to be happy.  So without any outside factors forcing his hand, and no expectation of financial gain, his decision to come out definitely defies logic.

Additionally, in light of derogatory comments that fellow athletes have made about gays in the locker room (like Chris Culliver of the 49’ers, and retired NBA player Tim Hardaway), Jason’s decision to come out does seem to put him at risk with teammates. And not surprisingly, his announcement has also put him at risk due to death threats.

Given my earlier definition of ‘hero’, Jason’s coming out is very significant. One might even argue that it deserves a place in the rarefied air previously occupied by other pioneering athletes like Jackie Robinson, Althea Gibson, or Shirley Muldowney.

If Jason doesn’t meet my higher standard in order to qualify as a hero, I’m in need of serious course correction for what does.  Sorry Jason. It took a little bit for me to get there, but I did.  And like Michelle Obama, I’ve got your back.

So proud of you, Jason Collins! This is a huge step forward for our country. We’ve got your back! -mo

— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) April 29, 2013