Mental and physical fitness can be encouraged by the practice of various sports activities. Among the many sports events one may get himself/herself into is table tennis. This activity is not only one fun sport; it is also an activity that may help improve our mental and physical health.

Table tennis is a sport activity more commonly known as “Ping-Pong”. It is played by two to four players who use plastic paddles in hand to strike the ball. History has it that table tennis was originally played by army officers using wine corks and old cigar boxes during the 1200s. During the late 1800s, the sport became widely popular among the wealthy people of England as an after dinner entertainment activity. By 1927, the sport was named a competitive sport activity. Since then, various improvements on both the equipment and game rules have been observed for the said sport.

The very first recorded mention of tennis was in the fourteenth Cycle of plays called ‘The Second Shepherds? Play’ from the Wakefield Yorkshire dramatist known simply as The Wakefield Master. In scene VIII Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur?s round table plays tennis with a band of giants.

However, this would have been the medieval form of tennis known as real tennis which had evolved more than three centuries from an earlier ball game played in France around the 12th century.

This involved hitting the ball with the bare hand or later a glove and is believed to have started with monks playing the game in monastery cloisters, judging by the construction and appearance of some of the early courts.

The game quickly proved to be a hit among European royals and in England was taken up by Henry V in the early fifteenth century. A hundred years later Henry VIII made the biggest impact as a young monarch, playing the game with enthusiasm at Hampton Court on a court he built in 1530.

Andre Agassi, a born-legend. Nobody could ever imagine how Andre felt about the game. Nobody could ever imagine what went through Andre’s head during many matches throughout his career. Nobody could ever imagine how Andre got to number one in the world, it wasn’t his choice!

At an early age of seven years old, Andre’s father really began to start training Andre at a very intense level. Andre’s father came from a boxing back-ground, where he fought professionally and boxed for the Iranian national boxing team. His mentality of boxing was carried over into training his son and there was no-holding back.

As we mentioned Andre had a tough father. One example that stands out in my mind from the book was the theory his father had about hitting 3,000 balls per day. He believed if Andre hit 3,000 balls per day and over 1,000,000 balls per year that he would definitely be the best one day. Well, there probably aren’t many seven year old boys out there training like this and his dad’s formula proved to be correct.

If you’re serious about your tennis game you have to make it your focus. Practice. Practice. Practice. There’s no substitute for hours on the court. It will make the difference between a good game of tennis and your best game.

The first thing you need to do is find a decent court where you can play regularly. The surface and nets should be well-maintained. Look for storage areas where you can store personal items.

Before you begin practicing you should always stretch your muscles. By stretching you will prevent injuries. Spend about 15 minutes before working out and you won’t pull or cramp your muscles.

Plan your workout clothes carefully. You want to look good but you also should be comfortable. If you are comfortable you will be able to focus on your playing and not what you are wearing. Don’t be distracted unnecessarily by your clothing.

When practicing with someone you should begin with light volleys at the net. Gradually move to the baseline. When you’re warming up, go easy and increase the difficulty of your shots so that you can speed up your reaction times.

August twelfth, ’09 was a bright, sunny Wednesday morning in Montreal. Since I was working at the Rogers Cup, I got admission to the grounds and had specially asked for the day off so I could go see all the professionals’ practices. It was indeed a rich schedule with the best 10 competing all the way through the day.

At eleven that day, a pal and I headed over toward Court 4 where the world’s No.1, Roger Federer, was due to arrive at 11:30am. Already jam packed with roughly a few hundred people, there was hardly any room to move.

As the time approached, the place was packed with people who enthusiastically waited to get a glimpse of the Swiss Maestro. With the sun scorching at 35 levels celsius, we watched him loosen up and we saw him hitting balls. To be honest, it was relatively unexciting and was scheduled to go on for 2 hours.

A lot has changed in Tennis over the years. Most of the changes happened around the Eighties, the style of play altered dramatically, as did the racquets.

Let’s just take a look back at some of the great players of the Eighties; not necessarily the best players of the Decade, but still some of the well known players.

One player must stand out above all others from the Eighties, when he was on top of his game he was almost untouchable, and his name was Bjorn Borg. He was one of the best players around at the time, but for some reason known only to himself, he decided to call it a day and retired whilst he was still quite young, what a waste of a great talent.

In contrast to Borg and towards the latter part of the Eighties, there was Stefan Edberg, probably one of the best serve and volley players at the time. This undoubtedly got him to the number one spot.

The Australian Open once again got the tennis year off to a great start and whetted out appetite for the forthcoming season. The master they call Roger Federer once again lifted that famous trophy, sending out a warning to all his opponents that he’s still the man to beat.

Don’t assume, however, at this early stage, it’s going to be the same winners at all the Majors. There are a few good players just waiting to seize the moment and lift a few big titles themselves. Here are a few who showed great promise last year, and this could well be their time to shine.

There are a few players to keep an eye out for this year, as 2010 could well be the year that they achieve their potential.

The peak of her 2009 season was beating some big names to battle her way through to the semi finals of the US Open. With years yet to mature and grow as a player, she could well be lifting many major trophies in the years to come.

If you are a tennis fan and actually play yourself, you may well have experienced a game on a clay court. This is the very old, red surface that has been used in countries like France and Spain since the game originated.

If you ever have the opportunity to play on clay; grab it with both hands! It really is a unique experience and one you will never forget. Just stepping on that stunning red surface is a thrill!

We are all fascinated by both its appearance and the way that red clay changes the game of tennis. Here are a few snippets of information that you may not already know.

A player who constantly serves and volleys on other surfaces will find themselves really struggling on the class. As will those whose success depends on the accuracy of their booming serves.

To see a player approach the net is a great rarity on clay. The baseline player is the one who will win through on the red clay court.

As tennis continues to grow its fans and players will always be arguing on what determines a good player and which skills are the most important to have.

It can be fun considering the different perspectives and opinions of the many arguments that evolve from the different aspects of the game.

I have listed a few elements to consider. Which do you think are important?

Looking back at top players in history such as John McEnroe, the question to ask is, is it volleying? All things considered, a regular game may be a danger for either opponent and end a point without trouble.

Is baseline play across the net favoured by modern games? A Lot of tennis experts would argue in favour. Andy Roddick would spend time playing the game from the net but he now prefers the baseline play. And take the example of Rafael Nadal who also takes control from the rear of the court.

As the sport continues to evolve, many players and fans of tennis will debate the merits of the most important skill that a player can possess.

It can be fun considering the different perspectives and opinions of the many arguments that evolve from the different aspects of the game.

Here are the most important factors. Let’s see which one you think matters most.

What about volleying? A game that it going too smoothly can become a disadvantage for opponents as point may easily be lost. Just take a look back at players of the past such as John McEnroe.

Many tennis buffs would argue that the modern game favors baseline play over the net. After all, look at the dominance of Rafael Nadal from the back of the court. Even players like Andy Roddick, who once spent more time at the net, are recently favoring the baseline and opting for ground strokes.