Does the success of Swiatek, Djokovic, and Nadal justify teaching the western forehand grip? We have all heard warnings about the dangers of using a western grip, especially from coaches in the United States. “You will shank (miss hit) the ball too much,” coaches often say. “You won’t be able to handle fast-paced balls when…
Regardless of a player’s objective with his/her tennis, most players want to progress and develop their skills. One common trap that many junior and adult players, as well as parents, fall into is to focus harder on getting an upgraded rating rather than developing skills. The list below will include some of the most common…
The local tennis community boasts some of the top coaches in the world, and with this wealth of talent available, Long Island Tennis Magazine took the opportunity to pick the brains of some of these coaches. These coaches share their thoughts on a wide variety of tennis topics and issues, ranging from junior tennis to…
“What happens in matches, and what the numbers say can be very different.” – Andy Murray. Big data using quantitative and qualitative analysis to uncover tennis play patterns has become a big deal in the tennis world. Can these analytics really help us to develop and use better tactics and strategies? Of course we can…
Momentum in tennis means that a player benefits from a psychological and/or physiological boost. A psychological boost is a positive change in cognition whereas a physiological boost is a positive change in behavior. Momentum is influenced by a variety of factors, including the score, the quality of play, and the emotions of the players. Momentum…
At the end of a challenging tennis lesson my client asked me if it was normal that she felt like she was getting worse after having enjoyed much improvement in the recent past. Looking back, I wish I had just said yes, and explained about the four stages of development. Instead, I told her this:…
One of the biggest reasons your kid may not be improving is that his or her practice is not optimal. There can be a lot of reasons why a player’s practice is not working to provide the necessary stimulus needed to develop quickly and efficiently. In this article, I will discuss five common reasons that…
The return of serve is arguably the second most important shot in tennis, after the serve, yet it is probably the most under practiced, underappreciated, and undervalued shot in the game. In my annual program at my academy, players can train 25 hours per week with me, and I’ve structured the day so that…
PITCH is the ability of a musician to play or sing a note at exactly the correct level. PERFECT PITCH is that stunning ability to decode with absolute perfection by indemnifying and mimicking just by “feeling.” In music many come close to perfect pitch but few can match Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston or Stan Getz,…
For Ben Marks, tennis has always been a family affair. Growing up in England, tennis was a part of his life ever since he can remember. Both of his parents were tennis players, and many days were spent with them either at their local tennis club, or at home hitting balls against the side of…