This is a continuation to the articles about tactics in Red Ball and Orange Ball stages. Previously we talked about Red Ball being the stage to understand tennis is a game of errors; the less errors we do, the more successful we are. In Orange Ball, we carried on the previous ideas and added the…
Like many of you, I was excited to learn that Roger Federer was giving a commencement speech. How fortunate for Dartmouth that Tony Godsick, his agent, had a daughter in the Dartmouth University 2024 graduating class, which is also Godsick’s alma mater. Much like Federer’s career, the speech went viral. Some described it as motivational,…
Footwork is essential to playing tennis, no matter how you approach it. Common phrases heard on the courts—such as “move your feet,” “get to the ball,” “recover for the next shot,” “one step closer to the net,” and” get behind the ball”—all emphasize the importance of footwork. Tennis involves receiving skills before sending skills. If…
Is there space in the Red Ball stage to work on tactics? Is it worth it? The answer is yes. It’s not only worth it, but it is one of the main purposes of using soft balls in the first place! We use soft balls in order to slow down the game and allow our…
At the highest levels of competitive tennis, it can be very hard to know who is winning or losing at first glance. One of the key concepts of understanding the inner game of tennis is that of momentum development. The key questions are: 1. How do you start building momentum … what do you…
I just boarded my flight from Fort Myers, Florida back to my home in Tucson, Arizona. My mom lives in Naples and we try to get together every two or three months. My stay was short (only four days) but we were able to fit in three sessions of tennis. At 88, she is truly…
Winning Pretty is a new tennis technique book by Chris Lewit, author of the best-selling book The Secrets of Spanish Tennis. Winning Pretty is an expert’s guide to modern, world-class tennis technique and features cutting edge biomechanics, evidence-based technique analysis, diagrams and models, and many excellent technique drills for building beautiful, elastic technique. The book…
The tone and message of a player’s internal dialogue shape their perceptions and self-belief. In a match, tennis players go through so many emotions that having occasional negative thoughts is inevitable, but learning to avoid negative self-talk will increase their chances to succeed. As American psychologist William James once said, “It is you with the…
Physical preparation in tennis is essential to achieving success in this highly-demanding sport. From the earliest days of childhood tennis to competing at the professional level, tennis players must devote significant time and effort to developing and maintaining an optimal level of fitness, which extends to several key aspects of the game, ranging from endurance…
Unfortunately, kids around the world often do not receive a strong technical foundation in their strokes and movement. I have a great passion for training children and have dedicated much of my coaching work in tennis to developing a great base of technique for kids. I have also been fortunate to work with many tennis…