I’ve watched tennis for 55 years and have seen players from multiple generations and from all over the world. It’s difficult to avoid noticing that the sport has changed in so many ways, from advancements in technology, athleticism and the evolution of training. Most fascinating is that it has remained static in one very important…
Subject: Concerns Regarding My Children’s Tennis Progress Dear Long Island Tennis Magazine, I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out as a concerned parent of two children currently engaged in tennis, and I would like to share my observations regarding their training. We have been working with their coach for three years,…
There are many ways to get the tennis ball to go in a certain direction. Hitting the ball early or late, adjusting the angle of your racquet face, and positioning your body and shoulders are the most common. Based on my experience, using your shoulder position is the most reliable way to direct the shot….
Authoritative or collaborative? Militancy or cohesiveness? How does one create the ideal environment so that a player is poised for optimum success? This article will humbly attempt to unpack the nuances and roadblocks occurring during player/parent/coach interactions and conclude with a suggestive roadmap for amicable and fructuous outcomes throughout the player/coach/parent lifecycle. Parent vs. Coach…
Like many of you, I was excited to learn that Roger Federer was giving a commencement speech. How fortunate for Dartmouth that Tony Godsick, his agent, had a daughter in the Dartmouth University 2024 graduating class, which is also Godsick’s alma mater. Much like Federer’s career, the speech went viral. Some described it as motivational,…
Tennis = Life Anticipatory anxiety is a very common experience. Entering a new environment or playing in a challenging match with unfamiliar people can be all it takes to make you feel self-conscious and have these feelings come up. Everyone undergoes them; some people are more troubled by them than others. These uncomfortable feelings are…
A common misunderstanding in tennis is that a ball that spins faster follows a more vertical path. While true in some cases, it’s not true in all circumstances. Does This Matter? Consider that such two dimensional thinking that confuses rotation and revolution is why we once thought the earth was flat, too. Ball Flight We…
The below is an excerpt from the new Secrets of Spanish 2, the second edition of Chris Lewit’s best-selling book. The book is now available on Amazon and other venues. Although historically there has been some personal conflict — and competition — between Bruguera and Alvarez, together they have had a profound influence on the…
Winning Pretty is a new tennis technique book by Chris Lewit, author of the best-selling book The Secrets of Spanish Tennis. Winning Pretty is an expert’s guide to modern, world-class tennis technique and features cutting edge biomechanics, evidence-based technique analysis, diagrams and models, and many excellent technique drills for building beautiful, elastic technique. The book…
Serving is always a rollercoaster ride. It is extremely likely that you have experienced the ups and downs of your serve during a tennis match. One minute, all of your serves are going in and are very effective, and the next minute you can barely swing your arm and get the ball to land in…