Friday, June 21, 2013

Poly for the Pint Size

The last few weeks I have been able to make the rounds to several junior tournaments in our state and section. It is amazing to me to walk around these events and hear the non stop distinct crack of polyester strings making contact with the ball. I have also been getting more and more requests to string junior player frames with polyester. These events have motivated me to try and provide some education to any junior player parents reading my blog on some key points of polyester. First let's focus on the primary benefit of the string:

People love polyester for the additional power and spin it can generate. The way it does it is by something referred to as "snap back". When you contact the ball, the mains grip it, slide down along the crosses and then quickly snap back into place as the ball leaves the stringbed. It is this snapping feature that imparts extra RPMs on the ball and increases the spin and explosiveness of the shot. Polyester is also enjoyed for it's durability. It doesn't fray apart or snap as rapidly as multi or synthetic gut.

Overall, if your child is not breaking multi-filament strings on a regular basis (8-10 hrs), then you really don't yet have a need to go to poly. That being said, everybody wants to hit like Rafa this days and poly is the hot string. Here are some basic guidelines I would recommend if your junior is going to use poly:

1. Start by trying a hybrid setup. Use a poly main and a multi cross string. This will still give you the added spin production of poly but the crosses will help soften up the string bed and impart better touch and feel. This setup will also be easier on the arm. There are lots of pre-packaged hybrid options available or you can experiment with some different combos on your own. Durability can sometimes be an issue with hybrids as the mains can eat through the crosses but it is still an excellent starting point.

2. If you are going to go to a full set of polyester, start by finding a softer option. Polyfibre TCS, Solinco Tour Bite Soft and MSV Co-Focus are all excellent options for a soft, comfortable poly. They may not have quite the same pop as a stiffer poly, but they will play more comfortably and be less taxing on your child's body.

3. Attention to tension! Polyester is a pretty stiff material by nature. As such, you can lower your tension by a few pounds typically without the loss of control associated with dropping tension on other materials. Lowering the tension can also help the strings play more comfortably.

4. Know that "snapback" doesn't last forever! While it is an inherent feature of polyester string, it is a characteristic that goes away. Over time, poly will lose its ability to snap back into place. This loss of resilience is what people are referring to when they say their poly is "dead." As it loses this ability, it plays stiffer, loses feel and increases shock to your arm.

5.Accept that you need to re-string more frequently. The biggest mistake juniors make with poly is that since they can't break it, they leave it forever. Regardless of whether or not your player is breaking the strings, you need to be prepared to cut them out and replace them. The longer you leave them in after the go dead, the more you are increasing the risk of injuries like tennis elbow, etc.

6. LISTEN TO YOUR CHILD! If your child says their arm or shoulder hurts, pay attention to that!

Polyester has definitely been a game changer for tennis since its introduction. As players develop, it can enhance their shot performance once they have developed solid mechanics. I strongly recommend that you gradually phase it in with your junior player and educate yourself with the great resources available on the subject.

Get your lawns trimmed and your strawberries and cream ready, it's almost Wimbledon time!!!!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Fed Fade

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!

I hope those of you reading this have either seen the match, or read the results so that I am not spoiling anything for you.

And just like that, Roger Federer is out of the French Open. His run was stopped courtesy of good old home town favorite Jo Willy Tsonga. Overall it was a pretty straightforward 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 win for  Muhammad Ali Tsonga. Seeing the match left me with some takeaways:

1. Roger Federer needs to play from the front: Yes he did just come back from 2 sets to 1 down in the previous round. However, that was against Gilles Simon. You could have seen that coming a mile away. I'm talking about Roger needing to get a quick jump on the top guys in order to win these matches. It's not like he's the crypt keeper out there, but let's face facts. His stamina and ability to come back from a deficit against players who are younger and just as fit if not fitter, are not what they used to be. He was up 4-2 on break in the first and when he let that slip, the rest of the match got away from him. Roger is at a point now where he really needs to play clean, strike first tennis early in matches in order to have the best chance at winning against other top players.

2. Tsonga is progressing: Seeing his play today makes me think that his decision to start working with Roger Rasheed was a very smart decision. He has slimmed down a bit and it is showing on court. There is no question that Tsonga has always been athletic, but trimming down has clearly added to his ability to stay in points and track down balls (a must when playing on the dirt). Addtionally, I thought his decision making today was a great step forward for him. He has a well known pattern of making very stupid interesting decisions when it comes to point and shot construction. Today, I felt he stayed much more within himself and looked determined to not beat himself out there. Even when he was up, he stayed in the driver's seat emotionally and played the match on his terms from start to finish.

3. The door is open: Federer being out creates a fantastic opportunity for either Tsonga or his opponent in the semis, David Ferrer. Either Tsonga gets back to his first Grand Slam final since 2008 or Ferrer reaches his first. One of these two is at least going to get a shot at taking some hardware out of the hands of the members of the big 4. Unless Haas and Wawrinka pull upsets of the century, the road to GS glory will still have to go through Nadal or Djokovic. Regardless, this is still the best look either of these guys (or anybody else for that matter) has had in a long time.

I am so excited for the final this weekend. The potential story lines could be:

  • Nadal wins record setting 8th title at a single Grand Slam event
  • Djokovic wins career Grand Slam and keeps bid alive for Calendar Year Slam
  • 1st time Slam Winner (Haas, Wawrinka, Tsonga or Ferrer)
Buckle up folks because this is when it starts getting good!