The Tennis Serve Essays - Anatomical Terms Of Motion, Elbow, Serve

The Tennis Serve Essays - Anatomical Terms Of Motion, Elbow, Serve The Tennis Serve The tennis serve is the stroke that puts the ball in play and is often referred to as the most important stroke in the game of tennis. It has become a principle weapon of attack and is used to place the opponent on the defensive by forcing a return from the weak side or by moving the receiver out of position. A good strong serve can sometimes be the basis of winning a game of tennis. I have included eight picture sequences to illustrate the tennis serve. Represented in picture A is the stance of the serve. In this part of the serve, the person needs to take a position sideways to the net, about three or four feet to the right center mark behind the baseline. The left foot is two to three inches behind the line, the toes pointing toward the net post. The back foot is parallel to the baseline and spread conformably from the front. Pictures B and C represent the preparation phase. In these pictures, the execution of the ball toss is performed. The ball toss is the key to a well-executed serve: a good release consistently places the ball in the proper hitting position. A poor release can throw off timing and ultimately cause a bad serve. In pictures D-F the action phase is represented. In picture D of the action phase, the elbow reaches a position slightly higher than the shoulder, then the elbow bends and the racket head drops down behind the back into what is called the back scratching position. In picture E, the ball should be at its maximum height of the toss before striking it. In picture F, the last of the action phase, the movement of striking the ball is explosive in an upward and forward motion until contact Pictures G and H represent the follow through. In the follow through the action is performed up and out, not down, in the direction of the intended target area. The follow through is a natural continuation of the stroke. A good follow through will help prepare for the next step in approaching the net for a return. Kinematics is defined as the study of motion. It is compiled of different bodily planes and different joint motions. In the beginning of the serve, during the stance (picture A), the feet are outwardly rotated. The hips and the trunk are extended. The left shoulder is slightly flexed along with the right shoulder and the shoulder girdles are slightly abducted. Both of the wrists are pronated with the elbows slightly flexed. During the preparation (pictures B and C) the feet are still in an outwardly rotated position. The hips slightly abduct with the trunk still in full extension. The shoulders are abducted, with slight elevation of the shoulder girdle. Both elbows are extended, but the right wrist stays in a pronated position and the left wrist is supinated. During the action (pictures D-F) the right foot inwardly rotates along with it performing planter flexion but the left foot stays in an outwardly rotated position. The hips are adducted but then they shift to abduction. The trunk starts in hyperextension then get fully extended and slightly rotate to the left. Both knees flex but the left knee extends while the right knee stays flexed. The left shoulder goes from flexion to extension while the right shoulder performs high diagonal adduction. The left elbow goes from extension to flexion and the right elbow goes from flexion to extension. The left hand goes from supination to pronation while the right hand stays in a pronated position. Finally, during the follow through (pictures G and H) the left foot inwardly rotates along with some planter flexion. The right foot inwardly rotates and goes back to a naturally flat position. Both hips are flexed along with the flexion of the trunk and it's rotation. The left shoulder remains in an extended position but the right shoulder follows through with the high diagonal adduction, while both shoulder girdles perform abduction. The right elbow slightly flexes but the left elbow extends. The knees go from flexion to a greater degree of flexion. The kinematics of the tennis serve is a complicated thing, it consist of

Profile of Child Predator Nathaniel Bar-Jonah

Profile of Child Predator Nathaniel Bar-Jonah Nathaniel Bar-Jonah was a convicted child predator that was serving a 130-year prison sentence after being found guilty of repeatedly molesting, torturing and attempting to murder children. He was also suspected of killing a child and then disposing of the body through cannibalistic ways that involved his unsuspecting neighbors. Childhood Years Nathaniel Bar-Jonah was born David Paul Brown on February 15, 1957, in Worcester, Massachusetts. As early as age seven, Bar-Jonah demonstrated severe signs of depraved thinking and violence. In 1964, after receiving an Ouija board for his birthday, Bar-Jonah lured a five-year-old girl into his basement and tried to strangle her, but his mother intervened after hearing the child screaming.   In 1970, 13-year-old Bar-Jonah sexually assaulted a six-year-old boy after promising to take him sledding. A few years later he planned to murder two boys in a cemetery, but the boys became suspicious and got away. At 17 years of age, Bar-Jonah pled guilty after being arrested for dressing as a policeman and beating and choking an eight-year-old boy who he ordered into his car. After the beating, the child recognized Brown who was working at a local McDonalds and he was arrested, charged and convicted. Bar-Jonah received a year of probation for the crime. Kidnapping and Attempted Murder Three years later, Bar-Jonah dressed as a policeman again and kidnapped two boys, made them undress and then began strangling them. One of the boys was able to escape and contact the police. Authorities arrested Brown and the other child was located, handcuffed inside his trunk. Bar-Jonah was charged with attempted murder and received a 20-year prison sentence. Sick Thoughts While incarcerated Bar-Jonah shared some of his fantasies of murder, dissection, and cannibalism with his psychiatrist who made the decision in 1979 to commit Bar-Jonah to the Bridgewater State Hospital for Sexual Predators. Bar-Jonah remained at the hospital until 1991, when Superior Court Judge Walter E. Steele decided that the state had failed to prove he was dangerous. Bar-Jonah left the institution with a promise from his family to the court that they would be moving to Montana. Massachusetts Sends the Problem to Montana Bar-Jonah attacked another boy three weeks after his release and was arrested on assault charges, but managed to be released without bail. A deal was made that required that Bar-Jonah join his family in Montana. He also received two years probation. Bar-Jonah kept his word and left Massachusetts. Once in Montana, Bar-Jonah met with his probation officer and disclosed some of his past crimes. A request was made to the Massachusetts probation office to send more records regarding Bar-Jonah’s history and psychiatric past, but no additional records were sent. Bar-Jonah managed to stay away from police until 1999 when he was arrested near an elementary school in Great Falls, Montana, dressed as a policeman and carrying a stun gun and pepper spray. Authorities searched his home and found thousands of pictures of boys and a list of boys names who were from Massachusetts and Great Falls. Police also uncovered encrypted writings, decoded by the FBI, that included statements such as little boy stew, little boy pot pies and lunch is served on the patio with roasted child. Authorities concluded that Bar-Jonah was responsible for the 1996 disappearance of 10-year-old Zachary Ramsay who vanished on his way to school. It was believed that he kidnapped and murdered the child then cut up his body for stews and hamburgers that he served to unsuspecting neighbors at a cookout. In July 2000, Bar-Jonah was charged with Zachary Ramsay’s murder and for kidnapping and sexually assaulting three other boys who lived above him in an apartment complex. The charges involving Ramsay were dropped after the boys mother said she did not believe Bar-Jonah killed her son. For the other charges, Bar-Jonah was sentenced to 130 years in prison for sexually assaulting one boy and torturing another by suspending him from a kitchen ceiling. In December  2004, the Montana Supreme Court turned down Bar-Jonah’s appeals and upheld the conviction and 130-year prison sentence. On April 13, 2008, Nathaniel Bar-Jonah was found dead in his prison cell. It was decided that the death was a result of his poor health (he weighed over 300 pounds) and the cause of death was listed as myocardial infarction (heart attack).