So you want to be a professional tennis player? And you just don’t want to be one of those players who makes it to 700th in the world, and then gets a job becoming a teaching pro at a country club … you want to be someone special! You want to travel the world in…
The holiday season has come and gone, and that means that the tennis season is essentially over. It has become cold and has started to snow; outdoor play has become somewhat unlikely. Leagues and other players flood the indoor courts, which makes it hard to get regular hitting sessions. All of this leads to the…
So I’m at the U.S. Open this past year, and I’m enjoying my fifth Grey Goose Honey Deuce (for those of you who don’t know, this is the official drink of the 2009 U.S. Open … at least that’s what the bartender told me as she made eye contact with the tip jar). I’m walking…
This year has certainly been one of the more stressful in my life, not to mention one of the most exciting and scary. All in one year, I have gone from a high school senior, at the top of my game in my high school both academically and athletically … to a graduated high school…
A couple of days ago, I was in a bar somewhere in New York City. This bar wasn’t your trendy, place-to-be-scene bar you see on television and in the movies. It wasn’t a bar where you have a bouncer out front that won’t let you in because you are wearing a hat. There were no…
I recently participated in the inaugural Long Island Tennis Expo, hosted by Long Island Tennis Magazine at Farmingdale State College, and the USTA College Showcase held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Both events were well-attended by hundreds of families with the intentions of having their children play collegiate tennis. The two most…
“Can you teach me how to hit a serve like Roger Federer?” I am asked that question almost on a weekly basis from a variety of students. I study the serves hit by the best professionals. “Fix your toss, pronate your wrist, keep your head up,” I tell my students. I adjust my remarks as…
What has changed in the game of tennis since the tennis boom of the 60s and 70s? I wrote in the last issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine that tennis is a gift for a lifetime, and that will be my battle cry for all parents who want to do something great for their…
Did you know that you have a better chance of winning the New York State Lottery than gaining a spot in the U.S. Open Draw? That’s right, 17 men and 15 women in the U.S. Open Main Draw were from the United States of America. None of the males entered were from Long Island and…
The article in the May/June 2009 issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine entitled, “College Tennis Advice” by Clark D. Ruiz II, was terrific advice for a young tennis enthusiast who wants to play in college and us crazy tennis parents who have high aspirations for our sons and daughters. I recently traveled on a similar…