In this article by the Atlantic Magazine, author Josh Speckman explains the physics behind Rafael Nadal's incredible spin potential and how technology has taken modern tennis to a completely different dimension today.
There is also an excellent video that shows this "snap back" effect of polyester strings. "Co-polyester" strings such as the acclaimed Cyber Flash and Cyber Blue strings are merely poly strings coated with special lubricants that allow the string to slip and slide back into place after contact. They propel the ball with a recoiling snap effect while maintaining the durable characteristics of polyester.
*Tennis-Bargains.com Award* Cyber Blue offers great control and feel as a durable cross string.
*Update*: David strung his racket at a high tension when he did this demo; David had much better results after lowering his racket tension from 63 lbs to 57 lbs. When you look at the 96% of players reviewers who recommended the string - the tension usually was between 51 lbs and 55 lbs.
David Emery was formerly the WTA hitting partner for Liezel Huber (former #3 in WTA Doubles). She recently won the 2010 US Open Mixed Doubles with Bob Bryan. Congrats Dave on his promotion! View some other free Tennis Videos and Tips.
East Potomac Tennis Club 1st Annual Club Championship Men's Open Singles (Winner and Finalist)
Facility = B+
Stays fairly warm inside the bubble which has a sealed revolving door to get in. Even though this place has been around for a while, it is still in a very popular, centralized location near the border of VA/DC.
With some of the felt and dust accumulating inside, it could use a good vacuum!
There is usually enough parking outside but it is a short walk/run from the parking lot to get inside. If there is an event happening, you may have to find street parking.
2016 Update:
Brand new 9 hard door courts resurfaced! Blue and solid bounce (no cracks). The clay courts are still dusty deserts though, but barring that, this is a GREAT place to play.
The 1st Annual Club Championship was held here over 9/10/16-9/11/16. I was Men's Singles Champion against a tough opponent.
Staff = A
I've had a couple group lessons here before and the pros are not bad, although it can be on the expensive side if you want private lessons from them ($70/hr). Here is a list of their lessons offerings and price list but if you can organize a small group, they usually have discounts. It's $30/hr for drop-in lessons.
I'd recommend Scott for any kids tennis. He's a very mellow guy and was the former director over at Hilton Head, SC. He has a great sense of tennis history and event management.
Cost = B
Update: The prices have gone up from popularity* Now they hover around $40 per hour (peak and non-peak). About average for the DC area. However, you do NOT need to join a membership program. Therefore, for the infrequent player, this makes for a great choice.
Availability = C
It can be hard to reserve your own court time as this place can be quite busy in the winter. But usually, if you call a week ahead, during a non-booked slot, you can usually get in.
Just remember that you have to pre-pay over the phone if you are not a member, so make sure you and your partner coordinate ahead of time and have a credit card ready. Still no online booking yet!
Overall = B
If you live close to Haines Point and can book ahead of time, this place is a great bargain!
How we rate DC's Tennis Facilities and Clubs
A lot of people have been asking about good deals for indoor tennis courts, and as promised, I will begin writing reviews of local clubs as a "tennis critic".For starters, here is a good listing of tennis clubs with indoor facilities in the DC metro area (VA/MD/DC).
Please note, I will only review the DC indoor tennis clubs that I have personally attended and can provide my assessment of the following categories on a scale from [A] excellent to [E] fail.
For my calculations, I will estimate that the average tennis player will want to play once every week during the winter and will bring 1 friend (guest) to split the costs. I'll let you know if their membership is worth it for frequent players (2-3 times/week in the winter).
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1) Facility - How are the courts? How is the lighting? Is everything clean, well maintained?
2) Staff - How experienced are the average pros teaching there? Are the staff friendly toward you and new non-member guests?
3) Cost - How inexpensive is it to get a membership and court time to play? (1 = $50/hr/person to 5 = $10/hr/person)
4) Availability - Can you get the court you want when you want it? (1 = Call in a week ahead, 5 = Almost always a court available)
5) Overall - Considering all factors, would you join/play here if you lived close by or go somewhere else?
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