Swimming Tips To Increase Your Speed
Swimming is one of the most effective and enjoyable ways of keeping in shape. But, if swimming means more to you than merely a way of losing weight then you will want to excel in this sport by trying to optimize your swimming speed. For achieving this it is recommended to attend swimming classes, learn swimming techniques and master them under proper supervision of your swim school.
It is very important to follow the swimming technique which allows you to optimize your speed. Your first area of inspection should be your kicks since these generate the propulsion which pushes the body forward. Most swimmers make the mistake of kicking high expecting to generate greater propulsion. But, in fact this has a contrary effect. The ability to exert greater force in order to move forward is decreased when the feet goes out of the water. At the same time, fully submerged feet will also not be able to kick very effectively.
Therefore, the question is what exactly should be the position of the feet while kicking. Expert swimmers suggest that the ideal gap between the back of the feet and the water surface should be less than an inch. Another important point worth remembering is that optimum power is generated when the maximum area of the feet is used for breaking the water. Read the rest of this entry »
Serve and Volley: Is It Still Applicable In Modern Tennis?
Serve and volley is considered to be a favorite tactic for strong servers. This style is played when the player serves and then rush to the net to hit a volley. It disturbs the opponent’s concentration when the ball is heading in his or her direction because the player runs near the net. Another purpose of this strategy is to put pressure on the opponent by ending points quickly. This strategy is perfect for fast courts like grass courts, however it is not of much use in tennis courts made of clay.
Yes, it is true that this tactic is used less by professional tennis players these days. Ten years ago in 2001, the tactic was being used by every professional tennis player from different stages of their career. Some top players who were then using this attack were Pete Sampras, Tim Henman, Goran Ivanisevic and Roger Federer. That year, young Roger Federer lost to the serve and volley of Tim Henman, who then lost to Ivanisevic’s serve and volley, who managed to defeat Patrick Rafter, another great expert of the tactic. This famous victory led to Ivanisevic’s first ever grand slam title which was Wimbledon 2001! Imagine how fans in Wimbledon 2001 would be ‘ooohing’ and ‘aaahing’ the powerful serves and punishing volleys of their favorite tennis players. Read the rest of this entry »