HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: twromero@McRCIM.McGill.EDU (Michael Lin)
Subject: Re: Tennis Balls: A Question
Originator: twromero@Davinci.McRCIM.McGill.EDU
Organization: McGill Research Centre for  Intelligent Machines
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 92 18:35:14 GMT


In article <1992Apr4.193007.19113@athena.cs.uga.edu>, greg@athena.cs.uga.edu (Greg Whitlock) writes:
|> Okay, so this may sound stupid but I've never really known the correct
|> answer to this question:
|> 
|> Does the number on a tennis ball mean ANYTHING?
|> 
|> I once heard it reflects the type of surface the ball should be used
|> on.  But... *shrug*
|> 
|> Thanks.
|> 
|> -Greg
|>  (greg@athena.cs.uga.edu)


   To my knowledge, the numbers shown on tennis balls are for the
purpose of avoiding ball confusion. Since we rarely get to play 
on a court where there isn't any other court right next to it.

   With numbers on the balls, it's less likely that people playing
adjacent to you would be playing with balls carrying the same number.
Especially, when one also likely to use different brands of tennis
balls along with the numbers surely will help dimishing some mixups.


Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
From: seetog@cheops.qld.tne.oz.au (Paul O'Keeffe)
Subject: Re: strings
Keywords: tension
Organization: Telecom Australia, TNE Computer Support Services
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 01:23:36 GMT


Taking the loose strings example to its extreme, has anyone noticed how
the properties of the racquet change when you try to play with a broken
string (i.e. very loose strings).

I find that it becomes almost impossible to hit topspin.  Everything just
sails over the end (not much different to usual :-).  To play with any kind
of success, I need to change to a "McEnroe" style game - push the ball
around the court with flat or slightly topspun shots and try to get to the
net as quickly as possible.  It also seems to be easier than usual to generate
power with these softer push shots.

Maybe its no accident that McEnroe and Borg have (had?) the kind of games
thay have, considering that they use v. loose and v. tight strings,
respectively.

Paul O'Keeffe.

Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
From: palmer@uvmark.uucp (Filaman)
Subject: Re: strings
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 92 13:13:41 GMT
Organization: Vmark Software, Inc.
Keywords: tension

In article <1992Apr13.192200.7123@nic.unh.edu> tjb@mozz.unh.edu (Thomas J. Baker) writes:
>
>The way Tennis Magazine explained it in an article last year,
>tighter string tensions gives more control, spin, etc. due to
>the fact that when the ball makes contact with the string bed,
>it flattens out, increasing the contact surface between ball and
>string.  Conversely, a looser string bed gives somewhat, the
>ball doesn't flatten, decreasing the contact surface, and the
>added slingshot effect of the string provides more power and less
>control.

Actually in Tennis magazine's acticle concerning spin last year, they claimed
that "looser" strings give more spin. I was puzzled by this and called
the USRSA to verify it. They said that Tennis magazine usually consults
with them first on technical issues and they were incorrect. They were
supposed to change their statement in a subsequent issue (I don't know
if it ever showed up).
-- 
 _____   _   _       __    _    _    __    _    _     Palmer Chappelle
| ____) | | | |     /  \  |  \/  |  /  \  |  \ | |    VMark Software, Inc.
| __)   | | | |__  | || | | |\/| | | || | | |\\| |    uvmark%palmer@merk.com
|_|     |_| |____) |_||_| |_|  |_| |_||_| |_| \ _|    USRSA Certified Stringer
From: szeto@teecs.UUCP (Tat-Man(A.) Szeto)
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 18:00:57 GMT
Subject: Edberg vs. Chang
Organization: Litton Systems, Toronto ONT
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis

Recently, there has been a lot of talk on whether 
Michael Chang can beat Stephen Edberg, Jim Courier,
Becker or Sampras, etc; on whether he can win another
Grand Slam title; on if he can ever become world's 
no.1 or 2.....
For me, it doesn't matter if Michael beats Stefan
or Stefan beats Michael.  Each of them has already
had drastically different contribution to the men's
tour and to tennis as a whole.  While Chang adds
unexpected excitement and suspense to the men's game,
Edberg reminds us of how graceful and fluid sport
can be, even in a game like tennis where power plays
a big part.
Chang doesn't have as a big a serve as other male 
players do, but he has beaten the top players recently.  
When I watch him play, I always wonder: Can he do it
again this time?  How is he going to counter-punch
those big serves?  I care less on whether he can
eventually win than on how and what he'll do to try
to win.  When Michael plays, you never know what the
outcome will be.  With his short and small frame,
it's like watching David fight Goliath.  But he seems
to be able to win unwinnable matches.
While Michael brings suspense, Stefan brings class
and style.  Knowing he is inconsistent, I don't
expect him to win all the time and I don't care.
His game by itself is just beautiful to watch.
So clean, so graceful and so fluid.  Edberg is like
a modern day tennis version of an ancient Greek
olympic athlete.  The way he serves, moves to the
net, and stretches for high volleys displays
classic athleticism.
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
From: nancyc@cortex.physiol.su.oz.au (Nancy Chan)
Subject: USA Today's "defence" of Ashe story
Summary: What was USA Today's reason for the Ashe story.
Keywords: USA Today Arthur Ashe
Organization: Department of Physiology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1992 05:05:35 GMT

I have been told that USA Today ran an article defending itself,
in relation to the Arthur Ashe story.

To anyone who read it, please post the details.
From: palmer@uvmark.uucp (Filaman)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Re: strings
Date: 12 Apr 92 16:17:51 GMT
Article-I.D.: uvmark.1992Apr12.161751.46157
Organization: Vmark Software, Inc.

In article <1992Apr11.232621.1734@seas.gwu.edu> se020151@seas.gwu.edu (Hyok Lee) writes:
>
>: 4.) Higher string tensions
> 
>It has been my experience that lower tensions imparts more spin because
>the ball stays on the strings longer.

Not according to high speed photograpy. You have to remember that these are
very subtle differences. Most of what you feel is in your head anyways. Even
my most picky A players cannot tell the difference. I have one guy who was
having problems getting the tension right in his racquet. His previous stringer
used a spring tension machine that strings at a lower tension than the 
"constant pull" machines like the one I have. For these people, I usually
string 10% lower than their normal tension. He wanted a tension of 60, so
I strung it at 60 and it was too tight. I told him he should try 54, he said
no that's too loose, I need 58. He's been playing for a very long time and
used to string himself. He claims he knows the difference and can tell
tension variances by the pound. I strung it at 54 anyways. Now he says, it
feels perfect, he can tell it's 58. I told him eventually, but it's what
he believed that was most important. Of course, no matter what you believe,
Tournament Nylon will not play like Natural Gut :).
-- 
 _____   _   _       __    _    _    __    _    _     Palmer Chappelle
| ____) | | | |     /  \  |  \/  |  /  \  |  \ | |    VMark Software, Inc.
| __)   | | | |__  | || | | |\/| | | || | | |\\| |    uvmark%palmer@merk.com
|_|     |_| |____) |_||_| |_|  |_| |_||_| |_| \ _|    USRSA Certified Stringer
From: palmer@uvmark.uucp (Filaman)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Re: strings
Keywords: tension
Date: 12 Apr 92 16:08:24 GMT
Article-I.D.: uvmark.1992Apr12.160824.5619
Organization: Vmark Software, Inc.

In article <v85t87l@rpi.edu> richtt@aix.rpi.edu (Timothy G. Richter) writes:
>Palmer Chappelle writes :
>
>>6.) String savers
>
>What exactly are string savers?  I've never seen them used.
>
>> An overall increase in tension
>> will allow more spin.
>>
>
>Please correct me if I'm wrong - I thought a decrease in tension increased the
>spin imparted to the ball.  As the racquet makes contact, the string bed deforms
>around the ball and gives more contact and threfore more friction to the ball.
>I used to use higher tensions for control, but couldn't get enough spin for my
>baseline ground strokes.  I lowered the tension, and got more spin, but also got
>more power, and I still hit long, though most of the time, my ground strokes are
>nice and deep, with enough topspin to bounce high and keep a net-player back.
>(At least that's the theory!)

Actually, tighter strings give you more spin for the same reason that
tighter strings give you more control. The strings will embed into the ball
( or "grip" the ball ) more at higher tensions. It's the grip that allows
you to impart more spin on the ball. It works the same way for thinner
string that "digs" into the ball more.
-- 
 _____   _   _       __    _    _    __    _    _     Palmer Chappelle
| ____) | | | |     /  \  |  \/  |  /  \  |  \ | |    VMark Software, Inc.
| __)   | | | |__  | || | | |\/| | | || | | |\\| |    uvmark%palmer@merk.com
|_|     |_| |____) |_||_| |_|  |_| |_||_| |_| \ _|    USRSA Certified Stringer
From: byron@archone.tamu.edu (Byron Rakitzis)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Re: Edgerg's serve
Date: 10 Apr 92 13:19:16 GMT
Organization: College of Architecture, Texas A&M University

In article <1992Apr09.204016.21095@eng.umd.edu> clin@eng.umd.edu (Charles Lin) writes:

>   On a side note, I read somewhere that Edberg has changed his service motion.
>Kinda drastic if he did.

Well, if you'll remember a few Australian Opens ago, Edberg really
screwed up his back on a serve. I would assume he's trying to get rid
of the excessive arch that he uses for his topspin serve; strictly
speaking, you don't need to arch your back like that to hit one.

I seem to remember Pat Cash going through a few different service
motions.
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
From: blueml@forwiss.uni-passau.de (Guenter Blueml)
Subject: Re: Bausch & Lomb
Organization: University of Passau, Germany
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 08:15:33 GMT

rbhatnag@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu (Rajat Bhatnagar) writes:

>Hi 

>   Just saw the match Sabatini vs Novotna .Sabatini unexpectedly won this quite easily  6 - 2 , 6 - 1.

>    The first few games were closely contested ,but later Novotna just handed 
>over the match by making too many unforced errors(40 odd when compared to 14 of
>sabatini's).
>   Sabatini is playing well ,hope she wins this tournament.

sorry, but what does this news  have to do with Bausch & Lomb ??????

(Does anybody in this newsgroup know the dates of the FRENCH OPEN in Paris,
 especially for  women's tournament ?)

ciao gue



blueml guenter___________________________________________________________  ___
bayerisches forschungszentrum fuer wissensbasierte systeme               \/   \
univ. passau, bavaria, west-germany______________________________________/  ___
blueml@forwiss.uni-passau.de                                             \     |
_________________________________________________________________________/\___/
From: vigyan@cad.Berkeley.EDU (Vigyan Singhal)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Arthur Ashe has contracted HIV
Date: 8 Apr 92 17:50:01 GMT
Article-I.D.: agate.rvbo9INNks3
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
NNTP-Posting-Host: cad.berkeley.edu

Arthur Ashe, the only black male to have won Wimbledon, has
contracted the HIV virus. Apparently he contracted the virus
during an open-heart surgery about 10 years ago. I think,
he's about 46 years old.

Source: CNN
From: szeto@teecs.UUCP (Tat-Man(A.) Szeto)
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 15:42:30 GMT
Subject: Male players wearing only atheletic supporter
Organization: Litton Systems, Toronto ONT
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis


While watching some male professional tennis matches, I can't help 
noticing that some men wear only an atheltic supporter under
their white tennis shorts, and no underwear .  After a few close
games and some heavy sweating, the straps of their jockstraps
start to show through their white shorts.  And their bums are
very visible to millions of TV viewers.  I find that a very 
unpleasant sight, especially on accomplished top male players.  
Afterall, they are the elite players in the world.  They are
the giants of the game of tennis.  They advance the game, 
refine the techniques, and explore the limits.  Why then would 
they want to show their bums?  Male bums belong more
to a magazine for female entertainment than on a tennis court.  
I don't think they are unaware of it.  Is it just comfort they are after?
I myself feel more comfortable wearing full underwear than one of 
those little things with straps and pouches.   

Ivan Lendl is one of those guys who wears only a jockstrap under
his shorts to play matches.  Boris Becker is another.  
Doesn't it embarrass them when they view their tapes and find out
that their bums are showing?
From: thiel@griffith.Colorado.EDU (Frederic Thiel  )
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Virginia Slims of Houston
Date: 15 Apr 92 17:34:44 GMT
Article-I.D.: colorado.1992Apr15.173444.13582
Reply-To: thiel@griffith.Colorado.EDU (Frederic Thiel  )
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder


I've heard there was a last tournament in Houston this week before everybody
moves to Europe to get ready for the French.
I think Monica Seles is the top seed but I don't know who else is playing.
Could someone post the top-seeds of this tournament?

thanks

Freddy
From: griffinb@unix1.tcd.ie (brendan james griffin)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: What About Gaby Gif
Date: 16 Apr 92 09:50:23 GMT
Organization: Trinity College, Dublin

I must sound terribly ignorant to some of you but what do you do with
Sabatini's gif once you've got it? Is it a picture to be compiled, if so
how? I am interested in finding this out because I am an ardent Gaby
fan.

Brendan.
From: adolce@bbn.com (Anne Dolce)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Re: Television coverage of tennis in the USA
Date: 17 Apr 1992 16:32:18 GMT
Organization: Bolt, Beranek & Newman, Inc.
Distribution: na
NNTP-Posting-Host: spcsun24.bbn.com

In article <JPT.92Apr17102259@telecaster.think.com>, jpt@telecaster.think.com (James P. Taylor) writes:
|> 
|> First, how does one test the premise "we have limited TV coverage of tennis
|> in the USA?"  It must be compared to something. 

   The way I would measure this is how many tournaments are televised
   vs. the number of tournaments played.   
 
|> Second, my strong impression is that there is less coverage in the US than
|> there was 5 years ago.  Do others have that impression?

   Don't know for sure.  But if you're correct, I suspect it has something
   to do with the fact that there have been no #1 American players for the 
   past few years.   That of course has changed now on the men's side, but
   looks like it will be a few more years before there is an American woman
   in the #1 spot (assuming Capriati gets straightened-out).

|> Finally, why is there more golf coverage than tennis?  Opinions? [My guess
|> is that between men, seniors, and women, there is twice to three times as
|> many hours devoted to TV golf than tennis.]

   Perhaps there are more golfers out there than tennis players. 

Anne
----
From: lfd@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (Lee Derbenwick)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Re: strings
Summary: F = ma = m(dv/dt).
Keywords: tension
Date: 13 Apr 92 22:06:27 GMT
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Apr12.184223.22668@seas.gwu.edu>, se020151@seas.gwu.edu (Hyok Lee) writes:
> ...  By simple laws of physics, 
> tighter strings do not contact the ball at a greater force than looser
> strings.  F=ma; therefore, if the ball is accerated to the same speed, then
> the normal force should be equal.  Looser strings stay in contact with the
> ball longer, therefore impart more spin. ...

The first sentence doesn't follow from "simple laws of physics".
Let's take as a given the statement that "looser strings stay in
contact with the ball longer".  (Other posters have referred to
experimental evidence for this.)

The average acceleration is delta-v/delta-t.  Since delta-v is
stated to be the same for both cases, but delta-t is greater with
looser strings, the average acceleration is _less_ with looser
strings.  Therefore, since F=ma, the average force on the ball
during contact is less with looser strings.

(A full calculation, to determine peak force, would also be
interesting, but that requires a _lot_ more experimental data
on ball and string deformation, etc.  So I'll have to make do
with the average, here.)

 -- Speaking strictly for myself,
 --   Lee Derbenwick, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Warren, NJ
 --   lfd@cbnewsm.ATT.COM  or  <wherever>!att!cbnewsm!lfd
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
From: m_lehoul@oz.plymouth.edu (Michael L. Le Houllier)
Subject: Re: Arthur Ashe
Reply-To: m_lehoul@oz.plymouth.edu (Michael L. Le Houllier)
Organization: Plymouth State College - Plymouth, N.H.
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 92 19:03:27 GMT

In article <12055@tamsun.tamu.edu> byron@archone.tamu.edu (Byron Rakitzis) writes:
>In article <1992Apr8.225836.18219@oz.plymouth.edu> m_lehoul@oz.plymouth.edu (Michael L. Le Houllier) writes:
>
>>I just heard the terrible news.  Arthur Ashe has AIDS.
>
>As far as I know, he is HIV positive. This is very different from "having
>AIDS".  Let's hope he stays healthy for a long time to come.

I hope you're right and I do realize the difference.  I was reporting
what channel 4 (WBZ) in Boston had to say and they reported that he
had AIDS.



-- 
 Michael Le Houllier           *  John 3:16  * Nov 12, 1991 - Dili      
 (m_lehoul@oz.plymouth.edu.us) *  Remember: June 4, 1989 - Beijing
 Go BLUE JAYS   2-0   at Tigers Monday (4-2), Wednesday (10-9) and Thursday
 The Rangers jinx continues.  The year they could win, they strike.
From: lfd@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (Lee Derbenwick)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Re: strings
Summary: tighter => more spin on touch shots, less on hard shots?
Keywords: tension
Date: 15 Apr 92 22:09:06 GMT
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Apr15.180031.7899@news.iastate.edu>,
whisnant@iastate.edu (Kerry L Whisnant) writes,
in response to my posting:

[ a nice, very detailed  analysis ]

> From these equations it is clear that increasing k (i.e., the tension):
> 
> 1. Decreases the time on the racquet
> 2. Decreases the final ball speed
> 3. Increases the maximum force on the ball
> 
> Thus tighter strings touch the ball a shorter time and give less
> power, but the maximum force on the ball is greater.

This then led to the apparent result that the looser strings give
more spin, unless the friction increases (significantly?) more than
linearly with the normal force.

I suspect that the friction does increase more than linearly (the
analysis ignored ball deformation), but it may not do so enough
to completely counter the extra time on the looser strings.

But let's look at the case where the final velocity, rather than
the applied force, _is_ kept the same.  This should be the case
with a drop volley or other touch shot, since the player is trying
for placement and speed.  In that case, the average applied force
must be greater for the tighter racquet (my own initial analysis).
So the peak force will be proportionally still greater.

That combination (along with any contribution from ball deformation)
should make the tighter strings provide more spin for touch shots.

So it's starting to look like the looser strings provide more
power and more spin for all-out, hard hits, but the tighter strings
provide more spin for touch shots.

Carrying out this analysis in more depth might make a good physics
project for someone, especially combined with some experiments to
validate the assumptions...

 -- Speaking strictly for myself,
 --   Lee Derbenwick, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Warren, NJ
 --   lfd@cbnewsm.ATT.COM  or  <wherever>!att!cbnewsm!lfd
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
From: clin@eng.umd.edu (Charles Lin)
Subject: Re: Arthur Ashe
Date: Thu, 09 Apr 92 20:40:16 GMT
Organization: College of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park
Originator: clin@pepsi.eng.umd.edu


   They mentioned that Ashe has toxiplasmosis.  Now correct me if I'm wrong,
but I recall that Martina had toxiplasmosis back in '82 which she blamed for
her loss to Shriver.  She said she got it from a cat.  It made her feel
weak, but she got over it.  Now presumably that's because her immune system
was fine.   

   On a side note, I read somewhere that Edberg has changed his service motion.
Kinda drastic if he did.

--
   ______    __    __   ___  ____
  / ____ \  |  |  |__| |   \ |  |    Charles Lin
 | /    \_| |  |   __  |    \|  |    e-mail: clin@eng.umd.edu
 | |        |  |  |  | |  |\    |   
 | |     _  |  |  |__| |__| \___|    University of Maryland
 | \____/ | |  |____                 "I hate big sigs." -- Moo
  \______/  \_______|
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
From: gchua@unixg.ubc.ca (Gwendolyne H Chua)
Subject: Re: test
Keywords: TEST
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 06:43:55 GMT

Another test...sorry 'bout this...!
-- 
Gwen Chua -- University of British Columbia -- Internet: gchua@unixg.ubc.ca
    __   __  __      __  __       __            __  __   |  "It's better to
   |__) |_  /   |_/ |_  |__)     |__) |  | |   |_  (__   |   burn out...than
   |__) |__ \__ | \ |__ |  \     |  \ |__| |__ |__  __)  |   to fade away!"
-- 
Gwen Chua -- University of British Columbia -- Internet: gchua@unixg.ubc.ca
    __   __  __      __  __       __            __  __   |  "It's better to
   |__) |_  /   |_/ |_  |__)     |__) |  | |   |_  (__   |   burn out...than
   |__) |__ \__ | \ |__ |  \     |  \ |__| |__ |__  __)  |   to fade away!"
From: shun@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (shun.cheung)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Re: Women's tennis.
Date: 6 Apr 92 21:47:17 GMT
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Apr6.200718.7004@ennews.eas.asu.edu> yhartojo@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu (Francis Hartojo) writes:

>      but in women's tennis, they cause more players to
>sit back on the baseline and just hammer the baseline shots, well, except
>for Ms. Brenda Schultz.  Technically speaking, why is that?  I would expect
>that more women players to play like Martina or, at least, Gaby, but instead,
>players like Seles, Capriati, Graf are the dominant ones nowadays.

Actually, since Gaby started adding a net game in 1990,
several top 10 players are trying to do the same. Mary Joe
beat Gaby in her own game at the Australian Open semi final.
Her new style certainly surprised me. Steffi Graf is encouraged
by her new coach to add a net game. People witnessed some of that
in Chicago as well as in Key Biscayne. Even clay-courters such as
Conchita Martinez is learning to play at the net as well, although
she is clearly very awkward up there at this point.

The way I see it, power hitters such as Seles and Capriati will have
to add more weapons to their games or they will fall behind. Once
more and more young power players mature, what is going to distinguish
them from the newcomers? IMHO That is precisely why Seles has so much
trouble playing Capriati. Believe it or not, Gorin Ivanesovic's main
fear is that all the young players who grow up with modern racquets
will soon outserve him.
-- 
-- Shun Cheung,    electronic: shun.cheung@att.com    voice: (908) 615-5135
     HR 1A-304, AT&T Bell Labs, 480 Red Hill Road, Middletown, NJ, 07748 USA
From: adolce@bbn.com (Anne Dolce)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Re: Tournament Results
Date: 17 Apr 1992 10:49:59 GMT
Organization: Bolt, Beranek & Newman, Inc.
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: spcsun24.bbn.com

In article <nancyc.703487078@cortex.physiol.su.oz.au>, nancyc@cortex.physiol.su.oz.au (Nancy Chan) writes:
|> Who did Borg play in Nice?
|> -- 

  I think he played Delaitre.

Anne
----
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis