It has been an incredible year so far on the ATP Tour. There are many great up and coming players and a lot to look forward to the rest of the year. Obviously, the biggest story thus far is that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are once again near the top of the rankings and…
As we roll into the heat of the summer of 2017, I thought I would address what separates all of us on the court: How we deal with the heat of pressure. From the first time we compete in any way, shape or form, even as children, it's the first time we realize we could…
In Israel in the 1970s, tennis was a sport reserved for the elite and was hardly accessible to the majority of the population. That all changed in 1976, when the Israeli Tennis Centers first opened, giving kids, who would otherwise not have the opportunity, a chance to play tennis. One of those kids was Gilad…
I have players from all over the world coming to me to learn the secrets of movement and footwork in the Spanish system. On the pro tour, Spanish players are known for being the best movers … think Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer and many others. How do the Spanish teach footwork and movement so well?…
My understanding of what a progression is, is to use a systematic scheme to accomplish goals. Using progressions as a tool to teach any subject matter is not a new concept. For tennis players, this type of planning can minimize the dependency cycle a player can have for a coach's approval. Progressions bring accountability for…
There is no shortage of high-quality tennis coaches on Long Island, and the area has helped grow some of the best players in the country. But few of those coaches carry the type of background and experience brought to the table by Andrea Retolaza. “Andrea has the combination of a professional background and the technical…
It seems strange to start an article about warm-ups with a note about cooling down (many teaching plans include a period for warming up and cooling down during a lesson). The New York Times recently printed a piece outlining how cooling off after athletic exercise was mostly unnecessary. For high-level athletes training to the max,…
For 10 years, Chris Lewit spent a month each summer living in Barcelona, traveling around Spain to learn from the country’s legendary tennis coaches. “It was an interesting evolution for me to study and travel to Spain, I spent about 10 years doing that,” said Lewit, who grew up a very good basketball…
I often hear the phrase “PLAY” used by coaches to begin a drill or scenario to emphasize the starting of a point. Play is a creative term used to elicit a behavior of imagination and randomness to help discover what experiences really mean. The word “PLAY” sounds fun, but I believe we can…
It’s a truism that the best way to play well in competition, you need to relax, have fun and play freely. The moment a player starts to worry about outcomes or overthink the serve, is when tightness sets in and you begin to play weakly. To win on the court, one must have a free…