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Cyprus Tennis – reviews the final day of the intensive tennis week at Aphrodite Hills – 22 October 2010 – Tennis in Cyprus

The final day of our intenisve tennis course.  An early start again at Aphrodite Hills for the culmination of our 5 day course.  Wyn had promised to “kill me”, not literally, but to push me really hard physically as well as my tennis.  I was looking forward to it.  We started off again with short balls from the baseline to the service box and then we hit some balls early, on the rise.  After that it was time to start me running. From left to right, one forehand, one backhand right in the corners so that I was running back and forth like a yo yo and of course making me play shots under pressure.  Then we played killer, the same as the previous excercise, but with Wyn feeding each ball so that it was much faster. I tried out a few racquets as well

Then I learnt a trick – the Andy Murray, reverse turn on a backhand slice   After this, we did a bit more fine tuning of my serve, which went really well.  And finally, we played some points.  Not so good, but by the end of it, I was beginning to make headway. But Wyn, you didn’t kill me! OK, my arms were a little shaky, but I was fine.  You’ll have to try again!

Over on the other court, everyone was progressing, with groundstrokes, volleys, services and service returns.  They finished by playing some points.  After us, the two juniors taking the third intensive course were also making great progress.  It was fun to watch!

So the course was over and we all had a fantastic time – thanks Wyn and Jay! Tomorrow, I’m going to do a roundup, with interviews with everyone.

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Cyprus Tennis – review of day 4 of an intensive tennis course at Aphrodite Hills – 21 October 2010 – Tennis in Cyprus

So, day 4 and I don’t want it to end.  I wish I could do this every day.  No time for superjuice unfortunately , but we arrived in time at Aphrodite Hills.  Started the same way again with short balls from the baseline, then half volleys at the service line followed by intensive volleying practice.  First static ones and then approach volleys, trying to refine my technique and increase my success rate.  Then we moved onto the full series of approach shot, approach volley, attack volley, with loads of sprinting.  Wyn’s promised that he will work me really hard tomorrow for our last day – he knows I like to be pushed.  Apparently he’s going to kill me with running and hitting and everything, but I have an ace up my sleeve – if he makes me run, I’ll make him run!   No, seriously, I’m looking forward to it and want to push myself as hard as I can.

Meanwhile, on the other court, the fabulous foursome of Naheed, Cally, Jo and Daniel were really improving.  My friend’s groundstrokes were really beginning to take shape, with good follow through and shape consistently.  Afterwards, they worked on volleys pretending to be a “panther” which worked well.  And, then service.  My friend had to really start from the beginning, but she was making progress by the end.

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Cyprus Tennis  – reviews the 3rd day of a week long intensive tennis course at Aphrodite Hills – 20 October 2010 – Tennis in Cyprus

An early start again.  A big rush again to get there in time, so we had breakfast at Aphrodite Hills.  It was an excellent day.  It was hot, but not too hot.  We started again with hitting a short ball from the baseline. This time I had a small target to aim for.  It still took me time to get the hang of it, but I did hit the target once and came very close quite a few times.

Then we moved off plan and decided to work on my groundstrokes and get me hitting the ball early – either at the top of the bounce or before.  This an agressive form of play so I of course enjoyed it.  It’s also hard work and certainly gave me a workout.  Throughout, I used focus points, mainly 1 on the bounce, 2 on hitting the ball, focusing on making it a quick transition from 1 to 2.  Also, I noticed that the times I took the ball really early and did it well, were when I was moving my racquet back in time with the approaching ball – another focus point.  We spent quite a bit of time on this, putting targets for me to aim for, first to the sides and afterwards in the centre.

Finally, we worked a little on my serve, especially my second serve.

Meanwhile, my friend’s group grew again to have 4 people, with Jo joining from the UK.  They covered groundstrokes again, looking at how to anticipate the return and do what I was doing – bringing the racquet back in time with the approaching ball.  Twice this was done with headphones on with music.  Then they moved onto volleys, the position to take and how to move froward and take the volley.

Later on I played again against another opponent, trying to put into practice everything I had learnt.  Some of it worked, some didn’t, but that may of had something to do with the pretty strong wind that was blowing  

 Overall, we both had a great time and made progress, but we both need to practice more everything we learnt.

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Cyprus Tennis – reviews the second day of a week long intensive tennis course at Aphrodite Hills – 19 September 2010 – Tennis in Cyprus

A slightly later start today, so we had time to make a super juice.  Loads of green stuff, such as fresh coriander, spinach, celery, cucumber, as well as avocado, beetroot and ginger (according to Heaven on Earth Herbals).  Delicious!  My friend thought so too and a great way to start the day.  This was followed up an Actimel later on.

Onto the more important things – the tennis! Well the 2nd started the same – we were a couple of minutes late arriving at Aphrodite Hills tennis academy- the superjuice was just too good to miss!  And we began with practicising the short ball from the baseline.  It still takes me a while to get my range in – I either fire it far to far over or int the net.  Wyn ept saying just forget the net.  Just aim higher.  Just tell yourself to do better this time.  It kind of works.

We did loads of work on an approach shot off a short ball and then did this followed by an approach volley.  It took me ages to get the approach volley working, so a lot more work required on that. 

Finally, we did some work on my serve, adding a little bit to my action.  Really just making it “flow” better as Wyn outs it.

Meanwhile, on the other court, my friend’s group increased by 1, with Daniel from Switzerland joining them.  They did a lot more work on groundstrokes, adding some more focus points, as well as discussing Nadal a lot. Naheed found focusing on which colour the ball was primarily (they were yellow & orange balls) very good.  Again, they had the headphones on for part of it, having chillout music relaxing them, while they were given instruction on what to do.  It’s as if the rest of the world disappears and there is just the music, your racquet and the tennis ball – it’s amazing! 

Later in the evening, we took part in the regular Tuesday evening drill session followed by matchplay.

Overall, a good day.

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Cyprus Tennis – reviews day 1 of intensive tennis course – 18 October 2010 – Tennis in Cyprus

So day 1.  We turned up at Aphrodite Hills early in the morning all revved up and ready to go. Also, a bit late because as usual I’d forgotten about the roadworks by my house.  Oops.  No superjuice this morning. Plans for a healthy breakfast got thrown to one side. A quick Actimel in the car was all we managed.

Now, as an experienced player, I was looking to improve my game significantly and really improve on my weaknesses as well as upping my game overall, including tactics.  My friend is a relative beginner and was looking to improve her game, but wasn’t sure how much she could learn in 5 days and had never done mental matchplay before.

Now for my hour, we first of all focused on playing a  short ball from the baseline, aimed at getting me to put more spin on the ball and hit it higher.  It was definitely hard at first judging it right – a lot of balls went in the net and some went far to high and far.  After a while, I  got the hang of it.  According to my coach, Wyn Lewis, some of the professionals do this kind of drill for half an hour every day.  I like d that – I’m a professional already.  I wish!

Next, Wyn placed some plastic strips at the back of the court, in the middle to form goal posts and we then played for a while with me aiming the ball between the posts and Wyn hitting a variety of different shots at me.  He increased the power and difficulty and we had one hell of a lot of fun. 

Then we played “killer” and believe me it kills you off. Wyn fed in one ball after another very fast one way out to the left, one way out to the right and had me running from one end of the court to the other very fast and I have to say it took me a while to get the hang of that and my face went very red – it was also 27 degrees.  I finished the day, very happy and buzzing!  Also, quite tired.

My friend was amazed at her first lesson. Listening to music and playing at the same time was quite a revelation to her. Fortunately, I’d given her the Inner Game of Tennis to read  so she’d already started it before and had a slight understanding of what to expect.  Also, I videoed her a bit and when she looked at it, she realised what the caoch Jay had been saying – follow through.  She had great fun with Jay and Cally, who was the other person taking part in the course.  It was a great start and my friend is really looking forward to tomorrow.

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Cyprus Tennis – expalains how to register with the Cyprus Tennis Federation – 13 October 2010 – Tennis in Cyprus

You’re enjoying your tennis, feel like a challenge and decide you want to take part in some tournaments in Cyprus.  What do you do?  Well, to enter into the regular tournaments organised by the Cyprus Tennis Federation you need to get registered with them.  To do this firstly, you need to download the forms – 2 page medical & 1 page Cyprus Tennis Federation (CTF) form.

CTF Registration form, CTF Registration Form ENG, Medical form 1, medical Form 1 ENG, Medical form 2, Medical Form 2 ENG, List of what needed for registration ENG

Then you  have to  have your medical, which varies according to your age:

From 12 to 35 years old

-    Cardiogram

-    Chest X ray

-    Blood & urine test

-    Blood type

Over 35

-    All the above, except the cardiogram is replaced by a stress test

A stress test is where you run on a treadmill with electrodes attached and are tested up to a certain blood pressure to see how your heart behaves.  Women, don’t just wear a sports top, make sure you have an attractive bra on as you will be running in your bra (this is from personal experience)

Take your medicall forms with you for the doctor to fill in and sign.  Most clinics offer the sports medical as a package of around Euros 50 for those under 35.  If you’re over 35, then  you have to have the stress test, so it is around Euros 200 in total.  For this you need to go to a clinic with a cardiology department, or a specialist cardiologist, both with the correct apparatus.  Always say it is for the Cyprus Athletic Organisation (or KOA) medical.  In Pafos, for example, you can get the medical, including stress test at:

-    Evangelismos Hospital

-    St Andrews Cardiological Diagnostic Centre

After you have done the medical, make copies of all the results and the forms (in case they go astray – you don’t want to pay for another test).  Send the medical form, plus all your results, 2 recent passport photos and a copy of your birth certificate or passport to the Cyprus Athletic Organisation (KOA).

If you are in Nicosia, I would advise dropping them off in person, otherwise get Akis Express or someone similar to deliver them direct.

You can send at the same time your application form to the CTF.  Fill it in and send it with a copy of your passport or birth certificate, plus 1 passport photo and a fee of Euros 20.  If you already have your health card from the athletics organisation, then send the health certificate as well.  i would again recommend either dropping it off personally or sending it with a courier service to:

THE CYPRUS TENNIS FEDERATION
OLYMPIC HOUSE, A203,
21, AMPHIPOLEOS STR. 2025 NICOSIA  TEL.:  22449860/61    FAX:  22668016

After a few weeks you should receive your medical card and Cyprus Tennis Federation card.  This then entitles you to play in official tournaments in Cyprus.  You will need to quote the numbers on both of these every time you enter a tournament.

You can find the list of tournaments at our Tennis Tournament page.

You also have to register with the Cyprus Tennis Federation, which costs Euros 20.  Images of the Greek and English translated forms can be found here.

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Cyprus Tennis – announces an intensive tennis week at Aphrodite Hills – 12 October 2010 – Tennis in Cyprus

Next week, starting Monday is an intensive tennis week at Aphrodite Hills Tennis Academy.  Two hours training in the morning every day for 5 days with excellent coaches.  Small groups of both beginners and advanced will be coached in-depth on strokes, tactics and … winning   It will also be a chance to try out the mental matchplay – playing while listening to music.  Sound too esoteric for you?  Well it works and no it’s not rap or rock, it’s chill out music that just relaxes you and helps you find your focus.

So, if you fancy really pushing the boundaries with your tennis, or want to solidify your game, or just want to be the new Baghdatis call 26 828122 to join us there!

A day by day report of the course will be published – blow by blow or hit by hit

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Wyn, head coach at Aphrodite Hills' European Tennis Academy got a bit excited

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Cyprus Tennis - interviews Wyn, head coach at Aphrodite Hills – 11 October 2010 – Tennis in Cyprus

When did you start to play tennis?

To be honest I can’t actually remember. I always remember going to the courts as a child. Back when I was young, tennis wasn’t of any interest to me. I always wanted to be a footballer playing for Swansea City and Wales but I always remember going with my father to have a knock around or with friends after school on and on weekends. It was something we only really did when Wimbledon was on.

Why?

I started to play a little more seriously when I was about 12 or 13. It was a bit strange how it came about really. I was always a very good football player but for some reason our new P.E teacher at school was more of a rugby man and had a close relationship with the rugby boys and picked all of them. I got dropped from the school team and was really upset so I actually gave the game up for that season and decided to play something I could be in control of, you know, an individual game so that’s what I did. So for that season I was going to play tennis and that was that.

Who do you most admire?

When I was growing up as a child I had so many great players to follow. Agassi, Becker, Edberg and so on, but the player I admired the most was Pete Sampras. He was a machine. People sometimes said he was boring because of his big serves and relentless aces but this was his game. He was boring because he was good. Under pressure his serve never let him down. I remember during one of his matches at the US Open back in the mid 90’s he was playing against a guy called Alex Corretja from Spain. While he was on court news had filtered through that his former Coach was dying due to cancer. Sampras obviously was an emotional mess. Crying and emotionally lost which is completely understandable. Did he pull through? Of course he did. This was Pete Sampras, World Number 1. How he did it, not even he knows but he did it and won the US Open in memory of Tom Gullikson. A True Legend of the game.

Who does your game closely resemble?

That’s a good question actually. I’ve never really modeled my game on anyone in particular. I’m a firm believer that everyone has their own style. I guess if we had to pick a player it would be someone like Tommy Hass. Big forehand, Big serve, Single handed backhand but a little bit hot and cold haha.

What is the best part of your game?

I have a fairly big serve and hit quite a few aces with it so for me it’s my serve.

What’s the worst part of your game?

Undoubtedly a high forehand above my shoulders. I struggle to control that shot. On Clay its my biggest weakness because the ball bounces very high. Its why I prefer the quicker courts because the ball bounces lower.

What would you like to change?

Over the years when I was a junior my coaches developed my game to be as destructive as possible so I knew fairly early on I wasn’t going to be as consistent as people who hit the ball slower but I guess I would like to be more consistent with my groundstrokes. Then again, I guess everyone would like to be more consistent.

Why did you become a coach?

My intention was never to coach actually. I did my coaching qualification only to add another string to my bow. I never set my goal in life to become a coach though. It was my parents who encouraged me to take the qualifications “just incase” I wanted to try it one day. I used to help my coach teach small children and enjoyed it actually. Now I am very grateful to my parents haha.

How did you become a coach?

In order to become a fully qualified coach you have to take courses from anyone of the governing bodies which are based in your particular country so I decided to take the first steps to become a coach when I was 17 years old.

What qualifications do you have as a Coach?

I am a registered Coach with the Professional Tennis Registry (United States) and the Lawn Tennis Association (UK). To become a licensed Coach in the UK you have to undertake the LTA’s coaching Licence scheme.  The LTA is a fantastic governing body. In fact it has some of the best resources in the tennis playing world.  The reason why I chose to do both the LTA awards and the USPTR awards is that the USPTR is world renowned - you can coach anywhere in the World.  This gives me the best of both worlds.  Almost every country accepts the PTR as a governing body for coaching while you can only coach in Great Britain if you have an LTA Qualification.  I wanted to broaden my horizons a bit further and not limit myself to just coaching in the UK. I wouldn’t say that the LTA is a more rigorous qualification at all. If anything the USPTR requires you play to a higher standard in order to have the highest qualification. Now this does not mean that you have to be an ex-professional to become the best coach but it requires you to play the game and understand fully the fundamentals of the game. The LTA doesn’t really require you to play at any particular level to gain the qualifications.

With The USPTR I am a Level 2 Coach. There are 3 levels in total.

How do you choose a coach and how do you know if they are good?

Qualifications

I think its important to choose a coach with qualifications for the simple reason they know what they are doing. For instance all coaches who are registered with governing bodies have to do a course in First Aid.  Wouldn’t you like to be coached safe in the knowledge that if something was to happen to you, or maybe your children, the coach would know what to do? It’s very simple really, to get the most out of your lessons a qualified coach would be the better option.

For example, when I was selecting another coach for Aphrodite Hills to work alongside me, I looked at experience and qualifications.  Jay qualified through the USPTR and had over 10 years experience. Experience (as with anything) in coaching is invaluable because you develop the skills you already had even further. Being able to adapt to different needs of different people is essential when coaching. Think of it, you have to treat children differently to adults on most occasions J

When coaching children you almost have to become one of them for that hour.

I have some friends who never played before but are licensed coaches and learned the game through coaching. It’s not a bad thing  I think it’s a shame sometimes that players who do not make it to the level they aspired to just become coaches for the sake of it, because they do not have anything else to do. The people who have been excellent players sometimes tend to be the coaches who aren’t necessarily the best. This is not always the case but they can be too stuck in their ways. They sometimes think, what worked for them will work for other people. This isn’t true. Everyone has their own style and its very important to adapt your ways of teaching to different people. Lets say for instance a Coach himself has a very poor forehand, it doesn’t mean that he can’t teach it. I know a few guys who used to play at a very high standard and got into coaching almost for the sake of it. None of them are coaches anymore in fact they have nothing to do with tennis anymore simply because they didn’t have the “nack” for it. I think you have to have a certain type of personality as I mentioned before.

In fact I never wanted to become a coach if I’m being completely honest. Or, to become a professional player.  I knew fairly early on that I wasn’t going to “make the grade”. I always wanted to go down the University route. However, while in university I had to finance myself which most people had to do. I had my qualifications so I put them to use and coached at the Tennis Centre while I was studying. It was only during term time, but the money I earned was great and in fact I got to love it more and more. I love working with children, they are so much fun.

Registration

Well, although there are many official bodies and association around the world with every country having their own bodies, I don’t think it really matters where the coach has done the Coaching badges and awards etc. as long as he or she is registered with one. At the end of the day Tennis is universal and the basics remain the same no matter which governing body a coach is with.

Experience

Every coach has to start somewhere. I started with coaching a lot of Children at Aphrodite Hills Tennis Academy and gradually I started coaching more and more adults as time went on. Although it’s a good idea to have an experienced coach it’s not always necessary. Think of it, the newer the coach the newer the idea he or she will have and new coaches tend to be very enthusiastic J

Can you look them up?

Yes of course you can. There are a few ways to do it. Firstly, most clubs are online these days with details on who coaches there and their profiles visible to see. The USPTR actually have a register of all of their coaches worldwide so you can chose which country you are in and find out if there is anyone in your area. The LTA is the same but this is specifically for the UK.

What other questions should you ask?

I would always ask which governing body they have got their qualifications from. This is the most important question.

Is there anything that would make you think immediately that they are not good?

To me a coach should not just have good communication skills, he or she should have EXCELLENT communication skills. Communication with each other is vital. Sometimes, what a coach says is far more invaluable than what he or she shows you. For me its what separates an excellent coach from a good coach. Organisation skills around the court. You will be able to tell instantly whether a coach is organized and has planned for the lesson or not. Also if you are doing the same exercises week in week out it doesn’t show a lot of variety.

Do you choose one to suit your skills level?

I think it’s important to remember that the more you progress then the higher standard you will need to be playing at. But, think of the Pro’s, you would assume that all of them are better players than the coach so how do you chose one to suit your skill level? Well, most coaches will have a reasonable playing standard. I think these days it’s necessary to have played at a decent level to become a coach. In fact the USPTR judge their coaches on playing standard too which is very good in my opinion. As I said, sometimes what a coach says is far more invaluable than what he or she plays like. I started beating my coach when I was 14 but stuck with him until I was 17!

Do you need more than one coach?

For me I don’t think it’s necessary. There is nothing wrong with it, obviously, but why would you want two different coaches which are focusing on different aspects with you. Here at Aphrodite Hills, because we use Mental match Play as a way of teaching, it doesn’t make a difference because we don’t necessarily teach technique like most coaches do so being with one of us one week and one of us the next week doesn’t matter. Can you imagine if you have one coach on a Tuesday telling you to hit a forehand this way and then next Tuesday you have another coach telling you to hit a forehand in a completely different way? How confusing!!!

What’s the best way to improve your game?

It’s so important when going for tennis lessons to keep an open mind. So many people go to coaches and expect miracles to happen. It’s like driving a car. It takes time to learn. You will make 1000’s of errors before getting it right. It’s the same in tennis. Let’s say you want to work on your backhand because you feel it’s not working. You can’t expect it to work straight away after being with a coach for one lesson. In fact if you are missing balls all the time it doesn’t mean that you have a bad backhand. It’s just going through a transition phase. It’s just the way it is. The Human Body takes time to adapt to new things. Don’t worry about making mistakes, keep an open mind, listen to what’s being said and it will happen.

What is your opinion of Tennis in Cyprus?

I think the Junior set up is very good. The Cyprus Tennis Federation (CTF) have a junior tournament every couple of weeks pretty much throughout the year. Unfortunately it’s not the same for the adults. I think they have been forgotten about slightly. In order to keep interest in the game in general it’s important to look after the adults. I think the CTF could also be a little clearer on their scheduling policy and informing their competitors of what’s going on etc. Too many adult events are canceled at too short notice without anyone being told about it. But on the whole its pretty good.

What do you think should be done?

I think that the CTF could be attracting far more international players to play in their tournaments. This would only increase the standard of play but unfortunately overseas nationals still have to complete the Medical which is required to compete in Cyprus. What I see at the moment is the same people week in week out competing against each other. Having a variety of opponents is good for your game. Adult tennis should be one of their priorities for 2011. There are players out there who want to play. Get them playing.

You can contact Wyn at tennisreservations@aphroditehills.com or telephone: +357 26 828122.

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Cyprus Tennis – asks why are there no tennis competitions for women – 8 October 2010 – Tennis in Cyprus

Getting extremely frustrated that there are no tournaments to play in.  Got my medical card and registered with the Cyprus Tennis Federation March/April this year, played in Aphrodite Hills Open and since then 5 tournaments have taken place, with no women’s singles and only 1 I believe had women’s doubles.  Having paid for the full medical that the government demands it is extremely disappointing and frustrating.  It’s not good enough!

So, where are the women players and why don’t they take part?  Part of the problem is that the junior game is taking off, but nothing is being done about adults.  More needs to be done by the Cyprus Tennis Federation and the individual clubs to attract women players and to encourage them to register.  It’s in the interest of the game.

So any women tennis players out there, please contact us, make your comments, provide posts and of course get registered and enter tournaments here.  the more the merrier.  let’s get some really competitive tennis going!

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