The Golden Era of tennis is over. At least for me, it is. Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Monica Seles and so on and so forth represented a generation that really took the game of tennis to greater heights. (Watch this link for highlights between Borics Becker and Stefan Edberg.)
Pete Sampras was another one of the greats along with Andre Agassi…
But they're all gone now, replaced by a new generation of tennis players with which I feel nothing in common with. Of course, that shouldn't be a problem for the rest of the tennis fans today because the baton has been passed – and people like us are now considered old since we're in our thirties, with more adult like responsibilities to take care of.
While there have been some changes in the game itself, a large part of the tradition of tennis remains the same, and for very good reason too.
Tennis
Much like any other sport, tennis has its rules and regulations and in order to be a winner at this game, you have to understand how the game is played and all the delicate intricacies that go into hitting the ball well.
For those of you who think that the game is just about getting the ball over the net, think again. A day with the Williams sisters will give you all you need to know about how many hours of practice it takes to become proficient at this game.
The use of technology to spruce up the sport has made it even more popular, and why not?
If you intend on playing this sport, it's an excellent one if you want to stay fit… but don't get started with the "singles" version, if you can help it.
Tennis Techniques and Terminology
Right off the bat, there are three versions of the game: singles, doubles and mixed doubles. While the first two are easy to understand, the last term means that a man and a woman pair up to face a similar pair in competition for the title.
For first-timers, tennis is played using rackets (much like badminton and squash) and specially-made tennis balls for the game. Most games in serious competition are either 3 (women) or 5 sets (men).
The space in which they play the game is called a 'court' which has lines to indicate boundaries within which the ball must be kept when in play. The first stroke is actually the serve when the player has to stay behind the 'baseline' and hit the ball in a designated area (square-shaped) which starts from the net to halfway past into the court.
The inability to hit the ball in such a way that it stays within this box results in a fault, and two of them awards points to the player receiving the serve. The points systems is pretty simple: 15-30-40- game.
All you need is to win a series of four point to win a game provided the other player is not at 40. In such a case, either player has to win two more points in order to win the game.
When it comes to the each set, the first player to win 6 games wins the set provided both players aren't at 6 games each. If this happens, then the match goes into a tie-breaker which often is even more exciting.
Here is the link to a short video that explains the tennis techniques used commonly…
In Closing
And yet amongst these great stars, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi played just more than great tennis… because they changed the game itself!
The Golden Era of tennis is over. At least for me, it is. Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Monica Seles and so on and so forth represented a generation that really took the game of tennis to greater heights. (Watch this link for highlights between Borics Becker and Stefan Edberg.)
Pete Sampras was another one of the greats along with Andre Agassi…
But they're all gone now, replaced by a new generation of tennis players with which I feel nothing in common with. Of course, that shouldn't be a problem for the rest of the tennis fans today because the baton has been passed – and people like us are now considered old since we're in our thirties, with more adult like responsibilities to take care of.
While there have been some changes in the game itself, a large part of the tradition of tennis remains the same, and for very good reason too.
Tennis
Much like any other sport, tennis has its rules and regulations and in order to be a winner at this game, you have to understand how the game is played and all the delicate intricacies that go into hitting the ball well.
For those of you who think that the game is just about getting the ball over the net, think again. A day with the Williams sisters will give you all you need to know about how many hours of practice it takes to become proficient at this game.
The use of technology to spruce up the sport has made it even more popular, and why not?
If you intend on playing this sport, it's an excellent one if you want to stay fit… but don't get started with the "singles" version, if you can help it.
Tennis Techniques and Terminology
Right off the bat, there are three versions of the game: singles, doubles and mixed doubles. While the first two are easy to understand, the last term means that a man and a woman pair up to face a similar pair in competition for the title.
For first-timers, tennis is played using rackets (much like badminton and squash) and specially-made tennis balls for the game. Most games in serious competition are either 3 (women) or 5 sets (men).
The space in which they play the game is called a 'court' which has lines to indicate boundaries within which the ball must be kept when in play. The first stroke is actually the serve when the player has to stay behind the 'baseline' and hit the ball in a designated area (square-shaped) which starts from the net to halfway past into the court.
The inability to hit the ball in such a way that it stays within this box results in a fault, and two of them awards points to the player receiving the serve. The points systems is pretty simple: 15-30-40- game.
All you need is to win a series of four point to win a game provided the other player is not at 40. In such a case, either player has to win two more points in order to win the game.
When it comes to the each set, the first player to win 6 games wins the set provided both players aren't at 6 games each. If this happens, then the match goes into a tie-breaker which often is even more exciting.
Here is the link to a short video that explains the tennis techniques used commonly…
In Closing
And yet amongst these great stars, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi played just more than great tennis… because they changed the game itself!