gilovia: Golf · Padel · Tennis · Active Living https://gilovia.com/ An independent magazine about golf, padel, tennis and active living. en The golf handicap explained, from first card to Handicap Indexhttps://gilovia.com/golf/golf-handicap-explained/https://gilovia.com/golf/golf-handicap-explained/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTGolfFrom your first three cards to a number that travels with you. A clear guide to the World Handicap System, its formulas and what they mean on the first tee. Your first round of golf, etiquette and pace of play without the fearhttps://gilovia.com/golf/first-round-golf-etiquette/https://gilovia.com/golf/first-round-golf-etiquette/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTGolfNobody expects a beginner to play well. What matters is staying safe, keeping up and caring for the course, and all three are easier than they look. Golf swing fundamentals, grip, posture and the first good contacthttps://gilovia.com/golf/golf-swing-fundamentals/https://gilovia.com/golf/golf-swing-fundamentals/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTGolfMost swing faults begin before the club moves. Here are the basics every good coach starts with, from the grip and posture to a balanced finish. Links, parkland, heathland and desert courses, how the ground shapes your gamehttps://gilovia.com/golf/links-parkland-heathland-desert-courses/https://gilovia.com/golf/links-parkland-heathland-desert-courses/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTGolfThe same swing can produce very different golf depending on the ground beneath it. How the main course types play, and how to adapt your shots and your packing. Padel rules for beginners, serve, walls and scoring in one sessionhttps://gilovia.com/padel/padel-rules-beginners/https://gilovia.com/padel/padel-rules-beginners/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTPadelThe court, the underhand serve, the walls and the score. Everything you need to play your first proper padel match, based on the official FIP rules. Playing off the glass, how to read the walls in padelhttps://gilovia.com/padel/padel-glass-walls-play/https://gilovia.com/padel/padel-glass-walls-play/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTPadelLetting the ball pass and playing it off the glass feels wrong at first. Learn to read the rebound and the walls become your best defence. Choosing a padel racket, shape, balance, weight and corehttps://gilovia.com/padel/choosing-padel-racket/https://gilovia.com/padel/choosing-padel-racket/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTPadelRound, teardrop or diamond, soft or hard core, fibreglass or carbon. How padel rackets really differ, and how to match one to your level, your style and your arm. Padel or tennis, what really changes when you switch courtshttps://gilovia.com/padel/padel-vs-tennis-differences/https://gilovia.com/padel/padel-vs-tennis-differences/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTPadelTwo racket games, one net and very different habits. A fair comparison of court, kit, serve and learning curve, plus what tennis players keep and what they must unlearn. Tennis scoring explained, love, deuce, advantage and the tiebreakhttps://gilovia.com/tennis/tennis-scoring-explained/https://gilovia.com/tennis/tennis-scoring-explained/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTTennisLove, 15, 30, 40, deuce and the tiebreak. A calm walk through how tennis is counted, from the first point of a game to the deciding set at a major. Clay, grass and hard courts, how the surface changes tennishttps://gilovia.com/tennis/clay-grass-hard-courts/https://gilovia.com/tennis/clay-grass-hard-courts/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTTennisThe same stroke behaves differently on brick dust, ryegrass and acrylic. How each surface plays, which shoes it needs and how to adjust your game and your feet. The tennis serve, from a reliable toss to an easy second servehttps://gilovia.com/tennis/tennis-serve-technique/https://gilovia.com/tennis/tennis-serve-technique/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTTennisThe serve is the one shot you control completely. Build it step by step, from the continental grip and a steady toss to a second serve you can trust at 30-40. Doubles tennis positioning, where to stand and when to movehttps://gilovia.com/tennis/doubles-tennis-positioning/https://gilovia.com/tennis/doubles-tennis-positioning/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTTennisGood doubles is mostly geometry and conversation. Where each of the four players should stand, how to move as a pair, and drills that make club doubles click. A ten minute warm-up for golf, padel and tennishttps://gilovia.com/active-living/mobility-warm-up-golf-racket-sports/https://gilovia.com/active-living/mobility-warm-up-golf-racket-sports/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTActive LivingFrom car park to first tee or first serve in ten minutes: a short dynamic routine that gets ankles, hips, spine and shoulders ready, plus a five minute cool down. Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow, how players protect their forearmshttps://gilovia.com/active-living/tennis-golf-elbow-prevention/https://gilovia.com/active-living/tennis-golf-elbow-prevention/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTActive LivingTwo common overuse problems with misleading names. Why they turn up in golf, padel and tennis, and the load, technique and kit habits that help keep forearms happy. Recovery after a round or a match, the simple habits that workhttps://gilovia.com/active-living/recovery-after-match/https://gilovia.com/active-living/recovery-after-match/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTActive LivingNo gadgets, no powders. Cooling down, drinking water, a proper meal, good sleep and an easy next day do most of the work, and planning your week does the rest. Strength training for golfers and racket players over 40https://gilovia.com/active-living/strength-training-racket-golf/https://gilovia.com/active-living/strength-training-racket-golf/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTActive LivingTwo short sessions a week can help you keep the speed, balance and resilience your game needs. A simple programme built on squats, hinges, pulls, pushes and rotation. Planning a golf holiday, seasons, tee times and the clubs questionhttps://gilovia.com/travel/golf-holiday-planning/https://gilovia.com/travel/golf-holiday-planning/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTTravelWhen to go, how much golf to book, what a green fee covers and whether your clubs should fly with you. A calm plan for a trip that leaves room for life off the course. A padel holiday in Spain, why the game feels at home therehttps://gilovia.com/travel/padel-holiday-spain/https://gilovia.com/travel/padel-holiday-spain/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTTravelSpain is where padel grew up in Europe. The story behind it, how to find a game as a visitor, how to cope with the heat and which regions to combine with the beach. Tennis camps for adults, what a good week on court looks likehttps://gilovia.com/travel/tennis-camp-adults/https://gilovia.com/travel/tennis-camp-adults/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTTravelA week of daily tennis can transform your game or wear you out. What a well run adult camp looks like, what to ask before you book and how to keep the progress. Flying with golf clubs and rackets, how to pack sports kithttps://gilovia.com/travel/flying-golf-clubs-rackets/https://gilovia.com/travel/flying-golf-clubs-rackets/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTTravelHard case or soft cover, driver head on or off, rackets in the cabin or the hold. How to get your kit to the first tee or the court in one piece. Golf club fitting, what happens and who benefitshttps://gilovia.com/gear/golf-club-fitting-guide/https://gilovia.com/gear/golf-club-fitting-guide/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTGear & StyleA fitting matches length, lie, loft and shaft to the way you swing. What happens in the bay, why mid handicappers gain as much as low ones, and when to go back. Tennis strings and tension, how the bed changes every shothttps://gilovia.com/gear/tennis-racket-string-tension/https://gilovia.com/gear/tennis-racket-string-tension/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTGear & StyleStrings are the only part of the racket that touches the ball. How string type, gauge and tension shape power, control, spin and comfort, and when to restring. Court and golf shoes, why the sole matters more than the brandhttps://gilovia.com/gear/court-golf-shoes-guide/https://gilovia.com/gear/court-golf-shoes-guide/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTGear & StyleTennis, padel and golf ask your feet to do very different things. How outsoles, support and fit differ, which sole suits which ground and when to replace a pair. What to wear at the golf and tennis club, dress codes decodedhttps://gilovia.com/gear/what-to-wear-golf-tennis-club/https://gilovia.com/gear/what-to-wear-golf-tennis-club/Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMTGear & StyleCollars, whites, denim and hats: what golf, tennis and padel clubs usually expect, why the rules exist and how to dress comfortably for your first visit.