Sport Maxx Club » People

Is It Really Possible To Learn To Play Tennis On The Internet?

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:06:08 +0000

Gregg Hall asked:

With more and more people getting computers more and more people are wanting to use the internet for something different every day. Well people want to learn how to play tennis online but I don’t think that it is possible. They say that you can learn how to play sports online but how do you learn how to play a sport without actually playing the sport that you are trying to learn how to play. That may sound confusing but it is true how you learn how to play a sport that you are not even physically playing. Now if you ask me that is some crazy mess.

You will need to stop and think for a second and ask yourself if you can actually be taught how to play tennis online. I don’t think that it is possible because you are not really playing the sport you are just reading about the sport and maybe looking at pictures that isn’t learning how to play the sport. If you were learning how to play the sport then you would have a tennis ball in your hand along with a racquet and you would be trying to serve the ball and trying to learn how to play not sitting at home on the internet just messing around not really learning how to play tennis.

The internet can however help you with other things that you may need help with in the sport of tennis. You may just need some guidance or a little help so all you do is go online and look up your problem that you may have. Say your problem you have is your swing and you cannot get the ball in the service box. You just go on Google and look at how to improve your swing. I am sure that they may have chat rooms for you to chat about tennis and how you play.

You will be able to learn just as much as from a trainer as from the internet if not more. I will agree that you can use the internet and learn more then you would from a real person that is charging you by the hour to teach you stuff that you probably already know. So in that case if they are trying to charge you money and trying to teach you the things that you know that you already got down with your skills then you just need to say hey man I already know all these things your showing me how about you show me some new stuff or I am going home and just going to learn this for free on the internet.

You will just want to be in good shape and be able to play the game before you start trying to play. You will need to be able to run across court for a ball that is far away sometimes. You are going to have to push it in tennis because it is a cardio sport and it will get your heart rate up so be careful and have fun with tennis.

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Playing Sports As You Age

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:57:24 +0000

John Kortex asked:

Sports are something that we should all attempt to incorporate into our lives no matter what our age. As we age, it is easy to convince ourselves that sports shouldn’t be a part of our daily lives, but they should! The more active we are, the better we will feel, the better we feel the more rewarding our lives will be. People who continue to play sports all their lives despite feeling the effects of aging will have more energy, better health, and a great outlook on life. Feeling good is the only way to really live, and you can feel great when you incorporate sports into your life at any age.

If you’ve always played sports, you should continue to do so as you age. When you continue to play you are able to hold onto muscle mass and bone density that often causes issues later in life. When you keep moving by playing sports your body will stay as young as possible. Sure, you might not be able to run ten miles cross country as quickly as you once could, or you might have to run just five miles at a time, but there is no reason not to run just because you are aging. If you enjoy playing baseball softball, you might be more exhausted after the game, but you can still play and it’s very beneficial to do so! Basketball is the same way, perhaps you can’t play with all the young kids anymore, but you can get involved with a senior league that will allow you to keep moving, and keep playing the sports that you love.

Playing sports as you age also gives people a great social outlet. Playing sports typically keeps you in touch with other people who like some of the same activities as you. After games it can be fun to go out to lunch or dinner, or just out for a cup of coffee. Not only will staying in the game as you age keep you healthy and fit, it will also keep you in the social circles that you’ve always enjoyed. A perfect balance of a healthy lifestyle and good friends is enough to make anyone really love their life and want to live it to the fullest.

If you are just getting into sports because you have the time now that you’ve retired, it’s still something you can do. You might want to check with your doctor before you try anything too intense, but there are a lot of great senior sports leagues out there that will give you just enough of the sport that you like to keep you fit and healthy. Sports are something we should all incorporate into our lives no matter what our age. When you’re old and you don’t play, you’re really missing out because if you don’t use it, you lose it!

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Sports Psychology and Fear of Failure in Athletes

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:40:51 +0000

Patrick Cohn asked:

One of my mental coaching students, Joe (not his real name) had a unique gift (or so he thought). Since he was overly concerned with what other people thought (coach, teammates, parents, spectators, etc.) about his performance, he often engaged in a process I call mind reading when performing.

While Joe was mind reading, he made assumptions about what others were thinking about him. He literally thought that he could tell what others were thinking about him. Joe’s hidden agenda was to avoid embarrassment, to not make mistakes, and have others think he was a good athlete.

This preoccupation with mind reading what others may be thinking about him caused him to play cautiously and avoid mistakes. He was plagued with thoughts such as, “The coach will yank me from the team if I miss an open shot!” or “My team will be disappointed in my performance.”

Joe’s performance suffered because he did not allow himself to perform freely without the fear of failure, fear of disappointing others, or fear of making mistakes.

Joe is not alone. In fact, many athletes hinder their potential by focusing too much on avoiding mistakes and not embarrassing themselves. They think it is better to play it safe than risk embarrassment or disappointment.

While no one wants to feel embarrassed or get benched by the coach, avoiding mistakes and playing safe are huge distractions to athletic performance, at the very least. This type of thinking actually makes athletes perform worse, and then realize what they feared might happen.

Ultimately, the fear of failure can cause athletes to play tentatively or defensively and actually hinder their ability to succeed. This state of mind certainly makes playing sports half as much fun for many athletes and causes some to drop out of sports.

Caring too much about what others think comes from the phenomenon called social approval. Social approval is defined as the need to be confirmed and validated by other people. In today’s society, many athletes learn *mind reading* when peer approval and gaining acceptance are primary motivators, especially for young athletes.

Let’s face it, we want the respect from our peers. And, whether you’ve been an athlete for 5 years or 35 years, the fear of letting others down can lead to tentative performances! That’s why helping athletes learn how to play without the fear of failure is so important.

How can an athlete be taught to focus on what’s important, rather than mind reading or focusing too much on the fear of failure? I start by asking my students an important question, “Do you compete for yourself *or* do you compete to gain respect or approval of people around you?”

This is a tough question for some athletes to answer. Many find it difficult to admit that they compete because they yearn for the acceptance of their team, parents, coach or spectators.

However, the bottom line is that if you want to harness a zone focus and perform at your best, you cannot care about what others think about you and/or your performance. You must learn to overcome mind reading and fear of failure.

I help my students achieve this in many ways. One way is with my teleseminars. For example, one class I teach is, “Everyone is Watching Me! How to Stop Worrying about What Others Think.” I cover the techniques needed to stop worrying about what others think to create a stronger mindset.

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Trying Out A New Sport

admin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:20:35 +0000

John Kortex asked:

Is there a sport that you have always wanted to try out but just haven’t had the opportunity? Perhaps there was a sport that you really wanted to play but weren’t sure that you’d be good at? What are you waiting for, get out there and start playing! When we are young we often shy away from the sports that we don’t think we’ll be good at. Luckily, it’s never too late to try out a new sport. Who knows, when you try the sport that you’ve been waiting to try, you just might be really great at it.

When you consider trying a new sport you need to think about how much time you’ll be able to dedicate to the sport. Should you play on your own for a while until you gain the confidence to play with others? Do you want to be involved in a fun league or a competitive league? How often can you really fit this new sport into your life? When you answer all these questions you’ll be ready to play and you can find the place and the time to do it.

If you’ve really never played any sports before and you are ready to try something new, you’ll want to get with your doctor to discuss your overall health. Every time you are going to really change up what you are doing physically you’ll want to meet with your doctor to discuss your exercise regime so that you are adding sports to your life in the best way possible. Your doctor can make sure that your body is ready for such a sport, and also give you pointers if you are incorporating the sport to lose weight and get in shape as well as for fun.

Fun leagues are often the best way to get into a new sport. These leagues usually are not very competitive at all, so there is no pressure to get really good right away. You can learn the sport, practice with people who will be able to give you pointers, and sort of work your way into a comfortable place. Once you get comfortable with the sport, you might want to think about joining a more competitive league. Or, stick with the fun leagues to just have fun, and keep moving while playing your new sport.

Trying out a new sport can be a bit scary, but it should also be exciting. Don’t worry if you aren’t all star material when you first start playing, just be proud of yourself for getting out there and finally attempting what you’ve always been afraid to do! Playing sports is a great form of exercise and can boost your confidence in many areas of your life. Go out and attempt the sport that you’ve always wanted to play, you just might find that you are really good at it, it’s fun, and you’ll meet some great friends along the way, too.

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