I have, for some time now, wanted to write about why I think American tennis has suffered in the recent past. Think back to a time, not long ago, when American tennis boasted multiple champions on both the men’s and women’s side. What happened to our dominance? Where are our champions? As of writing this,…
What’s the secret to sustained peak performance? Let’s face it … this is the million dollar question! Federer, Monfils, Sharapova … all competitors are trying to solve this great mystery. In the next six articles through 2015, I will highlight a key principle called “More Than an Athlete: Person First. Athlete Second (MTAA.A1.P2)” which I…
The tempo of the take-back is the first and most critical phase in the timing of the serve. It doesn’t matter whether you use a classic, abbreviated or somewhere in between motion. Remember you have to organize your feet, legs, hips, torso, shoulders, arms, hands and head in a continuous chain event to get to…
What are the first things we do when things are not going the way they should be? Let’s say in tennis tournaments you are not getting the results you would like. In fact, you just played in the quarterfinals of a tournament and lost in three hard-fought sets. However in the second set, you held…
The USTA has a whopping $30 million annual player development budget, according to The New York Times. Given their goal to "Create the Next Generation of Champions," things are not going too well. While the women's side seems brighter than the men's side, the outlook for the next great American, capable of winning multiple Grand…
Tennis is an old game, not the oldest of games, but certainly an old one. Part of what gives tennis an even older feel is the fact that it has been so resistant to change, but whether welcome or not, technology has played a large part in the changes in the sport of tennis over…
I see so many talented players play like pros on the practice courts and fall apart during matches. It doesn't matter what level of play, I find the transition from practice to match player sometimes is the toughest hurdle to overcome. For example, a player once had a double fault and a toss issue. So,…
The Long Island tennis community has some of the sport’s best facilities, both indoor and outdoor, and best coaches in the world. With this wealth of talent available right in our own backyard, Long Island Tennis Magazine recently took the opportunity to pick the brains of some of these top coaches. What you will find…
Tomas Berdych responded from an embarrassing defeat to Stan Wawrinka on Monday by routing U.S Open champion Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-1 to stay alive at the ATP Finals in London. The Czech lost his fifth straight opening round match at the ATP Finals in his loss to Wawrinka, but won his fifth straight second round-robin…
Mini-tennis is the best way to warm up for any tennis endeavor. Whether that be a match, some casual hitting, a drill session or anything else, mini-tennis sets you up for success by getting you ready to play your best. I was playing a match recently, and as usual, I started by warming up. Usually…