does a 5 y/o child starting with tennis needs dampeners on the racquete ?
612682
Hi: The only thing I can think of is they are there to play with when the child gets bored. They are really fun to fiddle with. Ken
224245
its depends our your own preferance go to a shop and try out a few rackets and decide from feel and stricking a ball!
1050289
Hey, that's a great question. I'm a member of the USRSA, or the United States Racquet Stringers Association. I'm not sure if you're aware, but racquet stringers are an important part of a professional's game. Michael Chang, for instance, was such a fanatic about his sticks that only one man was able to string and regrip them. Hehe. But back to the question at hand...\n\nStrings should really be replaced at least once a year for recreational players. The synthetic materials used to make strings lose most of their elasticity rather quickly (that's why the obsessive pros store their newly strung racquets in coolers; you may have noticed a pro pulling their racquets out of a cooler, or even putting their racquets into the court-side beverage cooler before matches. Now you know why). Anyway, I can't remember the statistics off the top of my head, but if I'm not mistaken, a week after a racquet is restrung it has already lost 60% of its strings elasticity. What does this mean to you as a player? This leads to significant control loss, meaning that you have a smaller margin for error in your game. Another reason to restring your racquet is that old strings can lead to arm and elbow discomfort. When strings are elastic, they absorb more energy from the contact with the ball, however, the energy that the strings can't absorb it sends down the throat of the racquet, to the grip and into your arm.\n\nI'll make a nice little list to summarize things in an easy-to-digest manner:\n\nHow to know when it's time to restring:\n1. Your strings are old. If you only play once or twice a month, then I suggest restringing annually. However, if you play at least once a week, you'll probably want to restring twice and even three times per year (depending on what kind of string you use--synthetic gut strings should be restrung more often because they lose their elasticity so quickly).\n2. Your strings are notched. You're not going to find a better sign. If your strings have worn notches into each other, then it's probably time to drop your racquet off at the stringers'.\n3. If your strings are fraying. This can really depend on the type of string that you use. If your strings are old and you notice the outer layer is peeling off and fraying, then it's probably time to put some news strings on your racquet.\n\nSome people will try and say that you can "feel" your strings being loose by pushing on them with your hands, but my opinion is that most people couldn't tell the difference between a newly-strung racquet at 60 lbs and a racquet strung a year ago at 65 lbs (but whose strings have lost their elasticity and are more like 45 to 50 lbs now). Maybe I'm wrong, but I sure can't definitively tell the difference, and I'm a racquet stringer. That's why we invest in machines to read the tension on the strings.\n\nI'd also like to give you some tips for your restringing. Conventional wisdom says that the tighter your strings are the more control you'll have, and the looser they are the more power you'll have (within reason, of course). Even though this may seem counter-intuitive, we say this because the trajectory of a ball was recorded with a high-speed camera and found that when a racquet is strung at a higher tension, the ball stays longer on the stringbed, thus giving the player more time to "control" its trajectory as it leaves your racquet. Bjorn Borg strung his racquets so tight that during the night at his house, you'd often hear the twang of his strings snapping. This kind of control has its tradeoffs, however. A tighter stringbed is pretty hard on your arm and elbow. If you already have arm and elbow problems/sensitivity, then you'll probably want to string your racquet near the lower end of the range.\n\nAnyway, I hope that this was helpful for you. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to drop me a line.\n\nIn respons
195566
Summer camp is okay, but not necessarily the best option for real improvement. I think you'll find that most of the better players improved by having a good instructor, hard working tennis partners to practice with, and strong competition. This can be achieved in a good club environment as well as at a summer camp.\nHere are some potential problems with summer camps. First, they often emply instructors who are good players but not necessarily experienced teachers. They may try to change your son's game in ways that don't work for him. Second, and this is somewhat related, there is no long-term continuity between the summer camp and your son's tennis beyond the camp experience. He needs someone who takes a long-term view of his game, and puts his learning in that context. For example, Sampras did make a significant change from a two-handed to a one-handed backhand, but all within the guidance of his long-time coach. In contrast, summer camps can lead to short-term solutions.\nHaving said all of this, summer camps can provide an environment for learning about tennis and about himself by being in an environment with many other personalities.\nThere really are quite a number of good camps around the country, and they very in how intense is the tennis versus other activities. If your goal is to provide a well-rounded experience, look for camps that provide these opportunities. If your emphasis is on his tennis, then go with a camp with a reputable and experienced tennis director and a high-level staff of mature instructors.
181334
I give tennis lessons, but I am a lttle ways north of you in the Concord, Walnut Creek area.  You can view some of the answers I gave about tennis by looking at some of the questions provided by jeff spin.  I would give you my email address but this is not the right forum
1146957
TENNIS RACKET:\nWilson (pros use them to)\n\n********************************************************************\n\nRULES:\n\n1.)The ball must bounce.\n\n2.)You can not touch the ball while in play.\n\n3.)The ball can only bounce once.\n\n4.)The ball must reach the servers opposite corner on a serve.\n\n5.)Only the racket can touch the ball while in play.\n\n6.)The ball may not bounce on your side of the court while you are serving.\n\n7.)You must stay behind the baseline while you are serving.\n\n8.)You must stay infront of the baseline while returning a serve.\n\n9.)You can not hit the ball twice while returning.\n\n10.)You can't hit the ball on to the side courts durind a singels match.\n\n*******************************************************************\n\nTENNIS PLAYERS:\n\nBoris Beacker-He won the Wimboldon two times\n\nMicheal Chang- Became the first american to win the French Open in more than decades.\n\nAndre' Agassi- He broke the dress code by wearing a earing and colorful clothing.\n\nJennifer Capriati-Played her first proffesional tortament at age 13.\n\nJhon McEnroe- He won 3 US Opens and one Wimpoidon title during the 1980s.\n\n*******************************************************************\n\nFEDERRER:\n\nAll I know is that he is in the current Wimboldon.\n\n*******************************************************************\n\nPICTURES:\n\nhttp://www.pbsbih.ba/sport/2004/juli/04/roger%20federrer.jpg\n\nhttp://www.hanoimoi.com.vn/images/news/thuy%20si.jpg
423362
depends what you're hitting? No but seriously you don't...i'm a tennis coach and I've introduced so many kids around the age of 4 to tennis...on this one...don't listen to your mom and just pick up the racket and do it ....
711129
Yes, of course! And hopefully, your other daughter will get into sports, or at least gymnastics after this. Gymnastics is fun to do just for a hobby or competitive. It is a good thing for them to keep moving and burning calories and getting flexible!, but having fun and meeting friends at the same time. If they show no interest at all, I'd try and let them do one class, and if they don't like it, then don't make them do the class, you want to make sure they enjoy what they are doing. I hope you decide to put them into a class!
90465
I don't know where you play...But someone should mop or dustmop the court just before you play.If not keep a wet rag handy.
586405
That's becoming a problem now, finding a gym that does more gymnastics than cheerleading.  My best advice to you is to search the yellow pages, and then go check each gym out in person.  Checking each one out is the absolute best way to determine a gym's focus.  Make sure to meet the coach that your child will have, and make sure her priorities are the same as the gym.  Also, as a side bit of information, if your daughter does do cheerleading at any time, do not allow her to tumble on the hard wood floor.  I've been a gymnast for 10 years and a coach for 2, and I've seen way too many of our girls come in injured from cheerleading. I myself did cheerleading for 1 year, and I sucessfully blew out my knee and did serious damage to my ankle doing Round-offs, or round-off back handsprings.  Easy tricks, compared to what I do in the gym, but they still put me out of competition, and I may never be able to return.  So, I urge you to share that with your daughter if she ever decides to cheer.  Hope I helped!
452003
My first racket was a $3 Spaulding beauty (1974). \n\nHaving developed tendinitis at the age of 19 so severely my arm would not swing when I walked,  an orthopedic surgeon gave me a series of 6-7 cortisone shots.  \n\nIn addition he asked me to take up the game(s) of tennis and/or racquetball with the instruction of  - the more I use my shoulder the greater chance I have my tendinitis would not return.\n\nThe severely excruciating pain of the tendinitis was certainly a motivator.  Never having any interest in tennis previously, I watched players on TV and copied their strokes as hit up against a school building in a small Nevada town.  \n\nWith only 400 people in the town, there were no tennis courts so the wall was my only competition.  During many, many hundreds of hours, I would improve my skills playing make believe matches against Borg, Connors, Stan Smith, Nasty,  and the other icons of the era.  I did this every day in the desert heat and cold for over 2 years before ever stepping on a tennis court of any kind.\n\nToday, after just over 30 years, and without wanting to bore you any further, I have that doctor to thank for a free college education, a case full of dusty yet still meaningful trophies, great health, and a lot of wonderful friends.\n\n - Thanks again Doc, you changed my life.
678660
Stupid question - tennis
306133
A 5 year old girl is too young to play real basketball but you can really teach her fundamentals.\n\nI'd suggest you must have a soft junior sized ball so she can handle it well. Teach her how to hold the ball, then dribble with 2 hands and later with 1 in stationary position. Then have a small goal, which she can practice to aim and perfect her shooting stance.\n\nCatch ball can harm those little fingers. Play with caution.\n\nSleep early. Eat vegetables. Drink milk. Height cannot be taught in basketball.
666786
As a Mechanical Engineer, as well as a nationally certified Tennis Instructor, I feel very qualified to answer this question.\n\nRacquets made of graphite, whether 100% graphite powder in a ceramic matrix, or woven graphite fibers in a fiberglass matrix, are extremely inflexible and do not lose their resiliency. Therefore, your racquet, if it is indeed made of graphite, can not be blamed for its lack of power.\n\nUnfortunately, without further information, it's impossible to ascertain why your racquet has lost its power.
452539
i know how you feel man i played football in school an tennis in the spring. since you are a big dude with experance us a twenner racket thats the catagory for game improvment rackets. i us head racquets because there are so many different types that they have made. plus if you look around they are cheaper to. look at the head ti's an the inteligence lowice price is 59.99 to the highist 112.99. but you don't to get it if you don't like . but since you are a big dude. get it strung at a high tenion 60-70 whould do it because you got your own power, why have more power than u need . an get a stiff one as well. good luck HOSS!!
412650
Selecting the right tennis racquet for you depends upon your level of play. If you are a beginner, you should start with a power tennis racket . If you have been playing for a while, let's say for a year, you probably should opt for one which gives you more control. Regardless of your level of play, there is a third factor which a tennis player should be aware of: comfort. You should choose a tennis racquet  which fits your physique and level of play and thus you are most comfortable to play with. By choosing the right racket, you also avoid the pain associated with tennis elbow which incidentally afflicts almost 50% of all tennis players in America. So having the knowledge about raquets is important in ensuring that you have the right tennis equipment which will help you tremendously in your quest to be a better tennis player.\n\n\nFor the average player, a combination of power, control, and comfort is probably ideal. \n\nCategory 1: Power Tennis Racquets \n---------------------------------\nManufacturers usually indicate in their packaging or internet description what category the model that they are selling belongs. These racquets feature oversize to super-oversize heads, are lightweight (8-9.5 ounces), longer (27-29 inches), stiffer and are balanced head-heavy (or evenly balanced) to retain enough weight in the hitting zone. These are designed for players with shorter, slower swings and who want more zing and pop. \n\nCategory 2: Control Tennis Racquets \n-----------------------------------\nDenotes tennis racquets that would be used by professional and more advanced players. These models are typically heavier in weight (11.5-13+ ounces), have smaller heads (85-98), thinner, more flexible beams and are balanced head-light to allow for more maneuverability. The result is low-power and designed for players who provide their own power and prefer one that offers more control. Can be standard or extended length. \n\nCategory 3: ‘Tweener Tennis Racquets \n-------------------------------------\nThere are several models that offer a blend of features from power and control racquets. They are often lighter (9.5-11 ounces), balanced anywhere from slightly head-light to slightly head-heavy, have midplus (95-102 square inches) heads and are usually extended length (27.5-28 inches). These models offer low-medium to medium-high power and are most appealing to intermediate-advanced players, seeking enhanced maneuverability.
372077
Here ya go!!!\nhttp://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=48141&page=1