Rafael Nadal won his 13th Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open over Novak Djokovic last Monday and is now just four Grand Slams behind Roger Federer and catching up fast. While the speed and power of the game was astounding, it was equaled by something very special. I have never seen a level of sportsmanship and…
Forty years after Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes," new reports have surfaced that the match was fixed and Riggs tanked it to pay off mob debts. This is a plausible story as it was just an exhibition match, albeit a landmark event. I say, who cares how that…
When dieters keep a log of everything consumed for a week or two, they are often surprised at how many empty calories appear. Try keeping a tennis training diary and be highly detailed. You might not be optimizing your time. I’ll bet most junior players, even those spending long hours on the court, recognize at least…
It was just a short time ago that Roger Federer was the number one player in the world. Today, many tennis experts have said his days look numbered, and they could be right in saying that the best player to ever swing a racket is slowing down. His best chance for one more Slam is…
The most exclusive achievement in Men’s professional tennis is membership in the career Grand Slam club. Just five players in the modern era, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have won the Australian, French, U.S. Opens and Wimbledon in their career. The likes of Sampras, Connors, Lendl, Becker, Courier, Wilander,…
While much has been written about split steps as magical movements unique to tennis, split steps in functional performance are just another way to describe simple " stops and cuts." More specifically, split steps are the transition movements from linear or straight acceleration to multidirectional movements with the goal of managing uncertainty. All movements have…
While it’s not news to hear that tremendous focus and attentiveness to detail helps you play better tennis, it is a little surprising to learn that it also makes you happier. Recently, a fascinating study at Harvard University found that people are most happy when they are fully engaged in activities and are least happy…
Pat Mitsch, publicity associate of the USTA, sent me an e-mail the other day with an attached press release about the new USTA "Feeder Program" at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. He asked if I "Can use it in Long Island Tennis Magazine," and I am happy to accommodate. As explained on USTA.com,…
A few years ago when I was at a high-performance coaching seminar in Cincinnati, I heard a great expression, "Hit-and-Giggle Tennis." I loved the expression because it accurately portrayed recreational tennis distinctly in four words. Not that there is anything wrong with Hit-and-Giggle Tennis, but when I hear someone say that they play tennis seriously, and…
In Team of Rivals, which is about Abraham Lincoln’s presidency during the Civil War, there were so many instances where Lincoln’s generals failed to pursue the retreating enemy after a decisive victory. History teaches us that the Civil War could have ended much sooner had some of these generals been more aggressive. In the game…