Tennis Information

Understand The Tennis Court In Order To Understand Tennis
By J. Lloyd
So you have decided to take up tennis? Or maybe you are content to be a spectator but you would like to expand your knowledge of the game. There are a lot of variables to tennis, from the proper clothes to the equipment, from the rules to the players, but there are some constants in the game too.

At seventy-eight feet long from baseline to baseline, and twenty-seven feet wide – thirty-six feet for doubles matches – the size of the tennis court is one of those constants, and one can learn a lot about the game simply by understanding this field of play.

While the size of a tennis court never changes, the surface of the court can vary from location to location. There are three basic types of surfaces on which tennis is played, and each surface dictates a particular style of play.

Clay courts are made of crushed stone, brick, or shale, and are usually reddish orange in color, although they can be green as well. Clay courts are considered slow courts where balls tend to bounce higher and more slowly than on other surfaces. Consequently, points often last longer on clay courts as players tend to stay near the baseline – the line farthest from the net – and play defensively because it is so difficult to simply blast one by their opponent.

Clay courts are more prevalent in Europe and South America than they are in the United States. Of the professional Grand Slam tournaments only the French Open – or the Tournoi de Roland-Garros as it is officially known – is played on a clay surface.

The second kind of playing surface that one would find on a tennis court is grass. Rarely seen because of their high maintenance costs, grass courts are grown on firmly packed soil, much like a golf green. Of all the playing surfaces, grass presents the most variables to players.

Wear and tear, moisture, firmness of soil, and the length of time the grass has grown since being mowed all play a role in the playing characteristics of a grass court. Despite these variables, grass court players can usually expect the ball to bounce low forcing the players to get to the ball faster if they are to have a chance at a return; hence, grass courts are fast courts.

Successful grass court players typically play a serve and volley style of game where they quickly rush to the net after serving in hopes of forcing their opponent to hit a fast and perfect return; not easy on a fast, grass court. The most famous grass court is most certainly Centre Court at Wimbledon, home of The Championships, Wimbledon, a Grand Slam event and the oldest event in championship tennis.

Faster than clay courts yet slower than grass courts, hard courts are the most common type of tennis court. Constructed of cement or synthetic materials, hard courts vary in speed and bounce, but generally fall in the middle of the spectrum on both fronts. Hard courts are also the most conducive to all styles of play and, unlike grass or clay, they do not provide significant advantage or disadvantage to players with different styles.

Consequently, hard courts are often considered to provide the fairest test of all around skill. The United States Open and Australian Open are both played on hard courts, although the US Open uses an acrylic surface while the Australian Open utilizes a synthetic surface. Indoor courts are a variable of hard courts that are usually made of cement, wood, or even artificial turf. They typically have similar playing characteristics that are similar to other variations of hard courts.

Now that you understand the different surfaces that can be found in tennis you can use that knowledge to enhance your strategies on the court, or your appreciation for the game as a spectator. Either way, you must understand the tennis court in order to fully understand tennis.

Article Source: http://articlecrazy.com

For more information on tennis try visiting www.TennisQuestions.com, a website that specializes in providing tennis related tips, advice and resources to include information on the tennis court.

The Rudimentary Basics Of Ping Pong
By Mario R. Churchill
A perennial favorite for indoor sports, table tennis or ping pong has been played for over a century now. A very simple sport or game, table tennis can be played by almost anyone. It doesn’t require a person to be very athletic, but being agile and possessing fast reflexes and eye-hand coordination is a big asset.

A lot like tennis but on a smaller scale, ping pong has some basic rules and requirements to be followed. This makes the game much more exciting, but most importantly it makes ping pong fair. The need to follow these rules and requirements is necessary like it is with others, there is uniformity and there is no confusion.

So here are some of the basics a person who is just beginning to learn about ping pong has to know about.

First off is the equipment. Ping pong is played on a table which serves as the miniaturized version of a tennis court, that’s why most ping pong tables are painted green, to simulate the color of grass where tennis was first played.

The ping pong table should be five feet in width and nine feet in length. Generally made out of wood, there are white lines painted on the surface to signify the boundaries. Each player must serve the ball to the right side of the receiver’s side bouncing first from the servers’ right side.

In the middle of the table, a net separates the table in two, one side for each player or team, in case a double’s game is being played. The net should have a height of 15.25 centimeters and is tied to a hook on each side of the table. Most tournaments check the height of the net prior to the game to ensure that the right height is achieved.

A player has to have a ping pong paddle to play the game. No exact measurement is mandated on the racket but what is clearly stated is that all paddles should have a rubber surface on each side. Also, one side of the paddle should have a black rubber surface and on the other side red. If the paddle does not have a rubber surface it is not allowed to be used.

That’s why in all major tournaments, the paddle is carefully inspected by an official before the game. The inspected rubber shall be the only one to be used in the game, if the paddle is damaged,another paddle can be used only if it’s inspected first.

Another basic rule employed in a ping pong gamer and is especially watched out for in competitions is the moving and placing of the hands on the table. Also, players are prevented from touching the net. This is to ensure that the game would be fairly played and it is the skills of the players which will determine the outcome of the game.

Prior to the changes made in 2000, each set of a ping pong game requires a player to score 21 points. But to speed up the duration of the game, major competitions have lowered it to 11. For a ping pong player to win a game, he or she must win 2 of 3 sets or whatever the rules dictates. Serving is determined by a flip of the coin, after 5 serves, the other player will know get the chance to serve.

Playing ping pong can be much more fun if you know the basic rules. This way, you and your friend will be able to play the game fairly and with much more excitement.

Article Source: http://articlecrazy.com

Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on table tennis, also called ping pong, checkout his recommended websites.