I mentioned it in my article on tennis elbow, but as I get further through this 300 page book, I’m more and more amazed at how good this stuff is.

If you have any pains or weakness in muscles or joints, it’s worth your while to check this book out, or at least visit this site. The magic word is “Trigger Points”

I won’t go into the detail - it is all on the site above. I’ll just tell you that what happened to me today, and espouse that logic says if the treatment you’re having for your tennis elbow or golf elbow or plantar fascitis or turf toe or whatever is not producing results, then it obviously doesn’t understand the root cause of the problem. I’m all about fixing root causes, not killing the messenger (taking pain pills, steroids or anti-inflammatories)

Anyway, to cut to the chase. Tennis elbow is caused by inflammation of the tendons at the elbow right? WRONG! The painful elbow is most often a secondary effect, not a cause. Read the rest of this entry »

“Love your opponent, because without your opponent you couldn’t lose.” I’m not just talking about tennis….

Are you getting what you’re paying for in your tennis lesson?

For a beginner, or even an intermediate player, it is often difficult to know if you’re getting a ‘good’ tennis lesson or a ‘bad’ tennis lesson, and by the time you do know, it may be too late. There are so many different opinions and teaching styles that is difficult to tell up from down sometimes.

This article is an attempt at an objective measure of the value of your tennis lesson. Read the rest of this entry »

“Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness”. Your thoughts create your experience. Think “Tennis = health”

Whatever you think of the shot coming at you…you’re right! “Oh oh!”, “Difficult!”. Don’t judge, just observe and respond.

Exercise: When do you take your eye off the ball? Most amateur athletes blank out or blink when contacting the ball. Pros don’t. Do you?

Have you ever wondered why almost every pro tennis player gets a long massage after every match?

The answer: Because it works.

Why Massage?

Massage releases trigger points and spasms in the muscles which restores them to full function. You can stretch a trigger point or spasm all you want - you won’t get rid of it, in fact you might even make it worse. Think of pulling on the two ends of a piece of rope with a loose knot in it. The more you pull, the tighter the knot gets. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve been playing tennis for a while, you’ve probably experienced it. Yes, the dreaded T-bo, also known as Tennis Elbow, or lateral epicondylitis.

Tennis elbow is an inflammation of the tendons joining the forearm muscles to the elbow. Mostly it is the muscles that lift you hand upwards (if your palm is facing the ground). These muscles are used in the spin serve, and to my surprise, in the one-handed backhand. They’re over used and cause inflammation if you have bad technique. That’s where my T-bow came into the picture.

In this article we’ll look at the common poor tennis techniques that can cause tennis elbow. We’ll also look at why the conventional medical explanation of inflamed tendons, or lateral epicondylitis, often doesn’t lead to recovery and what might be a better solution. Read the rest of this entry »

Live ball clinic on thursday will be at 5pm instead of the usual 6pm at Amelia National. All are welcome for some exercise based around tennis. See you on the court!

The Fall Challenge Ladder was hotly contested with players from Callahan to Fernandina playing for the title of Fall Ladder Champion. Congratulations to Conner Stevenson for winning the title, and Paul Drayton, Ed Spiezo, Mark Olbina and Rod Nichols for finishing in the top 5.

Registration for the new Winter Challenge Ladder is now open to all local tennis players and runs from December 12th, 2009 through February 28th, 2010.

Match times and locations are agreed upon by the players, so you can decide where and when to play that suits you. Fall ladder players will be seeded according to their ranking on the Fall Ladder.

The Winter Challenge Ladder is for all tennis players with NTRP levels from 3.5 to 4.5.  Each match is the best of three sets.

Players can follow their points and make challenges online at GetCourtside.com.  The ladder fee is $21 per player for unlimited matches. It’s a great way to meet new players and play when it suits you.

To register for the Winter Challenge Ladder, visit www.getcourtside.com and sign up for a free players account. Add “North Nassau Tennis” as your club (you can do this when you sign up, or afterward in your profile), and click on the Winter Challenge Ladder to register.

For more details e-mail paul@zentennislessons.com or call 373-TENN (8366).

The ZenTennisLessons.com program now features year round ladders and live ball cardio clinics that have provided playing opportunities for players of all ages and abilities in the Fernandina Beach and Yulee area.

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