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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 :
Wow! We have reached the end of another year and if you have not made any New Year's resolutions make this one - play more tennis. Tennis is a fun game and it can challenge you both mentally and physically. If you are stressed then even more reason to get out there and chase some tennis balls as you will benefit from just being outside in our beautiful San Diego weather.
Hope you have a Happy New Year!
See you on the courts! 
 Greetings from MattThe New Season!
It's almost hard to believe but the professional tennis season is about to ramp up... (read more)
Greetings from Joel
Ball Toss
There is no doubt that the most important shot in tennis is the serve. It's the only shot you can... (read more)
Greetings from Landon
Peak Performance
Recently, there has been a resurgence of books written about how to... (read more)
Greetings from Dean
The Two-handed Backhand
The two-handed backhand is a great shot. To hit a two-handed backhand... (read more)
 Special Columnist
Dr. Todd Plutchok, DC, CCWP
Core Fitness - What Is It & What Is It Good For
Core fitness is a no-longer-new catchphrase on the fitness landscape... (read more)
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We look forward to seeing you on the courts!
Sincerely,
Matt . Dean . Joel . Landon . Steven
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 *
Tues 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
New Season!
It's almost hard to believe but the professional tennis season is about to ramp up again. The ladies have had about 7 weeks off and the men have had 4 weeks off to recharge their batteries. As fans, we have been spoiled with the additional television coverage to be able to follow tennis for almost the whole year. I have started to miss watching how the players are faring on the tour. One thing is certain, everyone will be watching to see if Novak Djokovic will be able to back-up last season's unbelievable run from the start of the year. On the ladies side the talk will still be about Caroline Wozniacki and her inability to win a Grand Slam tournament.
If I had to make some predications for 2012, I believe Rafa Nadal will bounce back from last year's disappointments. Roger Federer will continue where he left off and have a strong start to the season. Andy Murray will finally start to come into his own and achieve some marquee results, pushing his top challengers to the limit and coming away with victories. Tennis is an extremely difficult sport to be able to change the status quo at the top. This year will be no different with the top four men still maintaining their dominance over the rest of the field in major competitions. That is not to say that in smaller tournaments there won't be the odd player causing a few upsets. Del Potro and Tsonga will be potential threats; however, Fish, Ferrer, and Berdych will have tough seasons to be able to maintain their current positions due to the points that they will need to defend from their successes in 2011.
On the ladies side things seem to be more wide open. Wozniacki, Kvitova, Azarenka, Serena Williams, and Samantha Stosur will be the main players to keep an eye on for the season. Clijsters will be returning from an injury-ridden season and is always dangerous threat. Sharapova had good year and just missed finishing number one for the year; she is a tough opponent if her serve is working well. Lisicki can beat almost anyone and if she is able to avoid major injuries this year and put together back-to-back strong performances, she is likely to move up the rankings.
The first tournaments to watch are:
WTA/ATP - 1/1/12, Brisbane- Australia
WTA - 1/2/12, Auckland- New Zealand
ATP - 1/2/12, Doha
Let's hope this season is just as exciting as last season!
Come by and say hi!
Thanks again for all your continued support.
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Greetings from Joel
Ball Toss
The most important shot in tennis is the serve, there is no doubt. It's the only shot you can control and in the modern game has become a huge weapon for professional players on the WTA and ATP tours. The most important fundamental skill of this stroke is the ball toss. One of the most common mistakes that is made by recreational players is not throwing the ball up high enough. If you reach up with your racquet hand as far as you can above your head, that should give you a good indication of where your contact point should be. This gives you greater leverage and power on the serve, limits net faults and allows you to have more variety on the delivery.
The second mistake on the ball toss is not throwing the ball out in front of you. The server's momentum should always take them inside the baseline after the serve. This helps with power and consistency of the stroke. If you are a base-liner you can bounce straight back behind the baseline after the serve and if you serve-volley, you can continue to the net for an easier volley. One of the best ways to practice the perfect ball toss is to place the racquet just inside the baseline with the butt cap touching the line so that the head faces the net; throw the ball up to contact point height and let the ball drop onto the strings of your racquet. This is a great drill and one of the best ways to make your toss consistent!
See you soon, mates!
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Greetings from Landon |
Peak Performance
Recently, there has been a resurgence of books written about how to reach your peak performance, for your mind and body. So, whether you're playing an instrument, playing a sport or mastering a subject there's probably a book written about how to reach your 'greatness'. A synthesis of the messages in these books is: practice with true intention, always perform any activity with a high level of commitment, and utilize good coaching to help to bring out your best. For recreational tennis players, peak performance usually applies to those who want to reach the next level of play or to those who are looking to always improve their game.
Muscle memory is the way you train your body through repetition, where you can repeat something without conscious effort. In a sport like tennis, muscle memory is also the way to train your body effectively to play better tennis. This is where utilizing good coaching is also important. You want your muscle memory to reflect the correct way to do things, using the correct technique. You don't want to practice something the wrong way. This is the reason why the pros practice the way they want to play.
So, when you go out to practice, make sure you are trying to use the correct technique and that you are playing with the same intensity as when you were training or taking a lesson. This way, you will be more likely to do the same when you are in a competitive match.
Good luck!
See you on the courts! | |
Landon Hilker
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Greetings from Dean
The Two-Handed Backhand
The two-handed backhand is a great shot. To hit a two-handed backhand two hands must be placed on the racquet. Turning the shoulders and making either a loop or a taking the racquet straight back, the racquet head must start below the ball. Once the ball comes into the striking zone the hips turn first and the racquet goes from low to high brushing upwards on the ball creating top spin. The hips turn first and the racquet head follows until the ball is struck out in front.
The two-handed backhand is great for consistent topspin and power. With two hands on the racquet the path of the racquet through the swing is a natural motion. The arms must stay relaxed and follow the path from low to high while rotating your hips into the court. Two-handed backhands are also great for return of serve and one hand can be taken off for a slice or shots where you may be stretched.
Here is a great video demonstrating the two-handed backhand (The Rise of the Two Handed Backhand):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdlep5PkJ9Q
Come see us if you're interested in learning more about this stroke. We would be happy to help.
Look forward to seeing you on the courts!
Dean Hodsman
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Core Fitness - What Is It and What Is It Good For?
Core training is a no-longer-new catchphrase on the fitness landscape. The concept of core fitness, by now, has been promoted by every Pilates school, yoga center, and chain of fitness clubs around the world. Many doctors, including chiropractors, physiatrists, orthopedists, and even cardiologists, emphasize the importance of core training with their patients. Practically every physical therapist and personal trainer has learned a variety of core exercises to use with their clients. Core fitness has become an advertising buzzword, helping to sell all kinds of health-related products. The overall result is raised awareness of the importance of core strength and the opportunity to engage in a critically important form of healthy exercise.1,2,3
What exactly is the "core" and what are you training when you train it? Your core muscles are your four abdominal muscle groups - the transversus abdominis, internal obliques, external obliques, and rectus abdominis. Back muscles, too, are included in the core group - specifically the erector spinae, longissimus thoracis, and multifidus. The importance of the core muscles is their ability to provide a "center" or focus for the physical work your body is doing. If your core is not fit other muscles will have to take over, leading to the likelihood of strains, sprains, and other injuries.
Who even knew we had a core? Plenty of people did, long ago, but in those days no one talked about a "core". For many decades football coaches, ballet instructors, and gymnastics coaches trained their athletes in vigorous and strenuous techniques that all focused on core strength. High school gym teachers knew about the core. Remember squat thrusts, jumping jacks, and push-ups? All those ancient exercises (that we used to groan and moan about) train deep core muscles. We were doing core fitness before there was "core fitness".
Why do we need core fitness today? More and more our
work involves sitting down. We stare at computer screens for eight hours a day. Instead of doing physical work such as farming or building, we type on a keyboard and talk on a cell phone. The long-term result is that muscles, tendons, and ligaments lost their integrity. Tight neck muscles, tight lower back muscles, and weak abdominal muscles are the result, and these issues lead to more serious problems such as chronic headaches, cardiovascular stress, impaired digestion, and depression. We need fitness activities that start building us back up again, and the right place to start is at the center - by engaging in core fitness.
The best thing about core fitness is that you don't need any equipment. You could get a mat and a physioball, but those items are optional. Take a yoga class. Take a Pilates class. Learn a few core exercises and begin to do them several times a week. You'll soon begin to notice that you feel better, in general. You have more energy. You're sleeping better. Your mood is improving. All due to a few squats, a few planks, and a few push-ups. That's a pretty good deal.
1Kennedy DJ, Noh MY: The role of core stabilization in lumbosacral radicuopathy. Phys Med Rehabil Clin North Am 22(1):91-103, 2011
2Behm DG, et al: The use of instability to train the core musculature. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 35(1):91-108, 2010
3Dunleavy K: Pilates fitness continuum: post-rehabilitation and prevention Pilates fitness programs. Rehab Manag 23(9):12-15, 2010
tried to bend over and touch the floor without any preparation.
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Chiropractic and the Core
Chiropractic care helps make almost everything better from a physical point of view. The process of chiropractic helps your body become the best it can be, by removing limitations to growth and development.
When you exercise, it's important for your muscles and joints to be freely movable. If you're exercising and you have joints with restricted mobility, particularly in the spine, it's easy to get injured. This is analogous to pressing down on the accelerator with one foot while applying the brake with the other. That would be a pretty bumpy ride. Extending the metaphor, chiropractic care helps open up your spinal highways and byways, smoothing out your biomechanical journey and helping you get the most out of your exercise.
When you're exercising your core it's important for all the parts involved to have their maximum range of motion. Chiropractic care helps you get there. |
Happy New Year 2012!
Stay well, stay strong!
Dr. Todd Plutchok, DC, CCWP
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.
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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