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…
When playing doubles, there are many times we have to make the big decision—air or bounce. Do I hit it in the air or let it bounce? During the course of a point you can easily find yourself playing around the service line and this is generally when the decision comes up. You will let…
The All England Championships at Wimbledon is usually a staid event with muted tones and hushed crowds, but the Olympic Tennis event is a raucous party … I love it! My first thought when I tuned to the coverage on Bravo is that the vivid colors reminded me of that great scene for "The Wizard…
Tennis is a sport that requires muscle memory, and more importantly, you need to be able to feel your strokes mentally. There is much discussion in tennis about feel or touch, knowing the amount of power (or lack of) when hitting a certain shot. The feel in brushing up the ball when hitting topspin is…
Concentrate like anything. Relax and prepare for a long point. Keep the ball in play. Whatever you do, win the first point of every game. It makes it so much easier. Like riding a bike downhill. Once you have the first point under your belt, start concentrating on the second one. Same thing, no let…
It’s now official, Pete Sampras is without doubt the second best player that East Hampton, N.Y. native Paul Annacone has coached, as Roger Federer extended his record of major titles to 17 with a brilliant 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 win over British hope Andy Murray. Federer now also ties Sampras and 1880’s player William Renshaw with…
The biggest news in women’s tennis today, as reported by The Associated Press, is not the sublime play on the grass at Wimbledon, instead, it’s the ridiculous suggestion that "Grunt-O-Meters" be used to cut down the grunting in women’s tennis. In a statement, the WTA said, "The WTA, ITA and Grand Slams aim to drive…
There are many facets to hitting a solid ground stroke, but if you key in on four simple areas your shots will improve. Movement is number one; tennis is a sport that requires quick feet. The stroke is dependent on the fact that you are in the right spot to hit the ball. Moving the…
Title IX of The Education Amendments of 1972 is celebrating its 40 anniversary. If you are a girl playing tennis, then you should be celebrating too because this legislation is having a profound and positive impact on your life. One study estimates that Title IX has increased female sports participation in high school and college…