The modern pro game is typified by shorter rallies and explosive, aggressive tennis. Huge serves and dominating returns are the norm. Rally length data promoted by analysts like Craig O’Shannessy have supported the concept of aggressive first-strike tennis at the top of the game. However, while the pro game is evolving its explosive style,…
I have taught tennis to people of all ages, from five-to-85-years-old, maybe even older, and one of my specialties is teaching wheelchair tennis. I am also Tournament Director for the annual Jana Hunsaker Wheelchair Tennis Tournament held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for 20 years, and would like to share…
Bob and Mike Bryan decided to retire prior to this year’s U.S. Open. They have to go down as one of, if not the best, doubles teams of all time. Watching them play helped me teach my students how to cover the ball hit down the middle in doubles. It always seemed like there…
Many times during a match you will be faced with a decision on whether to go for the winner or just make sure you get the ball back in play—or at least it seems like that. However, there are many other options besides these two obvious ideas. My thought is to play the shot…
There are so many reasons to hit most of your shots cross-court in a match: early point of contact, the angle, the ball crosses low part of the net, it makes your opponent move more, etc. Another great reason is because a cross-court shot does not have to be hit nearly as well to…
Tennis is a game of trial and error. Most players have a certain strategy or specific shots that they like to use. Because every match is different, it is important to pay attention to what is happening so you can adjust your ideas based on how things are going. If your crosscourt forehand seems…
There is a big difference between hitting a tennis ball and playing a point. There is also a big difference between practicing and playing an actual match. When I am working with a player, I do my best to emphasize technique and simple key thoughts while structuring the practice situation to simulate an actual…
I wish someone had given me a simple idea about how I should be playing points earlier in my tennis career. I think I basically hit the ball and waited to see what would happen. This sounds crazy to me now, but I think a lot of players still play like this. Here is…
Volleying is a lost art. There are a handful of players on the ATP and WTA tours that are extremely good at it. The majority of players tend to rely on their hands and the movement of the racquet when they volley. Even though the game has gotten faster, your step should be part…
Once or twice a year, a tennis player will walk on the court and everything will go right. The first serve goes in and the placement is perfect. The player is seeing the ball extremely well and the contact is solid and consistent. Strategy seems easy and even the simplest ideas are winning points….