Robin Ammerlaan was born with Spina Bifida but it took the doctors twenty-eight years to discover this. At age 28 Robin had back surgery which left him a partial paraplegic. This fact didn't stop him from playing his favorite sport which was tennis. Ammerlaan is now playing wheelchair tennis professionally for 6 months a year and is employed by one of the largest dealers in Holland as advisor in high performance wheelchairs. In tennis he has won scores of tournaments and has been victorious 5 times at the prestigious Masters Tournament. In addition to the gold medals he earned at the 2000 (doubles) and 2004 Paralympics (singles), Ammerlaan earned the title of ITF World Champion in 2006.

• How is wheelchair tennis played?
  Wheelchair tennis is played basically the same as able bodied tennis except that the wheelchair tennis player gets two bounces instead of one.
• How do I get started?
  First, find a friend to play with. The beauty of wheelchair tennis is that you can play with your able bodied family and friends as well as other wheelchair players. Under the rules of tennis the wheelchair players are permitted two bounces and the able bodied players’ one, but when you are practicing you can play to your own rules to suit the standard of the players on the court. You can also email the ITF at wheelchairtennis@itftennis.com for information on the opportunities to play and find coaches for wheelchair tennis in your country.
• How do quadriplegics play?
  Many tetraplegics and quadriplegics play tennis by strapping/taping the racket to their hand.
• Should I use a 3 or 4 wheel chair with anti-tip?
  The trend today is to sit taller so that you can deliver more power especially when serving plus it is easier to get the ball over the net. With height you will need more stability and that is why the 4 wheeler has become more popular than the 3 wheeler. The 4 wheel chair is more stable for fast turns on a hard court surface but the 3 wheeler has less resistance on softer surfaces. I now play in the T-5 Tennis Elite chair which is a 4 wheeler with a 5th wheel or anti-tip.
• Should I use an adjustable frame?
  If you are just beginning to play tennis or don’t know yet what's your best seating position, yes, you should use an adjustable chair like the new Top End Pro Tennis. It has adjustments just where you need them: rear seat height, front seat height, center of gravity, back angle/height and the footrest can be adjusted both forwards and backwards, up and down and angle to get the best foot postition.
• Titanium or aluminum frame material?
  The weight of a titanium frame will be less than aluminum by a couple of pounds but it costs a lot more. So if you intend to play and perform to the max this might help, Lance Armstrong didn't win the Tour on a steel bike!
• What is the best camber for tennis?
  Wheelchair tennis players turn a lot and don't want to flip over, so 20 degrees is used most for stability and turning. The disadvantage is with big camber you increase the width of the chair so you must take two chairs (everyday and sports) to the court.
• Should I use 24", 25" or 26" rear wheels?
  In short, 24" wheels are easier to start your push but if you think you're strong enough, 25" is good especially with a taller seat height. If you're over 5 foot 8, you'll like 26" in combination with a higher seating position (18" and higher).
• What set-up (seat heights, camber, axle position) should I use?
  If you're not sure, use an adjustable chair like the Top End Pro Tennis or Transformer All Sport or try a friend’s chair! The trend today is to sit taller, with bigger wheels, 20 degrees of camber and an aggressive axle position like 5, 6 or 7” to facilitate better turning. With the 5th wheel or anti-tip these aggressive axle positions are possible.
• Should I use side guards?
  If you intend to play on clay courts and don't like messy clothes you'll need them. I do not use sideguards but like to be very secure in my chair so instead I use a click strap or ratchet system across my hips, toe clips and knee stabilizers.
• How do I find out more information on wheelchair tennis or chair set-up?
  Log on to this web site for upcoming tournaments, news and lots more: http://www.itftennis.com/wheelchair and for chair set-up questions, just fill out the contact us form and we will get back to you.