Pros use a simple method to volley the ball. You can do the same. This is not diving or figure skating, so additional points are not gained for degree of difficulty. The mistake I most commonly see on the volley is players getting caught with the racquet head laid back. Most people have never made…
I cannot figure out why some of my students just don’t get it. I’m telling them everything I know, I’m trying different images and drills and they still do not seem to improve. One day on the other court, I was observing a fellow teaching pro giving a lesson. In a half-hour time span, he…
While there are many ways to perform successful tennis hitting movements, there are underlying commonalities that unify and define them all. I would call these universal stroke production characteristics “fundamentals.” These fundamentals are based on the static and immutable laws of physics, mechanics, kinesiology and motor learning. If your strokes adhere to the demands of…
Multi-tasking (MT) is now the mantra of our generation. It is indiscriminately accepted not only in colloquial conversation, but among astute teachers and scholars. It is empowering. According to this widely-held axiom, our students can and do learn efficiently doing several things at once. Our younger (and perhaps hipper) students brag about their prowess at…
Are pee wee tennis players better athletes than pee wee football players? Are they stronger then soccer and basketball players? I think it is safe to say that kids between the ages of five-years-old and eight-years-old share the same athletic capabilities within all sports. If this is true, why do we expect pee wee tennis…
The ancient Roman playwright, Terence wrote: “Moderation in all things.” He could have been referring to optimum tennis performance. Often, I hear both players and instructors repeating phrases of tennis wisdom that, while partially true when applied in the right context, can be undermining of performance when misused. I will address three of these erroneous…