The main objectives of playing the net in doubles is to be helpful to your partner, be a threat to the opponent and to finish points. But it can also turn into something else: YOU being a target. Getting hit at the net or being attacked by the opponent can be dangerous and a…
Finding the right school to play college tennis is intimidating and scary, with many unexpected twists and turns. Coaches negotiate deals with recruits for a living, players and their families do not … advantage: Coaches. I’s not easy to get past the superficial, as my longtime student and friend Howard Endelman, Coach of the…
Bethpage Park Tennis Center hosted its 11th annual High School Coaches Workshop on Sunday evening as local high school coaches and players from throughout Long Island came down for an evening of drills, hitting sessions and tutorials. The coaches and players in attendance were able to step out on court and hit with one…
I find it quite amusing when I attend junior tennis tournaments and see the teenagers huddled around either socializing or trying to snap a photo for social media. Then, suddenly their name is called and they need to rush to the court to play a match. They may win or lose, but if they…
Each year, the USTA Long Island Region recognizes the achievements of individuals, facilities and organizations who have made a positive impact on our community, both on and off the court. Nominations for the 2018 awards are now open, and the region encourages nominations. Awardees should be USTA members or member organizations. Nominations close on…
Many people have their opinions of how someone became so good on the ATP Tour and then there are those who played and saw the progression of how someone became such a great tennis player. I am not sure if I was fortunate or unfortunate to have played Kevin Anderson five times on the…
Hurry! Turn! Move your feet! Watch the ball! Hit up! These are catch phrases that so many instructors use that are really meaningless without explanation. Yet they are yelled across the court everywhere as though repeating them over and over will do the trick. Then, we have an overload of online instruction with enough…
Yes! Yes, you can play too well in a lesson. Think about the best that you have ever played. This was the time that everything seemed easy. The time you felt like you had all the time in the world to hit your shots. The time you almost wanted your opponent to play even…
Almost 50 years ago, the U.S. Open and Australian Open were played on grass courts. At that time, three out of the four Grand Slams were played on grass with the French Open being the only exception. Backtracking even farther into tennis history, you will find that before we had the ATP, WTA or…
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?”…