Down Love-40? No Problem ... Forget About It!

By Joel Ross
You're down love-40 and your world is coming apart. Not to worry. Try to get temporary amnesia ... in other words, forget about it. You only need three points to pull even and then two more to win the game. Play one point at a time, regular points, no going for intentional aces or winners. Just...Read more

Core Training

By Frank Dolan
What is the first exercise you think of when you think of “Core” Training? Is it sit-ups or crunches? Although sit-ups and crunches facilitate general strengthening of the abdominal muscles they are not a great choice when it comes to functionally training the core. Recent research also shows that...Read more

Foot and Ankle Exercises to Improve Your Speed

By Frank Dolan
When you think about improving your on court speed you probably don't think too much about your feet and ankles. Believe it or not, it could be a major factor diminishing your speed potential. A lack of ankle range of motion can create a number of problems like putting too much stress on your knees...Read more

What Do College Coaches Want From Incoming Freshman?

By Steven Kaplan
If you are a high school senior who plans on playing college tennis, get ready for the most rewarding experience of your career. In order to learn more about how players can best prepare themselves, I asked one of the best and most experienced college coaches in the country, Paul Wardlaw, head...Read more

Want to Get Better in Tennis?

By Joel Ross
Practice, right? Yes. However, it's how you practice. Repetition is how you do it. Unrelenting repetition. Whatever it is that you are trying to improve, keep practicing it, over and over again. It must become second nature. The only way to reach that advanced state of execution is to practice it...Read more

Listen Up

By Steven Kaplan
Boys High School Tennis is starting, and hundreds of Long Island players are transitioning from placid indoor conditions to the variable and harsh early season outdoor tennis environment. A select few players are readying for Spring Super Nationals. While sun, wind and temperature are the most...Read more

USTA Eastern Has Class

By Steven Kaplan
At the recent 2012 Annual Meeting of USTA Eastern, Section President Jeff Williams addressed junior award winners with these words of wisdom ... "If you work hard in the classroom and continue to develop the skills for which you are being honored here today, you will turn out to be someone that is...Read more

A Thought on 10-and-Under Tournaments

By Ricky Becker
I am not anti-USTA. Well, I should correct that. I don't want to be anti-USTA. Yeah, they stiffed me 20 years ago from the National Team, but after all, they are the national governing body of our great country. Whether they want to be or not, they are bullies. I can't get around it. One example is...Read more

The Plays The Thing

By Steven Kaplan
If I were a college coach, I would look very closely at a potential recruit's tournament back draw record. Specifically, I would look for a persistent pattern of back draw defaults, and if I identified it, I would have concerns. Almost every player defaults a back drawn match once in a while. It...Read more

What Davis Cup Win over Federer?

By Ricky Becker
About 10 years ago, I had a lifelong memory when I was asked to practice with Pete Sampras for a day when he was in New York City while his wife was filming for a movie. Except for the fact that he stuck me for the court and ball fee even though he made about 600 times more than me that year, he...Read more

Do You Lead Your Organization Like Jeremy Lin Leads the Knicks?

By Joel Ross
Do you take control at key moments? Do you make everyone on your team better? Do you know the strengths of your team members and give them opportunities to produce results using them? Do you make good decisions under duress? Do you take some calculated risks, fail occasionally, get up and keep...Read more

Do You Have a Child Under Six? Put the Racquet Down

By Joel Ross
I just filled in as "guest instructor" at one of our QuickStart after school programs in Pelham, N.Y. for kindergartners, about 5-years-old. There were 12 children in the class. Each child had a racquet and sponge ball. The first exercise was hitting the ball up with the racquet, letting the ball...Read more
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