Tennis Fixation

Olympic Tennis Fix: Getting Ready For London!

2012-02-27T06:45:00.002-06:00

As of today, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games are only 5 months away. Since tennis is part of the world's greatest celebration of sports, I want to make sure we're all prepped and ready when the first match is played. So consider this Post No. 1 in the Tennis Fixation "Olympic Tennis Fix" series.

This year's Olympic games will be centered in London, England. Tennis, however, will be played just outside London in the small, quaint and well-known town of Wimbledon, home to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (see the pic above) where one of our favorite Slams takes place. The Olympic matches will take place just three weeks after the conclusion of Wimbledon so I'm sure there will be plenty of people working long and hard hours to get the courts back into shape for the Olympics.

So here is your fun Olympic Tennis Fix fact: for the first time since 1924, mixed doubles will be an official Olympic event! The last gold medal in mixed doubles was won in 1924 by the United States team of Hazel Wightman and R. Norris Williams. While there was a rumor floating around that Andy Roddick and Serena Williams were going to team up for the U.S. in 2012, I'm not sure where that idea went. We'll see what happens as the Games get closer since the prestige of winning Gold at the Olympics seems to trail only slightly behind winning a Slam in the wonderful world of pro tennis.

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

What's The Difference Between Pressurized And Pressureless Tennis Balls?

2012-02-22T08:45:00.001-06:00

What the heck is the difference between pressurized and pressureless tennis balls? And why should I care?

If you're like me, you're looking for only one kind of tennis balls - the cheap ones! I buy balls by the case at Costco so I always have a can on hand. If I happen to be in Wal-Mart, I'll buy balls there too as they are often priced at less than $2 a can (I guess whoever is setting the prices at Wal-Mart is not a big tennis player and doesn't realize they could get more than this).

But I was thinking that, since tennis balls are an absolute necessity to play the game and since I'm vaguely aware that there are different kinds of tennis balls, what are the differences? And am I playing with the right kind of balls?

Without getting too technical (or boring), here's the anatomy of a tennis ball - a rubber ball wrapped in a fuzzy fabric covering with either a solid rubber core or a hollow core filled with gas. When the core is solid, the ball is called "pressureless." When the core is hollow, it is filled with pressurized air or nitrogen so the balls are called "pressurized."

So what's the real difference between pressurized and pressureless tennis balls and why would you use one or the other?

Pressurized balls are the ones you usually find in a single can of three - probably the ones you buy most of the time. Their benefits?

More bounce - Pressurized balls feel more "lively" when they first come out of the can. The can itself is vacuum sealed to prevent the pressurized gas inside the balls from leaking.
More spin response - Because they're lighter, you can generate more spin with these balls.
More speed - Since they have less mass than pressureless balls, pressurized balls travel faster.

But these benefits are, like a good haircut, very short-lived. Within two to four weeks (or less) of opening the can, these balls will become pretty much unplayable. As the pressurized gas inside the balls escapes, these balls lose their bounce and feel "dead" or "wooden." That's why you probably open a new can of balls every time you play a match that counts for something.

Pressureless balls, on the other hand, feel a little "dead" right from the start. But, over time, as the fuzzy fabric cover on the ball wears away and the rubber inside softens, these balls actually become more bouncy. While that sounds good, the fact that these balls are heavier means that they strike your racquet with more force. And they require your arm and the rest of your body to use more force in hitting them. The result can be an increase in injury. And while the balls may become bouncier, their spin response decreases over time. A definite negative in these days when so many people, even me, are trying to generate spin on their serves and ground strokes. So where will you see pressureless balls in use? They're often used in lessons and in ball machines because of their longer life.

Conclusion - keep buying the pressurized balls in cans for use in your matches. But don't be surprised if you find yourself hitting pressureless balls in a lesson or with a ball machine. In fact, you may want to comment on this to show your pro and/or your tennis pals your vast command of tennis trivia. Or . . . not. Surprisingly, most people aren't as impressed by tennis trivia as you might think.

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

The Tag Heuer Watch - As Worn By Me And Maria Sharapova

2012-02-16T09:00:00.001-06:00

I celebrated my birthday just a few weeks ago! Don't ask my age. All I'll say is I now agree that 50 is the new 30.

Anyway, my sweet husband gave me a fabulous gift that I was completely surprised by, that I love and - bonus - that has a tennis tie-in! I am now the proud owner and wearer of a Tag Heuer Formula 1 watch, the same watch worn by Maria Sharapova! Tag Heuer has sponsored Maria for a few years now so, if you go back and look at photos of her wearing Tag Heuer watches (as I did of course), you will see that she has quite a collection of them. But - good news - she does have the same one as me! And here's a photo of her, on the left, wearing it back in August 2011 when she won the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

So I tried to take a photo of me in my watch which is easier said than done. In the end, I couldn't pose myself in an appropriate Maria Sharapova pose and work the camera and get the watch in. It was just too much work (look - I can just now get my first serve to go where I want it so anything more physical than that isn't happening). But I did get this shot of my watch showing just how pretty it is and how easy it is to read. If that is important to you. Which it may be to some older people with bad eyes. Not me but maybe other people who are much older than me.

When I opened it, my exclamation to my husband was, "It's the Maria Sharapova watch!" and he said, "I know. That's why I got it." Which has me thinking - Maria is also sponsored by Tiffany and Cole Haan. So as long as I keep working the tennis angle, who knows what kind of fabulous gifts I could end up with? Just saying.

Image of Maria Sharapova © Tag Heuer

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

If It's Out, Call It Out!

2012-02-02T06:45:00.001-06:00

So this just happened to me in a recent doubles match - in the middle of a point, I was on the ad side and my partner was on the deuce side and both of us were back around the baseline. I was close to mid-court and hit a forehand down the line that hit the outside line of the doubles alley (as I saw it) and angled away from my opponent. She reached for the ball but missed. She then said, "I wasn't really looking at the ball so I can't say if it was in or out. Can we replay the point?"

Now you and I know that, once my opponent expressed any doubt at all about calling the ball in or out, the point was mine. Because if you can't positively say that a ball was out, then it was in and (in the above situation) you lose the point.

How do we know this? Well, let's start with ITF Rule of Tennis 12 which states:

If a ball touches a line, it is regarded as touching the court bounded by that line.

Seems pretty clear. But the USTA has added their own Comment 12.1 to this rule which further explains:

If a player cannot call a ball out with certainty, should the player regard the ball as good? Yes. The Code sec. 6 and sec. 8 require a player to give the opponent the benefit of any doubt.

So let's look at The Code - The Player's Guide for Matches When Officials are not Present. Section 6 states:

6. Opponent gets benefit of doubt. When a match is played without officials, the players are responsible for making decisions, particularly for line calls. There is a subtle difference between player decisions and those of an on-court official. An official impartially resolves a problem involving a call, whereas a player is guided by the unwritten rule that any doubt must be resolved in favor of an opponent. A player in attempting to be scrupulously honest on line calls frequently will keep a ball in play that might have been out or that the player discovers too late was out. Even so, the game is much better played this way.

If that doesn't make it crystal clear, let's look at Section 8:

8. Ball that cannot be called out is good. Any ball that cannot be called out is considered to be good. A player may not claim a let on the basis of not seeing a ball. One of tennis' most infuriating moments occurs after a long hard rally when a player makes a clean placement and an opponent says: "I'm not sure if it was good or out. Let's play a let." Remember, it is each player's responsibility to call all balls landing on, or aimed at, the player's side of the net. If a ball cannot be called out with certainty, it is good. When a player says an opponent's shot was really out but offers to replay the point to give the opponent a break, it seems clear that the player actually doubted that the ball was out.

Infuriating? That's putting it mildly.

Here's what ultimately happened in my match and I'm not happy about it. I said, "No, we're not playing a let. If you have any doubt, then the ball's in." My partner said, "You have to call the ball in or out." My opponent's partner said, "It's not a let. You have to call the ball."

So I'll bet you can guess what happened next. My opponent said, "Oh, well the ball was out. I was just trying to be nice." I absolutely could not believe it!

My partner and I did not argue but REALLY??? You're calling it OUT??? And honestly, my problem is not that my opponent called my fabulous shot out. It's that she was so OBVIOUSLY in doubt about the call and then had the nerve to make a late call and to call it out. If you're going to call a ball out, even if its a blatantly bad call, man up and call it out quickly and forcefully.

And I'll admit - while I'm mad at my opponent, I'm even madder at myself for letting her get away with this. My very poor excuse is that I was in shock over the fact that she called the ball out!

Next time, no more Mrs. Nice Guy from me. I don't care if this is a "fun" league and we're all out to have a good time. I'm not backing down. I'm not letting it go. And I'm not going into shock. I'm whipping out my rule book and taking my point.

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Tennis Fixation's 2012 Australian Open Wrap-Up

2012-01-30T09:45:00.000-06:00

I'm exhausted. Every Grand Slam final I watch lately is an incredible "instant classic" (to borrow a catch phrase from ESPN). Watching the longest Grand Slam men's singles final in the Open era yesterday just about killed me. And I have no idea how those guys did that. In the last two sets, I went back and forth on who I thought was winning because both players looked totally spent at different points in the match. In the end, Novak Djokovic somehow pulled it off. Congratulations to him on winning the 2012 Australian Open - I have a feeling he's off to another incredible year.

And congratulations also to Victoria Azarenka on winning the women's singles final by beating Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0. With her win, Azarenka not only gets her first Grand Slam but she takes over the women's No. 1 spot. I feel like I kind of called this one (on Twitter or Facebook or something - I can't remember). Here's a pic of the new No. 1:

Finally, I can't leave the Australian Open without noting the winners of this year's mixed doubles championships - Romanian Horia Tecau and - surprise! - American Bethanie Mattek-Sands! Here's a cute shot of the champs:

You know I've been a fan of Bethanie for quite some time (just see this post: Happy Birthday Bethanie Mattek-Sands!) and that Under Armor eye black (I think its UA) is the reason why.

What's up next? The French Open begins in April! Hopefully we can make it until then.

Image of Novak Djokovic by AFP/Getty, image of Victoria Azarenka by Reuters, image of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Horia Tecau by Getty Images

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Tennis Fashion Fix: 2012 Australian Open - Fashionable Losers

2012-01-27T08:45:00.000-06:00

I am planning on spending my Saturday watching Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka battle it out in the 2012 Australian Open women's singles final. While we already talked about the outfits both of these ladies are wearing, I didn't want to move on without mentioning the outfits of two women who made it pretty far into the draw and looked fabulous (in my opinion) even though they lost.

First up, and pictured above, is Caroline Wozniacki. Going into the Aussie Open, Caroline had held the No. 1 ranking in the WTA for 67 of the previous 68 weeks. But her quarterfinal loss to Kim Clijsters ensured that she will no longer hold that spot (in fact, it will be taken over by whoever wins the Maria/Vika match-up). Despite her status as an Aussie Open loser, her dress was a winner.

Caroline has been the tennis spokes model for Stella McCartney for Adidas for the past few years and, on occasion, her outfits have been less than stellar (see this post, for example, about her 2011 Australian Open get-up: Hey, Caroline Wozniacki - Margaret Court Called. She Wants Her Skirt Back.). But this year's dress was super cute. Highlighted by mesh accents, my favorite part of this dress was the color - tomato red. It really stood out on the blue courts of Melbourne. And was a great color for Wozniacki's fair skin and blonde hair.

The other fashionable loser was Ana Ivanovic, also wearing Adidas. Ivanovic was knocked out in the 4th round by Petra Kvitova. Here's what Ana wore:

This is the Spring "adizero" dress in Ultra Bright (light orange) and Core Energy (looks like tomato red to me)(Dear Adidas - just say peach and red). What makes this dress a little different is the hem, which has a sort of balloon or bloused effect. I always like to see an accent that is distinctive but doesn't highlight a figure flaw. Again, these colors look great on the blue courts and great on Ana. The designers at Adidas got this one right.

Right side image of Caroline Wozniacki by Nicholas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Tennis Fashion Fix: Australian Open 2012 - Update On Serena Williams

2012-01-24T15:30:00.001-06:00

I just recently found out the explanation behind Serena Williams' 2012 Australian Open outfit and it's important enough that I wanted to be sure and note it here.

A few days ago, I expressed my dislike of what Serena wore during her Aussie Open matches in this post - Tennis Fashion Fix: Australian Open 2012 - Serena Keeps It "Real." Specifically, I said I didn't like her black headband or her black tennis shoes because I didn't think they matched her blue dress. And I said that I think she could have done much better wearing the outfit as she had shown it off in the days leading up to the Open when the whole thing was completely coordinated. (Since Serena is now out of the Australian Open, you probably won't see her in this outfit again except in replays and photos.)

So here's what I know now that I didn't know then - the headband and shoes were part of the Nike Black History Month Collection, coming out in February to celebrate the 36th anniversary of Black History Month. Serena's decision to wear these items was apparently a choice of substance over style. In fact, Nike chose Serena to debut this collection at the Australian Open (check out this post on the Nike blog for more info - Nike Black History Month Collection for Serena Williams). And you can expect to see other Nike-sponsored athletes in these pieces throughout the month of February. Here's a quick look at the entire collection:

I think that's a great explanation and certainly justifies her decision to not be so matchy-matchy. I just wish she had worn a black (or maybe red) dress to really tie it all together. Perhaps, however, Nike's decisions about who's wearing what and when are made so far in advance that making it all look good together wasn't a real possibility.

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Tennis Fashion Fix: Australian Open 2012 - Maria Sharapova Through To The Quarterfinals!

2012-01-23T09:00:00.001-06:00

We've reached the point in the Australian Open where I feel like I have to pay close attention every day because every day someone big gets knocked out. But so far that someone big is not Maria Sharapova.

Maria made it through today by beating Germany's Sabine Lisicki in three sets - 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. Maria next comes up against Russia's Ekaterina Makarova who took out Serena Williams 6-2, 6-3 (remember what I said about someone big getting knocked out every day?). So I'd say Maria has her work cut out for her.

But that's all in the future. Right now, Maria is looking fabulous in her Nike Statement Slam Dress. This dress is white - a great color for surviving Australia's blistering July heat - with Electric Green accents. I love the slashes up the sides and in back. The Lunar Speed 3 shoes and visor in matching Electric Green are also very cute. Here's a few shots of Maria during her match with Lisicki showing off this great outfit:

I hope Maria makes it a little longer because I happen to know she also has a night dress which I would love to see her play in.

Images by Ben Solomon/Tennis Australia

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Tennis Fashion Fix: Australian Open 2012 - Serena Keeps It "Real"

2012-01-18T13:00:00.004-06:00

Look how cute Serena Williams appeared just days ago in her 2012 Australian Open dress:

She looks like a fashion model! Serena has been on magazine covers, done photo shoots, has her own line of accessories sold on the Home Shopping Network - she knows how to look good when it counts. And she's sponsored by Nike so I'm sure she can take advantage of all kinds of stylists and fashion advisers is she wants.

So how come in her first Aussie Open match, she looks like this:

The dress itself is actually pretty boring but that's not the problem. The problem is I don't like the scarf/sweat band thingy. I don't like the way she's pulled her hair back. I don't like all of the wrist band thingys she's wearing. I especially don't like the black tennis shoes (despite the fact that I'm a fan of black tennis shoes, just not with this outfit).

Here's the deal - I think that when you're a highly-paid spokesperson for Nike, you should wear their apparel in a way that makes other people want to wear their apparel. Sure, I see the cute version she had on pre-match. And I'm all for personalization and making the outfit your own. But the vast majority of people who see Serena in this outfit aren't seeing those cute pre-match photos. They just see the outfit when when they watch Serena's match. They see how well this tennis outfit looks when, surprise, someone is playing tennis in it. And in this case, the outfit ain't looking too great during the match.

I'm sure Nike keeps sponsoring Serena because, frankly, what other American woman are they going to sponsor? But I really don't think Serena is doing her job for Nike. Hopefully she'll stay in the Australian Open long enough to clean this up a little bit.

Image of Serena during her match by John Donegan/AP

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Tennis Fashion Fix: Australian Open 2012 - Keep Your Eye On Victoria Azarenka

2012-01-16T09:00:00.001-06:00

Wow! Victoria Azarenka is hot! Both her tennis and her outfit are already sizzling down under.

Let's start with her tennis. On Sunday, she won the 2012 Sydney International, taking out defending champ Li Na - 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. Then, she rushed over to Melbourne, took the court this morning and won her first 2012 Australian Open match - beating Great Britain's Heather Watson 6-1, 6-0. And here's the most impressive part of this feat - Azarenka won 12 games in a row in that match. Which means - Watson probably served the first game, won her serve, and then lost the next 12 games. Kind of disheartening for Watson. But what a start for Vika (as she's known)!

I think Azarenka will go far this year - last year she made it all the way to the 4th round. And, as you may recall, the runner up in last year's Australian Open was Li Na, who ultimately lost to Kim Clijsters. So maybe the stars are finally lining up for Azarenka to win her first Slam. (Want to impress your tennis pals with your WTA trivia? Vika is from Belarus - the highest ranked woman to ever come out of that country.)

Whatever, right? Because how cute is her outfit? When I saw the pic above showing her slamming a forehand at Heather, all I could think is how much I love those little slashes up the side of her top. This is the Nike "Spring Tie-Break Graphic Tank" and those aren't actual slashes but a print that looks that way. It comes in "Mega Blue" with white, and white with blue or gray accents. This is part of Nike's Spring Group which also includes this cute t-shirt that I'm sure no one will be wearing during their actual Aussie Open match but you might see on the practice courts:

I had to include that - too cute. My only question to Nike - why "Zero"? I assume anyone who wears this will be a tennis player and we never say Zero - we always say Love. Anyway, I still like it.

I also wanted you to see Azarenka and Watson as they posed with a young fan before their match:

Azarenka is wearing the Spring Rally 3/4 Sleeve Top (part of the Spring Group), highlighted by a pretty boat neck, in the Mega Blue. Watson is also adorable in her K-Swiss outfit. Maybe we'll see more of that on some other players as the tournament progresses.

First image of Victoria Azarenka by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images, t-shirt image via www.tenniswarehouse.com and Nike, image of Victoria Azarenka and Heather Watson by Ben Solomon/Tennis Australia

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Serena and Novak at the Australian Open

2012-01-11T16:06:00.000-06:00

Just checked out my Instagram feed and came across this pic of Serena
Williams and Novak Djokovic posted to Serena's feed. This is how I
spend my time!

Grand Slam Season Begins With Australian Open!

2012-01-11T10:30:00.000-06:00

Well, the Grand Slam season has finally commenced with today's start of qualifying rounds for the 2012 Australian Open. Thank goodness. I was getting bored with college football Bowl games (thanks for nothing LSU).

The good news is that there are several places to keep up-to-date with what is going on down under so you don't miss a single exciting moment of pro tennis. First and foremost is this blog right here - Tennis Fixation - where I will, of course, keep you informed of the latest Aussie Open news, especially who is wearing what and what they could possibly have been thinking when they chose to do so. As a bonus - I've included an Australian Open widget in the sidebar to the right so you can check in on the latest scores, photos, events, etc.

Another fabulous source of info is the 2012 Australian Open web site. The tennis Slams do a good job of improving their sites each year and this year's Aussie Open site is no exception - easy to navigate, tons of useful information, simple shopping, and lots of useless (but interesting) trivia. You can spend hours on it (as I'm sure I will) finding out little tidbits. For example, bet you didn't know that Wilson provides "4,000 dozen" tennis balls for use during the Australian Open (that's 48,000 balls but I'm not sure why they couldn't just say that instead of 4,000 dozen). To visit the site, just click on this link - www.australianopen.com.

Now, if you're like me, you don't want to ever ever be out of touch with what's happening at a Slam. So be sure and download the free Australian Open app for your iPhone or iPad. I've included a screen shot above to show you all of the info you can get from this useful app. Again, the 2012 version of the app is a vast improvement over what they put out last year and I'm sure I'll waste plenty of time fooling around with it when I'm out and about. Just search for "Australian Open" in the app store to get it.

While I've given you some great places to go for Aussie Open info, what I haven't given you is photos and commentary on the "fashion" we'll be seeing on the courts down under. Don't worry - I'm working on those posts. So check back in very soon to see what fashion hits and/or misses we can expect to see on our favorite pros in the next few weeks.

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Quick Tennis Fix: Tennis Ball Foot Massage

2012-01-06T06:45:00.001-06:00

Need a quick fix for tired, achy feet? The answer is as close as your tennis bag! Dig out a tennis ball and use it to relieve your feet, calves and hamstrings of kinks and knots.

How? Sit or stand (with your hand on a wall or chair for balance) and place a tennis ball under the arch or one foot. Roll the ball slowly, back and forth, from heel to toe for two to five minutes. If you find a tender spot, slowly apply pressure (whatever feels comfortable) until the tightness releases. Repeat with your other foot.

Performing this little massage routine every day or two will result in feet that feel better as well as looser calves and hamstrings.

Looking for other handy alternative uses for tennis balls? Check out this retro Tennis Fixation post: Recycling Tennis Balls.

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Get The Message With Tennis Tease T-Shirts

2012-01-04T06:45:00.001-06:00

At last - a tennis t-shirt that says exactly what it is I want to say out on the court. I recently found www.tennistease.com, a site carrying women's tennis apparel emblazoned with the words you are longing to say during a match, but usually don't have the nerve. For example, take a look at the image here - "Which part of 'out' do you not understand?" How many times have you wanted to scream that one out?

Here's a quick sample of other great phrases you can have put on a Tennis Tease t-shirt (with my comments, which you won't get on your shirt, in parentheses):

The party's at the net. (a good one for those reluctant partners we often seem to have)
Are we playing lines in or out? (LOVE that!)
Not looking for love, just wanna score (cute)
40-Love my ass (if only I'd come up with that myself)
40-Love? You wish. (for those of us who don't have the guts to wear the previous phrase on a t-shirt)

And there are several more very cute, very tennis-specific phrases you'll love. I can see a tennis team using one of these as a uniform. Maybe a tee with the phrase "Intimidated? You should be." on it. I guess this would have to be a pretty good team to get away with wearing that.

Not only do I love Tennis Tease's phrase options, they offer some great choices as far as what you can get your favorite phrase put on. The regular women's t-shirts include 5% spandex for a better fit and come in several perky colors. Tennis Tease also offers "heathered" or "distressed" t-shirts which are really popular right now. Or you can get your chosen phrase on a tank top, a jacket or on a pair of undies. I guess a pair of undies with the "Intimidated?" phrase takes on a different meaning depending on wear its worn and who gets a look at it.

Anyway, if you're looking to add a piece to your tennis wardrobe that reveals your true on-court feelings, check out Tennis Tease. Super adorable stuff in my expert Tennis Fixation opinion.

Image via www.tennistease.com.

© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved

Top Tennis Resolutions For 2012!

2012-01-01T06:45:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year from Tennis Fixation!

Once again, it's that time of year when we look ahead, try to get ourselves together, and make some resolutions on how we can improve our lives in the coming year. And, of course, when I say our lives, I mean our tennis lives.

So here are my personal Top Tennis Resolutions for 2012. My intent is to adopt and follow through on every single one of these. I guess we'll see how I do throughout the year.

Resolution No. 1 - Play more singles. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that my tennis game could be improved by playing more singles. Right now I play doubles almost exclusively, but, as I learned in my first singles tournament and as I posted here, there are so many good reasons to be playing singles that its ridiculous that I'm not doing it more often. (Check out this post for those reasons: Why I Love Tennis Singles.) So, for 2012, I SWEAR I will play more singles.

Resolution No. 2 - Learn the rules. I think I try to adopt this resolution every year. And every year, something happens during a match where I think, "I really wish I knew the rule on that." On top of that, I really need to learn the rules WELL in order to make Resolution No. 4, below, happen. You'll understand when you read that one.

Resolution No. 3 - Attend more one of the Slams. Okay, I'll admit it. This is kind of a fantasy. While I'm sure it is possible for me to do this (I think my husband would go for it), I never quite get myself organized enough to do it. I should at least be able to get to the U.S. Open! Anyway, I'm going to get way more serious about my desire to do this and start planning now so this dream can become a reality before I die.

Resolution No. 4 - Become a USTA tennis official. I have not yet admitted this here at Tennis Fixation, but I have already begun the process of becoming an actual USTA official! I took the on-line test, I passed the criminal background investigation (whew!), and I "shadowed" an official at a local USTA tournament. That all by itself will eventually be the subject of numerous posts. But I'm saving those until I get further along in the process. So I'm planning on attending the school for officials in January and then, who knows?, maybe this is my ticket to the U.S. Open! Stay tuned for updates on this one.

Those are my resolutions for 2012. Hopefully, I'll keep one or two of them. What are your tennis resolutions for the New Year? Let me know because I'd love to post some good ones here.

In the meantime, if you're looking for more resolutions to help your tennis game, check out these "retro" Tennis Fixation posts:

Happy New Year From Tennis Fixation! (2010 resolutions)
Top Tennis Resolutions for the New Year (2009 resolutions)

Merry Christmas From Tennis Fixation!

2011-12-25T06:45:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Tennis Fixation!

Now that Christmas is officially here, it's time to relax and enjoy the holiday with your family and friends. If you're in a part of the world where the weather is semi-good, maybe you can even get out and play a little tennis! If not, just enjoy your down time because, before you know it, you'll be back on the courts.

And I hope you'll check in often with Tennis Fixation. I have lots of big plans for this coming year. All part of the my scheme to help you and me play better tennis, look better doing it, and feel better physically while winning match after match!

Again, Merry Christmas! and Happy Holidays! from Tennis Fixation!

© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Happy Hanukkah From Tennis Fixation!

2011-12-21T06:45:00.000-06:00

Happy First Day of Hanukkah!

While today is the first day of Hanukkah, the celebration of this holiday officially started last night. And my family is definitely celebrating. I have already given a new tennis racquet to my child who "officially" plays tennis. And other fitness-related stuff is on the way for the rest of the family. In other words - they're getting into shape whether they like it or not!

So Happy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays to everyone in Tennis Fixation land! Enjoy this special time with friends and family!

© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Free Tennis Tips With USPTA's iPhone App!

2011-12-18T16:30:00.002-06:00

I'm always on the lookout for ways to improve my tennis game that are not only fun to use and easy to understand, but are absolutely free. And here's the latest one I've found - the United States Professional Tennis Association's Tennis Tips app for the iPhone and iPad.

I just downloaded this today so I've barely had time to work my way through it but I can already tell, there is lots and lots of good stuff here. Since it's coming from the USPTA, the world's largest and oldest association of tennis-teaching professionals, the incredible content should be no surprise.

The tips cover anything and everything related to tennis - fitness, drills, specific shots, singles, doubles, tactics, strategy. Here's a screen shot showing a quick sample of the tennis tips you can choose from:

Not only are there plenty of tips, but many of them include short videos demonstrating drills or shots, making the instruction that much easier to understand. Just to give you an idea, here's a screen shot from the "snake drill" video, a drill designed to improve your approach shot and finishing volley skills:

The videos are narrated by USPTA pros so you get the idea of what you're supposed to be doing very quickly.

I can see myself cruising around all of the tips in this app while waiting around to play a match. Or actually while I'm waiting to do anything (doctor's office, restaurant, driver's license renewal). And I hope you're noticing the early morning time on those screen shots above - I'm ALWAYS thinking about tennis.

Consider this my early Christmas gift to you - the USPTA Tennis Tips app, totally free courtesy of Tennis Fixation (and the USPTA, of course). You can find it by searching for "tennis tips" in the App Store.

© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Tennis Party 2011: Year Of The Mudslide

2011-12-05T06:45:00.001-06:00

I had a wonderful time hosting my tennis team holiday party this past week. It's always nice to see everyone in non-tennis gear. Well, maybe not so nice. I made the huge social faux pas of admitting to someone that I didn't recognize her without her sunglasses and visor. I mean literally didn't recognize her - I had to ask her what her name was. Yikes!

Anyway, the big surprise turned out to be that the highlight of the party was the "signature drink" I served - Mudslides! I really didn't think anyone but me would drink these things because, frankly, they are kind of sickly sweet. But everyone loved them and wiped out my entire Mudslide ingredient supply - a sure sign of drink success. So here is the recipe for this very easy to make, very delicious drink.

TENNIS TEAM MUDSLIDES

3 parts Bailey's Irish Cream
1 part Kahlua

Mix Bailey's and Kahlua together. Serve over ice.

That's it! Very easy. I served this by mixing 3 cups Bailey's and 1 cup Kahlua in a large glass pitcher. And then served in pretty glass cups over ice. Here's the photo proof:

The little white tent card tells what the drink is and how to drink it. Cute, right?

Anyway, just wanted to give you the heads up - serve this drink at your next tennis team get-together and perhaps you'll be rewarded with playing a higher line or an earlier time slot at the next team match!

© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Anna Kournikova Is On And Now Off "The Biggest Loser"

2011-12-03T07:40:00.002-06:00

I don't know if you are a fan of NBC's "The Biggest Loser" but my family definitely is. My 11-year-old, my husband and I are addicted to this show. I don't know if that's a good thing but isn't the first step towards recovery admitting that we have this problem?

Anyway, I keep meaning to post about one of the new trainers in Season 12 - Anna Kournikova! If you remember, last season, she appeared on the show to put the contestants through a round of Cardio Tennis. I posted about that here - Anna Kournikova Takes Cardio Tennis To The Biggest Losers. This season, they brought her back as a full-fledged trainer! I think the idea was for her to try and replace the apparently irreplaceable Jillian Michaels. I say irreplaceable because even though Season 12 isn't finished, it has already been announced that Anna will not be returning for Season 13.

At first, I was skeptical of Anna's ability to train anybody to do anything, let alone help these incredibly obese people through the emotional miasma of their weight loss. I mean let's get serious - Anna Kournikova has never been overweight in her life. She has more in common with a super model than with a fatty. But over the course of the season, she really seemed to get into the concept of the show - providing these people with both physical fitness training as well as psychological guidance. I thought she ultimately did a great job and was a nice contrast to the other two male trainers. And I liked that she worked tennis into her training program every chance she got.

Apparently, however, the show was not "the right fit" for her and so she won't be returning next season. Too bad - now we'll have to meet some new female (I'm sure) trainer who won't be a good substitute for Anna or for Jillian. Oh well.

My family and I will miss you Anna and I'm sure a lot of other viewers will too. Good luck finding something to do as lucrative as "The Biggest Loser." I'm pretty sure its not World Team Tennis.

© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

The Tennis Fixation Best-Ever 2011 Gift Guide!

2011-11-27T06:30:00.003-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year - time for the Tennis Fixation Best-Ever 2012 Gift Guide!

Every year, we (i.e., I) at Tennis Fixation scour websites, stores and the tennis courts, looking for the cutest, hippest, trendiest tennis items to bring to you, our faithful Tennis Fixation followers. And this year, we've found some real "winners" that we want to "serve up" to you. Read on for Tennis Fixation's suggestions of just what to ask Santa for this year.

1. Be sure and bag a great tennis bag. Let's start with a fab tennis bag. If you've been using yours for a few years (or the past year), isn't it time for something new and trendy? Of course it is! So here's my pick for a fun bag that you won't see every other player on court carrying:

This tennis tote is by Ame and Lulu and has a fun graphic print in black and white highlighted with red trim. And - bonus - it can be monogrammed! I found this one on the Slam Glam website (and tons of other cute stuff) for less than $100.

2. Finally . . . tennis balls for a tennis diva! If you're anything like me, you've been wondering, "when will someone come out with animal print tennis balls?" Well, the wait is over! You can find leopard print balls and an entire "Safari Collection" over at sequen.com (pronounced "sequin" or "seek-win," you decide). Take a look at the leopard print version:

Totally fun. While the leopard print balls are available now for only $20 a can (!!), the Safari Collection will ultimately include all of your favorite animal prints: giraffe, zebra, tiger, jaguar and python. And the "Kaleidoscope Collection" is also on its way. (I'm hoping that will include purple balls, the iconic symbol of Tennis Fixation.) Honestly, I'm not too sure about playing a match with leopard print balls. I have enough trouble seeing the optic yellow balls. And at $20 a can, I wouldn't want to ruin these by doing something crazy like hitting them with my tennis racquet. But they would make a very fun and very unique gift for your favorite tennis fashion diva.

3. Fun with vibration dampeners! The vibration dampener has been cute-ified! Over at String-A-Ma-Jig, they're putting out sweet little vibration dampeners that you are going to love. Here's my favorite:

This is the Mojito Margarita vibration dampener. So now, when you spin your racquet, instead of asking "P or D?" or "M or W?" (boring), you can ask "Mojito or Margarita?" And isn't that the question you wanted to really ask anyway? At only $4 each, you can choose from a huge selection of fun dampeners. There's even something for the tennis-playing dog and cat lovers.

4. How about a very pink watch? Lacoste has a sweet collection of tennis watches and this is my favorite:

At only $95, the "Pink Color Block Goa" watch is within my budget and totally adorable. I can see me wearing this watch all the time - not just on the tennis court.

5. A cool pair of shades. Here's something else I love from Lacoste. These are the Lacoste Women's Brisbane Sunglasses in Purple and Lilac:

While I don't think I could wear these on court, the purple color is so sparkly and splashy! And I think the color totatlly justifies the $128 price tag. I love these!

6. Black tennis shoes! While I'm really attached to my Nike Air Max Breathe Free II tennis shoes, they are the shoes that never go on sale. Ever. But if I was going to make a change, I think I'd go for something really tough-looking, like these:

These are the Asics Gel Resolution 3 in black, lightning and hot pink. I've never worn black shoes but I could see myself giving these ones a try. I mean, aren't you always intimidated by women who take the court in black tennis shoes? I am!

7. How about tennis ball lights on your tree? I'm always looking for something unusual and different that might be cute at a tennis party. So when I saw these Tennis Ball Patio Lights, I knew I'd found the perfect finishing touch for this year's party:

You get 10 light-up tennis balls for only $18.99 - certainly cheaper than decorating the tree with leopard print balls!

8. I love my Tennis Anatomy book. And I think this is the perfect gift for the serious tennis player:

For all the details on why this is such a great book and how to get one, click over to my recent review: Check Out My "Tennis Anatomy."

9. And I love my tennis canvas print! Here's another item I recently reviewed and think makes a perfect holiday gift:

This is the canvas print I got from Easy Canvas Prints. While I stuck with the tennis theme and had them make me a canvas print of my son playing tennis, they'll put almost anything you want on almost any size canvas. Their website is super easy to use and you'll end up with a completely personalized gift that your recipient is sure to love.

10. And now for the fantasy . . . Here's the bag I've been coveting for quite some time. the Cortiglia Belvedere Nero Tennis Tote:

Hand-crafted in Italy, this bag looks like an elegant handbag but can accommodate two tennis racquets and all the odds and ends you need out on the court. What's my hesitation in buying this for myself? The price - a cool $435. I found this one on www.slamglam.com and added it to my "Wish List" (in case my husband is reading this and is in a generous gift-giving mood). I haven't yet convinced the people at Cortiglia to donate one that I could try out but I'm working on that. In the meantime, I'll continue to dream of the day I show up at a match with an Italian-made leather tennis bag on my shoulder - proof of my serious dedication to the sport.

So those are my top 10 tennis gift picks for 2011. Have I missed something? Do you have a favorite item that didn't make my list? Let me know so we can make sure that we're all dressed to kill out on the tennis court! Happy Holidays!

© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Happy Thanksgiving From Tennis Fixation!

2011-11-24T06:45:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

No tennis on the schedule for today. Instead, the usual - run the Turkey Trot 5K with my family, cook lots of super-fattening, super-delicious Thanksgiving foods, eat same, watch football and nap. And think about playing tennis later on.

And, of course, I'm thinking about all of the holiday fun we'll be having here at Tennis Fixation. So check back in throughout the rest of the year so you won't miss out.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Why I Love Tennis Singles (I Mean The Game Of Course)

2011-11-21T20:30:00.001-06:00

I made it to the semi-finals in a singles tournament!

I have been wanting to play more singles for a while now, complaining (whining) that all I ever do is play doubles. But singles is not very popular in my tennis circle. My club doesn't even have a singles ladder. And I am not really motivated to play "fun" matches that I arrange myself, even in doubles. If I play, I want it to count.

So, I signed up for an intraclub singles tournament this past weekend. FYI - my first match in this singles tournament was my second singles match ever. So I wasn't expecting much. But - good news! - I made it into the semi-finals and lost to the player who ultimately won the tournament. In my strange tennis world where I can make almost anything sound better than it actually is, it's as if I was a finalist (since I lost to the champ)!

So, here's what I learned from playing my first singles tournament and here's why I think you and I should be playing more singles:

1. Singles is WAY more of a work-out than doubles. It's obvious that singles is going to burn a lot more calories than doubles. Because there's no doubt that when you're the only one on your side of the net serving, returning and getting balls back in play, you're doing a lot more work. In the post Let's Get Real - How Many Calories Can I Burn Playing Tennis?, I estimated the calorie-burn difference to be about 150 calories an hour, with doubles burning about 300 calories per hour vs. singles burning about 450 per hour. That alone is reason enough to be playing more singles.

2. Singles is WAY more of a mental game. Actually, singles is completely, mentally exhausting. At least if you want to win. Because you're out on the court all alone. There's no partner to encourage you, re-focus you and help you shake off your mistakes. You've definitely got to have more mental fortitude for singles than you do for doubles.

3. Singles requires you to have a game plan. Maybe this seems more true to me in singles because there's only one opponent out there to concentrate on and there's only one person to get the ball back in play - me. All by myself, I have to figure out my opponent's weaknesses while, at the same time, trying to play my strengths. For example, in my first tournament match, my opponent was younger but much heavier and had a killer slice forehand that always came up short. So, early on, she would hit a short shot to me and then lob me or just pass me. After a few games of this, I beat her by avoiding her forehand, hitting to her weaker backhand and, when I could, forcing her to run back and forth because she was kind of out of shape and got tired easily. I won 6-2, 6-2 and was struck by the fact that I not only came up with a plan, but that it worked!

4. Singles players are just different from doubles players. The ladies I played against were not just nice after our matches, they wanted to chat about the match - what they were thinking, what they thought of my game, what they were trying to do with their game, how much more they liked singles than doubles. Maybe this is because singles players don't have doubles partners to talk to about this stuff. Anyway, I found this a pleasant change from the usual post-match discussion with doubles opponents (which is often nice but certainly doesn't involve talk of strategy or how great MY game was).

5. A singles win is more satisfying than a doubles win. When you win in doubles, maybe its because you and your partner were the better team. Or maybe its because your partner was really great and was able to carry you. Or maybe its because both of your opponents were just weak. Or maybe one of them was really weak and you picked on her the whole time. Its hard to know sometimes just why you won in doubles. But in singles, there's no doubt - you, and you alone, were the better player. And that all by itself is a good reason to play singles.

© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved

Tennis Fashion Fix: Lacoste Teams Up With Jonathan Adler

2011-11-17T16:00:00.002-06:00

Talk about being a tennis fashion detective! I just saw the cutest tennis racquet cover in the November 2011 issue of Marie Claire magazine. Since Marie Claire doesn't usually focus on tennis fashion, this thing caught my eye and I decided to track it down.

So it turns out that Lacoste, which as you know sponsors Adny Roddick, has teamed up with super-trendy designer Jonathan Adler to produce some very, very limited edition polos for this holiday season. These things are so special that they are being produced as part of Lacoste's "Holiday Collector's" series (I didn't know that existed) and I can't even figure out where to buy them. Supposedly Nordstrom's and Neiman Marcus carry them but neither of their web sites turn up any of this stuff. Neither does Lacoste's website. So for now, I haven't bought anything.

But . . . because I really wanted you to see this stuff, I kept digging and Voila! - I found a blogger who apparently not only attended the Tokyo launch party for this collection, but took tons of great photos.

The blog is called Just Another Typical Night in Tokyo and if this is what a typical Tokyo night looks like, I'm going. All of the images I'm showing here are from this blog. The first one, above, gives you an idea about the racquet covers I first noticed in Marie Claire. These are needlepoint covers showing the iconic Lacoste crocodile with a graphic Adler print in the background. They're kind of hard to see in the photo because, here's the best part, you can't buy the racquet covers. You buy the polo shirt, I think for $250, and it comes in the racquet cover! So the focus is on the shirt, not the cover. It's so hip and exclusive that I'm kind of not getting it.

This is a photo showing what I believe is the super, highest-level-of-exclusivity total needlepoint polo shirt:

Are you understanding this shirt? Completely in needlepoint? I think it comes in the ceramic crocodile shown on the right (because of course you'll want that to display at home). According to different sources I saw on-line (and I'm not claiming any of them are reputable), these needlepoint shirts are made by French nuns and take 400 hours per shirt to make. Not even I can make this kind of stuff up. I think maybe you don't wear a shirt like this. Or at least you don't wear it to play tennis in.

The Typical Night blog has several other fabulous photos from this party so if you want to check those out just click on this link: Just Another Typical Night in Tokyo.

And don't even ask how much time I spent looking for this stuff on-line - it's all just part of the job.

© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved