I'm a Winner

After (approximately) 365 days,
57 competitions,
3 finals,
4 semi finals,
240 matches,
6 rating changes,
and hundreds of hours on the tennis courts I have finally won a competition and it was a Grade 4.
I am so happy, today I played at Widnes Tennis Academy and had some difficult matches the most difficult being the final one, I made so many mistakes but managed to keep it together (just).

I'm back

The title is a little misleading as I have not been away from tennis, just my blog, which as from today will be updated regularly again.
The past 4/5 months have been difficult, playing green tennis is a big step from orange and it has taken a while to adjust, but I have gradually got better. When I first started I was not winning matches, then I was winning one at each competition and then last week I got to the final at Lostock Tennis Club, I got another very nice medal, thanks Wayne!
I have got a few more competitions lined up before the end of the season and will be applying over the next day or two for competitions next season (starting in September).
I will be playing in a Grade 4 tomorrow at Widnes Tennis Academy and I am hoping to do well, especially now I am updating my blog again!
I am looking forward to getting my green rating in September and will be working hard to get it up to a Green 1.
My goals for next season are to get to a Green 1 and to win a competition.

My first green competition at Holcombe Brook

I was looking forward to today as it was my first Green competition, it was a grade 4 at Holcombe brook. I had 2 matches one against a Green 2 and the other against a Green 1, I did lose both matches but had a good time. It is a lot different to playing Orange as the court is larger and the net is higher, but the biggest difference was the balls. They are faster and bounce higher, they also affected my serve quite a lot, my second serve today was rubbish and this led to me losing points. I also struggled with hitting the ball to the back of the court with pace, they were either short or out the back.
Today has given plenty of feedback on areas that I need to practice and this is good. I know once I've had some more training at Green I will do well.
I will be applying for more Green competitions this week as I doubt that I will play Orange again. Green is testing but very enjoyable, I had a great time and thank you to Holcombe Brook for making me feel welcome.

Dunlop Biomimetic 300 Review

I have been using my new Dunlop Biomimetic 300 raquet for 10 days now and feel that its time for a review.
The racquet is red and black and looks fantastic, it also comes with its own bag which is equally attractive, and with a damper but I have not used this so far and don't think I will because I am not feeling any vibrations when I strike the ball. This could be down to the racquet being made from HM6 carbon. The HM6 carbon is supposed to reduce vibration and improve feel.
I have used the racquet a lot and do think it has helped my game, I have been working on ball placement and the racquet has not let me down. Although the racquet is not marketed as a powerful racquet, I can create more power with it than my previous 25' Dunlop but that could be down to the length of the racquet or the Aeroskin. Aeroskin is a technology which covers the racquet and apparently makes it more aerodynamic so will make your swing faster and create more power. I don't know if its the weight, lenth or aeroskin but I can definitely swing faster with this racquet especially when the face is closed (as it should be).
The last of the new technologys to go into the racquet is the Gecko-tac grip. This is inspired by a Gecko's foot and makes the grip very tacky. This was great when I first started using it, I had control, feel, and could really let rip on a serve but there was/is one problem, my hand has been ripped apart by it, its a small exaggeration but is has caused some very large blisters. Only now after doing research have I learned that this is a common problem for all tennis players with all makes of racquet.
Overall I am very happy with my Dunlop Biomimetic 300 and will continue to use a Dunlop raquet.