One of the more successful posts on this blog has been the post involving treatment and management of tennis toe. I had long suffered from tennis toe and developed a number of basic steps to reduce and ultimately rid myself of this problem. I hope that my tips have been helpful. Well, as I have gotten older, I have been experiencing more lower back problems and thought that it was time to provide some of my tips of how I have managed the lower back as well.
Tennis involves a lot of twisting and turning, often with our upper body leaning forward. According to my orthopedic surgeon brother, these types of motions are the exact types that can lead to spinal disc injuries. Especially the bending forward while twisting.
The first best exercise that I use to prevent problems or manage spine flare-ups is the Mckenzie exercises. Essentially, the purpose of these exercises is to try to push the disc forward to counteract so many motions, either playing tennis or at work, that urge the disc backward or laterally. The Mckenzie exercise involves placing both of your palms on your lower back and then lean your upper body and head backward in a slow, deliberate action. You then hold this position for about 10 seconds.
This exercise can also be performed by lying down on your stomach and push your upper body upward (i.e. "upward dog") and hold for 10-15 seconds. See link to exercise below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clfpWjqVP6U
I will even perform the above technques several times during a match. Yes, I look weird, but so what. It helps.
Secondly, I experience the most problems while serving. I think that this is a result of the follow through of the serve where I end up twisted and leaning forward. One of the serve modifications I have used when my lower back flares up is revert to a service motion that resembles old timers like Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall and Ilie Nastase where I do not jump during the serve. Rather, I pivot my back leg forward while I make contact with the ball. See the video below of a much older Nastase performing his serve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzy2ZIfOt6I
I think this causes my hips to swing forward which gives me a more straight forward facing hip posture as I bend forward. In other words, it avoids the twist and forward bend. You might think that not jumping during the serve will reduce power and spin. However, I have found that since my body has less movement, I make consistent good contact and do not experience a decrease in power/spin.
The other side beneficial side effect of the above service modification is that I tend to be in a better position to run into the net. I play mostly doubles and, as we all know, getting to the net quickly and in a good position often leads to a strong volley.
I am not a doctor, and I do not intend to give medical advice. The foregoing techniques have benefited me greatly and I hope they do the same for you.
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Friday, January 4, 2019
Florida Undiscovered--Chokoloskee and Everglades City
Every now and then at sassygirltennis we like to cover outdoor activities other than tennis. Living in sunny Florida there are so many activities to choose from. Florida is known for its miles of coastline and of course, great fishing. One little fishing village that still captures the mystery and spirit of Old Florida is Chokoloskee in the southwest corner of Florida. This is the gateway to the fabled "Ten Thousand Islands." You can still feel the pirate spirit in this place that in the 70s and 80s was one of the main ports of marijuana importation into the U.S., and used to be a great hide out from the law for drug smugglers, rum-runner and assorted other criminals while on the lam.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit Chokoloskee, a must see is the Everglades City Rod and Gun Club located on the banks of the Barron River just north of the causeway leading to Chokoloskee. Adorning the walls of the Rod and Gun Club are the numerous mounts of monster tarpon, snook, wild turkey, and gators that look to have been bagged decades ago from the area, which is brimming with wildlife.
The mystique of this place is increased when naming
those who have stayed there. The list includes five past presidents, FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Hoover and Nixon. Rugged actors such as John Wayne, Burt Reynolds, Sean Connery, Danny Glover and Joe Pesci have stayed there as well. Burl Ives and Gypsy Rose Lee stayed there while filming "Winds Across the Everglades." Mick Jagger has stayed there as well as Ernest Hemingway.
Oh and did I mention that the fishing is fantastic. However, it is strongly recommended that for at least for the first few trips you hire a knowledgeable guide. The Chokoloskee waters can leave even an advanced boatsman high and dry on one of the numerous sand or oyster bars that are nowhere to be seen on most navigational maps. Local knowledge is a must.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit Chokoloskee, a must see is the Everglades City Rod and Gun Club located on the banks of the Barron River just north of the causeway leading to Chokoloskee. Adorning the walls of the Rod and Gun Club are the numerous mounts of monster tarpon, snook, wild turkey, and gators that look to have been bagged decades ago from the area, which is brimming with wildlife.
The mystique of this place is increased when naming
those who have stayed there. The list includes five past presidents, FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Hoover and Nixon. Rugged actors such as John Wayne, Burt Reynolds, Sean Connery, Danny Glover and Joe Pesci have stayed there as well. Burl Ives and Gypsy Rose Lee stayed there while filming "Winds Across the Everglades." Mick Jagger has stayed there as well as Ernest Hemingway.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Key West Tennis and Spa
Oh the beauty and fun of Key West. Decided to check out Key West again, having been there in over 17 years. I'm a much different person now, with many new interests. We did everything thing there is to do in this town, tennis, relaxation, whooping it up and a little history to boot. We chose bicycles over mopeds this time which I have to say I like better. Every time I get on a bike I feel like a free child again. So much fun. We rented a cottage near Duval street that we found off of vrbo.com. It was the way to go, close to everything, relaxing and private. We toured the Hemingway House, road the trolly tour and visited all the touristy things.
Tennis on the Island, at Bay View Tennis courts, it is a lovely park with 5 tennis courts for public use. It is super fun to ride your bikes to the the park for a fun morning of tennis and exercise as well as take in some site seeing along your way. We walked thru the Key West Cemetery on the way home. Many historical monuments and some ghost stories to go along with.
One of the best lunches we had was at the 2 Cents Pub. We had the most fun server/bartender who was playing a plethora of 70s light rock. We had a blast! We dined on the brussel sprouts, sliders and Greek salad with the grilled catch! It was so yummy and the atmosphere was great. They also had a wonderful selection of craft beers that our husbands would have loved, they weren't there so we took pictures to make them super jelly!!! It's a must do in Key West.
Night life was fun to go to the Green Parrot and Hogs Breathe Saloon and Sloppy Joes, saw one of the most spectacular bands play at Sloppy Joes… "The Doerfels" http://www.thedoerfels.com What a talented group of young people!!! They are a bunch of home schooled brothers so cool. I fould that their mom even blogs about their lives. Its a family affair. LOVE IT!!!
Our first full day was rainy and quite chilly for a January day in Florida. We decided the best thing to do was to make it a spa day. We chose the Pier House Spa, for its beautiful location as well as it is a full spa with amenities. It does not compare to one of my favorites, in Orlando, Ritz Spa, but it is better than just any old day spa. It is a very busy spa, so book ahead. We all had a wonderful massages and facial was very relaxed. The steam room was not working properly and it wasn't the cleanest or most well run spa I have ever been to, but it certainly did the trick on a rainy day.
One of the best lunches we had was at the 2 Cents Pub. We had the most fun server/bartender who was playing a plethora of 70s light rock. We had a blast! We dined on the brussel sprouts, sliders and Greek salad with the grilled catch! It was so yummy and the atmosphere was great. They also had a wonderful selection of craft beers that our husbands would have loved, they weren't there so we took pictures to make them super jelly!!! It's a must do in Key West.
I wish they would come to Orlando!!!
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
How many tennis teams is too many????
Join Another Team???
I play on three tennis teams this season. This is the first year I have tried to juggle this. I've managed to do all my duties, dinner has been on the table every evening, my house is super clean. Besides being tired a few weeks when I had to play all three teams in three week, and of course 3 sets each, I've only had one big problem this. Unfortunately, I made a huge mistake. I I received a text from a captain to play that particular week~ but it was another captain. I failed to show up and my team had to forfeit. That made me so sad! I screwed up. Fortunately, for me... this was my really, really cool team. They all just laughed at me and we moved on.
Now the dilemma for next season… Do I join a fourth team? I received several invitations to do so and don't know if I can actually do it??? So many dedicated tennis ladies, who are moms, wives, employees, business owners, they all manage to do it. They actually play for 4 or even 5 teams. I used to think these ladies were crazy, now I find that they may be the coolest of them all. No drama, happy to play, like to drink wine and they all seem to funny! But I don't think I'm actually ready~ maybe some day!!! WhoooHoooo!
Chardonnay recommendation~ Bread and Butter!!!
I ordered in in a restaurant snapped a pic so I would remember. Found it at Publix for about $20. I ordered a case online with shipping came to about $13 per bottle. Yummy and oh soooooo buttery.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Sassy Girl Tennis (TM): Tennis Toe YUCK!!! How to protect your pedi 101 ...
Sassy Girl Tennis (TM): Tennis Toe YUCK!!! How to protect your pedi 101 ...: I'm a girly girl~ I like to look good. I also like to play hard, and my feet and toes have paid the price big time. Some ...
What the Felt?? Types of tennis balls.
A funny today.... WHAT THE FELT????
"What? I'm not using your balls. I bought a can of clay court balls just this morning on the way to the court!!! Your balls are not soft court balls! Yes they are! no they are not ! I'm not using your balls I'm using my balls! This is not fair." Unfortunately, Clay balls did not win. They were thrown to another court. I was giggling on the inside cause this was a real huge argument. I mean one lady stopped at Publix on the way to the courts to buy her balls, her soft court balls (we starting play at 8am.) That is serious ball commitment. These ladies have "BALLS" ;) … and some serious ball issues. They were protecting their balls. I was just laughing at how many times they said "No not your balls... my balls". I know there are different types of balls, used on different surfaces. But are these fuzzy balls all that much different? That's why I had to ask… should you ever come between a lady and her soft balls? How about her hard balls? Must we protect our balls at all costs ? Do we need to carry several types of balls in our bags? Do we use someone else's balls?
So here's what I learned as I did a little research today.
So what the heck is the nap? It's the fuzz, the fibers that surround the ball. That's why all of the pros are looking at their balls... they are examining their balls before they serve it up. They are looking for the perfect fuzz... a nice bit of fuzz on their balls, not patchy or fuzz sticking out, apparently that slows the ball down. Wet balls can create problems and slow your game down as well. We want our balls fresh, fast and bouncy on every surface. ;)
So there you have it… Pay attention to your balls, examine your balls, protect your balls, be selfish with your balls, keep your balls dry, fight for your balls!!! It's all good fun for tennis!!!
"What? I'm not using your balls. I bought a can of clay court balls just this morning on the way to the court!!! Your balls are not soft court balls! Yes they are! no they are not ! I'm not using your balls I'm using my balls! This is not fair." Unfortunately, Clay balls did not win. They were thrown to another court. I was giggling on the inside cause this was a real huge argument. I mean one lady stopped at Publix on the way to the courts to buy her balls, her soft court balls (we starting play at 8am.) That is serious ball commitment. These ladies have "BALLS" ;) … and some serious ball issues. They were protecting their balls. I was just laughing at how many times they said "No not your balls... my balls". I know there are different types of balls, used on different surfaces. But are these fuzzy balls all that much different? That's why I had to ask… should you ever come between a lady and her soft balls? How about her hard balls? Must we protect our balls at all costs ? Do we need to carry several types of balls in our bags? Do we use someone else's balls?
So here's what I learned as I did a little research today.
It's All About the Felt~ what the felt?
The balls are similar in size and weight and must bounce between 53 to 58 inches when dropped from a height of 100 inches. "The only difference is the felt", claims Jason Collins, global business director for Wilson tennis balls. The felt of the extra-duty ball (hard court balls) has a high nylon content combined with wool, has a looser weave and is slightly thicker than the regular-duty. The felt of the regular-duty ball(soft court balls) has a higher wool content and a shorter nap. The subtle differences apparently directly affect the speed, bounce and durability of the ball.
So what the heck is the nap? It's the fuzz, the fibers that surround the ball. That's why all of the pros are looking at their balls... they are examining their balls before they serve it up. They are looking for the perfect fuzz... a nice bit of fuzz on their balls, not patchy or fuzz sticking out, apparently that slows the ball down. Wet balls can create problems and slow your game down as well. We want our balls fresh, fast and bouncy on every surface. ;)
So there you have it… Pay attention to your balls, examine your balls, protect your balls, be selfish with your balls, keep your balls dry, fight for your balls!!! It's all good fun for tennis!!!
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