Sep 08 2008
Who is Watching Tennis?
Dan: My favorite sport to watch besides football is surprisingly tennis. Having grown up playing the sport I respect the skill and talent necessary to be decent, not even the best in the world. Tonight is the finals for the U.S. Open between Andy Murray and Roger Federer and I cannot wait to watch it. It might just beat out Monday night football! Tennis is not a sport that you have to be the best at to have fun. Throwing all the competition aside it can be fun just to play off of a wall by yourself or by hitting a few balls with a friend. Most cities and towns have free pubic courses that you can use, so do not think that tennis is an exclusive sport like golf is.
A great gift idea is a tennis racquet. There is a wide variety of different types of racquets based on the composites and alloys that they are made of, the diameter of the racquet, the type of grip, and of course, how it looks. The best three brands of tennis racquets are Prince, Wilson, and Head. I grew up on Prince, had a Head in high school, and am enjoying my Wilson racquet now. I prefer lighter ones now, but heavier racquets are good for players who want to have greater forehands and backhands with less velocity on their swing. With a few easy lessons, or just by yourself, you can pick up tennis. It is tricky at first but is not something that requires paid instruction. So I recommend getting out of the house and to start playing tennis because it really is a life long sport.
Grace: Tennis is just one of those sports that no matter what age or what skill level you are, it’s always fun to play. I completely agree with Dan on this gift idea; a tennis racquet is a very useful thing to have just in case. I’m not kidding when I say you don’t have to be good to play tennis; I took tennis lessons forever, but I always have the most fun when I play with my friends who have little experience. Just remember that a young child will out-grow theirs in a few years, so I wouldn’t recommend buying the most expensive one for just a casual player who is still growing.