If you are wanting to improve your tennis game then the following tennis tips on how to hit the tennis ball and basic tennis tactics should help you improve your tennis game, and start you winning more games. Remember the main point of tennis is to get the ball over the net and into your opponents court in such a way that your opponent can’t return the ball. Lets start by looking at ways for you to improve your forehand and backhand strokes.

1. Make sure you are holding the tennis racket comfortably

2. On the forehand a good way is to hold it with your palm behind the handle.

3. You can use 2 hands for the backhand but do not overlap your hands. Keep your dominant hand at the bottom with the supporting hand just above the handle.

Keep an eye on the ball as reading the path of the ball will ensure you are in the right place to hit the ball. Move to where the ball will be after it has bounced and stopped rising.

Your Stance, in the beginning sideways on is good enough, if you can’t get your feet sorted out try and ensure that your shoulders are sideways to the ball.

Now you actually have to hit the ball, so try and hit it comfortably to the side of your body and slightly in front of your body and somewhere between the waist and shoulder height. When you hit the ball make sure the strings are pointing to where you want the ball to go in your opponents court.

To improve your serve, the following advice is the basic stuff:

Stand sideways on to the net, and throw the ball into the air so that it hangs nicely in the area where you want to contact the ball, it is no good throwing the ball 3 feet away. Then try and make contact with the ball in the middle of your throwing action at full stretch, slightly in front of you, and above your hitting shoulder.

Now you know the basics of how to hit the ball where are you going to hit the ball, after all you want to win the match and to do that you have to win points, so what are some tactics to make this happen.

Keep the ball in play which you do by getting the ball over the net into your opponents court. If your opponent can’t do this and you can…you will win, but lets hope your opponent is better than that. Make your opponent move in order to hit the ball and try to get them off balance and test their skill to see if they can hit the ball while moving. While doing this remember and keep yourself in a good position on the court and don’t get caught on one side of the court or between the baseline and the net.

Remember to look for your opponents weaknesses and try to play to them, and also try to play to your strengths. If you follow these tips hopefully your tennis game should start to improve.

About the Author: Gavin Dye is webmaster & author at Tennis Supply where you can learn more about how to improve your tennis game as well as some great tennis tips . So check it out today and improve your game now.

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Continued here: How Should You Hit the Tennis Ball and Where

Tennis shoes, which are technically known as athletic shoes too, are shoes designed for physical and sporting activities. The other kinds of shoes are called dress shoes and tennis shoes differ from them in build and style. Other names by which one can refer to tennis shoes are trainers (in British English), runners or runner shoes (in Canadian and Hiberno-English), sandshoes (in Australian English), sneakers, gym shoes, sport shoes and others.

Tennis shoes are used while playing sports like running, tennis, basketball to name a few. However, shoes used in sports like football, rugby etc are not called tennis shoes. Rather, they are known as boots.

Tennis shoes are made of a very flexible material. The shoes generally also feature a rubber sole. The original design of tennis shoes was basic but since its introduction, the designers have changed the design and made them better suitable for specific purposes. like for track running, one will use spiked shoes.

Moreover, the high-end tennis shoes come in different shapes for different for types. In case, someone still cannot find the right shape, he/she can also go for custom made shoes. Although the custom made shoes are costlier than the normal ones, the results are worth it.

A lot of brands manufacture tennis shoes. Some of the popular ones are Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Converse, K-Swiss, Lacoste, Puma, Shaq, Etnies, C1rca, Brooks, Adio, Fallen, British Knights and many others.

Choosing Tennis shoes can be a tricky job sometimes. Some basic considerations can help a person to get the right par of shoes. Below are some of the important points that one may need to think about before getting the shoes.

Style is not that important – majority of the people choose their tennis shoes considering only brand names and its looks. They don`t keep the importance of their feet up front most of the times. It can be a little hard to give up an awesome looking pair of shoes that matches your personality, but when it comes to the usage, tennis shoes should be chosen based on their functionality. The tennis shoes that one is purchasing should be able to protect and support one`s feet ideally.

The Heel Box – it is an important part of the shoes. People are generally similar in their needs when it comes to the heel box. A robust heel box is very important to keep the rear foot in control during running and playing. A heel box is the part that covers the heel.

Typically, the heel box used in shoes should be made of leather with some rubber or plastic as reinforcements. However, not every heel box is made the same. To test the heel box while purchasing the shoes, one can try squeezing it in or bending it over. This can give you an idea of the resistance from the heel box. If it is possible to fold over easily over the heel box, support provided is not much.

The Upper – injuries are generally caused when mistakes are made in this part. The portion of the tennis shoes that covers the foot is called the upper. It is the upper part of the shoe body, from the toe box to the heel box. This part helps in controlling the fore and mid foot. One should look for a lot of comfort in this region.

Change – one should not keep wearing worn out shoes as they can cause problems and injuries. One should keep replacing the shoes to keep the foot protected.

A nice pair of tennis shoes need not be flashy or expensive. As long as the real purpose is served best, one should not go for looks. One can discuss with their doctors to find out more about their requirements.

About the Author: This article can be accessed from page Buy_Tennis

This article can be accessed in portuguese from the Article section of page www.polomercantil.com.br/tenis.php

Roberto Sedycias works PoloMercantil.

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=228096&ca=Sports

Read more here: How To Buy Tennis Shoes

The sport of table tennis or ping pong, is a fun indoor sport for 2 or 4 people. On a casual level, families might have a ping pong table in their family rec room or basement, much like a pool or foosball table; but few know how to play table tennis or ping pong to achieve the best results. Below, we’ve outlined the basic grips (ways to hold the table tennis paddle) of table tennis, to help you maximize your performance, both recreationally and professionally.

The way that you hold your tennis table paddle can dramatically alter your performance based on what type of game you are seeking to play (whether professional or recreational), what strokes you will be predominantly using, and the like. There are three basic ways to hold or grip your table tennis or ping pong paddle: the shakehands, penhold, and seemiller grips. The shakehands grip is the most commonly used, both in family rec rooms and professional matches, as it allows for strong mobility in both forehand and backhand strokes. The penhold grip is a more antiquated grip for table tennis players, used more often by professional players seeking to surprise their opponent with a different grip. This grip affords the table tennis player a much stronger forehand predominant stroke, and disables the ease of a backhand because of grip position. Lastly, the seemiller grip was developed by 5 time US Table Tennis champion, Dan Seemiller. This grip is hardly ever used as it is considered disruptive to form, as it employs only one side of the paddle for both forehand and backhand strokes. It is a slight variation from the shakehands grip, allowing for strong control of both forehand and backhand strokes.

How to use the Shakehands Grip:

· Grip the paddle’s handle with all fingers, palm facing you.

· Extend index finger straight out along the base of the rubber part of the paddle (the actual paddle part) on one side of the paddle.

· Close thumb around the other side of the paddle (from your index finger), also along the base. Your thumb should meet the three remaining fingers wrapped around the handle of the paddle.

· Make sure your extended arm and paddle edge form a straight line. It should look like you are shaking hands at a 45 degree angle.

How to use the Penhold Grip:

· Wrap your thumb and index finger around the base of the rubber paddle (where the handle meets the paddle part).
· Your middle, ring, and pinky fingers should be folded behind the paddle and out of the way.
· The tips of your index finger and thumb should be touching.
· The grip should look as if you were holding a pen.

How to use the Seemiller Grip:

· Grip the paddle’s handle with all fingers, palm facing you.

· Extend index finger straight out along the base of the rubber part of the paddle (the actual paddle part) on one side of the paddle.

· Slightly wrap or hook your index finger around the edge of the paddle.

· Close thumb around the other side of the paddle (from your index finger), also along the base. Your thumb should meet the three remaining fingers wrapped around the handle of the paddle.

· Make sure thumb points forward towards the game.

· Make sure your extended arm and paddle edge form a straight line. It should look like you are shaking hands at a 45 degree angle.

Things to keep in mind:

· Keep your grip loose.

· Each grip preference requires a different type of paddle. Play around with the different grips and see what feels most comfortable for you, before you opt for a particular paddle.

· Choose to play a game or opponent that matches the type of grip and stroke that you are best at. For example: use a shakehands grip for a general game that will require forehand and backhand. Use a Seemiller grip for a professional game that requires a lot of blocking.

· If your grip feels uncomfortable, make sure your form is correct.

· Best thing to do if you have any questions or problems, is to ask a certified table tennis coach or locate a supplier.

The official rules of ping pong, also known as table tennis, are quite easy to learn, and it is a rewarding game for many people. A ping pong table has a short net across the center and white markings. The markings are only used when playing doubles ping pong, and can be disregarded for singles games. In a singles game, you may serve from anywhere on the table to anywhere on the table. In a doubles game, you must serve from your right to the opponent’s right side. The table must have an even surface, and the ping pong paddles should have a rubber surface. While sandpaper surfaced paddles are seen occasionally, these are prohibited by ping pong rules.

The game begins with the flip of a coin to determine which player serves first. The serve consists of tossing the ball into the air and hitting it onto the other side of the ping pong table with your paddle. It may hit the net, as long as it bounces onto the table; however, this is called a let serve and is reserved. If the ball leaves the table, the server will lose his or her point. The first player serves two points, and then it is traded off. The game is won with eleven points or by a two point differential thereafter. At 10 points, the two players alternate serving until one wins. Several games in a row will make a match, by winning say four out of seven games.

A ball in play in ping pong is called a volley. The ball may be volleyed back and forth many times without a point being lost or scored. If the server hits the ball twice in a row, misses the ball or hits it off the table, they will lose their point. If the player opposing misses the ball, the server gets the point. Points are accumulated as the players take turns serving the ball.

You may hit the ball with the paddle using either a forehand or backhand stroke. Players can use either hand to play or both hands at once. You may not bump or touch the table. If the ball hits a wall, the floor or ceiling, it is out of play and a point will be lost.

The rules of ping pong are easy to learn, and this fun game is a great activity to do with friends or family. It does not take a lot of space, can be done year round, and perhaps a ping pong table would be a good addition to your rec room or family spaces.