SF Tennis Freak

Archive for November, 2013

Vincent Jannink / AP

I woke up in a funky mood today because of an incident that happened yesterday on the courts. In a series of Friday tweets, I described an egregiously bad call that was made by one of my opponents during a set of social doubles, and the subsequent questionable behavior to that call by his partner.

More than just a rules issue, this incident bugged me so much that it clearly warrants a greater discussion on the broader issue of personal integrity within the game. This is how it all went down.

My partner was serving to the deuce court and hit a first serve wide that landed about a foot inside the sideline. The net man on the opposing team, confused by the ten and under lines on the court, called the serve out. Though we immediately stopped play to protest the ridiculousness of the call, he honestly believed he made a correct call.

I pointed out several previous bad calls, including an impossible call of a ball going under the net a few weeks ago, that he’d made in recent weeks and he relented, suggesting that we “Take two.”  I said, “No. The ball was clearly in and the call was bad, and you know it. It’s our point.”

(This type of dispute is outlined in Friend at Court – The Code, Part 2, #12 – Out calls reversed.)

That’s when his partner, the returner for the contested point, finally decided to chime in. Not to admit the bad call on a serve he knows landed well in, but to fight me on the point by saying with a straight face: “Well that’s just your opinion. I didn’t say anything. It was out in your opinion.”

Needless to say, his brazen “lying by omission” didn’t help the discussion. Particularly since this was the second instance in which he was dishonest about a clearly blown call during a set. Also, it must be added that this isn’t a newbie. This guy has been around the game for years. For someone of his level, his behavior was actually pretty outrageous!

My partner and I finally settled on up playing the point over so as to avert WW3. After all, this was just a tennis game and not worth a protracted fight. We went on to win the game, but the damage to the social aspect of the set was done. We lost the set, and then both moved over to the second court to avoid playing with them again.

I’ve said it before and will surely say it again: we all make bad calls. Even veteran officials, with training, make errant calls. The point is in how you deal with the call. Thankfully, the USTA has rules to deal with most of these types of issues in sanctioned events. In social settings, however, all you have is the integrity of the participants.

I’d much rather play with someone who makes the occasional (and unintentional) bad call than the guy who looks me in the eye and then lies to me to justify the cheating response after the call. Some may say this is extrapolating too much, but that action – good or bad depending on your point of view – tells me an awful lot about what someone’s willing to do in order to win a point.

In the end it’s all about what’s personally more important to you. For me, foot faults and minor stuff like that don’t really matter. Trying to make good calls (and being honest when you don’t) does. If you can’t trust the person on the other side of the net, then why bother?

If those things don’t matter to you AND you can keep the game social and fun, then more power to you! Also, I’ve got a bridge to sell you…

This is the third of a three-part series (Take Stock/Take Time Off, Training Tips for Upcoming Season, and Equipment Changes) that will focus on things you can do to help your game during the off-season.

Question: Is this a good time to make equipment changes?

Answer: With regards to equipment, this is definitely time to think about making changes. Start doing some research, find out what’s new and what’s coming out (that may help your game), and talk to someone who knows about the equipment you’re interested in i.e. racquets, strings, etc.

If you’re going to demo a racquet I’d highly recommend waiting until the first of the year. That’s when the new products will be out and in the stores. It’s the best time to demo and hit with all the latest and greatest! So hold off on any new racquet purchases until then.

Question: How about changing strings. Is this the best time to make a change or is it okay to experiment throughout the season?

Answer: If you’re going to get a new racquet, I would hold off strings because it all depends on your game and the racquet. Talk to a local pro about your game and what you’re looking to achieve. Do you need more control? Do you want to develop more spin? Get advice on strings that might be able to help you achieve the goals of your game.

With respect to racquets, there are many factors that can affect your strings such as open/closed string patterns and racquet stiffness. Are you looking for durability, or are you looking for playability. Keep in mind that changing your string tension can also make a big difference in your game without changing strings. Just remember that you have to be willing to experiment to find what works best for you.

(SFTF Note: I wholeheartedly agree on talking to a trusted local pro before making any major equipment changes. Because I’d previously taken lessons with Marla, she knew my game, knew my goals, and successfully guided me to my current racquet (HEAD Speed MP 315).

Marla also convinced me to string my racquets with a hybrid combo that gives me great playability yet also helps my string jobs last for more than three weeks. Lastly, her familiarity with my shoulder issues led to a push for reduced string tension from 60 pounds to 52. Besides feeling better on my shoulder, the reduced tension helps my string jobs last even longer.

These are the type of customized suggestions you could never get from random online reviews. I love my racquet, love my strings, and feel like my game continues to evolve and improve. All thanks to the help I received from my local pro.

You want my advice? Take the time to get help from a trusted pro/coach in your area. Any type of equipment changes you want to make, and their associated mental/financial costs, will be well worth the effort when you successfully come out on the other side!)

Got a tennis question? 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

Marla Reid is a respected tennis pro/coach in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s coached nationally-ranked teams and players, and has over 15 years of experience at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels. Marla owns and operates City Racquet Shop in San Francisco CA.

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

It was a beautiful day in San Francisco today, so I decided to share a little of that sunshine love with my readers and make a short video message for you all.

Since I was already at my gym (FitnessSF SOMA), I drove a few blocks over to Jackson Playground and set up my tripod near the tennis court. I talked about my recent “Off-Season Tips” postings as well as some upcoming postings where I plan to share some of my own training regimen. And in this run-up to Thanksgiving, I also talk about reaching out to others who are desperately in need this holiday season.

If you have specific suggestions for training tips in this series, send me an email and I’ll do my best to accomodate the request. Have a great week!
(FYI: my occasional looks to my right are to avoid getting hit by softballs hit towards the guys practicing in the field near me. Sorry.)

This is the second of a three-part series (Take Stock/Take Time Off, Training Tips for Upcoming Season, and Equipment Changes) that will focus on things you can do to help your game during the off-season.

Question: Do you have any tips/suggestion for off-season training? What should I focus on to help improve my game for the upcoming season?

Answer: Here are three (3) things to remember as you start training in the off-season.

1. Set goals!

Give yourself specific goals for the upcoming season. Whether it’s serve consistency, playing more doubles, or working on your fitness, etc. Just remember to keep them simple and attainable, with a mix of both short-term and long-term goals. If possible, try to set goals that you can measure and track as you go along.

2. Work on your game!

Pick one or two things you want to work on in the off-season, and take the time to work on them. Getting together with friends for practice drills is an excellent way to work on your game. It’s okay to play occasional practice sets, but try to keep the focus on drills. If all you do is compete year-round, it’s easy to develop bad habits that will keep you from improving.

3. Work on your fitness!

This is the perfect time to strengthen key muscle groups that can help your game AND prevent injury. Take the time to develop your rotator cuffs and surrounding muscle groups in your shoulders. Work on your core to help stave off lower back issues. And stretch, stretch, stretch! Working on your flexibility is also a great way to help with injury prevention.

Got a tennis question? 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

Marla Reid is a respected tennis pro/coach in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s coached nationally-ranked teams and players, and has over 15 years of experience at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels. Marla owns and operates City Racquet Shop in San Francisco CA.

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

This is my version of taking stock/taking time off…

This is the first of a three-part series that will focus on things you can do to help your game during the off-season. It was inspired after I asked Marla about suggestions for off-season training. Her response surprised me, and led to this three-part series (Take Stock/Take Time Off, Off-Season Training, and Equipment Changes).

Question: Do you have any suggestions for my readers about what to do in the off-season?

Answer: Before you do anything, take time to evaluate your past season!

Think good and hard about how your season went (good and bad), and then pick two or three things that you want to work on. Maybe take some tune-up lessons with a tennis pro, view instructional videos on YouTube, or simply work on drills with friends. The important thing to remember is that this is NOT the time to compete.

If you need to take time away from the game to help your body recover from the season, this is the perfect time to do it. Sometimes in tennis, we hit peaks where our game levels off and we become stagnant.

Those are the times that it’s good to get away to rethink your game, let your body recover, and then re-start once you’re mentally and physically refreshed.

Got a tennis question? 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

Marla Reid is a respected tennis pro/coach in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s coached nationally-ranked teams and players, and has over 15 years of experience at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels. Marla owns and operates City Racquet Shop in San Francisco CA.

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