Thinking on the court should be simple and concise. Play every single point the best that you can. You cannot win every game point, or every critical point; you have to keep giving yourself chances. If you had one chance, you need another. If you had a couple, you need three, etc. You need…
It is human nature to try to figure out what went wrong when you miss a shot on the tennis court. Most of us would be better off approaching things a different way. The first step is to identify if the miss was caused by the opponent hitting a good shot. If this is…
Many players default to a coaching career because it feels familiar and comfortable following their playing days, and there is nothing wrong with that. But when making this transition, most try to teach the game the way they were taught, forgetting that today’s game is nothing like it was 20, or even 10, years…
Players tend to think that having more time will help them hit a better shot. Many players actually let the ball drop from close to an optimum position before making contact. I believe that too much time can cause many problems for players. Timing, indecision, and having to hit the ball up to clear…
Many tennis players tend to “steer” the ball in the direction that they want it to go. This involves changing your swing so that it goes more towards your target. Most of the work is done by your hands and your racquet. It is much better if you can use your shoulders to direct…
I am a firm believer in focusing on your strengths during a tennis match. You can always get better at hitting the ball, improving a specific shot, and sharpening your technique. However, you want to hit your best shots when you are playing a match. If your forehand is better than your backhand, hit…
Every tennis player is different. Some have stronger forehands, while others prefer their backhand. Many like to run around and hit groundstrokes, and every once in a while you run into that aggressive net charger. Regardless of the type of player, there are a few basic ideas that will likely determine your level of…
I never really understood the importance of the follow through in a tennis swing. Once the racquet and the ball make contact, how much difference can it possibly make if the racquet ends up in a different place at the end of the swing? The answer is, it can make all the difference in…
Being a tennis coach for 20-plus years has taught me much about the game and about life. It is an ongoing learning experience … one that never ends as each new student is different and teaches you something new about the game. The coach will face difficult and challenging situations when dealing with developing players,…
Anyone who is considered a good competitor hates to lose. I can’t tell you how many times I have felt this pain following a loss. One of the tough things about tennis is that you are going to lose a lot. You will lose points, you will lose games, you will lose sets, and…