It can be very difficult to convince yourself that starting the point in the middle of the court is a good idea. Most of us use getting the player on the run, or hitting it far away from wherever the opponent is, to win the point. In addition, if you hit the ball down…
Almost every player has one side that is better than the other. Usually, a player’s forehand is stronger but as the level of play gets higher, many players prefer their backhand. Once you have determined which side is better, try attacking the weaker side with your first shot—either the serve or return of serve….
Having the discipline to play an opponent’s weakness over and over, and to adjust one’s patterns of play to exploit that weakness, is important at every level of play. If you can cause your opponent to hit on his/her stronger side (usually the forehand) as little as possible, like once every 15 minutes, chances…
Two of the best game improvement tools you should use on a regular basis are the backboard and the ball machine. Most world-class pros have used both of these resources in their careers and both are tremendous tools for your conditioning, footwork, consistency and form. Unfortunately, both of these resources are mostly underutilized. The…
Many problems in a tennis match occur because of indecision. A player is faced with many choices when they are about to reply to a shot that’s hit to them. Direction, speed, depth and spin are just some of the decisions that need to be made in a very short period of time. My…
The local tennis community boasts some of the top coaches in the world, and with this wealth of talent available, New York Tennis Magazine took the opportunity to pick the brains of some of these coaches. These instructors share their thoughts on a variety of tennis topics and issues, ranging from junior tennis to…
Most commercial tennis facilities value sales ability very high—if you are good at bringing new players, you’ll rise through the ranks faster, make more money and grow your professional track record faster than you ever thought possible. And there’s a good reason for that as most people find it very hard to combine being…
To excel in sports, considerable attention is paid to factors such as coaching, nutrition and fitness, but there is one area that often gets overlooked: VISION. Studies have shown that elite athletes have superior vision: they see better, wide peripherals, better depth perception, and better eye/hand coordination. In short, better vision means better performance….
There is a dirty little secret in the cloistered world of competitive junior tennis: Cheating and gamesmanship are rampant—and nobody is doing anything about it. For many children and parents, the first exposure to the junior tennis circuit can be a shock because junior tennis is one of the few sanctioned sports that has…
I have emphasized how important the serve and return of serve are in a tennis match. Most players have something other than these shots that they like to use to get the opponent in trouble, or to win the point. For some it is hitting their big forehand. Other players have a great backhand…