Coaching

Playing tennis is easy, right? Most people can hit the ball over the net a few times. Some people can direct the ball to certain areas of the court in order to make their opponent run. More experienced players can even execute strategic patterns of shots based on a game plan that is designed to...Read more

This is the time of year when many players start to venture outside for their tennis matches. The wind tends to make tennis quite challenging, especially in the early spring. In addition, those of you going from indoors to outdoors have to adjust to all of the imperfections when playing in the...Read more

I have written about this before, and I am sure you have heard the term "play within yourself". But what exactly does this mean? Basically, playing within yourself is using what you recognize as your strengths to give you a better chance of hitting the shot well, using the right strategy, and...Read more

Everything keeps happening faster on the tennis court. A player often feels that there just isn't enough time to do what they want to do. The speed that you hit your shot can make the opponent feel this. Also, hitting the ball away from them can have the same effect. Another idea is to hit the ball...Read more

The single most crucial factor for a good hit in tennis is contact. If you start with a goal of exactly where you would like to hit the ball in relation to your body, you may focus on efforts to get into this position. While the preparation and finish for different players will vary, the contact is...Read more

“Necesito el ritmo,”—“I need (the) rhythm”—is a common phrase heard on the tennis court in Spain, both from players and coaches. Rhythm, cadence, timing, and control are essential aspects of the Spanish style of training. What is rhythm and why is it important in Spain? How do you achieve good...Read more

Beginning this year, tennis teaching certification and coach education will move into the largest change seen in the United States in over 10 years. The United States Tennis Association (USTA), the national governing body for the sport of tennis in America, has taken the reigns in creating a...Read more

I have students ask me all the time, "What am I doing wrong"? Although there can be some benefit to figuring out why you missed a shot in tennis, it is much more helpful to emphasize what you are trying to do. Reminding yourself to start the “getting ready” process by turning your shoulders, or...Read more

It has become more and more difficult to serve and volley successfully at all levels in a tennis match. This can still be an effective strategy but the server has to be very good at placing the serve and mixing it up. As an alternative, a great way to get into the net in the modern tennis game is...Read more

The power game has definitely become the most popular way for the modern player to win a point. Players are relying on the speed of the shot more and more to hit a winner or cause an error. If you are playing against a hard hitter , try to remind yourself to hit your shots in the early direction...Read more