The winner of Sportsmart and Wilson’s tennis sponsorship program, Scott Lyons, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – tennis …

In order from highest to lowest, which sport is most popular in Australia: AFL, rugby (league or union), cricket or tennis? Victorians may say AFL first, those up north will proclaim rugby to be the greatest sport of all, while others may believe cricket to be the best. However, as a whole, tennis would generally be seen as the least popular of those options in Australia.

Now ask yourself that same question, yet this time not in terms of popularity in Australia, but popularity on a worldwide scale. This time, tennis would be seen as the most popular sport of all four.

Getting involved in tennis is getting involved in a global sport, a sport which is recognised and followed around the world. It provides opportunities to meet new people from different cultures and provides opportunities for life. Whether you travel overseas or even move overseas in the future, what a luxury it would be to play a sport which is recognised in that country. And when you can join a tennis club in that country, it is the easiest and quickest way to a new network of people.

So play a sport which can be played anywhere and everywhere, pick up a racquet and start hitting!

The winner of Sportsmart and Wilson’s tennis sponsorship program, Scott Lyons, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – tennis …

Novak Djokovic has had an astonishing start to the 2011 season, currently sitting 2^nd in the ATP World Rankings with a 24-0 winning record. Eight of those wins have been against top ten players. So what has changed? And how has Djokovic managed to seemingly bridge the gap between Federer, Nadal and himself?

Djokovic is a very “clean” striker of the ball, and is very capable of overpowering his opponents. However, many experts believe his recent improvement can largely be credited to his defensive game. With multiple recent wins over both Nadal and Federer, what seems to trouble them most is Djokovic’s ability to defend and retrieve, and more importantly, turn defence into attack. Time and time again Nadal and Federer feel like they have to hit 4 ridiculous “winners” in order to win a single point, and even when they hit these great shots, Djokovic will suddenly chase it down and casually whack a winner down the line. It is the ultimate source of frustration to any opponent and is a big confidence breaker.

Djokovic is now fitter, more consistent and more confident. You can never feel safe against him as he can produce big shots on both sides, and he can retrieve your own good shots. However, Nadal and Federer are no easy-beats themselves. So will Djokovic’s form continue for the rest of the year? And will he finally become the world number one? Stay tuned, because this tennis season is looming as one of the most exciting in years!

The winner of Sportsmart and Wilson’s tennis sponsorship program, Scott Lyons, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – tennis …

Thanks to Sportsmart, I received a brand new pair of Babolat’s latest tennis shoes, the Propulse 3 – as worn by Andy Roddick. First impressions: they look very flashy – maybe not the best choice for someone who is really shy!

While these shoes can be used on all court surfaces, they are best suited for hard courts. They were simply fantastic to move with. Comfort was at a maximum, with great cushioning provided and the shoe being flexible with the movement of your feet (no break in required).

What stood out most with the Babolat Propulse 3 was the incredible traction when changing direction. Sideways movement was extremely fast and allowed me to run down many balls which I would have otherwise given up on.

With many other shoes you can often feel your feet slightly sliding back and forth. This not only leads to reduced comfort, but also less control and grip, and slows you down. Furthermore, it is also a main cause of blisters. However, with the Propulse 3 there was NONE of that. The shoes literally fit your feet like a glove and control is at an upmost.

To put simply, if speed and traction are what you want, look no further than the Babolat Propulse 3. They are top of the range shoes and are definitely worth the price tag.

Sportsmart stocks Babolat Propulse 3 tennis shoes.

The winner of Sportsmart and Wilson’s tennis sponsorship program Scott Lyons sat down with the Racquet Category Manager for all Sportsmart stores, Ray James to discuss their passion for tennis.

What does your job at Sportsmart involve?

I have spent the past 25 years with Dunlop Slazenger (Pac Brands Group) in various roles including Victorian Territory Manager and later as Victorian State Manager. These roles included being responsible for ALL tennis racquet and tennis ball sales in Victoria under the Dunlop and Slazenger brands. I am also a level 2 TCAV (Tennis Coaches Assoc. of Victoria) coach.

For the past 2 years, I have joined Sportsmart as the Racquet Category Manager. I am responsible for the purchasing, merchandising and sales for the four Sportsmart stores in Melbourne.

How long have you played tennis for?

I have played tennis from the age of 6 or 7 years old, I started playing in school in boy’s tournaments from the age of 9 winning many under age events. I was selected in State Shell & Linton Cup training squads (under 14 & under 18 state squads).

I played many years of ‘B/ B Special’ Winter Pennant tennis (Current Grade 2/3 Pennant standard) for a few Melbourne tennis clubs including Lauriston T.C,  Dendy Park LTC and Parkdale T.C.

I currently coach part time, at Stella Maris Tennis Club in Beaumaris assisting the head coach Peter Le Breton.

What do you love most about the sport of tennis?

Tennis is a game that you can enjoy from an early age until very late in your life. The club atmosphere and the life long friendships you gain from being involved in tennis are the things you love about the game, whether that is gained from a weekly social hit with friends or competitive matches at night or on the weekend.

Who is your favourite tennis player?

Being brought up in an era of watching the great all court players such as John Newcombe, Tony Roche, John McEnroe and Pat Cash, I love to watch Roger Federer. He can play fantastic topspin or underspin ground strokes from the baseline as well as have great touch and control around the net. He is the complete player.

Why is Sportsmart a great place to come for all your tennis gear?

Sportsmart offers the largest range of tennis equipment, clothing & footwear in Melbourne. We also offer great advice for ALL of your tennis requirements from our expert staff in all four stores.

The Sportsmart website shows our extensive tennis range to our customers, whether they are Smart Card members or new customers to our stores.

We will not be beaten on any price offered by any competitor in the market place. This all adds up to a great place to shop for the tennis enthusiasts.

The winner of Sportsmart and Wilson’s tennis sponsorship program, Scott Lyons, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – tennis …

One thing I found to be fantastic about this range as a whole is that there is a racquet offered for every player, with each racquet being distinct from the previous one and this is clear to the player too. It takes the guess work away from purchasing racquets. As we know, no racquet has optimum power and optimum control; we simply must find a balance between the two. In simple terms for the Organix range, the lower the number, the more power in the racquet, and the higher the number, the more control in the racquet.

Now onto the Organix 8. I can’t lie, this was one of the best racquets I have ever played with. It was unbelievable in all areas and I could not fault it. The Organix 8 is a heavier racquet than the previous two, weighing in at the more common weight of 300 grams. It also has a standard head size of 100 square inches.

Being a former user of the Babolat Aero Pro Drive – a racquet designed for top spin – I never thought any racquet could have as much spin as that racquet. Yet the Organix 8 may have slightly surpassed even that. The top spin was crazy. The racquet was also more than accommodating for slices too.

However, the key difference between this spin friendly racquet and other spin friendly racquets was that this had massive rewards for flattening the ball out too. The power was massive. Despite this though, it was very hard to miss a ball, with the ball hardly ever sailing well long when you ever so slightly mistimed it.

Volleying was very crisp at the net, with the ball coming off nicely and being easy to direct. Likewise, serving was fantastic and I was generating more power on my serve than what I am used to. If you play tennis often and play competition tennis, this racquet is perfect for you.

Finally to conclude, the feature which I loved so much about each racquet was the unbelievable shock absorbance. Any Volkl Organix racquet is perfect for players with elbow problems. Please go and at least have a look at these racquets for yourself. I genuinely hope that more people get to play with them. Remember, not only do Sportsmart offer great knowledge about each and every tennis racquet, but they will let you demo the racquet too.

The winner of Sportsmart and Wilson’s tennis sponsorship program, Scott Lyons, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – tennis …

I have just had the privilege to be able to test out the brand new Volkl Organix range, and I was more than impressed! I was lucky enough to receive three racquets: the Organix 4, the Organix 6 and the Organix 8.

The second racquet I played with was the Organix 6. This racquet is the same weight as the Organix 4 (275g), yet has a more standard head size at 100 square inches. This racquet is light, maneuverable and offers great power without the need for a big swing. Forehands and backhands were both strong with this racquet, with spin easily generated too.

Like the previous racquet I tried out – the Organix 4, when you take a swipe, it stays hit. However, while this racquet is powerful, the power shouldn’t be entirely seen as your hardest shot alone. The main benefit of the extra power is for the regular shots and the shots where you are not in position to swing fully. Again, due to the lightweight, it was great fun serving with this racquet. I found greater consistency and power, and was able to hit good topspin serves.

So who is this racquet best suited to? If you play regularly with a good technique then this is a great racquet for you. If you often lack power in certain shots, whether it be a defensive backhand or anything else, then this will compliment your game perfectly.

Sportsmart has a wide range of tennis racquets to suit every players needs. To check out the Organix 6 tennis racquet for yourself, visit the Sportsmart website or come in store and try it out.

The winner of Sportsmart and Wilson’s tennis sponsorship program, Scott Lyons, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – tennis …

I have just had the privilege to be able to test out the brand new Volkl Organix range, and I was more than impressed! I was lucky enough to receive three racquets: the Organix 4, the Organix 6 and the Organix 8.

The first racquet I tried out was the Organix 4. Upon picking it up, the first features I noticed were its light weight (275g) and its relatively large head size (105 square inches). However, upon playing my first shot, I noticed power! If you can time this racquet well and swing hard, your opponent will barely see the ball.

It was very solid in all areas, including slices and volleys. The light weight of the racquet was excellent for volleys, as the racquet was so manoeuvrable. Further to this, for the times where you are too lazy to get into position or simply just get caught up and have to jab at the ball in hope, a lot of easy power is generated. So for those that don’t have the textbook techniques, this racquet is brilliant for you.

The highlight of this racquet for me was serving. My serving technique is not the greatest, and I struggle to generate momentum through my swing. Yet with the light weight of this racquet, serving was fantastic. Big serving was very possible, yet kick serves for the second serve were even better. With the lightness of the racquet, generating the required racquet head speed to brush up on the ball was too easy.

Overall, if you are the sort of player who doesn’t have a textbook technique, yet love out-rallying your opponents, then this is the racquet for you. Easy power is on offer, and a simple jab can often generate more power compared to a full swing with another racquet.

Sportsmart has a wide range of tennis racquets to suit every players needs. To check out the Organix 4 tennis racquet for yourself, visit the Sportsmart website or come in store and try it out.

The winner of Sportsmart and Wilson’s tennis sponsorship program, Scott Lyons, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – tennis …

Suppose you are playing in the final of a local tennis tournament. You call your opponents forehand ‘out’. However, as you look a little bit closer, you notice that the ball is in by a few millimetres. You take a glance to the other side of the court and notice that your opponent has accepted the ‘out’ call and is walking to the other side of the court. Would you correct your original call, and concede the point

Many in this situation, knowing they can get away with it- would not correct themselves, despite knowing this is not the sportsmanlike thing to do. In tennis, good sportsmanship means to play fair and to respect your opponent- win or lose.

Nobody likes to lose and when you have trained hard your whole life, it can be hard to admit a loss as a result of your own doing. It is important to not blame the balls, court, your racquet or the weather conditions for losing a match. Remember, sometimes your opponent can just be too good on the day. Only a mature and positive attitude to losing can help your game. You cannot learn from your mistakes if you refuse to admit them.

Similarly, being gracious in victory is an important element of good sportsmanship. While it is always a good feeling to win a match, keep in mind how your opponent would be feeling for losing the match. A compliment never goes astray, and it all makes for a friendlier environment.

What are the benefits of demonstrating sportsmanship? Well not only can you enjoy a win knowing you won fairly on your own merit, but it will help your game dramatically. When you stay cool and calm on the court, not only does it help you stay composed, but it sends a powerful message to your opponent that you aren’t letting down. We all know the confidence you receive when you see your opponent rattled, so don’t let your opponent receive that same confidence.

The large majority of players do exhibit good sportsmanship, and while they may not necessarily be the best players, it is those people who really enjoy playing tennis the most.

The winner of Sportsmart and Wilson’s tennis sponsorship program, Scott Lyons, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – tennis …

The Australian tennis season is now over, and footy is well and truly back. Does this mean we hang up the racquet until the end of the year? Of course not! In fact, there is no better time than right now to be playing tennis.

Tennis is generally known as an all-year sport. But, while some (including me) don’t mind playing in the middle of winter, no one could argue against the fact that the weather conditions for playing tennis are far better right now than when the cold weather hits later in the year.

Warmer weather means the balls bounce better and travel through the air faster, resulting in enjoyable rallies. Warm weather also means not being cold! Of course the downside to this is that you may get more tired and may sweat more, but this can very easily be resolved. If you want to play in the heat, play in the middle of the day. If you prefer slightly cooler conditions, play in the morning or evening. It’s that simple. You can tailor the conditions to your own preferences.

So make the most of this weather while you can. Before you know it we will be having 11 degree days and the sun setting at 5:30pm.

And remember to also stock up at Sportsmart’s Summer of Tennis Sale before the end of the month!