Smart presents HEAD Tennis tilt unfurls in Cagayan de Oro
March 24, 2010
FUTURE tennis stars will take center stage as Smart Sports in partnership with Chris Sports and HEAD unveil the 12th staging of the biggest age-group national tennis tour in the country – the Smart presents HEAD Junior Tennis Tour Satellite Circuit 2010.
Sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA), the age-group tournament is aimed at discovering new talents, who will earn ranking points in a two-month tennis tour event.
Chris Sports, a leading sports retail shop, in cooperation with Head have joined hands with Smart Sports in embarking on a countrywide campaign to help strengthen grassroots sports development.
The Smart presents HEAD Junior Tennis Tour Satellite Circuit is open every summer to give aspiring young tennis players a worthy summer vacation through this one-of-a-kind elite project that has been running since 1999.
Chris Sports is very enthusiastic about the event as it has been its privilege to consistently provide venues nationwide to find talents and future world-class athletes .The event is on its 12th successful year and is being mounted together with the gracious support of Smart Sports as its presenter.
The event will be open in different age categories – 10-year-and under (unisex), 12-and-under (boys), 14-and-under (boys), 16-and-under (boys), 18-and-under (boys), 12-and-under (girls), 14-and-under (girls), 16-and-under (girls) and 18-under (girls).
One among the many discoveries of this junior tennis circuit include reigning junior tennis player Francis Casey Alcantara, who rose to prominence when he won in a doubles championship in one of the world’s tennis Grand Slam – the French Open.
“Through these tournaments we help mold the values and attitudes of kids and the youth all over the country by getting fit and involved in the sport of tennis. Our real partners are the parents, guardians, PE teachers, tennis instructors, who altogether helped us in encouraging these players become better at their game through continuous training,” said Arleen Lindo, Chris Sports marketing manager.
The first stop of the Head Junior Tennis Tour Satellite Circuit will be on March 27 in Cagayan de Oro where young netters will vie for a spot in the prestigious Junior Masters to be held at the end of the year.
After the Cagayan de Oro leg, the event will be held in different key areas:
Zamboanga City (April 5-7), Digos City (April 10 -12), Davao City (April 15-17), Lapu-Lapu City (April 20-23), Cebu City (April 24-27), Panglao, Bohol City (April 29 – May 2), Dumaguete City (May 4-6), Bacolod City ( May 8-10), Iloilo City ( May 12-15), Baguio City ( May 18- 21) and finally MetroManila (May 24 -30).
The organizers recognized the importance of regional sports events which transforms arenas into big social gatherings. The magnitude of support of locals and the local government in the provinces are immense since they consider events like these as a representation of their locality, which shows the Filipino’s regionalistic fervor.
“The aim of the organizers and supporters of the event is to provide the venue for the youth to earn points and to showcase their talents. PHILTA accredits these tournaments. Secondly, we want to motivate the players, the parents of the players and the tennis tournament officials and coaches to join and support the cause, hence, we are offering attractive and worthwhile prizes and incentives,” said HEAD Managing Director Liza Tang.
Smart Sports head Patrick Gregorio for his part is enthusiastic about the tourney because it fulfills the vision of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and Smart Communications Chairman Manny V Pangilinan to promote sports as a driving force for the country’s economic progress.
Chris Sports’ presence is felt all over the country with 27 branches including Glorietta 3, SM Megamall, Festival Mall, SM North Edsa, Cebu, Marikina and the recently opened The Annex (SM North Edsa) branch. As one of the foremost sports retail chain, it has become synonymous with the attribute “high-quality sports equipment.”
Interested participants may call Fatima at tel. nos. (02) 925-1578 and (02) 925-2391 or you can text SMART-Head space, full name, space, and send to 09087432405. You may also visit their website at www.chrissports.net.
Blog
TENNIS 101
by Smart Sports Staff
March 24, 2010
1) When you prepare for a volley, think of how boxers hold their hands during a fight. They keep them in front of their faces not only for protection, but also so they can strike quickly. You can learn from this technique. If you keep your racquet up and in front of your body on your volleys, you’ll be more prepared and make better contact.
2) Many players slow down their strokes as they anticipate contact with the ball. To hit consistently and powerfully, you need to accelerate as you hit through the ball. Here’s a tip to keep you in the right frame of mind: As the ball approaches, imagine you’re driving up to a yellow light and you want to get by it before it turns red. Increase your swing speed from the moment you start moving your racquet forward and past the point of contact and your strokes will be more consistent and powerful.
3) On all strokes, one essential component in the forward swing is the hitting arm position. This is especially so for the one-handed backhand: The hitting arm is straight at the start of the forward swing and stays that way all the way out through the extension of the stroke.
4) On the serve, placement is more important that power. You can have a huge serve but if it is predictable, your opponents will be ready for it no matter how hard you hit it. Moving your serve around is extremely important. If you’re having trouble placing your serve, start at either side of the "T" (the service line), and serve to spots (the shorter distance will make placement easier). After you develop a feel for serving from the "T," back up until you’re in between the service line and the baseline and repeat. Finally, move back to the baseline and slowly incorporate your full motion. Do this for different locations and your service placement will be much improved.
5) Do you wonder why you hit the ball late, lack control, and struggle with placement? Maybe you need to adjust your wrist. When you lay your wrist back as you prepare your strokes, you are able to align the strings so they meet the ball sooner. This will enable you to hit the ball much earlier; the contact point will be out in front of your body. Laying the wrist back also will stabilize the racquet, so when the ball meets the strings you’ll have better control and disguise.
6) Tennis players spend a lot of time worrying about their opponents, while ignoring the biggest obstacle to success: the net. Most ground stroke errors are in the net, so aim higher with more slice and topspin. Do this on passing shots, too. It's better to force an opponent standing at the net to hit another shot than none at all. Drop shots are no exception. An effective drop shot should slice up six feet in the air and clear the net by three feet. When you make the net your most important opponent, you'll learn to add height to your shots and control your strokes. You'll also find that the person on the other side is much easier to handle.
7) It takes good posture to have good balance. If you bend your front knee more than your back knee on your ground strokes, you'll lean forward at the waist and ?nd yourself falling into your shot. The trick is to bend your back knee (if you're right-handed, your right knee for a forehand and your left knee for a backhand) more than your front. When you bend properly, you won't lunge or hunch over to get down for your shots.
8) Most players practice one kind of volley: the kind that's hit right to them. If you want to improve your net game, you have to practice the types of volleys you'll see in a match. Here are four you need to master. (1) The low volley (which dips toward your sneakers); (2) the floater (it looks easy, but players often flub it); (3) the stretch volley (the one you'll find yourself hitting on passing-shot attempts); and (4) the block volley (it comes right at your chest, and quickly). Watch this video to learn how to master all of them.
