Coaching

There’s a saying in coaching that even the best coaches don’t invent anything new. Coaches take the experience of what they have heard, seen and played against, and form their own coaching preferences based on what they think is best. There are many coaching opinions that are just that: opinions...Read more

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world at the beginning of last year, Jason Pasion, who at the time was the head coach of the Hofstra men’s and women’s tennis teams, decided to help out. Armed with a medical degree and a desire to contribute, Pasion wanted to do his part. “I remained in...Read more

Confidence is a very important part of a good player's "toolbox". When the point gets long, the game is tight, or the match is on the line, confidence can be the difference in a player's ability to execute the shot or play the point well. The problem is that confidence comes from having success. In...Read more

If you are a competitive tennis player, you want to win. The problem is, so does your opponent. In fact, everyone wants to win. The best way to give yourself a great shot at winning is to focus on what you need to do on the way to the desired outcome. This is the definition of focusing on the...Read more

A widely circulating news story and USTA post reveals that a teacher once told U.S. Open Women's Singles finalist Leylah Fernandez to quit tennis and focus on school because she would never make it. Fernandez used this teacher’s skepticism as rocket- fueled inspiration to drive herself to succeed...Read more

Since the game of tennis has gotten faster and faster, it often feels like you are hitting from an off balanced position. Whenever there is time, try to synchronize your last step with the ball contacting your strings. This means getting your foot to hit the ground as close as possible to the ball...Read more

I recently recorded a podcast for my show, Prodigy Maker, in which I discussed the topic of Moonballing, especially in junior tennis. The topic got a lot of commentary online and I wanted to share some thoughts from the show with the Long Island Tennis Magazine readership, and my experience...Read more

Tennis is an extremely complex sport. It is not easy to figure out how to correct a problem or a mistake, and even tougher when you are the one out on the court playing a competitive match. Technique is very important, but often it breaks down because of a player's strategy or noise that is...Read more

When your opponent hits a good shot and gets you in trouble, try hitting your shot at a speed that is similar to the speed your opponent used. The tendency on a more difficult shot is to either hit it back much slower (to get it in play) or much faster (to try to either win the point or get your...Read more

Watching the ball is a huge part of hitting it solid on the tennis court. Another part of this concept is getting your position to be consistent based on what you are seeing with your eyes. The goal should be to end up with the ball close to the same distance away from you each time. In addition,...Read more