Physiology 101

Physiology, generally, is the science of living systems, like human beings. Physiology encompasses many things, from how your body works on the tennis court and after the tennis court, to what can go wrong because you are on the tennis court (or anything that you do prior to the tennis court). For junior tennis players, this information usually goes in one ear and out the other, similar to any kind of "ology" information.

But, unfortunately for you, I happen to be fascinated by this stuff, and feel like it is actually well-worth your time to go through the basics of tennis physiology, so don't doze off just yet!

To appease my list-making craving, I will arrange these facts, not in any importance order, but in an arrangement of certain organization nonetheless.

1. Welcome ATP. For science nerds, this is the molecule that is made out of three chains of phosphorus, or Adenosine Triphosphate. ATP, very simply speaking, is an energy blob that is made out of the food we eat. Food becomes glucose in our body (carbohydrates, specifically, which means pasta, ect.), which then, using mitochondria, the energy making blobs in our system, as well as oxygen, makes ATP molecules, which help us do cool stuff like breathe and walk around, or even more cool stuff like run a mile or hit a ball crosscourt.

For my fellow science nerds, here is the ATP molecule in molecular form. Notice to the left the three phosphates that make up the molecule. When one of those is taken away, ATP becomes ADP. Telepathically connect with your old biology textbook!

For those not interested in the slightest with the stick and letters above, ATP is the yellow blob above. He's very energized and excited to help you contract your muscles and play tennis.

2. ATP breaks down to ADP during an energy making process, where the extra phosphate in ATP acts as the physical energy we use to constrict and contract our muscles during exercise. The closest analogy for ATP and ADP would be fueling a car. The fuel, or ATP, is added to the car to help it drive, and the burning of the fuel by the engine of the car, aka our body's energy making system, allows us to move the metallic vehicle. I know, fascinating stuff, right!

3. There are different types of energy making processes in our body, some using different types of foods, from carbohydrates to proteins, some using oxygen, some not using oxygen, and some that are kick-started by a sudden need for energy, like running away from someone about to slap you with a towel, and some slowly revved up by a slow, but long, jog. Glycolysis is one of these processes, and forms ATP molecules (or blobs, if you so wish) in the aerobic metabolism of carbohydrates (aerobic, really, is using oxygen to break down carbohydrates, and is why, partially, you breathe heavier when your exercising, because you need more oxygen to create more ATP!). Here is the real kicker thought; in this process, lactate is produced as a by-product. Lactic acid thus builds up in the muscle working, and ta-da! You're sore! The less your body is used to exercise, the less efficient the ATP production is, thus why people tired out quicker when they are less endurant and why they feel more sore when they are not fit. The ATP production is to blame!

4. When your body no longer has enough oxygen to create ATP but still needs to, the process become anaerobic. This is what happens when you do workouts like ladder drills, circuit training, and wind sprints. 

I know, pretty cool stuff, right? When you're running on the court next time, you'll realize that the yellow blob, or ATP molecule, is working hard for you as you contract your muscles to hit each and every ball, and will realize that your body is a well-oiled machine that you have just only begun to explore. Stay tuned!    

The Rules of Tennis

Sometimes, even competitive juniors don't know some basic rules of tennis. Maybe, you are just beginning to learn, or perhaps, would like to learn to help your junior player be informed about the game. This idea came about as I was instructing a junior player who, serving, crossed the "imaginary extension" of the middle hash mark. I called a foot fault, and she turned around and said, "but I didn't cross the baseline with my foot, did I?"

Here is an example of a rule that you may not know; while you can technically serve any way that you want (underhand included) between the singles sideline and the extension of this sideline and the middle hash mark and it's imaginary extension, you may not cross either of these line, nor cross the baseline prior to contact with the ball.

Oh, and while we're talking about serves, if you hit, on the fly, a fixture (the ceiling, for example, or more realistically, the net post), that's a fault, not a do-over (a let). Fun fact; until I was twelve, I always thought it was "led" not let (which means either a ball or some kind of distraction warrants immediate stopping of play and playing the point over, or your serve hit the tape of the net and went into the box it was supposed to go into, which means you are allowed to re-serve that serve. If you don't make it into the box, it's still a fault). I still think back on how kids must have thought it was funny that I was pronouncing it that way.

Random rule number two; you need to get the toss done prior to even warming up. This rarely happens. Typically the line judge, in junior tennis, comes over to toss prior to the match beginning, so this is one of those rules that technically is a rule, but realistically many don't follow. But definitely something that you can instill. Now for digression number two. What to choose? If you win, always choose to serve, unless you are WAY better at returned than serving (By the way, you can also choose a side if you want, but really, you should choose the serve). This puts you in an aggressive mindset and position from the first ball in play. Secondly, if you lose the toss, don't forget that you still have choice of a side. Choose the side WITH the sun, or the one that you DON'T prefer. You may be stuck with the sun for a game, but after you switch after playing the first game, your opponent will be stuck there for two. You're welcome.

Other rules to remember; you can't touch the net during play. If you're DONE playing, yes, you can touch the net, but shouldn't anyway. Who wants to see you hanging over the net in self-pity? Your opponent. Other things you shouldn't touch? Anything other than the court with the ball you hit. Meaning, if you are playing indoors and happen to hit the ceiling, it's automatically the point of your opponent. Or, if you are playing outside, mishit the ball, and hit the scoreboard, still the point of your opponent. However, if you hit your opponent on the fly, it is your point.

Here comes digression number three. I was playing a point out as a junior and ran up to the net like a ninja. Alas, my ninja qualities were just developing, so the girl saw and hit a lob over my head. I then proceeded to run, facing the fence, not the net, hoping to somehow spin around and have the ball directly in front of me. Of course, I end up running way past the baseline, and promptly being struck in the head by the very ball I was chasing, that was going way out. Two lessons learned; that point is my opponent's, and I should probably watch the ball when I run for it. Good times.

This next rules starts with a story. Yay! I was watching a friend play, who was a beast at the net. He would always finish at the net, and one point, just to impress the audience, he reached over the net as the ball floated towards him to put it away. The line judged called him out on it, and he lost the point. Before you try and impress your friends, make sure you don't look like a doof because you didn't know the rules. You can't reach over the net to hit the ball that's heading your way.

This next one I see all the time, and no one is really sure about the rule. Say, for example, you hit your first serve in the net. Then, a ball rolls onto the court. You need to stop and roll the ball into the other court where it belongs. Do you need to continue, or can you hit a first serve again? You can hit a first serve again. If the receiver or an outside interference is what delays time between first and second serve, you get two serves. If, however, you stop because there is a gust of wind, you can't insist that you get a first serve. You stopped in the first place. This gets trickier, say, if you cramp in between serves. Since you are what caused in interference, you still only get your second serve.

Speaking of cramping, how about medical timeouts? You can take one medical timeout per injury. They are be up to three minutes a piece. That means that the 90 seconds you have on change overs and 120 seconds you have on a set break can be used towards the medical timeout, but the medical timeout itself cannot last more than three minutes. Bathroom breaks are usually an etiquette thing; you can go whenever you need to, but you should do it over a set break if you can. Girls get two, boys get one (unless an emergency). It's one of those things where while this rule can bent a little, it's not very sportmanship-like. (Yeah, I think I just made up a word. Don't judge)!

More rules to come; stay tuned for doubles rules!