Can you remember a time you played effortless tennis? The ball looked as big as a grapefruit, your mind was free of distracting thoughts, your body relaxed, and you seemingly floated from shot to shot. Roger Federer, in his book, Quest for Perfection, described it this way: “At the time … I was in the…
In the local New York area, we just wrapped up the U.S. Open. Like every Grand Slam, I look forward to the countless hours of tennis coverage. This is especially true for the U.S. Open which takes place in our backyard, with no time zone changes and oceans separating us from the action. You can watch…
The UCLA pair of Mackenzie McDonald and Robin Anderson swept the second annual American Collegiate Invitational titles Saturday. The 20-year-old McDonald of Piedmont, Calif. beat Vanderbilt 22-year-old graduate Gonzales Austin of Miami, 6-2, 7-5, in the men's final. Anderson, a 22-year-old from Matawan, N.J. who was a senior in 2015, beat fellow UCLA grad, 21-year-old…
The term “Alpha” comes from animal research. As an example, in wolf packs, the strongest and largest wolf is the alpha and he is the leader of the pack. All of the rest will act submissively in his presence. The alpha first establishes this position by fighting the other wolves and winning, but when the…
Bob Litwin’s tennis journey was the road less traveled. He didn’t start playing at a very young age and didn’t fall in love with the sport when he was a youngster, but the Great Neck native carved his own path into the tennis world that took him to places even he never imagined. “I started…
In the last issue of New York Tennis Magazine, we spoke of the value of a good pre-match routine and mentioned how important physical and mental preparation was to the tennis player. In this issue, we will discuss what you do following the match. The most important skill a tennis player can possess is the…
Anyone who has had to speak publicly to a large assembly of people has experienced the uncertainty of performance. The average person stumbles through the “ums” and “aahs” between thoughts until they find their comfort zone and begin to breathe a bit more regularly. This is the same thing Junior is going to go through…
In Holland, where I grew up, the interclub spring league matches are played on Sundays all over the country. For several years, I played for a club in Amsterdam called Joy Mozaik, a unique tennis club located near the Olympic Stadium with many interesting people. For instance, one of my teammates lived on a houseboat…
As I pondered what to write about as the publication deadline for submission rapidly approached, the light bulb went off in my head. Politics, religion and civil rights really do not belong as subject material in Long Island Tennis Magazine or does it? After all, Long Island is a melting pot of people of varying…
How many times have you heard kids cajole each other and say these two words: “Bring It!”? The problem is that no one really knows what that “It” is! It’s actually worth knowing, so let me explain. Ultimately your “It” will be the key to sustained peak performance. “Bring it!” Means to bring your whole…