Tennis, I like it!

I always have something in life that I am fanatical about. Usually a few things at at time, but eventually I will burn out and start something else.

Examples

- NBA card collecting
- Racquetball
- Playing PS2 non-stop
- And currently, tennis - I am hoping to keep liking this one for a while.

Neil at work asked if I played tennis, and I do and my sister Jill and I played a few times the past few months, but I have always struggled with my serve. I didn't know any fundamentals, nor did I practice enough to actually improve.

But, Neil asked me and I told that I would love to play. I got the fever! I just got a new racquet for Father's Day, CoCo let me get it early so I could enjoy it for the whole summer, thanks CoCo! I bought a Wilson Ncode N5, oversize, 4 3/8" grip. It is a really nice racquet and I got it for a bargain because they have a new model out now, so it only cost me $50 shipped brand new on Ebay. There were some broken strings, so I just had it restrung at Sports Authority and now it is good as new. It is a 110" head size, plenty big, but way light.

Neil and I played yesterday and I got some good consistency going with my serve. I am now starting to a more power, but making sure to stay consistent with my body movements, etc.

When I serve I try to be consistent with my toss, keep my arm straight, don't ben my wrist, just bring my shoulder up, arm straight and release. I want the ball just above where my racquet would be fully extended over my head. The throw should be at about 1 o'clock and slightly in towards the court. I shift my weight back, throw it up, then shift my weight forward as I bring my back leg up to the line. The big thing that helped me was to bend my knees and jump up, this helps improve the angle I am hitting the ball towards the net, so I have less chance of hitting into the net.

Any one with some advice on serving, good links, etc. please comment. And Neil, thanks for getting me into it.

Some Music Videos I like.. I actually like the songs, but it is fun to post videos right on my blog. So, here you go!

Alice In Chains - No Excuses



Kellie Pickler - I Wonder



Maroon 5 - Makes Me Wonder (AOL Sessions Live)



Big & Rich - Lost in This Moment

A Slice of My Life

I'm starting a blog because I want a place to collect my thoughts and condense my likes/dislikes. I want to show who I am and how I think, what I think about, enjoy doing, seeing, reading, watching, saying, not doing, etc. I want to show pics of my family, videos of things I like and interests that I have. Hope you enjoy! CoCo, I love you! Noah, I love you too!!