“If you ding it, just re-swing it.” David E. Moe has written a book that will be of use to any tennis player if they are open to a multi-disciplinary guide to improving their game. The Making of a Winner: A Fable About the Power Within takes tidbits from sports psychology, biofeedback and Eastern religions,…
It is time to thaw out from the winter freeze and start planning ahead for a summer tennis camp for your little tennis champs. Attending a tennis camp can be one of the best experiences a young player has in their lifetime. When I was 14-years-old, I went to a Nick Bollettieri tennis camp in…
Tennis is ever evolving. Professional players are getting faster, stronger and bigger at a greater rate. Rackets, strings, training methods and strokes are changing just as fast. A broad spectrum of online teaching and information is at our fingertips. Watching videos of the top players and emulating them is thought to be the “best” way…
It sounds obvious that knowing your tennis strengths is a critical part of a successful tennis game, but it goes deeper than that to have success in matches. When you are confident in certain shots that you possess, it will help you determine a game plan in your matches. Not only does this apply to…
I find it useful to ask students if they prefer to eat their spaghetti right out of the box, or if they prefer to eat it cooked—al dente. This image helps two types of students: those who hit very stiff strokes, and those who love to finish a stroke with a quick flick of the…
It's a new year and time to pick up the pace. Have you taken inventory of where your game is now and where it has to go to reach your full potential? I always found the offseason on the ATP Tour was an opportunity to attack the areas of concern in my game that needed…
It’s a common and often contentious debate among tennis instructors: Should we train young players with the standard yellow tennis ball or use the progressive red-to-orange-to-green approach? The latter—which relies on slower, less compressed tennis balls–is gaining momentum in tennis circles worldwide. In fact, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) recommends this approach because it better…
What’s the secret to sustained peak performance? Let’s face it … this is the million dollar question! Federer, Monfils, Sharapova … all competitors are trying to solve this great mystery. In the next six articles through 2015, I will highlight a key principle called “More Than an Athlete: Person First. Athlete Second (MTAA.A1.P2)” which I…
The tempo of the take-back is the first and most critical phase in the timing of the serve. It doesn’t matter whether you use a classic, abbreviated or somewhere in between motion. Remember you have to organize your feet, legs, hips, torso, shoulders, arms, hands and head in a continuous chain event to get to…
In today’s game, one of the most under-practiced shots is the inside-out backhand. While the inside-out backhand is not the weapon of choice players enjoy with their inside-out forehand, there are key times and reasons you should include this shot into your practice schedule and match play. Return of serve As a right-handed player, returning…