Coaching

As a High Performance coach, I have had many discussions and have heard many opinions about what makes for a good practice partner. Some people just like to see a solid ball over and over so they can catch their rhythm, while others like to be pushed around by a stronger player because they like...Read more

The positive growth of tennis in America requires the community to engage in mentorship at every level of the game. Whether as a coach, a meet up group, a player or parent, mentorship can make a huge difference not just in the rate of growth of our sport, but more importantly, the positive growth...Read more

In my last article, I spoke about the necessity to redefine “pressure” so that you can begin to experience it as something normal and to even welcome it. It’s been said that the best players, under pressure, rise to the occasion and begin to play even better, whereas players with lesser mental...Read more

Ivan Lendl coaches Andy Murray. Lendl, while watching Murray, remains stoic and focused on his pupil’s athletic performance … all the way to the Wimbledon Championship. Coaching is not allowed by rule during a match, but does it really help? Ivan Lendl was physically present for support, but Murray...Read more

Like many developing tennis players, you are limited by poor court movement and struggle with elbows that fly across your body. Since you'd like to correct your running mechanics, you seek professional help. You first visit a poorly-trained coach who recognizes your mistake and tells you "just stop...Read more

What is the ideal training environment for a tennis player? An obvious response would be the ideal environment is one that offers the most individual attention and one-on-one coaching. Individual training is important, but it is only a piece of the puzzle. The optimal training atmosphere should...Read more

With the high school tennis season underway and having been a high school coach, I feel eminently qualified to discuss a few salient points. In 2002, I had the distinct opportunity to coach both a boy's team (Roslyn) and a girl's team (Cold Spring Harbor) to County Championships in the same year...Read more

Professional athletes will sometimes use humor to relax themselves and to relieve stress. In this year’s President’s Cup in golf, the international team lightened up the proceedings on the first tee when Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen showed up in wigs. Not to be outdone in the humor...Read more

We’re finally at the finish of the three part series about understanding the major differences and similarities between the serve and overhead. Part I dealt with cleaning up movement, balance and preparation. Part II helped to find a great contact point for power and the ability to hit down on the...Read more

Think back to the last Grand Slam final you saw … Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray raise the microphone and always shout out to their team thanking them for their support, patience and direction. In order for any athlete to reach the highest level of performance, there are a set of...Read more