Coaching

Once or twice a year, a tennis player will walk on the court and everything will go right. The first serve goes in and the placement is perfect. The player is seeing the ball extremely well and the contact is solid and consistent. Strategy seems easy and even the simplest ideas are winning points...Read more

I have been working with students and interacting with parents at many different levels in tennis for more than 20 years. I currently teach group and private lessons, run a program for 25 autistic students and run USTA tournaments. My experience has been with students ranging from the beginner...Read more

This is the second part of Barbara Wyatt's Hindrance Quiz. Click Here to read Part One . The Hindrance Quiz checks your understanding of the ITF and USTA rules of hindrances. Correct answers are the simple quick answers, not burdened with a barrage of what-ifs or embellished with nuances on the...Read more

Most players dread the low reply from their opponent when approaching the net. This is a difficult shot but if you can handle it, your opponent is likely to be surprised and frustrated. This will force them to attempt a clean passing shot which is not a high percentage play for anyone. The key to...Read more

The first thing we all have to realize is that everyone, even Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Simona Halep, and Sofia Kenin, gets nervous before and during a tennis match. Some players look as if they are extremely relaxed when in reality they are feeling a lot of the...Read more

The way you string your tennis racquet can have a dramatic effect on your game. If a racquet is strung very tight (58 pounds or more), the ball will not rebound off the strings as much. This means you will have to swing harder to generate a faster shot. By stringing at a lower tension (52 pounds or...Read more

A document was recently published by a group of doctors stating that tennis is a 1 (on a scale of 1-10) in terms of likelihood of transmitting the COVID-19 disease. This should send a "learn how to play tennis" message out to everyone who is looking for some great exercise, social interaction (from...Read more

The Hindrance Quiz checks your understanding of the ITF and USTA rules of hindrances. Correct answers are the simple quick answers, not burdened with a barrage of what-ifs or embellished with nuances on the court. A “yes” means the action was a hindrance, and a point is awarded or re-played. A “no...Read more

As we get better at the game of tennis, it is natural to start thinking about more complicated ideas on the court. Often, strategy and anticipating your opponent's next shot take over your thought process. Both of these things can be very important to your success in a match. However, your ability...Read more

In this time of extraordinary challenge, the dreams of many young players to one day play professional tennis have been put on pause. It's concerning to venture outside to play tennis and in some areas perhaps ( and I say this with sadness) irresponsible. With no live tennis, even watching is an...Read more