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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Since 2011, Roger Clarke has served as a tennis professional at the Hinsdale Racquet Club in Hinsdale, just outside of Chicago. Roger Clarke welcomes Hinsdale Racquet Club students of all ages, including children 3 years of age and older.Playing tennis helps children to develop physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. On the tennis court, children learn how to take ownership of their own decisions and adapt to a changing situation in the moment, as no one can respond for them when their opponents make unexpected moves. They practice staying calm in stressful situations and learn to control their emotions when their performance is at stake.A child on the tennis court also learns to win and lose gracefully. In experiencing both of these at varying times, the child comes to understand the importance of respecting an opponent, whatever the results of the game. Doubles games play a particularly crucial role in the development of these skills. Children playing doubles must learn to work as a team and communicate with their partner, while also engaging in fair competition with their opponents.At the same time, children learn how to become better athletes. They benefit from hard work and dedication, which pay off in improved performance on the court. They come to understand that planning and goal setting yield better results than simply reacting spontaneously in the moment, and they learn how to rely on these strategies even when emotions are running high.As children develop their tennis skills, they become stronger and more flexible. They increase their endurance through high-intensity exercise, and they build their hand-eye and gross motor coordination. These practices help children optimize their physical well-being in their formative years. The mental and psychosocial aspects of tennis help them grow in those capacities as well.
