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Gear check and member profile

7/28/2020

 
Welcome back!

First, here is the answer to Our Tennis Life Trivia Question (see blog posted 7/21/2020):

​Can you identify the Idle Hour member in Image 7 (wearing green socks) and his nickname?
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​Congratulations to Jim Stokes.  He was the first to answer the Our Tennis Life Trivia Question correctly and won a can of new tennis balls from the IHTC Pro Shop! Yes, the member with the green socks is Lou Troilo and his nickname is ‘Socks‘ for obvious reasons.

GEAR CHECK and MEMBER PROFILE - our new feature
Our Tennis Life shines a spotlight on Idle Hour members with a feature called Gear Check.  Tennis Channel introduced these segments starring top professional players.  Well, we have our own super stars leading off with Skip Millier!  The first video is Skip's Gear Check and in the second, we interviewed Skip to learn more about him.  This feature is our Member Profile.

Video 1.  Skip Millier - Gear Check 


Video 2.  Skip Millier - Member Profile

That's all from Our Tennis Life.  Would you like to share your story?

Bob
OurTennisLife@idlehourtennis.com
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High tech tennis clothing

7/21/2020

 
Welcome back!

​When the temperatures rise, wearing the right apparel can give you an edge on court. Gone are the days of wearing cotton which builds up moisture and clings to the body, very uncomfortable. Apparel technology is so advanced, it can help you feel better in that third set.  Gael Monfils is flying!
​
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                                                                                        Image 1.  Gael Monfils
Moisture wicking fabrics have two functions: moving or wicking your sweat to the outer surface of your garment and then drying fast, reducing saturation.  Body temperature is reduced and the fabric is dry to the skin.
 
Capillary action is the technical term and each apparel brand has coined a buzz word referring to their technology, e.g., adidas brand ‘Climalite' and Nike brand ‘Dri-Fit’. Also, mesh is strategically placed to promote ventilation, increasing comfort. So look for moisture wicking fabrics when buying tennis apparel (polos, dresses, shorts, and hats) and get an edge on court.  You can try on clothing locally at the Tennis Junction in Bryn Mawr and Everyone’s Racquet in Center City, Philadelphia.
​
​Bob's Tip of the Day:

To extend the life of your moisture wicking tennis clothes,
​after the wash cycle, hang them to dry.

Which outfits are your favorites?
​

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                 Image 2.  Rafa Nadal                                            Image 3.  Roger Federer


​
​Samir Koukaz, Idle Hour member, certainly knows how to make a fashion statement on the court.
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                                                              Image 4.  Samir Koukaz

​Got caught modeling at a long-ago ASICS sales meeting but ended up alongside the other dummies.
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                                                                                     Image 5.  Bob Strimel

​TENNIS TRIVIA QUESTION

Can you identify the Idle Hour member in Image 7 and his nickname?

​Submit your guess to OurTennisLife@idlehourtennis.com.
(First to answer correctly wins a prize!)
​

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                                                                                          Image 7.


Congratulations!

IHTC Men's Champion, Tom Gavin, and Finalist, Tyrone Aguillard!

​That's all from Our Tennis Life, more to come.  Would love to hear your comments and questions.

Bob
OurTennisLife@idlehourtennis.com
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Custom lace techniques

7/8/2020

 
Welcome back!

First, here are answers to Our Tennis Life Trivia Questions (see blog posted 6/23/2020):

1. What does rough or smooth mean and what exactly is a racquet press?
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Skip Millier was the first to correctly answer the question.
​Rough or smooth was the feel of the strings when spinning for serve. The press was the quadrangle shaped wooden which kept your wooden racquet from warping when not in use. Each corner screwed down securely to keep even pressure on the racquet.

2. IHTC member Robbi Dimond's brother was ranked #1 in men's tennis in the USA.  Name him.

Elaine Boswell was the first to correctly answer the question. 
​
Dennis Ralston is Robbi Dimond's brother, no wonder he won an NCAA doubles title at USC, reached a Wimbledon singles final losing to Manuel Santana, won 3 Grand Slam doubles titles, won 27 national doubles & singles titles, won 2  Davis Cup titles in 1963 and 1972, and is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Robbi taught him well!

Both Skip and Elaine won a new can of Wilson tennis balls which came from Idle Hour Tennis Club.
​
Time for some Equipment Tips:
 
Improving the fit of your tennis footwear can elevate your comfort while playing. The lace techniques pictured below (image 1) are easy to try.  See if these lacing options help your shoes fit better.
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Image 1.
Remember, before buying a pair of new tennis shoes, to try them on! Tennis Junction in Bryn Mawr, PA and Everyone's Racquet in Center City, Philadelphia, have a variety of tennis shoe offerings. There are many great brands offering wear guarantees, lighter weights, and court surface-specific outsoles.

I suggest a full herringbone outsole (image 2) to give the most traction on our Har-Tru clay courts. It can make the difference in getting to that drop shot without slipping!
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Image 2.
Your serve!
 
That’s all from Our Tennis Life, more to come. 
 
Bob
OurTennisLife@idlehourtennis.com
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    OUR TENNIS LIFE BLOG


    Author

    Bob Strimel, a 15-year member of our Club,
    is a widely-respected life-time member of the Delaware Valley tennis community.

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    OurTennisLife@idlehourtennis.com

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