_Let the Fun Begin!_Hello, my name is Prof. Don Mueller. I've been called the "Edward Scissorhands of Tennis"
because I play two-racket ambidextrous tennis. In other words, I play
with a tennis racket in each hand. This is also referred to as "two
forehand tennis." I also enjoy serving the public as an instructor for
one-racket and two-racket ambidextrous tennis and I thought you
wouldn't mind if I share with you some of my observations concerning
ambidextrous tennis. Feel free to stay awhile.
The goal of this article is to illustrate some of the many benefits of playing both one-racket and two-racket ambidextrous tennis and the kind of fun that you can have along the way. In doing so, I hope to spark the curiosity of the general public in such a way that they will give ambidextrous tennis a try! Although I certainly believe that tennis professionals can benefit from this article, my focus is on the general public because they are my primary audience.
After just a few sessions you will be shocked_
at how well you'll be playing ambidextrous tennis! Why it's spooky!
You can also play with one tennis racket, and switch the racket from one hand to the other. This is a bit trickier because of the changing grip, but with some practice you will get the hang of it.
There are a number of benefits to playing with two rackets and these include the following:
(1) Less bending. Makes life easier on your back and knees.
_As you can see from the figure, by bending slightly and extending the two rackets you simply scoop the ball off the court. People with "bad" or tired backs will appreciate the fact that they don't have to bend over completely to pick up the ball.
For example, many of the senior citizens that I've helped have thanked me for bringing ambidextrous tennis to their attention, thus saving their backs and knees from undue stress.
A number of overweight children and adults that I've worked with have also given me the thumbs up for teaching them ambidextrous tennis because many of them have difficulty bending. This simple, yet effective technique made tennis more fun for them. Believe me, the key word is Fun. You don't have to be a tennis pro, to enjoy the excitement of getting out on the court. Tennis is great exercise, but it should be fun as well!
(2) You have a better chance of reaching those normally hard to reach shots. It's simple geometry here -- two rackets widen your wingspan. You spend more time hitting the ball and less time chasing after it.
You will find that ambidextrous tennis can help you extend rallies and volleys. For those of you who choose to employ one tennis racket and switch it from hand to hand, you will also benefit from an extended wingspan.
So the next time the ball goes whizzing by your backhand side...
___
_...you might consider going ambidextrous.
(3) No need to use a backhand stroke. For most people their forehand stroke is significantly more powerful than their backhand stroke. In fact, many players need to use two hands on their backhand swing to get sufficient power. I should also point out that playing with two rackets doesn't prohibit you from using a one-handed backhand. In fact, I like to mix things up as I play and I'll throw in the occasional backhand swing even when playing with two rackets. It's just fun to do. Again the key is to have fun!
(4) Reduces your risk for developing "traditional" tennis elbow by reducing the need for backhand play. The majority of players suffering from a tennis elbow flare-up generally do so because of improper backhand technique (including that of grip) coupled with overuse.
Inflammation and damage to the tendons and muscles near the lateral epicondyle section of the humerus as depicted in the figure below is known collectively as lateral epicondylitis or "traditional" tennis elbow. The muscles that pull the hand backwards (extensor muscles) attach to the elbow via tendons at the lateral epicondyle (the bony bump on the outside of the elbow). When these muscles are overused they can become inflamed and tender to the touch. The accompanying tendons can also develop small tears, which need time to heal. If tendon damage is extensive and non-operative treatments (including rest, anti-inflammatory pain medications, physical therapy and corticosteroid injections) fail to do the job, then surgery may be warranted. The surgery is generally performed to remove the diseased tendon tissue and reattach normal tendon tissue to the bone.
©www.webmd.com
Although having two forehands reduces the risk for developing traditional tennis elbow, by no means does this suggest that tennis elbow injuries will be eliminated. The fact remains that through improper techniques and overuse (wear and tear) players can sustain tennis elbow injuries of both the forehand and backhand variety. This is illustrated in the following figure.
©www.merck.com/mmhe/index.html
Elbow injuries sustained from forehand play are more commonly known as pitcher's elbow or golfer's elbow rather than as tennis elbow.
_
__Golfer's Elbow
This type of elbow injury, which involves inflammation and the possible tearing of tendons and muscles proximal (near) to the medial epicondyle section of the humerus is known colloquially as medial epicondylitis. The methods for treating this type of injury are the same as that for traditional tennis elbow.
(5) Lessens arm fatigue. By incorporating what you would normally consider to be your non-racket arm into your game you reduce the stress on your racket arm. Try it out. You will quickly find that you can play for extended periods with little distress.
_______
(6) Develops better hand-eye coordination for both sides of the body. Lateral coordination is also fine-tuned.
Over the years I've had the opportunity to share my thoughts and skills concerning ambidextrous tennis with athletes from a wide range of sports. For example, I have encouraged baseball infielders, hockey goalies and soccer goaltenders to try their hand at ambidextrous tennis. The goal being to help them improve both hand-eye coordination and their ability to move laterally while focusing on a moving target. Of course, you need not be an athlete to benefit from ambidextrous tennis.
I hope that I have provided you with a thought-provoking glimpse into ambidextrous tennis and the fun that I know you will experience if you give it a go! Feel free to contact me via email (drmueller@optonline.net) if you have any questions or comments.
In any case, get out onto the courts and enjoy the great game of tennis!!
_
____
_____
_______
In Good Health,
Don
I invite you to Check Out these
Tennis Links:
http://www.tennismindgame.com/tennis-drills.html
Mr. Tomaz Mencinger - Tennis Instructor
The goal of this article is to illustrate some of the many benefits of playing both one-racket and two-racket ambidextrous tennis and the kind of fun that you can have along the way. In doing so, I hope to spark the curiosity of the general public in such a way that they will give ambidextrous tennis a try! Although I certainly believe that tennis professionals can benefit from this article, my focus is on the general public because they are my primary audience.
After just a few sessions you will be shocked_
at how well you'll be playing ambidextrous tennis! Why it's spooky!
You can also play with one tennis racket, and switch the racket from one hand to the other. This is a bit trickier because of the changing grip, but with some practice you will get the hang of it.
There are a number of benefits to playing with two rackets and these include the following:
(1) Less bending. Makes life easier on your back and knees.
_As you can see from the figure, by bending slightly and extending the two rackets you simply scoop the ball off the court. People with "bad" or tired backs will appreciate the fact that they don't have to bend over completely to pick up the ball. For example, many of the senior citizens that I've helped have thanked me for bringing ambidextrous tennis to their attention, thus saving their backs and knees from undue stress.
A number of overweight children and adults that I've worked with have also given me the thumbs up for teaching them ambidextrous tennis because many of them have difficulty bending. This simple, yet effective technique made tennis more fun for them. Believe me, the key word is Fun. You don't have to be a tennis pro, to enjoy the excitement of getting out on the court. Tennis is great exercise, but it should be fun as well!
(2) You have a better chance of reaching those normally hard to reach shots. It's simple geometry here -- two rackets widen your wingspan. You spend more time hitting the ball and less time chasing after it.
You will find that ambidextrous tennis can help you extend rallies and volleys. For those of you who choose to employ one tennis racket and switch it from hand to hand, you will also benefit from an extended wingspan.
So the next time the ball goes whizzing by your backhand side...
___
_...you might consider going ambidextrous.(3) No need to use a backhand stroke. For most people their forehand stroke is significantly more powerful than their backhand stroke. In fact, many players need to use two hands on their backhand swing to get sufficient power. I should also point out that playing with two rackets doesn't prohibit you from using a one-handed backhand. In fact, I like to mix things up as I play and I'll throw in the occasional backhand swing even when playing with two rackets. It's just fun to do. Again the key is to have fun!
(4) Reduces your risk for developing "traditional" tennis elbow by reducing the need for backhand play. The majority of players suffering from a tennis elbow flare-up generally do so because of improper backhand technique (including that of grip) coupled with overuse.
Inflammation and damage to the tendons and muscles near the lateral epicondyle section of the humerus as depicted in the figure below is known collectively as lateral epicondylitis or "traditional" tennis elbow. The muscles that pull the hand backwards (extensor muscles) attach to the elbow via tendons at the lateral epicondyle (the bony bump on the outside of the elbow). When these muscles are overused they can become inflamed and tender to the touch. The accompanying tendons can also develop small tears, which need time to heal. If tendon damage is extensive and non-operative treatments (including rest, anti-inflammatory pain medications, physical therapy and corticosteroid injections) fail to do the job, then surgery may be warranted. The surgery is generally performed to remove the diseased tendon tissue and reattach normal tendon tissue to the bone.
©www.webmd.comAlthough having two forehands reduces the risk for developing traditional tennis elbow, by no means does this suggest that tennis elbow injuries will be eliminated. The fact remains that through improper techniques and overuse (wear and tear) players can sustain tennis elbow injuries of both the forehand and backhand variety. This is illustrated in the following figure.
©www.merck.com/mmhe/index.htmlElbow injuries sustained from forehand play are more commonly known as pitcher's elbow or golfer's elbow rather than as tennis elbow.
_
__Golfer's ElbowThis type of elbow injury, which involves inflammation and the possible tearing of tendons and muscles proximal (near) to the medial epicondyle section of the humerus is known colloquially as medial epicondylitis. The methods for treating this type of injury are the same as that for traditional tennis elbow.
(5) Lessens arm fatigue. By incorporating what you would normally consider to be your non-racket arm into your game you reduce the stress on your racket arm. Try it out. You will quickly find that you can play for extended periods with little distress.
_______(6) Develops better hand-eye coordination for both sides of the body. Lateral coordination is also fine-tuned.
Over the years I've had the opportunity to share my thoughts and skills concerning ambidextrous tennis with athletes from a wide range of sports. For example, I have encouraged baseball infielders, hockey goalies and soccer goaltenders to try their hand at ambidextrous tennis. The goal being to help them improve both hand-eye coordination and their ability to move laterally while focusing on a moving target. Of course, you need not be an athlete to benefit from ambidextrous tennis.
I hope that I have provided you with a thought-provoking glimpse into ambidextrous tennis and the fun that I know you will experience if you give it a go! Feel free to contact me via email (drmueller@optonline.net) if you have any questions or comments.
In any case, get out onto the courts and enjoy the great game of tennis!!
_
________________In Good Health,
Don
I invite you to Check Out these
Tennis Links:
http://www.tennismindgame.com/tennis-drills.html
Mr. Tomaz Mencinger - Tennis Instructor