After watching Novak Djokovic save four match points and come back to defeat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in this year’s French Open quarterfinals, two things appear to be true. First, The world’s number one player is not yet the best player in the world on clay. That title still belongs to Rafael Nadal until proven otherwise. Second,…
It does happen once in a while. Even the best of callers, the most honest citizens, the one who gives the call to his opponent if there is ever a doubt … will be called a cheater or insinuated to be one. Toughen up. Thicken the skin. Stay calm. If you are uncertain of your…
Rafael Nadal won his sixth Rome Masters title against Novak Djokovic on Monday and reminded the tennis world that he is the best clay court tennis player to ever pick up a racket. SportsCenter devoted a full 30 seconds to this match, which is the same amount of coverage given to the Detroit Lions opening…
The fear of losing while playing can motivate greatly, but most often negatively because it distracts and impedes optimal performance. Fear is a terrible focal point. It causes world-class tennis players who have spent a lifetime developing and perfecting skills to choke and double-fault with elbows of concrete. Neuroscientists describe this event by explaining that,…
I often hear players talk about favoritism by coaches. The frequent complaint is that "favoritism is unfair treatment," and while there may be a small absolute truth here, the larger truth is that "sameness" is not "fairness." I am sometimes described as "treating players unequally" on the tennis court, and I would say it’s an…
You’re winning. That’s good. You’re composing your victory speech. That’s bad. You can still lose! Think about how devastating it will be to have been winning and then it all disappears. It can happen. It will happen. Unless you are so scared that you still might lose. The fear will keep you focused. Concentrate on…
If you are the parent of an aspiring young player on Long Island, there is a very good chance that "prominent" coaches have told you that "your child has the talent to be a pro." Most of you will be skeptical, especially when they add, "we are the only place with the ability to take…
One of my favorite drill games is called "True Life," and the explanation of this game is way more complex than its execution. Essentially, two players on one side of the court try to win the point against two competitors on the other side. The first point is for position only, win and you stay…
The USTA announced changes to the National Junior Tennis Tournament structure last week. It seems like changes to the national format are as inevitable as death and taxes and after speaking with many people, only slightly less welcomed. Former Director of the Office of Management and Budget Bert Lance once said, "If it ain’t broken, then…
Most tennis players work on foot speed during agility drills. While important, it is not nearly as critical as creating the functional movement and movement skills to accelerate and decelerate in a multi-directional manner. Use this sequence of exercises to optimize your on court "cutting" speed.