A Burst of Speed ...

By Joel Ross
A burst of speed to gain position is what is needed for most shots to succeed. It is imperative to be in the most fantastic position to hit every ball if you want to hit a great shot. Most of the time, the only way to gain that position is with a burst of speed. Where does that burst come from? You...Read more

Play Tennis Like a Horse ...

By Joel Ross
Jesse Owens, the great Olympic champion in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, was taught by his coach at Ohio State to run like a horse. What he meant was, look straight ahead when you run, with a singular purpose of getting to the finish line first. Just the way a horse runs. Have you ever seen a horse...Read more

I Nominate ...

By Steven Kaplan
As a preface to this blog, I will state the obvious, which is the opinions expressed here while perhaps shared by many are mine and mine alone. I'm usually not a big fan of tennis politics and those who follow this blog know I'm even less enamored of tennis politicians. David Sickmen, publisher of...Read more

What You Can Learn From Colin Kaepernick's Super Bowl Performance

By Steven Kaplan
In the first half of this recent Super Bowl, San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick was shut down by the Baltimore defense. His "play action" fake handoffs to his running backs were just awful and fooled absolutely no one. As an analogy to tennis, disguise in shot-making can be an effective method to...Read more

How Sloane Beat Serena

By Joel Ross
In the third set, it seemed that Serena had fully recovered from a back ailment. Both women were serving well, hitting great groundstrokes. Many of the rallies were long standoffs. However, the game-changer was that Sloane was very comfortable and adept at coming to the net. She had a great feel...Read more

Wisdom for Sale

By Steven Kaplan
I Googled "Tennis" today at 4:00 p.m. and the first news story that came up is about an estate auction of Arthur Ashe's trophies and wisdom teeth. Besides being bizarre and slightly disturbing, it seems to demonstrate a real lull in tennis news that this is the top story. The number two entry is an...Read more

The Real Deal at the Australian Open

By Steven Kaplan
Sloane Stephens is the real deal and that's great news for U.S. tennis. She is a star in the making and has the power, speed and temperament to be a truly exceptional player for many years ahead. As of this writing, she is getting ready to face Serena Williams in the quarterfinals of the Australian...Read more

Being Decisive ... The Holy Grail of Tennis

By Joel Ross
Instinctively knowing what to do and doing it automatically. Comes from long and hard practice. Be decisive. Stay with the shot. It's simple. It works. It must be automatic. It is the holy grail of tennis.Read more

Setting a Record

By Steven Kaplan
The U.S. Open is increasing its prize money by a "record" $4 million in 2013. The Open will also add an extra day with the Men's Finals to be played on Monday. According to Jon Vegosen USTA Chairman of the board and president, "The record increase in U.S. Open prize money and the changes in next...Read more

Taylor Townsend is Number One

By Steven Kaplan
Taylor Townsend, the 16-year-old from Stockbridge Ga., became the first American female in 30 years to be ranked number one for the year by the ITA. USTA.com reports: "The effervescent Townsend trains at the USTA Training Center Headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla. with national coach Kathy Rinaldi and...Read more

How to Avoid Choking? Write a Journal

By Joel Ross
I was watching NOVA on Channel 13 last night. It was about the brain. The speaker was describing how when she was young, she had a chance to make the U.S. Olympic soccer team as a goalie. On the day she was being scouted, she said that she "choked" and let an easy shot pass under her arm for a goal...Read more

Listening Sessions

By Steven Kaplan
According to USTA.com, the USTA hosted a "listening session" on Saturday, Nov. 24 at The 14s National Open in Connecticut with regard to the proposed changes in the 2014 junior competition structure. "We are here for one reason," said incoming president Dave Haggerty, "and that is to listen and...Read more
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