Welcome. Play for fun. Play safe.

By: Rob Smith

With this blog we'll be bringing you PBI news and commentary from around the world. It's fun for us to know that at any given hour of the day, a PBI professional is oncourt someplace on Planet Earth. PBI tennis professionals have taught the game in over 130 countries. And we're not done.

The benefit of all these lessons is passed on to our students. Yes, we compare notes, talk shop, meet one-on-one and in groups, both formally and informally, using databases, phone calls, emails, Skype and text messages to keep the flow of information going about what works and what doesn't, about what's new, and what works regardless of the era the game is in. We closely watch the world's best, the 3 and 4 year olds who may someday be there, and everyone in-between. Mostly we spend time with the players not destined for pro tennis but who want to get better, and to enjoy the game more. And we love our time with all of them.

If you are looking for tennis instruction on the Internet you'll find a lot of it. There are lots of great players, coaches, teaching pros, journalists and aficionados who are helpful and generous in sharing their thoughts on the matters of the day. Some sites have slow motion video, or videos of points, and we support those kinds of efforts. To have such choice and volumes of information is great for all students of the game. Our 36 years in tennis have come because we've worked hard to listen to our customers, and to teach what works, medically and practically. We'll cover a lot of things here over time. The game is such that there is no perfect tip for all circumstances. We're all different and we learn and take in things differently, at different speeds, at different times in our lives.

With the wide variety of people we see there are still two things we want to make sure everyone experiences - fun and fitness. Every week the game seems to get faster. The implications of this are that physical requirements are greater, and with that the potential for injury. The human body's tolerance hasn't evolved as quickly as has the speed of tennis. So it is of great importance to us that we give you information that will allow you to play safely with less chance of injury. No matter how good your technique, injury is always possible. That's the nature of sport - of pushing yourself to your limits, or just the nature of being human with our built-in frailties. But there are things you can do to minimize your chances of getting hurt, while still giving 100 percent effort.

Also of great importance to us is that you enjoy playing tennis. Winning, competing, exercising, social interaction, learning to deal with adversity, traveling the world, meeting new people, patience, giving all you have, preparing for matches, a pleasant distraction or just getting out of the house - this sport gives us a chance to do and learn a lot.

So our tip this week is just a general one. Be glad to be involved. Don't shortcut your warmup and cool down. Relax. Be happy to be playing. Somewhere someplace it's a sunny day and people are out doing just that.

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