Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Blast from the Past

Well, I am officially back from my vacation last week and I should probably get back at it. The World Tour Finals are not too far away now and Nike this year is outfitting their players with the "Flame Pack":


The above shoes and outfits are inspired by this beautiful Nike shoe from 1992:


Since the end of the season is apparently a time of nostalgia this year, here are a few other things I vote we bring back:

1. Let's mandate that everybody play in denim shorts. Requirements must include that they be hand cutoff and acid washed. Hey if it was good enough for Agassi, what's your problem Roger?

2. Bring back a horribly inappropriate sponsor for the women's tour. I miss the days when Virginia Slims was the title sponsor. Nothing like having a cigarette company backing a pro sports tour. I am thinking there have to be some asbestos or lead manufacturers that would make great partners.

3. Turn off HD broadcasts and go back to super grainy, 4:3 aspect ratio video. I love watching old matches with no idea where the ball is and also no idea if it's men or women playing until they show names.

4. Let's go back to using some good broadcasters but also a large number of people who have no knowledge of the game whatsoever. Oh no wait, we still do that.............

Let me know what else you think we should bring back to tennis!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

2013: Year of the Spin

It seems like the end of the year is when tennis companies really start to amp up either teasers or actual debuts of their new racquet lines. Dunlop just released 6 new racquets yesterday, all of them a substantial difference from their previous lines with an increased focus on power and spin. They definitely seem to be making an effort to "modernize" their line and gain some traction with the players who prefer the Babolat and Head Speed design of frames. Just don't take away my Max 200G yet!

One of the more interesting frames I've seen recently is the new addition to the Steam series from Wilson that is set to debut in early 2013. They are adding a couple new head sizes and utilizing what they term "Spin Effect" technology. I don't know if I would call it "technology" as it essentially boils down to using fewer main and cross strings. The new Steam 99S and 105S will utilize a 16x15 string pattern. The end result is a very open string pattern designed to maximize spin potential off the string bed. I find this kind of funny as many older frames used this string pattern, so this "new" tech is really just a return to some of the older setups. This racquet is by no means going to turn a weekend warrior into somebody who can generate Nadal-esque type spin. However if it is paired with a monofilament string (polyester) and put in the hands of somebody fairly capable of generating spin, the potential to amplify that spin is definitely there. I have seen some early reviews  from demo events where Wilson is actually on site with tracking equipment and so far the data looks to be backing up the concept of the design. Could Wilson be poised to gain back some of the massive amounts of club players running around with Babolat sticks in their hands these days? Only time (and maybe a demo of my own) will tell.

PS. If you really want to know the science behind what Wilson is trying, there was a great article on Tennis.com awhile back. Here is the link:

Wilson Gear Talk

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Vegas Bound!....(sort of)

Well, Fall Mixed Districts is officially in the books. Another crazy weekend of competitive tennis. When it was all said and done, my 8.5 team fell a bit short after dominating the regular season but we still had a ton of fun this season. In 7.5, my team back-doored our way into the playoffs and then came up big when it mattered to finish as district champs! Congrats to everybody on BRSC-Gmiller7.5! Also, I want to congratulate the 6.5 (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot) and 8.5 (Baughman/Wagner) champions for their great seasons! There was so much great tennis last weekend, I had a blast playing and watching.

Good luck to those 3 teams as they head to Vegas soon to represent Idaho at the section championships. Unfortunately, I will not be making the trip as I am too poor and I have a USPTR training that same weekend. On the plus side, I will leave that training as an officially certified 10 and Under teaching pro (provided I don't bomb the exam). I am excited to gain some tools and tips that I can put to use in our 10 and Under programs here at IdTA!!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

IAHPERD TIME

Today I am here at the IAHPERD conference hanging out with a bunch of great teachers from our state. It's so great to see people excited about tennis and how willing they are to bring their students new opportunities. Our presentation was a ton of fun and we are getting lots of signups for our upcoming October 20th training. Great day of fun before I start mixed districts play tomorrow!