Here are some tried and true tips I have been using as part of my teaching for 35-plus years … 1. When you are losing, you have two choices: Slow down or speed up If too many unforced errors are the main culprits in your losing position, slow down! Play your shots safer, add more…
As a tennis instructor, my role is to give my students information and organizational structure to provide clarity and focus. The most serious players require more than a tennis instructor, however, they need a coach. While coaches provide instruction, they assume other, more ambitious tasks as well. Tennis coaches are often second only to family…
Psychological development Psychological skill training is based on fundamental assumption; athletes try to do the best they can given their physical limitations and learning history, and they try to respond as effectively as possible in every situation. The strategies for acquiring skills involve self-monitoring, self-evaluation and self-reinforcement. These strategies include: Motivation Motivation consists in two…
Tennis development is a natural consequence of biomechanics. Biomechanics, stated simply, can be defined as the study of human motion in its physical entirety. It involves efficiency of movement and effectiveness in performing at the highest level, i.e., (by hitting the serve harder, or the approach shot deeper). To understand how your players develop coordinated…
The Long Island tennis community is blessed to have some of the best indoor facilities and best coaches in the world right here in our backyard. Recently, Long Island Tennis Magazine spoke with some of these top coaches to get insight into their coaching/training strategies, what they look for in a great player, views on…
While tennis coaches work from a similar body of knowledge, they tend to differ in how they prioritize and apply teaching methods, and philosophy. If a coach’s values compliment and reinforce a player’s values and the outlook of the player’s parents, then the relationship is probably a good fit. This month, I will address a…
Have you ever had a complete meltdown? I mean, the type where you forget who is there, what was said, and basically, even forget many of the details of what has happened. By now, the entire world saw Serena Williams’ episode with the line judge at the U.S. Open women’s semifinal on Sept. 12. Megan…
In previous articles, we’ve explored the dangers of multi-tasking, the vagaries of momentum in sports, high school coaching issues, and the subtle differences between teaching and learning. The common thread in all is that there’s nothing new! Most information and practically all technical advice is simply being recycled, rehashed and merely packaged differently. Kudos…
As long as there has been sport, there has been coaching. Coaching is an occupation that requires several specific qualities that continue to evolve as a sport, and in this particular case, tennis, continue to change year after year. A great coach must be passionate, direct, knowledgeable, sincere, disciplined, motivational, and most importantly, trustworthy. Oftentimes…
Over the past couple of years, I have noticed that a lot of my fellow tennis players against whom I competed are still involved in tennis in some form or another. Either, they are coaching at a university, working for a tennis club or coaching part-time somewhere. I found this common thread intriguing and wondered…