Coaching

Tennis is a highly intellectual and intuitive sport. The foundation for competitive play starts from an early age, and it is necessary to develop mental abilities, tennis skills and, of course, passion. These are the qualities which form a successful tennis player. Before each match a player should...Read more

Earlier this spring, I received an e-mail that would completely change my life for the better. It was an email from the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) introducing their National Career and Leader Mentoring Program. The mission of the program aligned with my goals of creating...Read more

I am very much in favor of live ball drills, playing a lot of points, games, sets, tiebreakers, and any other competitive practice situation. However, one of the best drills that I have found to get your players to swing consistently and with the same follow-through on every shot is a feeding drill...Read more

There are so many ups and downs in tennis. One minute you are on top of the world, and the next you are wondering if you actually know how to play the game. Novak Djokovic came into the Olympics having won just about everything he has played (with a couple of exceptions) including the first three...Read more

We’re always saying that kids grow up way too fast. Why should we let that happen on the tennis court as well? Other sports have successfully incorporated smaller- scale versions for years; why notextend that to tennis? Hear me out! Most of us crawled before we stood, stood before we walked, walked...Read more

There are many things to think about during a match. If you can create some good habits with the small things you are doing, the rest of your focus can be on the "difference makers" in the match. First, always call the score out prior to serving. Make sure your opponent hears you and remember to...Read more

I'm giving Paul Annacone credit for this. I've heard him state numerous times that a player should "hit the ball aggressively to a big target". This is a much underused strategy and one that can be extremely effective. Many players have shots with a lot of power and/or depth, and that itself is...Read more

Are your best shots failing you in a match? It may be time to change tactics. Strategy and tactics go hand in hand when winning a tennis match. Strategy is an overall plan to achieve your goal, while tactics are the actions that implement the strategy. When your best efforts to win a match fail, it...Read more

At the highest levels of competitive tennis, it can be very hard to know who is winning or losing at first glance. One of the key concepts of understanding the inner game of tennis is that of momentum development. The key questions are: 1. How do you start building momentum … what do you do to get...Read more

This seems like a minor detail, but it’s very important and can make or break your next shot. Many players do not assume the correct ready position when they are waiting to hit the ball. The racquet should be directly in front of you with the racquet head above the height of your hands. If you have...Read more