There are many different variables affecting your serve. However, the toss is the most important part of the serve. If the toss is consistent and dependable, your serve is likely to be the same. Timing and rhythm both play a big role in your ability to toss the ball well and to make contact…
Tennis is a game that requires players to have good ethics. Outside of the very highest levels of the sport, players are required to call their opponent’s shots in or out, as well as keep up with the score. Players are required to give the opponent the benefit of the doubt if they are…
Every tennis player has their own comfort zone concerning racquet head speed. There is a tendency to swing too slowly or too quickly during an actual point in a match. If you are trying to make sure your shot lands in, or are attempting to be “careful”, your racquet head speed is likely to…
Parents often ask me, “What makes Spanish tennis so great?”, or, “What do they do differently in Spain?” Many folks have never been there and are curious how such a small country became a world superpower in tennis. They also want to know how my academy and summer camp are influenced by the Spanish…
Modern tennis often seems to be an exchange of shots hit from behind the baseline, usually ending with one person hitting a winner or an error. However, the best players tend to use their position on the court to help force an error from their opponent or to hit a winner. It is much…
Emotions are a part of tennis. Players tend to feel miserable when they lose and great when they win. This is true during the match as well. A winning point can give you an exhilarating feeling and a losing point can tear your insides apart. For almost all players, it is better not to…
Since the speed of the game has increased so substantially, many shots hit by your opponent seem impossible for you to run down and return. A great way to work on covering more of these seemingly unreturnable shots is to get in the frame of mind that you are going after every ball regardless…
There are a lot of reasons why players do not come in to the net these days, including the speed of the shots and the technology that has enabled the top pros, and recreational players, to hit incredible spin with a lot of pace. But lastly and probably most importantly, is the fact that…
A lot of tennis professionals are doing video tips on Facebook and other social media sites these days. I recently saw several video tips from Tom Gullikson, who I know from my coaching days on the ATP Tour. Tom was a great player, winning the 1984 French Open Mixed Doubles title along with Manuela…
While all students are different, and that is one of the things that makes coaching so fun and fresh, there are some universal truths that I find myself saying repeatedly to my students. Some things I’ll rattle off more to high-performance juniors, and some of the other things to serious but recreational adults. Off…