So you are in a competitive match and the score is 4-4 in the third set with your ranking is on the line. Your parents, maybe a college coach, a friend or other adversaries are watching. Now is the time when the rubber hits the road. It does not matter if you win or lose,…
There is no doubt that technological developments are always at the center of change, and that is no more evident than in coaching and teaching. Over the last couple of decades, advances in technology have changed and shaped the way some of the top tennis coaches in the country teach their players. “One of the…
In my last article, we discussed the secret to sustained peak performance, a principal called “More Than an Athlete: Person First. Athlete Second.” We also clarified that More Than an Athlete doesn’t require working harder, pushing or even pulling, it does require that the athlete, coach or parent shift their perspective so they can see…
I often monitor tennis lessons by the pros on my staff. In an effort to give some constructive feedback, I look at the interaction between the adult and the child, and try to think like a child. I look at how the children are experiencing the lesson. Are they inspired to give their best effort?…
It is time to thaw out from the winter freeze and start planning ahead for a summer tennis camp for your little tennis champs. Attending a tennis camp can be one of the best experiences a young player has in their lifetime. When I was 14-years-old, I went to a Nick Bollettieri tennis camp in…
Bethpage Park Tennis Center hosted its 8th Annual High School Tennis Coaches Workshop on March 8. The free event gathered high school coaches from across Long Island and taught different tips, methods and drills that coaches can use for their players. There was a great turnout as more than a couple dozen coaches came out…
Tennis is ever evolving. Professional players are getting faster, stronger and bigger at a greater rate. Rackets, strings, training methods and strokes are changing just as fast. A broad spectrum of online teaching and information is at our fingertips. Watching videos of the top players and emulating them is thought to be the “best” way…
Why is it that most coaches have only one or two number one players in a career, yet Pat Etcheberry, Trainer Emeritus, has had more than 15 players. Granted a coach spends a much greater amount of time with a player than a trainer. The partnership between coach and trainer, however, as we have seen…
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…
It's a new year and time to pick up the pace. Have you taken inventory of where your game is now and where it has to go to reach your full potential? I always found the offseason on the ATP Tour was an opportunity to attack the areas of concern in my game that needed…