It is so important to walk onto the court with a plan. A game plan may be as simple as hitting two or three crosscourt (or diagonal in doubles) groundstrokes and being patient at the baseline. Another basic plan can be to serve and volley on all first serves and work your way into the…
If you are playing a match and you thought you had a great plan and strategy for success, but you find yourself struggling, go back to the basics. All points start with the serve and the return of serve. If you are not getting enough first serves in, make sure your idea is to hit…
I watched a highly ranked student compete in a national tournament the other day and behave emotionally, talking to herself, throwing her arms up in the air and displaying anger at her performance. Her opponent responded with a few "questionable" line calls and yes, I believe it was a response to my student's behavior. Not…
This basically means that every single point that is played contributes to the outcome of the match. A player should not try to play better if they are in a situation that they feel is crucial. The goal should be to play every point the best that you can and give yourself a chance to…
A great way to improve your results during a singles point (once you get past the serve) is to follow this idea: draw a circle five feet in all directions from the "T" (where the center service line and the service line meet) and you will define the "circle of death". If you hit a…
1) Watch the ball-this means watching from the toss on the serve to the ball coming off of your opponent's racket, all the way through the point of contact that your racket makes, and then repeating the same idea 4, 5, 6, 10+ times in a row if necessary. Try to keep your focus on…
"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around it or through it."—Bruce Lee This last weekend inspired me to remember that the heart of a champion refuses to quit with the adamant belief they will succeed. Now I'm no…
Every tennis player is different. Some of us are Type A and some of us are laid back and just willing to take it as it comes. The best tennis players are able to find the right combination of consistency and aggressiveness. Credit photo to OSTILL Some of us should be on the more aggressive end…
Venus versus Serena, Roger versus Rafa in a Grand Slam finals. It happened this weekend after a nine-year hiatus and it was well worth the wait. The storylines were dramatic and the stakes were high. Serena was going after Grand Slam title number 23, hoping to break her modern record tie with Steffi Graf and…
Time for one of the most basic technique tips that everyone can use. The groundstroke follow through is more important than you think-it helps keep the path of the swing consistent and allows your racquet to gain momentum through the point of contact. The modern follow through has changed. With the new racquet and string…