If you’re at all serious about playing tennis to your fullest potential, then you must … I repeat … you must, come to each match with the proper mindset. And the proper mind set is not anxiety, self-doubt or dread. If you do feel self-doubt or a lack of confidence prior to your matches, you…
Now is the time to take your tennis from low gear to high gear and it's ALL about first-class stuff that can make all the difference in your tennis experience. I have always believed in rule number one of tennis … looking good! Rule number two, making sure your league match is catered in a…
All sports have a common factor: Results. I have been coaching for several years now, and I have often dealt with parents who were extremely results-oriented instead of development-oriented. The lack of results in their children caused a lot of drama in the family and pressure on both the player and the coach. So when…
Playing tennis with your youngster can be a very rewarding experience, or it can be frustrating for you both. I have seen many instances where a family enters the court next to me with the best of intentions. The proud father brought some extra balls and leads the way. A little munchkin with their own…
At the USTA Eastern Long Island Region Awards Dinner, long-time tennis coach and teacher Howie Arons received one of the highest honors given out in the New York tennis community: The Vitas Gerulaitis “For the Love of Tennis” Award. Arons is a worthy recipient of the award that bears Gerulaitis’ name. He has spent the…
In Part One of the “More Than an Athlete” series, we highlighted how, when an athlete brings his or her “whole self” (mental and skillset) to the performance, they are better able to play their game and be the best they can be. In Part Two, we highlighted how, when a player understands that results…
In the January/February 2015 edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine, I wrote about our first Four Pillars in our Eight Pillars of a Champion. They are: â–ºMind First—Think Success â–ºDream Big—Achieve More â–ºEndless Effort—The Desire to Improve â–ºMake It Happen—Always Improve Over the President’s Day holiday, I was joined at an L1 tournament by a…
If you wanted to take the most comprehensive tennis lesson possible, what would it include? First, you’d have to think outside of that rectangular court and venture into areas of the game that you’re really not good at. You’ll need to set some priorities, but you’re not sure what those are. You’re pretty good at…
I have often been asked during media interviews if there are differences between male and female athletes and the answer I give is “Yes.” Beyond the obvious differences in physiology, there are also subtle but real psychological differences as well. And the answer to what these differences are can be seen in the way boys…
Every year, players returning home from college tell me that they were "tested" in a two or three mile run for their teams. They were told, "Since you run several miles in a match, let's test this on the track." A three-mile run is a poor assessment for tennis, performance. In the past, I've called…