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Meridian Tennis
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Winners Tennis Club
(our home base)
550 Via de la Valle
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Hello :
We've all been waiting for summer and this month the weather has been great. Hopefully, everyone has had a chance to enjoy it, maybe by finding time to play tennis or hitting the beach to get your feet wet in the warmer water. The ladies senior leagues are in full flow with both our teams finding their form and settling into the season. Our tournament group players have been putting the work in to improve. A number are continuing to play tournaments throughout the summer and we wish them great success. As for our summer camps this season things have been a bit more on the quieter side. However, we will be holding three weeks of high school camps for those players looking to prepare for their high school season. The girls' high school season starts at the end of August for all high schools so what better way to be ready for tryouts and the rigor of the high school season. We wish everyone success.
In the beginning of August many of the tournament players will also be volunteering as ball persons or score keepers at the Mercury Insurance Open held at La Costa. This is a fun event to attend to watch some great women's professional tennis.
We also want to welcome Joel Myers as a contributing writer to our newsletter. Many of you know Joel (and it's hard to miss him at 6'6") as our Aussie PLNU comrade (earning three All-GSAC team selections and first team All-American). Thanks for your support, mate!
See you on the courts! 
 Greetings from Matt
Areas to Practice in Tennis
It seems easy enough to understand; practice is the act of rehearsing a behavior over and over
... (read more)
 Greetings from Joel
The 5 minute warm-up
The warm-up before a singles or doubles match is much more important than just defrosting your strokes... (read more)
Greetings from Landon
Early Racket Preparation
One of the most important things in tennis is timing. If your timing is off, even the easiest shots... (read more)
Greetings from Dean
The Split Step
The spit step is what you need to do every time your opponent is about the hit the ball, including their serve... (read more)
 Special Columnist
Dr. Todd Plutchok, DC, CCWP
9 Surprising Truths about Sunscreen
Sunscreens prevent sunburns, but beyond that simple fact surprisingly little is known about the safety and efficacy of... (read more)
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We look forward to seeing you on the courts!
Sincerely,
Matt . Zac . Landon . Steven . Dean
Meridian Tennis Group |
New Clinic Schedule
(as of 04/01/11)
Please call to confirm (858.754.1160)
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. Adults . | |
Mon 8:30-10:00am Adult clinic
Mon 10:00-10:30am Adult mini-clinic *
Wed 6:30-8:00pm Adult workout
Thurs 8:30-10:00am Adult clinic
Fri 8:30-10:00am Adult clinic
* mini-clinics will focus on different
strokes every week
(modified schedule due to tennis leagues)
TBD Beginners clinics
Additional clinics can be added upon request!
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Note: Adult clinics will be theme-based, rotating from week to week with topics such as doubles strategy, mixed doubles clinic,
serve & volley training, etc.)
Minis . Juniors . High School . Tournament
Mon.Wed.Fri 3:30-4:30pm Minis Mon.Wed.Fri 4:30-6:00pm Juniors Tue.Thurs 4:00-5:30pm HS.Tournament Sat 3:00-4:30pm HS.Tournament Sun 10:00-11:00am Minis Additional clinics can be added upon request!
As always, we are available for individual or small group lessons. Please call us to book (858.754.1160)
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 Greetings from Matt
What Areas to Practice in Tennis
It seems easy enough to understand; practice is the act of rehearsing a behavior over and over, or engaging in an activity again and again, for the purpose of improving or mastering a skill or proficiency. Hence, the phrase "practice makes perfect". However, many people make things more complicated by over-thinking what they have learned in lessons or clinics and then losing sight of what they were trying to accomplish when playing practice matches. As a result they never fully get the desired results they were looking for in their practice and miss their opportunity to 'groove' their game. When it comes to tennis there are four major areas to focus on where practice would benefit the player.
The first is the physical requirements that are necessary to be able to play good, competitive tennis. Tennis requires speed, agility, strength, flexibility, and endurance. If you want to compete at a good level being in good physical shape goes a long way to help to achieve results. To get in better shape you need to practice following a routine, like that of a trainer's, to help improve your strength and endurance; i.e., lifting light weights for strength and walking or biking for endurance. There are no shortcuts to becoming physically fit but be assured that you will see the results of your hard work on the court. You need speed to chase after a ball, agility and alertness to anticipate your opponent's shots, and endurance to last at least 3 sets of tennis.
The second area is the technical requirements to develop a diversified set of skills and techniques, specifically, in stroke production. These strokes include the forehand, backhand, lob, overhead, and volley. Each of these strokes should be developed and practiced to insure proper production and prevent injuries. Balance is vital in order to hit accurately and correctly. Good balance will help to minimize injuries. There are many exercises and drills that can help to improve balance, both on and off the court. Hand-eye coordination is an important aspect especially for more advanced tennis, where balls are hit at a greater pace and the game becomes quick and reflexive. In this area, as well, there are many exercises and drills that can help to develop and improve hand-eye coordination.
The third area is the tactical requirement of when and where to hit the ball to develop the point and take control to win the point, with the eventuality of winning the game and match. This would incorporate the ability to place the ball (in a spot or area), using combinations of shots to achieve a strategy, consistency, and shot selection (using offensive and defensive techniques). For example, a basic tactic could be to hit the ball down the middle and keeping it as deep in the court to force an error. Even if you know what you are trying to do, executing it is a whole new ball game. This is where practicing this specific task will allow you to be able to do it on a more regular basis. During this practice time you need to be aware of where the ball actually ends up and making adjustments to achieve your task.
The last area is the mental requirement which includes the motivation, not only to learn, but to incorporate what you learn successfully enough to win in difficult situations. This requires the ability to concentrate and focus when things are going well and especially when things are not going well. The ability to focus includes eliminating negative thoughts that can distract you. You need to have full concentration in order to improve your skills and techniques, especially during practice, so that this can better transfer into competitive situations. When you enter into playing a competitive match your competitive spirit is tested, and further, your ability to handle each situation will be tested. A competitive player will never quit until the final point is played. You must believe you are going to win and you will have a better chance to win if you have a game plan. This is something that you have decided to do before the match; for example, you are going to be positive and hit through all your shots. So, if things change in the match environment you already know what you need to do. In order to stay focused for a whole match you need to practice maintaining your concentration for short periods of time. The more focused you are the better you will play and a game plan can help you be more relaxed as you know what and how you want to do it.
Practice can become very tedious and this is what makes it difficult to perform at your best. If you need to take breaks in the beginning to build up your concentration, that is the right thing to do. Your ability to maintain your focus on your game plan will help you to win the more difficult and challenging points during a competitive match. A better phrase to always remember would be "perfect practice makes perfect". Less time on the court spent in a productive manner is always better than a long time on court with no direction.
This article covered what areas you should work on when you practice. Next month's article will cover how to approach your practice to achieve the best results.
Come by and say hi!
Thanks again for all your continued support.
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 Greetings from Joel
The 5 minute warm-up
The warm-up before a singles or doubles match is much more important than just defrosting your strokes. There are many things to be learned during this crucial time, not only about how you are playing and adjusting to the conditions (and dealing with nerves) but also about your opponent. A good tennis strategist is always looking for the edge over their opponent, and since this is usually the first time most people see their opponents play, it is the first time you get to size up your strengths and your opponent weaknesses.
The first thing a good competitor recognizes is problems in technique, if you spot that your opponent has bad form on a particular shot, more often than not this stroke will probably break down under competitive pressure. Good strategies are almost always centered around playing your strengths to your opponent's weakness. For example, if my strength is a solid crosscourt backhand slice and my opponent has an extreme backhand grip and doesn't deal with low balls well, I am going to win the majority of points that I can structure that way. The trick is to find the right formula that will enable you to win the most points. If a particular strategy is not working, then change it!
Size up your opponent in the warm-up, mix up the different shots you give them and take mental notes. Be smart! Sometimes the match can be won in the warm-up!
See you soon, mates!
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Greetings from Landon |
Early Racket Preparation
One of the most important things in tennis is timing. If your timing is off, even the easiest shots will be off target. To simplify things and improve your timing, make sure you begin your stroke immediately after your opponent has hit their shot. Do not wait for the ball to cross the net before starting your motion or you will be late on your stroke. Early racket preparation will help you to hit every ball in front, allowing you to hit with more power and more accuracy.
Good luck!
See you on the courts! | |
Landon Hilker
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Greetings from Dean
The Split Step
The spit step is what you need to do every time your opponent is about the hit the ball, including their serve. It allows a player to react at the first second possible and to move into position to hit the next ball. Applying the split step allows more time to move to the ball. A split step is lifting the feet slightly off the ground (like a small hop) in order to completely regain balance. When your feet land from the split step they land in an athletic position on the balls of the feet, rather than the heels. When you come down from your split step, you want your weight equally distributed so as to compress both of your legs like springs, so that you can push off explosively in the direction of the ball. Adding the split step to your game will also help with rhythm and quickness. Without a split step reaction time is slowed and it is easy to be caught off guard.
The split step is also very important when coming into the net and playing at the net. When approaching or coming into the net it is important to split step. Running to the net without a split step gives your opponent an opportunity to lob or hit a passing shot. A split step is key in allowing you to maintain balance and quickly change direction. Coming in and split stepping just before your opponent hits the ball allows you to cover a lob or move closer to the net to put the ball away. At the net the split step becomes even more important because there is less time to move to the ball that is coming over the net. So, avoid being caught flat-footed and remember the split step.
Look forward to seeing you on the courts!
Dean Hodsman
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9 Surprising Truths about Sunscreen
July 24, 2011
Not All Sunscreens are Created Equal
Sunscreens prevent sunburns, but beyond that simple fact surprisingly little is known about the safety and efficacy of these ubiquitous creams and sprays. FDA's failure to finalize its 1978 sunscreen safety standards both epitomizes and perpetuates this state of confusion. EWG's review of the latest research unearthed troubling facts that might tempt you to give up on sunscreens altogether. That's not the right answer - despite the unknowns about their efficacy, public health agencies still recommend using sunscreens, just not as your first line of defense against the sun. At EWG we use sunscreens, but we look for shade, wear protective clothing and avoid the noontime sun before we smear on the cream. Here are the surprising facts:
1. There's no consensus on whether sunscreens prevent skin cancer.
The Food and Drug Administration's 2007 draft sunscreen safety regulations say: "FDA is not aware of data demonstrating that sunscreen use alone helps prevent skin cancer" (FDA 2007). The International Agency for Research on Cancer agrees. IARC recommends clothing, hats and shade as primary barriers to UV radiation and writes that "sunscreens should not be the first choice for skin cancer prevention and should not be used as the sole agent for protection against the sun".
2. There's some evidence that sunscreens might increase the risk of the deadliest form of skin cancer for some people.
Some researchers have detected an increased risk of melanoma among sunscreen users. No one knows the cause, but scientists speculate that sunscreen users stay out in the sun longer and absorb more radiation overall, or that free radicals released as sunscreen chemicals break down in sunlight may play a role. One other hunch: Inferior sunscreens with poor UVA protection that have dominated the market for 30 years may have led to this surprising outcome. All major public health agencies still advise using sunscreens, but they also stress the importance of shade, clothing and timing.
3. There are more high SPF products than ever before, but no proof that they're better.
In 2007 the FDA published draft regulations that would prohibit companies from labeling sunscreens with an SPF (sun protection factor) higher than "SPF 50+." The agency wrote that higher values were "inherently misleading," given that "there is no assurance that the specific values themselves are in fact truthful..." (FDA 2007). Scientists are also worried that high-SPF products may tempt people to stay in the sun too long, suppressing sunburns (a late, key warning of overexposure) while upping the risks of other kinds of skin damage.
Flaunting FDA's proposed regulation, companies substantially increased their high-SPF offerings in 2011. Nearly one in five products now lists SPF values higher than "50+", compared to only one in eight in 2009, according to EWG's analysis of more than 600 beach and sport sunscreens. Among the worst offenders are Walgreens and CVS stores and Neutrogena. Walgreens' boasts of SPF higher than "50+" on nearly half of its sunscreens; CVS and Neutrogena make the same misleading claim on about a third of theirs.
4. Too little sun might be harmful, reducing the body's vitamin D levels.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that sunshine serves a critical function in the body that sunscreen appears to inhibit - production of vitamin D. The main source of vitamin D in the body is sunshine, and the compound is enormously important to health - it strengthens bones and the immune system, reduces the risk of various cancers (including breast, colon, kidney, and ovarian cancers) and regulates at least 1,000 different genes governing virtually every tissue in the body (Mead 2008). Over the last two decades, vitamin D levels in the U.S. population have been decreasing steadily, creating a "growing epidemic of vitamin D insufficiency" (Ginde 2009a). Seven of every 10 U.S. children now have low levels. Those most likely to be deficient include children who are obese or who spend more than four hours daily in front of the TV, computer or video games (Kumar 2009).
Experts disagree on the solution. The American Medical Association has recommended 10 minutes of direct sun (without sunscreen) several times a week (AMA 2008), while the American Academy of Dermatology holds that "there is no scientifically validated, safe threshold level of UV exposure from the sun that allows for maximal vitamin D synthesis without increasing skin cancer risk" (AAD 2009). Vitamin D supplements are the alternative, but there is debate over the proper amount. The Institute of Medicine has launched new research to reassess the current guidelines. In the meantime, your doctor can test your vitamin D levels and give advice on sunshine versus supplements.
5. The common sunscreen ingredient vitamin A may speed the development of cancer.
Recently available data from an FDA study indicate that a form of vitamin A, retinyl palmitate, when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight, may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions (NTP 2009). This evidence is troubling because the sunscreen industry adds vitamin A to 30 percent of all sunscreens.
The industry puts vitamin A in its formulations because it is an anti-oxidant that slows skin aging. That may be true for lotions and night creams used indoors, but FDA recently conducted a study of vitamin A's photo carcinogenic properties, the possibility that it results in cancerous tumors when used on skin exposed to sunlight. Scientists have known for some time that vitamin A can spur excess skin growth (hyperplasia) and that in sunlight it can form free radicals that damage DNA (NTP 2000).
In FDA's one-year study, tumors and lesions developed up to 21 percent sooner in lab animals coated in a vitamin A-laced cream (at a concentration of 0.5%) than animals treated with a vitamin-free cream. Both groups were exposed to the equivalent of just nine minutes of maximum intensity sunlight each day.
It's an ironic twist for an industry already battling studies on whether their products protect against skin cancer. The FDA data are preliminary, but if they hold up in the final assessment, the sunscreen industry has a big problem. In the meantime, EWG recommends that consumers avoid sunscreens with vitamin A (look for "retinyl palmitate" or "retinol" on the label).
6. Free radicals and other skin-damaging byproducts of sunscreen.
Both UV radiation and many common sunscreen ingredients generate free radicals that damage DNA and skin cells, accelerate skin aging and cause skin cancer. An effective sunscreen prevents more damage than it causes, but sunscreens are far better at preventing sunburn than at limiting free radical damage. While typical SPF ratings for sunburn protection range from 15 to 50, equivalent "free radical protection factors" fall at only about 2. When consumers apply too little sunscreen or reapply it infrequently, behaviors that are more common than not, sunscreens can cause more free radical damage than UV rays on bare skin.
7. Pick your sunscreen: nanomaterials or potential hormone disruptors.
The ideal sunscreen would completely block the UV rays that cause sunburn, immune suppression and damaging free radicals. It would remain effective on the skin for several hours and not form harmful ingredients when degraded by UV light. It would smell and feel pleasant so that people use it in the right amount and frequency.
Unsurprisingly, there is currently no sunscreen that meets all of these criteria. The major choice in the U.S. is between "chemical" sunscreens, which have inferior stability, penetrate the skin and may disrupt the body's hormone systems, and "mineral" sunscreens (zinc and titanium), which often contain micronized- or nano-scale particles of those minerals.
After reviewing the evidence, EWG determined that mineral sunscreens have the best safety profile of today's choices. They are stable in sunlight and do not appear to penetrate the skin. They offer UVA protection, which is sorely lacking in most of today's sunscreen products. Mexoryl SX (ecamsule) is another good option, but it's sold in very few formulations. Tinosorb S and M could be great solutions but are not yet available in the U.S. For consumers who don't like mineral products, we recommend sunscreens with avobenzone (3 percent for the best UVA protection) and without the notorious hormone disruptors oxybenzone or 4-MBC. Scientists have called for parents to avoid using oxybenzone on children due to penetration and toxicity concerns.
8. Europe's better sunscreens.
Sunscreen makers and users in Europe have more options than in the United States. In Europe, sunscreen makers can select from among 27 chemicals for their formulations, compared to 17 in the U.S. Companies selling in Europe can add any of seven UVA filters to their products, but have a choice of only three when they market in the U.S. European sunscreens could earn FDA's proposed four-star top rating for UVA protection, while the best U.S. products would earn only three stars. Sunscreen chemicals approved in Europe but not by the FDA provide up to five times more UVA protection; U.S. companies have been waiting five years for FDA approval to use the same compounds. Last but not least, Europeans will find many sunscreens with strong (mandatory) UVA protection if proposed regulations in Europe are finalized. Under FDA's current proposal, Americans will not.
9. The 34th summer in a row without final U.S. sunscreen safety regulations.
In the United States, consumer protection has stalled because of the FDA's 33-year effort to set enforceable guidelines for consumer protection. EWG has found a number of serious problems with existing sunscreens, including overstated claims about their performance and inadequate UVA protection. Many of these will be remedied if and when the FDA's proposed sunscreen rule takes effect. But even after the rule is enacted, gaps will remain. FDA does not consider serious toxicity concerns such as hormone disruption when approving new sun filters. The new rules would also still allow sunscreen makers to use ingredients like vitamin A that can damage the skin in sunlight, and would fail to require makers to measure sunscreen stability despite ample evidence that many products break down quickly in sunlight.
Stay well, stay strong!
Dr. Plutchok is one of the Sports Rehab Practitioners at The League Sports Rehab & Chiropractic Clinic, specializing in Active Release Techniques (ART) biomechanics, and full sports chiropractic treatment.
Dr. Todd Plutchok, DC, CCWP
Active Release Technique Provider
www.TheSportsAndWellnessDC.com
Twitter: DoctorPlu
Office: (858) 452-3734
Fax: (858) 452-6666
The League Sports Injury Rehab
4510 Executive Dr. Plaza 5
San Diego, CA 92121
www.TheLeagueRehab.com
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