It began with the innocent question, “You hit a winning shot in our court. I have a question, did your racquet cross over the net?” Those words launched a friendly match into a contentious battle. If the racquet crosses over the net, who calls it? The player with the racquet, or the opponent? This…
For the last decade, Sportime Clubs, LLC has been working on a plan for the expansion of its Randall’s Island facility, the flagship home of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy and the largest indoor tennis facility in NYC. When completed in the fall of 2023, Sportime believes that the expanded and upgraded facility will…
I’ve been obsessed with understanding the game within the game of tennis since I finished my competitive career in Europe 10 years ago. And now I’ve been lucky enough to learn about the Global Online Teaching Technology Access (GOTTA) system and language, and boy has it changed my perspective on how to look at…
I remember waking up in the morning when we were living in Sag Harbor, N.Y., and checking the trees in the distance to see how windy it was. We were playing tennis mainly at the Bridgehampton Racquet and Surf Club (which was right on the ocean) and it seemed like it was almost always…
Nominations for the annual USTA Eastern Awards Dinner are open until Friday, October 7. Individuals and organizations may be nominated for more than 20 awards, including Tennis Woman of the Year, Tennis Man of the Year and Organization of the Year. All members of Eastern’s tennis community are encouraged to submit nominations. With its annual awards, USTA Eastern honors…
I just finished a super season of summer camp in Vermont. Players from all over the country and world visited our small academy in the green mountains for serious high performance training. It’s becoming harder and harder to find serious training in the summer. Many academies and camps offer more recreational programs—Mickey Mouse type…
Growing up as a young tennis player in the late 1970s was very different from the reality that junior tennis players are facing today. In Tel Aviv, Israel where I grew up, the coaches were all using a wood racquet and they all used to play with one grip: continental. They all used to…
Each summer, the U.S. Open arrives in New York and with it brings the eyes of the entire tennis world. And because of that, local programs and community initiatives are able to be highlighted and earn proper recognition. One of those deserving programs is City Parks Foundation, and specifically the immense tennis options they…
For the last few years, famous Brazilian tennis coach Larri Passos has spent time out in East Hampton on Long Island, working as a coach and consultant at the Ross School Tennis Academy (RSTA). RSTA’s Director of Tennis Vinicius Carmo is a fellow Brazilian who knows Passos from their time in South America, and…
There is always a tendency to swing at the ball faster when you are trying to win the point and slower when you are trying to keep the ball in play. Both of these things can contribute to a loss of timing and rhythm. I would recommend finding your “comfortable speed” for each shot…