SF Tennis Freak

Archive for the ‘GLTF’ Category

This week’s question comes from David S. of San Francisco, and is one of the most common questions when buying a new racquet.

Question: I want to buy a new racquet, but I don’t know what to look for. How do I know which racquet is right for me?

Answer: Keep it simple when choosing a racquet. Here are 4 easy tips to help:

1. Demo several racquets
2. Ask yourself “Do I need more power or more control?”  This will help you decide on racquet stiffness.  Stiffer = more power, More flex = more control
3. Use as much weight as you can handle in a racquet (it adds to stability)
4. String patterns matter. Open pattern = More spin, Closed pattern = more control and durability of your strings.

Good luck with your search.

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

For many of its’ members, the GLTF of San Francisco is more than just a recreational tennis league.  It’s a place where many of us cultivate deep friendships that, in many ways, become our families.

It’s in this spirit that I’m saddened to write about the passing of Thomas (Tom) Pugh. I asked Jason Atwater, a current GLTF’er and one of Tom’s many SF friends, to send me a little something to share with everyone.

This is from Jason:

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of a beloved former GLTF member, Thomas Pugh.  Tom fought bravely against his lymphoma, but lost the battle when it claimed his life on Sunday April 21, 2013.

Tom had a great love for all things tennis, and was a very active member of the GLTF during his time in San Francisco. He served on its’ board of directors, and even captained several 3.5 and 4.0 teams before he and his partner relocated to the bright lights/big city dreams of NYC.

Those who played tennis with Tom knew that he had a wickedly fast serve, and an even more wicked sense of humor.  I’m certain that somewhere out there, Tom is making the other angels laugh their wings off as he serves up aces on a heavenly court.

Tom is survived by his loving partner Michael Artura, his sister Karen, and his parents, Patricia and Jerry Pugh.  A local memorial service is being planned and info is forthcoming.

Jason’s turning his grief into activism by running a half marathon in Tom’s honor at the San Francisco Nike Women’s Marathon & Half Marathon. His fundraising page is called “Running for Tom P“, and proceeds will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. You can help Jason’s fundraising efforts by clicking this link to make your donation: http://pages.teamintraining.org/gba/nikesf13/running4TomP.

Date: 4/20/2013
Location: San Francisco State University (GLTF Home Courts)
Conditions: Upper 60’s, sunny, no wind
Doubles or Singles Played: Doubles
Personal Match Result: 6-1 6-4 Loss
Team Match Result: 1-4 Loss
Personal Season Record: 1-1
Team Season Record: 0-3

Match Notes: Conditions were excellent, with sunny skies, mild temperatures, and no wind. Our match was against one of the two 4.0 “sister” teams being fielded by the GLTF (Gay and Lesbian Tennis Federation).

My partner for doubles was Leo, an excellent player who reads the court well and is great at picking on opponent weaknesses. We’d played successful practice sets before and had paired well. However, we were gonna have our hands full at #1 doubles against fellow GLTF’ers, Rick and Derek. I’ve known these guys for years, so I knew what to expect: a tough match.

Rick and Derek are great players with solid serves, solid volleys, and great ground games that can hurt you from either the forehand or backhand side. To make matters more challenging, they’ve played doubles together for years and are a very successful team. Leo and I are solid as well, but don’t have the same level of pace and consistency on a stroke per stroke basis. We needed for them to have an off day, and we needed to play cleanly.

I played the Ad court, which is okay because my best strokes (inside-out forehand/crosscourt backhand) are well-suited to that side. We won the toss, chose to serve, and things got complicated quickly. I was broken in the very first game, which also included a shanked backhand return winner on the sideline about a foot from the net post, and a self-inflicted blow to the knee with the butt of my handle when I unsuccessfully tried to sidestep AND hit a slice on a ball that came blasting back right at my feet. Yeah, it was one of “those” days.

The first set went by quickly. We didn’t play badly; we just didn’t play clean enough on a point-by-point basis to put them under any significant pressure. And since starting with two service breaks can put you in a hole very quickly, the first set was lost before we could get anything going. The second set was better, but only because we mounted a comeback from 0-4 to get back on serve at 4-5 before doing down 6-4.

Losses are never fun, but this wasn’t necessarily a “bad loss” because we lost to two strong (and deserving) players who are starting to have success even at the 4.5 level. Our good shots came back with interest, and they always seemed to have an answer for our best. I could’ve served better, and there were a few too many unforced errors for my liking, but other than that I played a solid and fairly relaxed match.

That’s the goal these days.  Stay relaxed, embrace the tension of the moment with a deep breath (to relax the shoulders and arm), and try not to “press” on my shots, regardless of the match situation or level of my opponent.

And maybe next time I’ll pass on Miley’s “Party in the USA” as my pre-match jam.

Question: If my feet hurt after playing tennis for a couple of hours, do I need different shoes or can it be helped with insoles?

Answer: Insoles might help, but you should also look at buying shoes that provide the padding you need. It’s also good to alternate between two pairs to help extend shoe life and minimize wear and tear on the padding.

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

In my continuing effort to provide/promote the sharing of information for tennis enthusiasts everywhere, I’ve decided to add a new component to my blog: Ask Marla.

Whenever I have questions on equipment, technique, or anything else for that matter, I go to my friend Marla. Marla is the proprietor of City Racquet Shop in San Francisco (with her partner Sheila), and is a veritable gold mine of helpful information.

I approached her with the idea of answering a weekly question from readers, and she gladly accepted. This won’t be a column or anything like that (given Marla’s limited time), simply answers to the hot topics on your tennis radar: maybe a question on overgrips, hybrid string jobs, or best type of shoe for your foot, stuff like that.

Keep it simple, and I’ll let you know if your question will appear in the coming weeks. 
Click here to send a contact message with a question (put Ask Marla in the subject), or tweet a question using #AskMarla.

Date: 4/3/2013

Location: California Tennis Club

Conditions: Cold, with temps around in upper 50’s, and strong winds.

Doubles or Singles Played: Doubles

Personal Match Result: 6-2 6-2 Win

Team Match Result: 2-3 Loss

Match Notes: These were some of the toughest conditions in which I’ve ever played, with cold temps, fog, and strong crosswinds. After a difficult warm-up, it was clear that percentage tennis was going to be the key to any win.  Play balls down the center for a higher margin of safety, keep the feet moving and be prepared for bad bounces and, if possible, finish points at the net to avoid ugly baseline rallies.

I played doubles with my good buddy, Chris. We both have strong serves and solid ground games. His strongest shot is his backhand (totally sweet), and mine is my forehand. With me in the deuce court and him the ad court, we are pretty formidable and can do some damage.  Additionally, his long arms and great volley technique make him tough to pass at the net.

Our opponents were solid, but lacked weapons to hurt us. They won the toss and decided to receive: a bad strategic move on their part. I started things off with a hold, and they played catch-up the entire match. I knew we had a good chance to win, but remembered to keep focused on the point at hand because matches can turn quickly if you don’t.

Other than one bad service game with 4 double faults, the only noteworthy incident came early in the match.  I hit a serve that one of my opponents returned into the net.  A second later, he said, “I think that was a let.” Players often try to get a point replayed via let calls. You’re not allowed second chances after the point’s already over, and I told him that.  Fortunately for him, Chris added “I think it could have been a let”. I relayed my concern on late calls, and asked for more timely calls in the future.

I mention it because bad calls and other examples of gamesmanship can commonly throw off a player’s concentration. I once had an opponent call a clear ace “out” in a tight third set. His partner couldn’t confirm or deny the call because he was too close to it. It was so blatantly bad that I lost my temper/composure for several minutes. The opponent “generously” gave me a first serve, but the damage was already done.  Still fuming, I was broken and they went on to win the match.

I learned from that incident that bad calls, an unfortunate but common part of USTA play, will derail me if I don’t immediately address the situation as best as I can, then let it go afterward. Putting my mental tennis lessons into play, I let go of this particular late call (which had no ill intent), won the point, and held serve.  There were no other issues with calls.

This victory was huge for me! It was my first at the 4.0 level since June 2010. Through two Adult Leagues and a Combo season, my record was a dismal 0-20: one less than Vince Spadea’s 0-21 losing streak!

It felt good to break the streak and start the season on a positive note.