Players for the Food for Thought round robin held in September raised enough money to fill 1,200 backpacks of food. Photo by Jacqueline Ward
It’s fall, and the weather in Seaside is great for tennis. Winter is just around the corner. The temperature has dropped, and the breeze is blowing. Even the sun doesn’t have that same intensity. And the days are shorter, too. All of this will affect your tennis game.
Remember that the cooler temps require a longer warm up. It takes most of us a little longer to get going when the mercury drops. Be sure to go through the tennis swing completely to stretch everything out to prevent injury. Strings will break more often, and really cold weather will change the bounce of the ball.
The wind blowing the leaves around also blows the tennis ball around. Wind is one of the biggest influences on the flight of a tennis ball. Embrace it and learn to use it to your advantage. It helps the speed of the ball when it’s behind you. It helps the spin of the ball when you are hitting into it. And it will keep the ball in or blow the ball out when it gusts or swirls across the court. You should always know which way the wind is blowing to make needed adjustments.
In addition to the reduced intensity, the sun also hangs lower in the sky this time of year. It seems to be right in your line of sight more since it is not high in on the horizon like it is in the summer. The sun is also a huge influence on you and your opponent. Changeovers keep the sun from being unfair to one player or the other, but the player who handles the sunny side best seems to fair better at the end. Adjustments will have to be made to your toss, and sometimes your stance, to prevent the blinding effect the sun can have.
Shorter days mean night play is needed from time to time, too. Lights make the ball look different and also cause sight issues when playing at night. Even the night air seems to affect all aspects of your tennis game. It feels moist, and the balls seem to get heavier.
We are fortunate to live in such a great climate for fall and winter tennis. Look at the weather in other areas of the country and be thankful you have the opportunity to play all winter outside. And most days here in Seaside are sunny. Oh, yeah, that can be a problem. What a great problem you have here for your tennis game! See you on the courts. c
Tracy Townsend is a resort Tennis expert and his company, 30A Tennis, manages Seaside Tennis on behalf of the Seaside Community Development Corp. You can reach him at tennis@seasidefl.com or call (850) 231-2214. For news events and court conditions, find Seaside Tennis on Facebook.
Pro Shop Hours:
Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Friday-Sunday 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Eye-Opener Clinic:
Monday-Thursday 9-10 a.m.
Round Robin:
Friday-Sunday 9-10:30 a.m.
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