Roger Clarke, Hinsdale | Blogspot
Tennis Professional in Hinsdale, Illinois
Sunday, July 1, 2018
What to Eat and Not to Eat before a Tennis Match
Roger Clarke is a passionate sportsman who currently works as a tennis instructor in the Chicago suburbs. Aiming to inspire younger people around Chicago to become athletes, Roger Clarke has helped bring tennis to local schools and also delivered a speech on getting proper exercise and eating the right food.
Eating healthy is important in order to gain the physical capacity to play tennis. Players require complex carbohydrates before and after a match. Complex carbohydrates provide the body with enough energy to last through the day, so dieticians recommend eating foods like wheat, oatmeal, and fruits that are low in calories.
Before a match, players are encouraged to consume only a moderate amount of protein, which is found in milk, egg whites, and yogurt. Large amounts of protein can be consumed after a match due to its refueling properties that help the body recover lost energy.
Dieticians recommend that players do not eat meals with high sugar content to avoid energy crashes while playing. Too much sugar releases insulin from the pancreas, resulting in sleepiness and the inability to focus.
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Friday, June 1, 2018
Performing an Overhead Smash Shot in Tennis
Chicago-area tennis professional Roger Clarke divides his time between studying to become a teacher at National Louis University and teaching tennis at LaGrange Country Club and Hinsdale Racquet Club. As a tennis instructor, Roger Clarke works with students in the Chicago area to increase their skills as tennis players.
Of the many shots in tennis, the overhead smash is one that is often performed poorly. Most players do not practice this shot enough.
To start, turn sideways as soon as you see a lob from your opponent. As you do this, bring your racket and hands to your chest, and adopt your usual serving grip. Overhead smash shots are similar to serves, so much of the shot resembles the preparation for a serve.
Ideally, the ball should come down right in front of you. Because of this, you may need to adjust your location as you watch the ball come toward you.
Still, your body must remain sideways when moving, so you must employ sidestepping. This requires a comfortable familiarity with footwork so you don’t trip on your own feet.
When the ball gets closer, move both hands above your head. Extend your empty hand toward the ball while you move your racket behind your head.
Then, move your racket hand up so the racket head meets the ball at the highest point. Instead of hitting this shot as hard as possible, simply finish the hit smoothly.
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Four Benefits of Reading That You Probably Didn’t Know About
Roger Clarke, a graduate student at Chicago’s National Louis University, divides his time between studying to be an elementary school teacher and teaching tennis as a tennis professional. In his professional role, he works with students of all ages at the LaGrange Country Club and Hinsdale Racquet Club in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale. Outside of work, Roger Clarke enjoys reading.
Below are several unexpected benefits of reading:
1. Longer lifespan: According to a study from 2016, readers live almost two years longer than their non-reading counterparts. Further, you can live longer by reading just 30 minutes a day, so there’s no requirement for you to make a major commitment to reading hours a day.
2. Boosts memory: You likely already know that reading boosts your vocabulary, but it also improves your memory. Every time you read, your brain forms a new memory. This exercises the memory process and strengthens your memory reflexes.
3. More empathetic: When you read, you have likely become emotionally attached to certain characters. While this may seem strange to some, it helps you be more sensitive towards the feelings of people you meet in real life.
4. Lowers stress: Reading is a great way to distract the mind, thus allowing it to relax from a stressful day. A study from 2009 found that reading for six minutes reduces stress by almost 70 percent. Meanwhile, another study revealing that silently reading slows the heart rate and reduces muscle tension.
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Sunday, March 18, 2018
The Three Types of Outdoor Tennis Courts
A tennis professional in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale, Illinois, Roger Clarke teaches tennis to players of all ages at Hinsdale Racquet Club and La Country Club. In addition to teaching students, Roger Clarke takes care of the clay tennis courts at the clubs.
There are three basic types of outdoor tennis courts. The following is a brief description of each:
Clay: Made of crushed stone, shale, or brick, clay courts are often seen in Latin America and Europe. These courts provide higher bounces that are perfect for players who use heavy spin and make consistent shots. While the cost of building a clay court is cheaper than other types of courts, maintenance costs are typically more expensive.
Grass: At one time, grass courts were the most popular tennis court around. However, the high cost of maintaining them has resulted in grass courts becoming very rare. Players with knee problems are better suited for playing on grass courts because these courts are softer. Unfortunately, these courts restrict how high the ball bounces.
Hard Courts: These types of tennis courts are usually made of cement or plastic. Since they favor hard serves and offer short rallies, they are often used for tournaments in the US and Australia. Hard courts are capable of handling varying types of play because it equalizes play better than clay and grass courts.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Roger Federer Wins Record 20th Grand Slam
Capitalizing on more than a decade of experience coaching tennis, Roger Clarke serves as a tennis professional at Hinsdale Racquet Club just outside of Chicago. In this capacity, Roger Clarke provides training and healthy eating regimens to Hinsdale players who play the sport on a recreational basis, as well as those who aspire to play at a high level.
Aspiring professional male tennis players can only hope to one day achieve a fraction of what Roger Federer has accomplished throughout his career. The 36-year-old native of Switzerland became the first man to win 20 Grand Slam titles on January 28 as he defeated Marin Cilic in a five-set battle to determine the winner of the Australian Open. Beyond establishing a new record for most Grand Slam titles won by a male player, Federer became the second-oldest man in the Open era to win a Grand Slam behind only Ken Rosewall, who was 37 years old when he won the 1972 Australian Open.
Federer was stuck on 17 Grand Slam titles for over four years, but returned to being one of the most dominant players on the planet in the past year. With the Australian Open win, he has now won three of the past five Grand Slams. Rafael Nadal and Pete Sampras rank second and third in Grand Slam wins with 15 and 14, respectively.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
The Top Three Grand Slam Winners in Tennis
Roger Clarke is a Chicago-based tennis instructor who has worked at the Hinsdale Racquet Club since 2011. Beyond his role at Hinsdale, Roger Clarke enjoys playing and watching tennis in his free time.
Roger Federer leads all professional male tennis players with 19 Grand Slam wins, but the three most decorated players of all-time are women.
1. Margaret Court - A native of Perth, Australia, Court won a record 24 Grand Slams, including 11 Australian Opens. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1979.
2. Serena Williams - This American won her 23rd Grand Slam in 2017, when she won the Australian Open for a seventh time, despite being two months pregnant. She has also won Wimbledon seven times and earned six U.S. Open and three French Open titles.
3. Steffi Graf - A native of Germany, Graf won 22 Grand Slams over her career. She's a seven-time winner of Wimbledon and six-time winner of the French Open. She also spent a total of 377 weeks as the top-ranked female player in the world.
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Mastering the One-Handed and Two-Handed Backhand in Tennis
Based in Hinsdale, Illinois, tennis professional Roger Clarke teaches learners of all ages, emphasizing the link between broader life success and tennis skills. At Hinsdale Racquet Club, Roger Clarke instructs his students in fundamental strokes that include the backhand.
The one-handed backhand offers the benefit of superior reach and is ideal for shots that come into the body and require flexibility in the angle used. The two-handed backhand has advantages in terms of control and stability and can help when reaching for high shots.
For both types of backhand, a key is not to shorten the backswing, as this can make the return shots weak and without sufficient range to clear the net with accuracy. This can be accomplished with the two-handed backhand through ensuring that the non-dominant hand is used at least as much as the dominant hand. This helps to lengthen the extension as you follow through.
In addition, proper balance is essential, with shots anticipated and leaned into whenever possible. The savvy opponent will seek to exploit any weakness in the backhand until you prove that you can return equally effectively from any position.
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