Sunday, February 26, 2012

Tennis Quotes of the Day: Desire

"What is the single most important quality in a tennis champion? I would have to say desire . . . "
-John McEnroe, 7-time Grand Slam Singles Champion


"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure."
-Bill Cosby, World Class Entertainer, Presidential Medal of Freedom Winner


Video: A Brief Talk on Desire in Tennis (GZ)
From: paddleguy1


Sunday, February 19, 2012

Tennis Quotes for the Day: Don't Worry - Play Tennis!

"I asked my doctors if I'd be able to play tennis. They said I could. That made me very happy since I haven't played in five years."
-Walter Cronkite
, Television News Anchor

"Tennis is an addiction that once it has truly hooked a man will not let go."
-Russell Lynes
, Author and Historian


Inspiration in Sports: A Video

Video: Mr. Addo86
Music: "One Moment in Time", Whitney Houston (1963-2012)

Best,
Gary

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Tennis Quote of the Day: On the Resurgence of Touch and Finesse in Tennis

"When the modern racquets and strings took hold in the pro game, there became one prevailing game of play: Grip it and rip it. Power greatly increased, but at the cost of creativity. The repetitive baseline bashing left many fans mourning the loss of variety and artistry. Lately, however, touch and finesse have been making a comeback . . . amplifying the quality of shot-making . . . [with] such players such as Roger Federer and Andy Murray [who] manipulate the ball with delicate drop shots, wicked slices, heavy topspin, short angles and flat rockets."

-Chris Evert, 18 time Grand Slam Champion
"Chrissie's View: Game Changers", Tennis Magazine,
March 2012, Page 4.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Tennis Quote of the Day: On Not Allowing Your Own Ego to Defeat Your Tennis

"Play tennis without fear of defeat, and because it's fun and you enjoy it, or don't play it at all. There is no disgrace in defeat. The only disgrace is in quitting in or "dogging" a match. There is no disgrace, no blot on your escutcheon, in admitting that there are players who can beat you, either in a match, in a set, or on any given shot. You don't have to try and prove it was an accident. In the first place, nobody believes you, so you simply appear ridiculous, and in the second place, nobody cares but you, and you know the truth. All these alibis and explanations take your mind off the really important thing, which is, or should be, your match. If done to excess, this sort of thing will destroy your concentration, and bring about the very thing you fear, defeat."

Bill Tilden, America's First Great Tennis Superstar
,
How to Play Better Tennis (1950) in Chapter: Courage

Video: Bill Tilden


The Physics of Topspin in a Picture

Best, Gary

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Tennis Quote of the Day: Rafael Nadal on What It Takes to Succeed

"Without suffering, there is no happiness."
-Rafael Nadal