March 23, 2019
Naomi Osaka is rightfully the number 1 ranked player in the world following back to back major wins at Flushing Meadows and Melbourne. Today in Miami, she was beaten by Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan. I’m hear to tell you that Hsieh is the most entertaining player in women’s tennis and more fun to watch than […]
March 10, 2019
A dog’s life is pretty simple. Two meals a day, chasing squirrels while the sun shines, and watching your favorite players compete at The BNP Paribas Open. Who could ask for more?
March 9, 2019
Bjorn Frantangelo was matched against Novak Djokovic tonight at The BNP Paribas Open. The underdog was up a break in the first set before Novak turned it around winning 7-6, 6-2. Jim Currier was announcing the match and made a comment club players might want to try incorporating into their games. He said that Frantangelo […]
February 23, 2019
Dustin Johnson is not just the best golfer on the planet, he is an amazing athlete. He’s atop the leaderboard again in Mexico City leading Rory McIlroy by four shots heading into the final round. The panel of commentators were describing his technical prowess and how he is so far above other players in many […]
February 15, 2019
During a televised women’s singles match this week, a commentator praised a player for ‘digging in her heels’ and playing error free tennis. What would ‘digging in your heels’ mean for you? ** refusing to go too big too early in a point ** shrugging off a double fault and making four first serves in […]
February 2, 2019
When you view this photo at contact…’the moment of truth’, ask yourself if the master had turned his hand over milliseconds before striking the ball…what chance would he have had to clear the net. The truth is that the young (well coached) girl in Tennis Terminology no doubt looked just like Roger at the critical […]
February 2, 2019
I cringe when players say they’ve been coached to produce ‘over spin’ on their ground strokes. The phrase unfortunately sends the wrong message to the wrist and forearm…’to produce topspin, turn the hand and forearm over’. Ouch. Get a refund if your coach speaks of over spin and turning the hand and forearm over in […]
February 2, 2019
There are a lot of similarities between golf and tennis. Without going into too much detail, here’s an idea ‘borrowed’ from a golf telecast that could help your tennis ‘touch’ game. When you play a drop shot….strive to make it as soft as a butterfly with a parachute. That’s how announcers describe a bunker/sand shot […]
January 28, 2019
Naomi Osaka was one set up and had three match points in the second set. It appeared she was a shoe in to win her second consecutive Grand Slam title. Her opponent, Petra Kvitova is a two time Wimbledon champion in the best shape of her life after recovering from hand surgery following a home […]
September 14, 2018
The Golf Channel did a feature interview with professional golfer Maria Torres. She has an infectious, positive, personality and one of the commentators said…’her attitude could be the most powerful weapon in her bag.’ It made me think of the tennis players I coach and if their attitude is a powerful weapon in their bag.
August 29, 2018
What is your Tennis IQ? Do you consistently hit the shots you ‘own’? On the changeovers, do you take time to assess what’s working and how you can exploit what is not working for your opponents? Are you familiar with former touring pro Eliot Telstcher’s concept of ‘shot tolerance’? It basically means how many balls […]
August 21, 2018
How do you know when Father Time is sneaking up on you? Well, in a very young cowboy’s case…it’s when you realize you’ve taught tennis to three generations of the same family. Grandma Lynn started in 1982 followed by her daughter Kelly in 1988. Lynn was thrilled when the third generation began lessons last Sunday. […]
August 12, 2018
He was brash…belligerent…and once was the number 1 ranked tennis player in the world for 160 consecutive weeks. Jimmy Connors won ten major titles during his career and made an incredible run to the U.S. Open semifinals at the age of 39. That run was the story of the tournament and showed the grit and […]
July 30, 2018
Gregor Dmitrov possesses incredible improvisational skills on the tennis court. If you want proof, just watch these consecutive points played against hard hitting Jack Sock. https://youtu.be/3pITVGWD4dw
July 30, 2018
Jimmy Connors was, like John McEnroe, a polarizing figure. Love him or not, he always provided ‘must watch’ TV with his amazing shotmaking and heart of a lion spirit. Surely, he will forever be regarded as one of tennis’ ultimate warriors. When you watch this point, please remember that he was 39 years old at […]
July 27, 2018
You ask the average tennis player who their hero is and you’ll hear names like Federer, Graf, Nadal, Navratilova, or…for us older folks, Connors. A name you probably won’t hear is Stroud. I’m thinking that might change quickly after you see the heart of Connor Stroud.
July 22, 2018
Drew Goodman is the television voice of The Colorado Rockies baseball club. In a broadcast today as The Rockies played The Arizona Diamondbacks, Goodman said that giving up runs with two outs is a very distasteful way to ‘press the ouch button.’ It made me think about the ouch button as it applies to tennis. […]
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