"Believe nothing. No matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense."—Buddha. Lance Armstrong, the most tested athlete in the history of sports, has been caught by USADA and turned in by his teammates, and the…
For someone who is consistently losing, the "fine line" between winning and losing can feel like a "hump" instead. Keep your feet moving … during, after and before each ball. Block everything else out. As long as the feet are moving, everything else will usually fall into place. Be prepared and happy to get into a long…
When I hear players advised to "try your hardest," I cringe because the idea of big effort is often a trigger for strength and force, and not relaxed efficiency. Great tennis mechanics are the result of timing, postural control and the sequencing of movements. "Your hardest" effort is not your best. Imagine that you were…
Matches are not the time to practice what you have learned or what you are working on. Eventually some new things that you are working on will naturally incorporate into your game as they become automatic. It’s important to get your best results in matches … stick with what you know and do best.
In the first three months of 2013 the ATP challenger tour will be testing out a new rule, the elimination of the service let. Though there are no immediate plans to implement this rule in a broader scope there is no question that this is the first attempt at doing just that. Would this potential…
This is the calm before the storm, as rumors have circulated for months that the ATP Player Council, led by Roger Federer, is going to strike at this year’s Australian Open over prize money inequities. The players are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore and now unlike the past efforts at negotiations,…
In doubles, points end fairly quickly due to the fast nature of the game itself-singles can be a very different story. Let’s go over a few ways to end some points more quickly and get you off the court sooner. If you have a weapon in either the forehand or backhand work the point to…
I’d like to bring a small snack and a bottle of water when I go to watch the U.S. Open, but I don’t because it’s just not worth the hassle. The security screening line which ensures that no unauthorized PB and J sandwiches threaten the event is enormous. If convenience is high on your list of…
Andy Roddick announced his retirement at the 2012 U.S. Open on Thursday, his 30th birthday. Roddick was the best male, American player of the last decade, and in this regard, he was in the right place at the right time as Sampras and Agassi were calling it quits. Roddick won the U.S. Open in 2003 and was…
A player once asked, what are the important shots to practice to improve doubles play? Let’s go over them. The importance here is that I am talking shots, not strokes. There are five shots that dominate doubles play, they are (not in any order) the serve, return, volley, overhead and lob. If you can find a…