Less than 10 percent of all tennis shots are hit from a center position on the court. Note that every serve is hit from a slightly off-center start, and each return of serve is hit from even closer to the sideline. Why is it then that more than 90 percent of all tennis balls are fed by instructors from the center?
We are always praising the virtues of "mixing it up" to our students. Perhaps we should take our own advice when it comes to the speed, spin, trajectory and angle of delivering ball feeds.
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Steven Kaplan Steve Kaplan is the owner and managing director of Bethpage Park Tennis Center, as well as director emeritus of Lacoste Academy for New York City Parks Foundation, and executive director and founder of Serve &Return Inc. Steve has coached more than 1,100 nationally- ranked junior players, 16 New York State high school champions, two NCAA Division 1 Singles Champions, and numerous highly-ranked touring professionals. Many of the students Steve has closely mentored have gone to achieve great success as prominent members of the New York financial community, and in other prestigious professions. In 2017, Steve was awarded the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement Award by the USTA. He may be reached by e-mail at StevenJKaplan@aol.com. |