Blogger and Personal Trainer Ricky Buoncore likes to bust myths when he’s not weight training at WRRFC.

The challenge for June is a timed one mile run on a WRRFC treadmill.  So, what are you waiting for?  Grab your running shoes and a water bottle and sprint upstairs to a treadmill and work at getting your BEST time ever.

Everyone’s a winner in the monthly fitness challenge!

HOW OFTEN?

The simplest way to answer this is to take a look at how often you play weekly; you should look to get your racquet restrung as many times a year as you play weekly. So if you play 3 times a week, at the very least you should get your racquet restrung 3 times a year.

Some strings fray as they age and this is totally normal. Just because they are fraying doesn’t necessarily mean you need to restring them; however, it does mean they are getting close to breaking.

WITH WHAT STRING?

At WRRFC we have 4 different grades of string: economy, multifilament, polyester, and playability. Each grade has its pros and cons.

- ECONOMY: Economy strings are our most inexpensive strings, and while they are not bad by any stretch of the imagination, they don’t have the upsides as our higher grade strings.
- MULTIFILAMENT: Multifilament strings are our middle of the road strings; they are constructed of many small strands and weaved/braided together. These are a step above our economy strings; however don’t offer the upside of our playability strings.
- POLYESTER: Polyester strings are a monofilament construction and are the most durable strings we sell. They offer great spin potential and good power generation. The biggest drawback of a polyester string is that they create a stiff string bed which can aggravate tennis elbow and other arm ailments.
- PLAYABILITY: Playability strings are the top of the line, cream of the crop strings that we offer. They offer the utmost in feel on the ball and are the softest and easiest on the arm. While these are our highest price-point strings, they are more than worth the added cost.

If you still have questions about stringing, just ask any of the pros at WRRFC. We’re all skilled at the fine art of racquet stringing!

About the author: Kyle Mollison is a tennis pro at WRRFC. When he’s not giving lessons or playing on one of his five USTA teams, you can find him stringing racquets.

Get health and fitness tips at Greatist.com

It’s that time of year again. WRRFC’s clay courts are officially open, and with the French Open getting kicked off it’s about time to get out there on the dirt. That being said here are a few quick things to make sure you can be as good of a dirt-baller as possible.

1.) BE PREPARED FOR THE ELEMENTS – Just remember, you’re outside now and with the sun and heat you WILL sweat more than you would inside. A towel for wiping your hands and face is essential. Also remember the sun will play a factor, so bring a hat and/or sunglasses. The final thing you will need is plenty of water; longer points and the elements can spell dehydration.
2.) SPIN IT TO WIN IT – Clay is without a doubt the slowest surface in the sport; those of us who are “power players” will have a hard time adjusting to not getting the free points we normally get on a faster surface. The most effective shots on clay are spin shots. The spin will cause the ball to “bite” against the slow surface and amplify any spin that is imparted on the ball. Another one of the most effective shots on clay is the drop shot.
3.) COME TO THE NET – While this strategy has fallen out of vogue recently in the professional game, coming to the net on clay courts still pays HUGE dividends. Coming to the net not only takes away the added time the slower surface awards your opponent, but also gives you better angles for creating offense.

While these tips might not make you into Rafa overnight, they will definitely make you a far more effective player out on the dirt.

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