The Restlessness

By Eric Dietsche
It’s now official. Now that the Spring Break trips have begun and it is also possible to play on outdoor courts again (at least in the Berkshires—if you’re somewhere further south, you may have been playing outside much longer), the spring season has begun, and the restlessness of the winter has...Read more

Should I Get A "Name" Coach For My 6-8 Year Old?

By Ricky Becker
A lot of times people want to go out and seemingly do well for their young child. "Who are the best coaches in the area?" They may ask their friends. Truth is, the coaches who are known as top coaches are top coaches for a completely different demographic than the one a 6-8 year old is in. The best...Read more

My Opinion: What’s the Story With Tennis Lingo?

By Eric Meditz
I was recently at a dinner party at a friend’s apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I got caught up in a conversation with some guy who said that he worked in the city as some sort of financial or investment banker. I wasn’t quite sure what he was talking about, because I was trying not...Read more

"Absorb" Don't "Deflect"

By Ricky Becker
My sophomore year at Stanford I was taking a class on 19th century American history. This is a topic that I found really, really interesting. For the first time that I could remember, I found myself at class listening, concentrating and trying to follow what my teacher had to say. I found this...Read more

Why Tennis?

By Ricky Becker
People often say to me "You Must Have Loved Tennis As a Kid." Truth is, as a kid, I never specifically loved tennis. I loved sports. And still do. As a 12-year old, I played soccer, baseball, basketball and tennis. Unbeknowst to me, my parents saw me as what I was, a go-with-the flow kid who will...Read more

What to watch for..

By Jason Wass
As your watching the French Open, try and help your own game by learning from the pro's. During the next 2 weeks at Roland Garros expect to see longer points on the red clay. Its always interesting for me to watch how players construct each point. With longer points being played you will start to...Read more

Funny First-Hand Encounters With Agassi and Sampras ... and Taking Issue With the Agassi Book

By Ricky Becker
I swore that I would never buy the Agassi book "Open". In the interest of full disclosure, my two experiences with him with both somewhat less than extraordinary. Firstly, he mocked my college teammate/friend ON-COURT after they played in the first round of the Sybase Open in San Jose. After...Read more

How Can I Objectively Evaluate My Child's Potential?

By Ricky Becker
True Story: Years ago when I was in college, I was talking to a couple at length. They were telling me how they were starting to get their two children into tennis and they were really excited about their younger child (I'll call him Tommy.) They explained that Tommy (age 7) had grace and fluidity...Read more

TR

By Steven Kaplan
Players used to be obsessed with their USTA ranking, and I really didn't think I would see the day when this would no longer be true, but it seems to be so. Juniors have found a new focus, and are now preoccupied with their standing on Tennisrecruiting.net or in tennis speak, "TR." This, by the way...Read more

Playing on clay in the month of May

By OnCourt Advantage
Who do YOU think will record the best singles results in the clay court season – Melanie Oudin, Sam Querrey or John Isner? The American trio has achieved career best rankings on the Pro Tours in 2010 and they are all rising into the upper echelons of the game. All 3 players continue to achieve a...Read more

Is Your Off-Court Routine Hurting Your Tennis?

By Ricky Becker
Today a student of mine was bragging about how hard he works off the court. He told me that he has been running a few miles a day. Problem is..and he has heard this before, running long-distance is no good for tennis unless you are trying to lose weight or master the 7-minute mile stride that is...Read more

How Much Tennis Do I Need To Play?

By Ricky Becker
As a counselor of college-bound tennis players, as well as people who are looking to get an objective opinion on how to get their child into tennis, I often get asked, "How much tennis should my child play?" or even better is the question, "How many lessons/drills a week does my child need to take...Read more
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