December Newsletter 2013
A Message from Sara Dobroth
Hello Members! I hope this holiday season is not catching you off guard. Please during this busy time of year, make time in your schedule to take care of your health and fitness needs. Also, don’t forget Christmas is only one day a year. Do not celebrate with treats during the whole season, or your New Year’s resolution will include losing a few more pounds than you will have originally planned on.
Due to some suggestions from members, we have tweaked our class times, so please make sure to check the new schedule. Zumba is BACK! Kat Dallons will be teaching on Mondays at 7:30p and Fridays at 5:30p. She has been teaching Zumba in San Francisco for the last three years, and we are excited to have her join our fitness team!
Please come and shop locally on the 7th of December at our Holiday Craft Bazaar! There are over 15 vendors selling their goods from 10 am to 4 pm. We will also be taking pictures of families with Santa Claus from 10 am to 2 pm. The event is open to nonmembers as well, and we will be holding a raffle throughout the day.
In Good Health,
Sara Dobroth
Referral Bonus for December
Refer a new member during the month of December, and we will credit your account $100.00! Happy Holidays!
December Fitness Schedule
Monday |
10:30am - 11:30am |
Tuesday |
10:30am - 11:30am |
Wednesday |
6:00am - 7:00am |
Thursday |
10:30am – 11:30am |
Friday |
6:00am - 6:45am |
Saturday |
8:00am - 8:45am |
During the month of December, Lloyd Nelson is offering a 50% discount for all new karate students! This is a great gift to give to someone interested in increasing their fitness! Classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday night at 6:30. To Choke or Not to Choke……That is the Question!!!
Every tennis player at some point in their career has a moment where they get unusually nervous and feel like they’re choking. Choking is when a player experiences a sense of anxiety and fear to win. This is something completely normal; in fact a lot of people don’t even realize that they’ve choked in a match. The first step to being able to limit choking is to be aware that you are choking. Because knowing you are makes you adjust to the right game plan, taking more time between points, playing safer, etc…
First, you need to know the most common moment players tend to “get tight” is during the last few games of the set, especially when you are the one who is leading in score and are about to win the set or match. Nobody really gets as nervous when they are about to lose. The main reason you doubt yourself and open the door to choking is that you think you are about to win. That is the worst thing you could ever think of. Never play a match and imagine the match being over. It can only affect your playing and will never help you, no matter who you are or how good you are.
When you watch players like: Nadal, Federer or Djokovic, when they win a Grand Slam Tournament, they usually cry and lie on the court and look like they are surprised they have won. They truly act like they have no idea they were so close to winning and when they do win you can tell they are shocked. These players don`t think about the score in terms of how close they are to winning, but instead they use the score to decide on which game plan they need to use. They play more aggressively when they are leading in score and play safer and solid when they are losing. That’s what is in their heads at that moment.
Players block their minds from thinking about the outcome, from thinking about all the good things that they are about to accomplish, and judgments they feel about their game. They try to be very cold blooded. They shut down all emotions and execute one point at a time with a clear head behind it. However, when they are losing and they feel the need for a comeback, they will scream and yell to get pumped up. They get very emotional to charge their confidence and start believing that they are coming back to even out the score. Very rarely will you see one of these top players get super fired up when they are points away from closing out the set or match. And when they do, that’s when their choking occurs. They are all human as well and they have their moments, some more than others, and they admit it after matches in press conferences and interviews. They are not ashamed to choke, they just get frustrated for not taking care of the opportunity they had. But they are not embarrassed or try to hide it. Everybody chokes and they know it. The more you want to win, the more you fight and hustle, willing to give your heart to win every point. This can also be the very same thing that holds you back when it`s time to finish off the match.
Basically you need to have two personalities. One personality is reserved for when you are losing and feel like you need to make a comeback and get your teeth into the match. This is the “on fire” attitude, very emotional, celebrating every point you win like you have just won the biggest point of your life. But when it’s time to win the match then you need your second personality “Ice cold.” It shouldn’t be very emotional. When you win a point don`t scream, just take it in and think about the next one, one point at a time. Never say, “Only 3 more points to win the set!” Tennis is very mental and it takes a lot of matches winning and losing to be able to control your feelings in a match. You need to decide whether or not you should suppress these feelings or if you should let them out. At the same time you can`t overdo it and be disrespectful to your opponent.
The best tip I can give you is to concentrate on your routine. A player’s routine is a series of actions that are very repetitive point after point, but help you clear your mind and get a fresh start after each point. Do not start the next point until you forget what happened in the previous point. Great players have a really bad memory. They act like an unforced error never occurred, and play the next point like they hit a winner on the last point, even though they might have made a terrible error. So remember to forget and move on. The last thing you want is a chain of errors. Sometimes you might need to take more time to help move on, and sometimes you need to play quickly, depending on the score.
Work on creating your routine, rituals, and series of things you think about after every point, and if you need help, stop by to see me. I`ll be very happy to help you control your anxiety and desire to win and teach you what to use at the right times.
Mariano Parris
Tennis Director, Paso Robles Sports Club
805-239-7397 x 105
[email protected]
Simple Solutions to Complex Problems
I think most of us play tennis in part because of the challenging game it presents. The solutions to what ails us on the court are typically complex and we spend weeks and years trying to perfect our shots and strategies to enable us to win the final point of the match.
Try some of these rather oversimplified solutions to our complex issues on the court, and see if you can improve a little each time you play.
Can’t Hit the Ball Deep From the Baseline? Make sure you “create the right space” between you and the ball while making sure your hitting arm is extended and you create a long nice lever to hit through the ball. Make sure you “load up” on your outside leg to push on the ground and to create forward weight-transfer through the ball.
Can’t Control the Short/Midcourt Ball? In this case, shorten both your backswing and arm extension and wrap your low to high swing around your body with topspin to control and keep the ball deep but in the court. On balls you have to hit below your waist, think “Sink, Level, and Through.” “Sink” – bend your knees and get that body down to the ball, “Level” – keep your shoulders level for control, and “Through” – hit through the ball. Do not patty cake it and give your opponent a chance for an easy passing shot.
Getting Passed After Hitting your Approach Shot or Volley? Don’t stand there and admire the greatness of your shot. Get right in the middle of your opponent’s return angles. Don’t leave an open court for your opponent’s return and easy passing shots.
Too Many Serves in the Net? Extend your tossing arm and give yourself a little extra height on your toss. It’s a huge misunderstanding to “snap our wrist” on your serve. You actually should hit up and pronate your entire forearm through the ball and “high five” the ball at contact. Then trust your continental grip to create spin into the service box.
Too Many Serves Going Long? Toss the ball a little farther out in front so the racquet face has time to close and spin the ball into the service box. 
Too Many Serves Not Going In At All? Here’s a simple phrase. “Don’t swing at your toss, toss at your swing”. In other words, your entire service motion is a lot more complex than your toss. So, to find your natural rhythm, spend some time going through your natural flowing service motion without tossing and hitting the ball. After you find that perfect rhythm, then adjust your ball toss’s height, location, and timing to coincide with your motion’s natural rhythm, and you’ll find yourself a more consistent and better server hitting the most important shot in the game.
If tennis was easy, everybody would be good at it. We know it’s not. It presents numerous and different challenges each time we play. We may periodically over think our games and try too hard to solve our problems. Try some of these simple solutions and see if your game just needs a little tweakin’ and not a complex overhaul.
See Ya’ on the Courts, Gary
Fitness Corner
with Dr. Andre Acebo, DC
The end of the year is a perfect time to look at our life styles and set new fitness goals and challenges. If you plan now, you can avoid disaster during the holiday season . . . too many sweets, indoor gatherings, and constant eating, leaves millions of people feeling out of shape and overweight come January.
Remember the value of small, consistent steps over the long haul.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle
We are committed to helping you find and maintain the fitness plan that fits your unique style and goals.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Take a new group exercise class
- 6 days a week at 10:30am we have a vigorous and popular aqua-fit class
- Maxfit is in its 3rd year! Our tribe is active in many other fitness activities as well, and results can be outstanding !
- FiTennis and cardio-tennis are new and combine exercise and sport in a fun and effective way
- We have enthusiastic, caring trainers available to guide you.
- If you’re new to the club (less than 3 months), take advantage of your complimentary training session with me. We will review your posture & fitness goals
Happy Holidays and remember to give back this season!
Doc
FiTennis
Fitness and Tennis Training
All levels of tennis and fitness invited!
Certified Personal Trainer “Doc” Andre Acebo and Mariano Parris
Thursdays from 10 to 11 am
Dates: Dec. 5th, Dec. 12th, Dec 19th, Jan. 2nd, and Jan. 9th
5 Classes for only $40 (or $10 drop-in)
FiTennis will utilize on the tennis court: medicine balls, footwork drills, anaerobic exercises, elastic bands for resistance running, jump ropes, cone drills, and weights. The class is very dynamic. Every minute is utilized to deliver the best calorie workout burn you have ever had. We will end the class with stretching for a nice cool down.
If you don’t have a racket, NO PROBLEM! We will supply one for you during class. You will lose inches and tone your body, while having fun and learning. “The Sport of a Lifetime!”
Café News:
Our new menu is now available! We offer a variety of salads and sandwiches. Our paleo muffins are the perfect morning or afternoon snack. Lactose intolerant? Request a little pumpkin stock in lieu of yogurt with any of our smoothies…delicious!
Café Director, Terry Acebo
