Thirty-four years after it first hit the screens, a 30-minute film about tennis that quickly attracted a cult following is being re-released. “Dirty Tennis”, which is available to buy or rent on Amazon, tells the story of how a casual player of very limited ability beats a superior opponent by unsettling him with all manner of distractions.

The characters in the film all play themselves. The actor and comedian Dick Van Patten invites Bruce Jenner, the 1976 Olympic decathlon champion, to his home for a tennis match. Jenner is the better player, but Van Patten employs “dirty tennis” tactics to put him off. They range from
Van Patten’s bizarre clothing (swimming trunks and a gaudy shirt) to the courtside presence of the scantily-clad Nicollette Sheridan and interruptions from his family members. They include Van Patten’s son, Vincent, a former professional player who was once ranked in the world’s top 30 and is also an actor.

It is of no relevance to the film itself, but years after its release Jenner announced that she identified as a woman and wanted to be known as Caitlyn Jenner. “It was the last thing that Bruce Jenner did before he went off the air,” Jonathan Baker, the director and producer of “Dirty Tennis”, said. “When he came back on the air 15 years later he was Caitlyn Jenner, so that in itself is kind of interesting.”

As for Jenner’s tennis, Baker said: “He is an athlete, a decathlon Olympic winner and a very good tennis player. And so for Dick Van Patten to come in there and destroy him, because the game is real, we just chopped it up. To see that Dick can really use those tricks and win, that’s what the whole farce is about.

“So why do people want to watch it in this day and age? One, they understand the novelty aspect of it. Two, they love tennis and there’s not a lot of this in tennis. It is a very formal game or it is a very skilful game. There is very little comedy that moves around tennis. This is one of the only things out there. We have had all the top players get a copy of this, we have sent it to everybody. So when somebody watches it, they chuckle.”

He added: “The whole point of tennis is to play and get into the other person’s head. And Van Patten clearly got into everybody’s head.”

Fans can rent or purchase Dirty Tennis on Amazon or iTunes

jonathanbaker.com

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The post “The better player does not always win” – Welcome to the world of ‘Dirty Tennis’ appeared first on Tennishead.

Thanks to artificial intelligence, Wingfield’s video analysis tools are able to filter entire matches according to specific shots, sequences and playing patterns. After a recorded match, you can use the Wingfield app to display only the most important moments, saving you valuable time during your match analysis.

For truly dedicated tennis players, being able to analyse your game is a key aspect of enjoyment and success. You are always striving to find out what didn’t go so well and what can be done better next time. So imagine the opportunities if we could watch our own practise and matches whenever we wanted and have the ability to analyse our game…

Without the hassle of trying to film yourself, Wingfield always gives you an easy way to spontaneously record entire matches. Wingfield goes beyond conventional video analysis tools. The Wingfield app utilises the video recorded by the static video cameras on court combined with intelligent AI processes that get the most out of your recordings.

The system understands what is happening on the court, identifies special sequences in the match – such as winners, aces or net attacks – recognizes the different types of shots, tracks speeds and automatically counts the result in the background. Each individual video sequence is enriched with additional information that makes later navigation within the recordings more user-friendly.

After a match on the Wingfield Court, all data is synchronized with the app and your user account. Instead of having to scroll through long recordings to find certain match situations or to find sources of errors on your own, Wingfield helps you out.

Use the skip pauses feature to automatically hide idle time between points. With the smart controls of the video player, you can easily filter match videos according to certain criteria. The player selection determines whether the respective filter is applied to you or your opponent.

For example, only show your errors in the match. Was your footwork bad on the backhand side or did your forehand get tight? The video-based feedback highlights possible reasons for losing points. You’ll quickly notice that you’re developing a better understanding of what you could optimize next time.

Focus on Filters (example)

Return+1

Filter your video according to certain patterns – like Return+1 – and check if your returns had good depth to put the opponent under pressure. Do you bring enough variety into your shots and do you take the necessary risks to take the ball early and play aggressively down the line?

Serve+1

Among the pros, over 60% of the points are decided within 0-4 shots. In the amateur level, it is no different. Therefore, it can be beneficial to focus on how the player opens the rally. Use the Serve+1 filter to see if you can mix up your serves appropriately to exploit your opponents specific weaknesses. Opening the court – meaning serve out wide with the following shot down the line – is an effective way of either quickly trying to win the point or at least putting the opponent in a difficult situation.

Defensive plays

With the filter ‘Defensive Plays’, you will see all rallies in which you may have played (too) cautiously. Did you get pushed back too far, giving your opponent easy ways to win points

Now read more about Wingfield from Tennishead with our case study of a UK tennis club that is benefiting from a Wingfield connected court and our feature on how the Wingfield connected court is revolutionising tennis analysis for club players.

Over 300 clubs are already using Wingfield. You can find the nearest club in your area in their Court Finder. If you would like to use Wingfield in your own club, you can apply here with your club. Simply scan the QR code and fill out the contact form. Wingfield will then contact the club board to figure out what is possible.

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A charming 120-year-old club in the British countryside is at the cutting edge of technology, with a tennis court equipped with artificial intelligence from Wingfield

The Avenue is a welcoming community-focused sports and social club with more than 1,000 members. Located in Havant, Hampshire, it is a friendly and inclusive hub where people of all ages and abilities can meet up and play tennis and have some fun.

Dating back to 1902, The Avenue may at first seem traditional, but the forward-looking club is adopting innovative technology. Since moving to its current site in 1920, its facilities have expanded to 10 grass and seven all-weather courts (four synthetic clay and three artificial grass), including one equipped with the Wingfield ‘connected court’ system.

Driving digital change

For a club steeped in history, The Avenue is certainly ahead of the game. Wingfield tracks players’ activities during a match or practice session, providing detailed
insight into their game – from first-serve percentage to every backhand’s average height over the net. Players receive instant video and data in user-friendly formats, delivered on the court or via a smartphone app.

Wrapped unobtrusively around Court 11’s net post, the sleek white Wingfield Box – based on artificial intelligence and image-processing technology – generates real-time performance data that enable players of all skill and experience levels, and their coaches, to measure improvements.

Wingfield facilitates friendly competition and comparison to other players using the system both locally and worldwide in a variety of Drill Challenges. It even offers a wide range of match statistics previously only known from the broadcasts of major tournaments, allowing amateur players to compare themselves with professional tennis champions.

This investment in the future of tennis – led at The Avenue by coach Ashley Neaves – has been popular with the current membership (many of whom skew older) as well as the younger generation Wingfield is attracting to the club.

‘WHEN YOU START USING IT, YOU REALISE HOW USEFUL IT CAN BE’

EVE (CLUB MEMBER AT THE AVENUE)

The Wingfield word spreads

From the moment its Wingfield Box was installed, Court 11 has been booked out almost constantly. While it was an instant hit with kids, teenagers and younger adults, some of the club’s older members took a little time to warm to the idea of a white ‘smart box’ judging their game, but they’re now the ones at the front of Court 11’s queue. Everyone is talking stats, like their fastest serves and Wingfield Drill high scores and rankings. Not only are they pitting themselves against other players in the club, they’re also enjoying some sociable ‘rivalry’ with the coaching team.

And word about Wingfield spread quickly, especially as it’s not uncommon for professional tennis players to call in at The Avenue to have their rackets strung and customised by Wimbledon’s head stringer, who takes care of club members’ rackets. When the professionals heard about Wingfield’s capabilities, they jumped at the chance to compare the weights of different rackets and see how the speed of their shots were impacted.

The Avenue and Court 11 have become a bit of a local attraction among players of all ages and skill levels.

A brave new world of tennis

The Avenue’s coaching team quickly recognised the new opportunities Wingfield offers and incorporated them into their training regimen, using the system’s video and statistical analysis capabilities to lift everyone’s game. This approach makes training more interactive: a video analysis session dedicated to a player’s technique, for example, helps them improve via the most personalised feedback possible, as they can see visual playback of their own game.

But it isn’t all coaching on Court 11. A wide variety of players take to the court, with some using The Avenue’s ball machine to practise their forehands and backhands, while others come alone with a few balls to work on their serves. Fair warning, though: the Wingfield court can become addictive. Once you play a Drill and instantly get your score and ranking, you just want to keep getting better and better.

‘THE STAT I PROBABLY LIKE THE MOST IS THE HEIGHT ABOVE THE NET. I’VE NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE’

BECKY (CLUB MEMBER AT THE AVENUE)

The more, the merrier

The Avenue wanted Wingfield to help their existing members get the most out of their game, but also hoped it would attract a younger demographic to tennis – including teens, young adults and families. To say the plan has been successful on all fronts is an understatement: existing members of all ages love how Wingfield allows them to be creative to unleash the full potential of the court, while many new junior players have joined The Avenue.

But this success is not just down to Wingfield, of course, or even the fact that the club has decided not to charge people extra fees to use and enjoy Wingfield’s impressive array of capabilities. Rather, it is The Avenue’s holistic approach to tennis and the sheer enjoyment of playing there.

In the end, it was about setting up a modern club with top-class facilities that would not only inspire more people to play tennis, but also safeguard
the future of the sport by ensuring its continued growth at all levels.

For The Avenue, the use of digital technology in match play and training is an effective and fun way to help players get the most out of their game, with all of the possibilities that the court offers them. And The Avenue – with its high-tech, futureproof Court 11 – certainly offers that in spades.

To join The Avenue in this tennis court revolution get in touch with the Wingfield team

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If owning your own slice of tennis history is appealing then a luxurious house with private indoor tennis court once played on by Novak Djokovic could be right up your street

The property, situated in the affluent suburbs of New Jersey, USA, will be of particular interest to tennis fans thanks to it’s own stunning indoor tennis court that is very much a part of the house.

The wood-panelled, stylish court is joined to the 6,000 square foot, modern property located on Next Day Hill in Englewood.

20 time Grand Slam champion and world number one player Novak Djokovic has played on the court when he was visiting the area and rumour has it the court has also hosted a number of other professional tennis players.

The house, on the market for $3,600,000, is situated in 2.21 acres of mature gardens and features a spa (steam room and sauna), two locker rooms, office, kitchen, sitting area, dining area, laundry room, game area, outside deck and bedroom.

If you are interested in viewing or purchasing this ‘once in a lifetime’ property then please contact:

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The post Unique private tennis court and property with Novak Djokovic links up for sale appeared first on Tennishead.