Coaching

At the end of our college practices and before each match at NJIT, I assemble the group in a circle, we put our hands in, and on three we roar: “Team First!” Tennis is typically known as an individual sport, but most of my long-time involvement has been with the team or group aspect, from being a...Read more

Every tennis player has their own comfort zone concerning racquet head speed. There is a tendency to swing too slowly or too quickly during an actual point in a match. If you are trying to make sure your shot lands in, or are attempting to be "careful", your racquet head speed is likely to be...Read more

Visualization is arguably the most important factor in the mental approach to tennis. The current situation we are facing with the COVID-19 pandemic gives us an opportunity to turn within and hone our craft through improving mental acuity with certain visualization techniques. Strong visualization...Read more

Parents often ask me, “What makes Spanish tennis so great?”, or, “What do they do differently in Spain?” Many folks have never been there and are curious how such a small country became a world superpower in tennis. They also want to know how my academy and summer camp are influenced by the Spanish...Read more

Modern tennis often seems to be an exchange of shots hit from behind the baseline, usually ending with one person hitting a winner or an error. However, the best players tend to use their position on the court to help force an error from their opponent or to hit a winner. It is much easier to hit a...Read more

Emotions are a part of tennis. Players tend to feel miserable when they lose and great when they win. This is true during the match as well. A winning point can give you an exhilarating feeling and a losing point can tear your insides apart. For almost all players, it is better not to show your...Read more

Since the speed of the game has increased so substantially, many shots hit by your opponent seem impossible for you to run down and return. A great way to work on covering more of these seemingly unreturnable shots is to get in the frame of mind that you are going after every ball regardless of...Read more

A lot of tennis professionals are doing video tips on Facebook and other social media sites these days. I recently saw several video tips from Tom Gullikson, who I know from my coaching days on the ATP Tour. Tom was a great player, winning the 1984 French Open Mixed Doubles title along with Manuela...Read more

Since most points end after the serve (ace, service winner, missed return or double fault), it is extremely important to get your return of serve in play and force the server to hit another shot. Focusing on the basics will make this more likely and will also give you a chance to get the server in...Read more

I know the COVID-19 crisis is going to be resolved. It may take longer than we had hoped. This is a great time to practice tennis on your own. I had not hit a ball in the last three weeks until the other day. I took ten balls and a racquet to the court. After loosening up by doing a five-minute...Read more