DATE: October 2007 [PDF]
President's Parlay | From the Manager | Hunter's Lair | Results | New Members | Last Month's News
Our annual meeting is coming up in just two months, and that means election
of officers, with half of the board being replaced. If you should have an interest
in being a candidate for election, please let Gary, Hunter, or any board member
know. Don't be prevented from doing so by the thought that it will involve an
onerous time requirement. My experience on the board has been a pleasant one,
not requiring an excess of time. Serving as a board member gives one a better
understanding of how the club functions, and also provides an opportunity to
become better acquainted with a small group of members different from those
met on the court. Since this is a member-owned club, we all share in the responsibility
of seeing that it runs smoothly, and meets the members' needs. Please give it
some thought.See you on the courts,
Wayne Phillips, TTC President
DOUBLES STRATEGY: DON'T PLAY UP-AND-BACK; FORGET THE ALLEY
It's the finals of the class "C" mixed doubles tournament. You're standing at the net trying to look cool. You watch the ball float by to your waiting partner at the baseline. He returns it cross-court and again it returns. Your eyes are riveted to the ball as it crosses the net again and again. You begin to feel like your head is on a swivel … back and forth … back and forth.
"I hope it doesn't come my way," you mumble to yourself. You inch over into the doubles alley to make sure that it won't. "I'll protect my alley and let him take care of the rest," you decide. The ball continues its cross-court flight as your mind begins to wander. Just when you start to think about your evening activities you notice the ball heading right at you. "Oh my gosh!" BOOM!
Your glasses fly and before you realize what happened you've tasted your first fuzz sandwich.
"I hate doubles!" you cry as you bend over to pick up your shattered spectacles. "I feel so stupid up there waiting for an opportunity to make a fool of myself. Not only does my elbow hurt, but I think I'm developing a serious case of tennis neck."
…Such is the plight of the weekend social doubles player. Actually, this isn't doubles at all; the four players take turns playing singles on half the court while the other two wait their turn. It shouldn't be this way. Doubles is fun and exciting - if you know how to play.
The first lesson to remember is always play as a team. This means that you must respect your double partner. Don't intimidate them! If they make a mistake, try not to frown and mumble things under your breath. One nasty remark and you'll find them cringing in the doubles alley. They're no good to you there. Regardless of their skills, they'll be more valuable to your team in the middle of the court. Position them halfway between the center service line and the doubles sideline. Their responsibility is to go after anything they can get their hands on. Even though they may make a few mistakes, in the long run it will be better for your team.
After a few successful putaways, your nervous opponents may begin to err, trying to keep the ball away from the netman. Give'em the alley - protect the center. An occasional passing shot down-the-line won't hurt. It's the down-the-middle "I GOT IT … YOU TAKE IT" shots that will defeat you.
Another suggestion to help your sloppy doubles play is to forget about playing up and back. In fact, you shouldn't be in this situation if your partner fails to join you at the net. Yet everyone plays like this. By playing up and back for the entire point you are exposing an unprotected gap in the center of the court. If your crosscourt return doesn't make it crosscourt, the net man will either nail your partner dead in his tracks of casually put the ball behind them. The answer is to keep both players together; either up at the net together or back at the baseline together.
Even the pros use this tactic. When receiving a big serve they anticipate making a weak return move the net player back to the baseline. This eliminates the center gap. They also move together when they have been lobbed. If one has to retreat to the baseline, the other will join them. The same goes when approaching the net. Don't leave your partner at the baseline; if one goes up both should go up. Now you have a better idea how to win at doubles. Get out of the alley: snort, growl and get aggressive. Don't badmouth your partner and forget about the I formation. Have fun and play together!
MAINTENANCE PROJECTS
We have been working hard the past couple of months on keeping the club to a high standard. The projects we have done this summer are:
We hope that you enjoy the club and it's updates and we did not inconvenience you too much in making these updates.
OCTOBER MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL
Starting Sept. 21 until the end of October Timberhill will be offering a membership
initiation special. You can join TTC at any membership level for $49 with no
time commitment. If you know of any potential members this is a great time to
introduce them to Timberhill. Invite them out during October, since this is
also free guest month, and see if they are interested in joining TTC. Remember,
if you do sponsor a member who joins you will receive a free months dues.
POTENTIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Timberhill is a member-owned club and relies on its membership to participate in many aspects of club operations. We have committees, volunteers for activities and this time of year looking for 5-6 people interested in serving on TTC's Board of directors. It is a two-year term and we meet monthly and go over financial statements and make any decision that need to be made monthly. You can contact Gary or any of our existing Board members and ask them about time commitment or other potential hesitations you may have for being on the Board. With our staff it is really a pretty easy job and will give you a great idea on what it takes to run a club.
If you are interested contact Gary or any existing Board member and let us know that you are willing to participate.
OCTOBER FREE GUEST MONTH
Do you know someone interested in starting back or starting up tennis? This is a great time to bring them out to try Timberhill. October is designated as FREE guest month. You must still sign-in the guest up in the clubhouse, but you will not be charged the normal $9 guest fee.
CORVALLIS HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS COURTS
The fight for the Corvallis High Tennis Court replacement is still on. If you want to help make sure that they get built within the next year put down Wednesday Oct. 3 at 7pm on your calendar. At the downtown fire station there will be a final planning commission meeting and we are asking all interested parties to show up and show support for this project. We have been fighting for this project for the past three years.
Well, the club is looking great, as is the weather, and it is a great time to be enjoying tennis at Timberhill. With our open house week and the All-Comers tournament behind us, we look forward to our next social event the 2nd annual "Meet the Members & Guests" party on November 2. What makes TTC such a special place club is the different roles our members play as volunteers, Board members, committee members. And of course tennis players! This is a great opportunity to mix in new faces to your doubles groups or find a new hitting partner. Be reminded that due to impending inclement weather, the afternoon court times for courts 4-6 may be more difficult to reserve on some days than they were in the summer. Thanks you for bearing with us and supporting the future of the club.
No results to report this month. Look here next month for the results of the Corvallis All-Comers Tournament, held September 21-23 at Timberhill.
Welcome New Members! Looking for new players to try out your skills? Please feel free to call any of these new members and line up some tennis matches.
Lee Guo & Hui Lui - 829-0713: Both play evenings and weekends and play at the 3.0 level.
John Chen - 754-8458: John is a 3.0 level player and enjoys singles or doubles. He can play evening or weekends.
Adrian Ares - 753-7984: Adrian is a 3.5 level player who is new to town. Adrian can play evenings or weekends and will play both singles or doubles.
Jennifer Yang & Rob Dietz - 829-1538: Jennifer is a 3.5 and Rob is a 4.0 level player. They enjoy mixed, doubles or singles and are looking for new players to play. Both have a little flexibility in their schedule.
Michael Zhao & Hui Hu - 503-625-5836: Michael and Hui play at
the 3.0 level and play evenings and weekends.
Matt Hanigan - 990-0762: Matt has a lot of flexibility in his schedule and plays at the 3.5 level. He like singles but will fill in for a doubles group.
Armida Guerrero - 908-3283: Armida teaches school in Albany and can play after school or weekdays. Armida like singles but also will play doubles. She played in Grants Pass and plays at the 3.5 level.
Richard & Belinda Kramer - 745-5646: Richard and Belinda play at the 3.0 level and are looking for doubles or mixed doubles teams to play.
With many new members this is a great time to expand your tennis horizons and give some of these new members a call to play. They would welcome a call to play. Remember that if you want to get some other players call Gary at the club and I can help you get networked with other Timberhill members.