Coaching

The tennis racket spins on its head. Someone says “Up.” Four tennis players crowd around the spinning racquet. It falls to the ground. A player examines the butt of the racquet and says, “It is up and I defer.” “Oh, fudge. Gosh darn it,” I think. “The dreaded ‘defer’ … now what do I do?” After the...Read more

We all saw Roger Federer win yet another Grand Slam victory, totaling 19, undoubtedly making a strong case for being the GOAT … Greatest Of All-Time. However, that’s not the purpose of this article. Let’s leave that debate to others and bring our focus to the story behind the story. What is Roger’s...Read more

David Letterman made us realize that people like lists. I guess any of these thoughts could be article subjects, but I prefer to just take this opportunity to clear my throat. 1. I can’t stand it when a parent says “we” when talking about their child’s tennis. 2. People shouldn’t tell families who...Read more

As we shut down a glorious summer of tennis and look forward to a great fall going into winter, I am just floored by the work done on the pro tour by the veterans who continue to amaze. When I played on the pro tour, players in their 30s were a rarity. Johnny Mac, Jimmy Connors and Martina...Read more

I started playing tennis when I was 10-years-old. My brother Paul and I would go with our parents to the park in Sag Harbor and eventually, we decided to go out and try to hit some balls. We pretty much picked it up right away and became regular hitting partners for the next 20 years. Paul became a...Read more

I don't travel to tournaments as much as I used to earlier in my career, but I decided to journey with a terrific student to Virginia Beach to the Girls’ 16 Clay Court Super Nationals this past July. I was expecting the worst, but was pleasantly surprised at the performances of these top girls...Read more

Having respect for your sport is the most important requirement for becoming a good tennis player. The relationship between respect and value exists in every sport, but especially in individual sports like tennis. In fact, the amount of respect you have for your opponents, your coaches and yourself...Read more

We all know that tennis is a game that requires an incredible amount of mental toughness, a test of wills and intelligence. Before continuing on with this article, I am going to make some very general assumptions and I realize that making these generalities opens up some opportunities for debate. I...Read more

Nowadays tennis has evolved into a more powerful game than it used to be years ago. Lighter materials and more aerodynamic equipment allow players to hit the ball faster and with greater force. This results in a higher dependence on the players’ fitness level, thus, increasing the risk of injuries...Read more

The ineffable state known as “The Zone” is the Holy Grail of sports. Every athlete seeks it. Any athlete who has played in the zone remembers the ease, joy and satisfaction of finding this special place. The dictionary defines “The Zone” as “An area or stretch of land having a particular...Read more