February 15, 2017
A good tennis friend encouraged me to explore a new Social Network site for tennis players, organizations, and merchandisers. You might be interested in checking it out at RacquetStar.com We’ll keep you updated as league season approaches as you can let the tennis world know of the great things your team or kids are doing.
February 15, 2017
For twenty years or so, a very young cowboy has referred to this shot as a ‘Glory shot.’ Many coaches call it as a ‘reverse’ forehand. Australian John Newcombe used it effectively on the low bounces at Wimbledon in the late sixties and they called it ‘the buggy whip.’ Should it be in your toolkit? […]
February 12, 2017
The story goes that The Bryan Brothers played a U S Open doubles final years ago that lasted nearly two and a half hours. It’s reported that their father charted the match…and that the twins only had two net errors in the entire match. Incredible. Welby Van Horn used to call net errors felonies. After […]
February 12, 2017
Some kids just have it. Swag at an early age is something to see. Cory Ross and his younger brother Casey used to drill with varsity players at age ten. Everyone on the court shared the belief that they would be state champions one day. Sure enough…both won multiple state titles. Jeff Salzenstein arrived at […]
February 5, 2017
Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t. Rikki Rogers
February 5, 2017
We were the host site for a six state tournament held a number of years ago. Returning from lunch on quarterfinals day, I asked the site coordinator if everything was running smoothly. Expecting the customary reply of ‘yes, we’re right on time,’ I was surprised when he pulled me aside beyond the earshot of spectators […]
February 4, 2017
A very young cowboy attended a tennis teachers conference in Miami in 1983. Peter Burwash was one of the featured speakers and was viewed as a bit controversial at the time. In speaking about the forehand, he urged coaches to beware…that the standard eastern forehand grip would soon be very rare in pro tennis. Many […]
January 30, 2017
Kudos to Serena Williams for winning The Australian Open singles title and surpassing Steffi Graf’s all time major record. Congratulations to Venus for storming her way to the final by winning six matches at age 36. Amazing! On the men’s side, I hope you were able to see Roger and Rafa on Sunday. It was […]
January 27, 2017
Chet Murphy was the longtime tennis professional at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. He was terrific. An accomplished player and author, one of his most popular books was the classic Tennis for Thinking Players. Mr. Murphy knew that players could easily get lost inside their own skulls and fall prey to paralysis by analysis. […]
January 27, 2017
Can you name this Grand Slam champion who still is winning doubles titles in her thirties? A hint…her first name is Martina and her last is not Navratilova. One of the most creative players ever, her technique on the volley is impeccable. What can you learn from her two handed backhand volley? The head of […]
January 26, 2017
A doubles team has decided to switch from the norm and play one and a half back when receiving. Can you think of reasons why they’ve made this adjustment? Here are some possible reasons. The server has a dominating serve and is holding serve too easily. The server’s partner is creating havoc with poaches and […]
January 25, 2017
Here’s hoping you tennis players have been watching and enjoying the Australian Open. The story lines of this tournament have been many and remarkable. Roger Federer has returned following knee surgery and hoped to make the quarterfinals. The thirty-five year old has turned back the clock, played brilliantly, and will compete in the semifinals on […]
January 23, 2017
The next Roger…or Rafa? You just never know. Videos of Federer, Nadal, Austin, and Sampras at age eight show terrific promise and pure joy in playing the game. What separates them from the rest? Belief and the desire to make that belief become their story. Here’s hoping we’ll see this youngster on Center Court one […]
January 18, 2017
What can you take from this picture into your next match? Brett Hobden is a pro from Australia who has a terrific term…’track it to the racquet.’ This player is surely following this advice. The question is why don’t club players watch the ball this intently? Vic Braden and Gideon Ariel discovered a couple of […]
January 16, 2017
The late, great tennis coach Welby Van Horn referred to it as the significant other arm. One look at this youngster and you figure he is well coached. The soa is not dangling or bobbing or pointing out towards the net. Positioned across the body, it proves he’s been taught the importance of a significant […]
January 14, 2017
What percentage of college and professional doubles teams have brief huddles before serving points? If you answered 100%, you are correct. The natural second question is why. Actually, there are a number of reasons. It allows for the planning of the next point. Without planning, players are more strangers than partners. The server is the […]
January 13, 2017
You are down 1-6 in the third set match tie breaker to ten points. Why should you keep fighting? Three reasons. You understand that the pressure is now on your opponent to close the deal and that can be a heavy burden. Because they have a big lead, their natural tendency is to play a […]
January 13, 2017
Tennis really is the greatest game. Perfect for kids from age four to super seniors at ninety. How fun when four doubles players bring the spirit of this five year old to the court…when everyone appreciates the magic and no one gets curmudgeonly based on the score. For those who don’t know the meaning of […]
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