What a great time of year to be playing tennis and what a crazy year 2016 has been so far in the world of pro tennis! First, the match-fixing and gambling scandal and now Maria Sharapova fails a drug test? I'm not sure how closely you have been following the drama off the court, but…
The New York tennis landscape is always growing and evolving. There are a myriad of options, both indoors and outdoors, for local tennis players to choose from. So how does a successful tennis entity separate itself? How does a successful club increase its player base and continue to grow? New York Tennis Magazine recently…
I called a parent today to inform him that his child didn't fit into an Orange Ball Class and would be a better fit for a Red 3 Class. Luckily for me, the parent seemed open-minded to the idea, but felt it would be hard to explain to his child the "demotion" from Orange Ball…
Having coached high school tennis for 24 years and having been a USPTA professional for 41 years, I’ve heard the term “mental toughness” thrown around repeatedly. What exactly is mental toughness? How can you recognize it? Is it something that can be learned? Can you teach it? Let me share what I have learned in…
There are ways to improve your doubles play as a team, as you and your partner should always be on the same page. In this article, I will discuss the server’s partner while playing the net. Strong communication between partners is a must. In between points, talk to each other about the placement of serve…
A few years ago, I attended a seminar where Patrick McEnroe, director of USTA Player Development at the time, spoke about the future of tennis in the United States. He spoke of the demise of tennis as a youth sport and asked why there wasn’t something like Little League in our sport. The crowd, filled…
I have been working full-time at an academic institution. In my fifth year, academia has done something that I could never envision when I took on a full-time role as head tennis coach at SUNY Oneonta. I am exposed to great thinkers, doctors and professors from many fields on a daily basis. I attend lectures…
It recently hit me that I have been teaching tennis for more than 20 years. I have now taught tennis for more years than I have played the sport competitively, and I had a relatively long career. I am a totally different coach than I was 20 years ago. I did go through the ATP…
From his years on the ATP Tour winning 17 Grand Slam titles, spending 170 weeks as world number one and challenging the status quo, to his current roles as commentator, elder statesman and founder and leader of the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA), John McEnroe’s impact on the sport of tennis has been profound and…
As a sport psychologist, I have treated many athletes who have been injured. There are 30 million kids playing sports and 10 percent of them will get injured this year. Tennis is not quite as dangerous as football, soccer or ice hockey, but there are plenty of ankle, knee, elbow and shoulder injuries. The consequence…