Tag Archive for 'tennis players'

Tennis centre marketing pays with increased tennis activity

Published on February 11, 2009 in tennis. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

Today was a busy day. The Rusty Rackets tennis players were back again including some some new tennis members from when Max and I handed out sports centre leaflets in the high street the other day. I made some more tennis racket sales to a few other members of the group so Frank, the Sports and Sporting Activities Manager should be happy when he comes back off sick.

Max is like a whirlwind, always rushing around the Sport, Sports and Sporting Activities Centre doing something for everyone. It almost seems as if he is running the place these days and I could easily see some conflict with Frank when he gets back from being sick.

It is easy to see that there would be a clash of cultures with Max being so much more go ahead and helpful. Frank has also been here many years and is very much part of the fabric of the place. He is a powerful figure and is used to getting his own way. Nevertheless, Max has already helped so many of the sports coaches at the centre and each day is winning more support from the sports managers so that they may be unwilling to go back to the old culture.

I met Max for lunch in the canteen and we talked about various things including some more ideas for marketing the tennis centre. He is talking about advertising tennis holidays in partnership with local hotels since there is no residential accommodation at the Sport, Sports and Sporting Activities Centre.

It would mean that we could piggy-back on some of the marketing done by local hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts and reach out to people further afield than local towns and villages.

It would also benefit the local hotels, guest houses and red and breakfasts because it would give people another reason for coming to this area.

Max also suggested that we went to see a French film at a local arts cinema after a meal in town and I agreed to the date. There was no question that it was a date and I find I am looking forward to it. It will be an opportunity to wear my blue dress with the low cut back and really look glamorous for a change. Max has bought a new suit which he is wearing to work and is very much looking the part of the young executive these days.

The tennis centre at the Sport, Sports and Sporting Activities Centre is almost beginning to feel busy with the various marketing campaigns really paying off.

Each day I wake up now looking forward to the day ahead and it’s all down to Max. Perhaps this date will give me an opportunity to thank him properly… I can’t wait!

Teresa the tennis coach on tennis rackets, tennis strokes, tennis equipment and sports shops

Published on February 5, 2009 in tennis. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

Even the size of your tennis racket handle is important to your success in enjoying playing tennis and, sadly, many sports shops sell tennis rackets handles in only one size to reduce the amount of stock they have to hold. It doesn’t seem to bother them that people, not knowing any better, buy the tennis rackets and then develop tennis elbow through using the wrong size tennis racket grip.

One of the biggest problems in getting people to play tennis is that it is such a difficult game to start playing. Just serving the ball to start the rally is one of the most difficult things a beginner player has to do. The whole action, which involves throwing the ball up with the left hand and then hitting the racket head at the tennis ball in such a way that it falls inside the service area on the other side of the net, is such a complicated sequence of events that even professional tennis players regularly get it wrong.

Of course, this is one of the wonderful things that makes tennis such a great game. However much you play, there is always something to learn and there is always the possibility, even on a bad tennis day, you could play a little bit better.

Many beginner tennis players assume that they have to play singles but singles tennis might not always be suitable for a new player, especially if they are not in their first flush of youth. I would always recommend doubles tennis for the older beginner player. It is much more social and you can always blame your partner for lost points – although of course I wouldn’t recommend that because it’s bad sportsmanship.

The strategies involved in playing doubles tennis are worthy of a whole tennis book in their own right.

The different tennis strokes that can be played with a tennis racket are also many and varied. There are also different ways of holding a tennis racket that work with different styles of play. One woman came to me saying that she had always wanted to be able to hit a backhand shot but had never been able to find the right tennis grip. I told her to place the racket under her left arm pit (she was right-handed) and then grasp hold of the racket with her right hand and take it out from beneath her armpit. The resulting racket grip immediately improved her backhand tennis shots and she went on to use the same grip for her forehand strokes, finding it gave her a great top spin shot.

There are many different types of tennis shots too. There are backspin shots, drop shots, half volleys and drive volleys – just to name a few. All have their own special place in the game.

Tennis coach Teresa organises Rusty Rackets tennis session at tennis centre

Published on February 2, 2009 in tennis. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

I suppose about top of my list of successes at the tennis centre moment is the Rusty Rackets tennis group.

They are a nice bunch of people, mainly middle-aged, who responded to our tennis advertising recently in the local newspaper. Most of them had played some tennis before but had let it fall by the wayside.

We’ve had one Rusty Rackets introductory tennis session so far and they seemed to enjoy it very much. They were all keen to get fitter and, although they didn’t know each other at the beginning of their tennis games, they were all laughing and joking by the end and having fun.

Max tells me I need to identify the things that are beneficial about the game of tennis so that I can convey these benefits to potential tennis players through this blog. It’s a new way of looking at things for me. Because I’ve grown up in a world of tennis, tennis equipment, tennis clubs and just everything tennis, I’ve always assumed that tennis would be part of my life.

It is quite difficult for me to imagine that, for other people, tennis does not play such a central part.

Max also tells me that I need to identify the negative aspects in other people’s eyes about the sport of tennis. He tells me that, for many people, tennis is a highly competitive game that for them involves losing.

This is another aspect of tennis that I don’t understand. When I have played tennis I have always been a winner. Playing tennis doesn’t scare me. If anything, it is an opportunity for me to win and feel good.

Max on the other hand has explained to me that others might not feel the same. In fact, as beginner tennis players, they are more likely to to be on the losing end.

Max tells me that I need to emphasise that playing tennis is not about winning or losing but is about other things such as enjoying the curve of the ball as it flies from the racket, the pleasure of perfecting and making a great shot, the camaraderie of the tennis club and the pleasure of meeting lots of different people from different backgrounds who share a common interest – perhaps even partners in future relationships.

Speaking personally, I’ve often found relationships through tennis, although that was before coming to the Sport, Sports and Sporting Activities Centre in Devon where it all seems a bit too quiet at the moment for much of a social life.