Q. What is the Origin of Tennis?
A. Amazingly, the historical development of tennis dates back several thousands of years. So, people who are involve in historical researches of this great sport claim to have found evidence
of playing tennis in ancient Greece culture.
The History of tennis game was developed from a 12th century French handball game called “Paume” (palm). In this game the ball was struck with the hand. After some time “Paume” game produced handball “Jeu de Paume” (game of the palm) and there were used racquets. The game was first created by European monks for entertainment roles during ceremonial occasions. At first, the ball was hit with hands. Later, the leather glove came into existence. This leather glove was replaced with an adaptive handle for effective hitting and serving of the ball. That was a birth of tennis racquet.
Development of tennis racquet , tennis balls also underwent frequent modifications. First tennis ball was from wood. Later in the history of tennis ball was filled with cellulose material to gave way to a bouncier. Monks from all areas of Europe favored “Jeu de Paume” game during 14th century much to the chagrin of the mother Church. The game spread and evolved in Europe.
The game became very popular, especially in France, where was adopted by the royal family. In the year of 1316 French king Louis X dies after hard “Jeu de Paume” game (other terms of this stage of game are Royal Tennis in Great Britain, Royal Tennis in Australia, Court Tennis in the United States), but this death does null to damp the popularity of the recreation.
Q. How to play Tennis?
A. To properly learn how to play tennis, it is best to go out to the tennis courts with an instructor or a friend that already knows how to play and who can give you some pointers. Of course, if you want to get a good idea as to how to play tennis before you hit the courts, here are some pointers:
The main pieces of equipment needed when learning how to play tennis are tennis racquets, tennis balls, and a tennis court.
A regulation tennis court as a few different lines on it – the tennis net goes across the very middle of the court. The closest parallel lines to the net (on either side of the net) are called the service lines. The parallel line furthest from the net is called the baseline. The two long strips on both sides of the court, perpendicular to the net are called the alleys.
In singles tennis, the alleys are considered “out” – if the ball bounces in them, it does not count. In doubles tennis (tennis with two teams of two, one team on each side of the net), the alleys are “in.”
A game starts with a serve. The serving player starts behind the baseline on the right-hand side of the court (his right-hand side) and hits the ball into the service box on the other side.
The service box is the box on the opposite side of the court – both over the net, and on the server’s left-hand side (the returner’s right-hand side). The service box is between the alley and the middle of the court, between the service line and the net. The ball must bounce once in this box for it to be considered a good serve.
If the server misses the box, he gets one more chance to get it in. A server always gets two tries. If he misses, it is the opponent’s point.
If the serve goes in, the person returning must hit the serve either before it bounces (if he knows that the ball would be in) or after it bounces once – if it bounces more than once, then it is the server’s point. The person returning must hit the ball over the net, and it can bounce anywhere on the opponent’s side of the court (remember that the alleys are out, though).
The two players hit the ball back and forth until one person misses – either by missing the ball when it bounces on his side, or by hitting the ball out of bounds onto the opponent’s side. The person who did not miss gets a point.
The server switches sides for every serve – the second serve will be served on his left-hand side of the court and into the opposite side service box (on the opponent’s left-hand side).
This article on how to play tennis will not get into scoring (love, fifteen, thirty, forty, deuce, etc.) except to say that a player wins a game after scoring at least four points and wins by two.
The next game, the other person serves and they continue to switch off, game after game, until someone wins the set. Generally, to win a set, a player must win at least six games, and two more than his opponent.
A match is made up of a number of sets (often 5 or so), and the player that wins the most sets wins the match.
These are only the basics on how to play tennis. Again, if you really want to learn how to play tennis, it is best to go out and play with someone who already knows how. Although, it can be very fun to simply go out and hit a few balls back and forth with a friend, regardless of whether or not you know how to play tennis properly.
Q. What’s the best type of tennis racket equipment for a beginning, intermediate and advanced adult player?
A. The two primary measurements of tennis rackets are power and control. These are the yin and yang of tennis racket design. The perfect balance of power and control for one player will be totally wrong for another. As a general rule, however, you can say that beginning players have smaller, more hesitant swings that do
not generate lots of power. Beginners rely on the racket to generate this power for them and therefore need a racket that has a high power rating.
Conversely, you can say that advanced players have bigger, more aggressive swings that generate lots of head speed and power. They don’t need a racket with a high power rating since they are doing this work themselves. What the advanced player needs is a racket that gives them more control over their shots.
Another basic tenet of racket design is that bigger racket heads give more power, and smaller heads give less power. Power is affected by many other design elements as well, but you can use this basic principle to start your search for the perfect racket.
Q. Why are tennis rackets made of graphite and titanium composites instead of wood? Where have all the wooden tennis rackets gone?
A. Weight, strength and speed are the names of the game in tennis racket design. Graphite, carbon fiber and titanium are the most common materials used in tennis rackets today (aluminum is still used in very low-end rackets as well). These high-tech materials cost less, are stronger and more versatile than is wood, lending greater creativity to racket designers and a much broader selection of products for players.
Q. What is the history of wooden tennis rackets?
A. Early racquets date back to the 14th and 15th centuries and were used in games that resembled squash more than modern-day tennis. The heads of these racquets were more oval in shape and smaller than today’s racquets, and the handles were very long. The game of tennis as we know it today and its equipment got started in the late 19th century in London, England. In 1874, Major Walter C. Wingfield patented the rules and equipment for a tennis game played outdoors on grass lawns. From 1874 to 1967, tennis rackets were made of wood and did not change very much in design, though their construction improved dramatically.
Rather than craft a tennis racket out of large pieces of wood, lamination allowed racket makers to glue layers of wood together. The wood tennis rackets of the period were heavy (many weighed in at an impressive 14 ounces), lacked maneuverability (thanks to their weight and balance) and were low in power (the head size was only 65 sq. inches).
Then came the T2000 from Wilson in 1967 and everything changed. Starting with aluminum and then switching over to today’s composites of graphite, carbon fiber and titanium, rackets have never been the same. In 1976 Prince came out with the Prince Classic, distinguished for its light weight, oversized head, bigger sweet spot, higher power and general playability, especially for beginners and intermediates. This essentially marked the end of the age of wooden rackets, as aluminum and high-tech composites took over the industry as the materials of choice. But hold on to those old wooden tennis racquets you have lying around the attic, they may be worth some money as an antique.
Q. How do you review and rate the best tennis racket string?
A. With over 450 different types of string on the market, the average tennis player doesn’t know where or how to begin the search for the best tennis racket string. Choosing the wrong string type and inappropriate tension can make a $250 racket feel like a wooden club even to the most skilled of players. Here is a breakdown of the most common types of strings available:
Natural Gut: The undisputed champion of tennis strings. Gives both power and feel. Good choice for injury prevention and vibration dampening. Retains performance as it wears though is vulnerable to the ill effects of moisture.
Synthetic String with Solid Core: Offers a wide range of playability, power, or control. Its low cost is an attractive feature to players who go through lots of string.
Synthetic String with Multifilament Construction: Offers the most performance for the money. Aims to replicate natural gut at a much lower cost. Natural vibration dampening is a characteristic as it minimizes arm and wrist fatigue. Use these with textured surfaces for increased spin capability.
Polyester and Polyester Hybrid String: Excellent durability and power. Can be hard on the arm, however. Frequently used as the mains in a hybrid set-up.
Author: Alice Jane
