A Teacher Never Knows …

How I got here At 11 years old I would bicycle to Acalanes High School, sit in the shade amidst the trees, and watch Blackie Jones give lessons.  He was firm, he was gruff, but equally he loved the game and his students.  His lessons were interspersed with questions to see if the student was…

Continue Reading →

ETI 035 | The Dead Spot on the Racquet Face

Swing path, type of spin, power, 3d playback (with Zepp) but perhaps the most interesting as well as the most useful is the data that shows where you make contact on the racquet face.

And before going further, one of the most important (IF NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT) skills in the game of tennis is concentration, focus, and closely and continually watching the ball.

Continue Reading →

ETI034 | Creating your own Report Card

Take a few moments with the following report card – a method to either evaluate your own skills, or use this with your coach or regular practice partner.

The idea is to take a deeper look at your “Use” – the broader issues that influence all you do on court, your awareness, the elements that make you a strong player, but equally perhaps the element that is holding you back.

Continue Reading →

McEnroe, Courier and Sampras

Power Shares Champions Shootout.  Great event.     Let me repeat – great event. The format is brief, two one set semifinal singles followed by a one set final between the two semi winners.  In this case Mac played Courier, Sampras played Blake – and then in the final the younger man beat the oldest man…

Continue Reading →

5 Keys to Playing (and competing against) the Pusher

Every club has one of these, a player who moves very well, makes darn few errors, often hits the ball softly or with unusual form, but over and over again this is a player who wins, and more than that this is a player that most dread. The term “pusher” is somehow derogatory, implying that…

Continue Reading →

ETI 026 | Loose Strings – Very Loose Strings

The game has changed from the old wooden racquet era. Next was graphite composite racquets. Then stronger and stronger players. Followed by more and more topspin (unfortunately from further and further behind the baseline).

The next era in our game’s development occurs from the new “copoly” strings – essentially a polymer material, but somehow little or no friction between the strings.

You will note, no longer do the players walk around between points straightening their strings. That is because those strings move back and forth when meeting the ball – imparting much much more spin.

Continue Reading →

Returning the Kicker

We have positioned the camera at eye level, on the baseline, as though returning serve in the ad court. I nearly hit Antony on one of these serves, but no worries Mate, he is an Aussie. That said I think this camera angle gives you the feel for how this serve jumps up and away…

Continue Reading →

ETI 022 | Relish the Contest

Relishing the contest. Appreciating the opponent. Understanding (really) the rules of a contest.

To my mind, some matches are determined before ever hitting the first ball. We have all been in situations where we knew immediately that the opponent had no chance – and equally we have all been in situations where we knew immediately that we had no chance. None at all.

The fun occurs, when we play an evenly matched opponent. And in these contest, both players have an even chance to win.

Look for these opportunities. Keep your cool. You can be ahead and blow this lead, you can play from behind and catch up – but in any event there is chance, there is luck, there are a few balls close to the line.

Continue Reading →

Drop Hit One Handed Backhands – a hidden practice gem!!

Start a rally; deliver a ball to the adjacent court when responding to “ball please.” In nearly every instance the swing is a drop hit forehand. Sometimes those forehands are deliberate and practiced (that is good). Other times those forehands are wristy, in poor form, somehow not acknowledged as genuine practice opportunities. Truly – practice…

Continue Reading →

ETI 002 | The Modern Game of Tennis – accelerate the racquet head

The Modern Game – Rotational vs the Linear Old School Model

Once upon a time strokes were long and deliberate, and remember the racquets were heavy. And the sweet spots were small. Now the racquets are lighter, the sweet spots larger, and the loosely strung co-poly strings are like magic – and the all combine to make our modern model more about acceleration rather than deliberation.

Learn how to loosen up, shorten your backswings, lag the racquet head, and accelerate thru the ball. More topspin and more power will be at your command.

Continue Reading →

ETI 001 | Three Keys to Winning Tennis

Everyone enjoys tennis when playing well. But when it comes to tournaments, league play, or even the regular game with your favorite opponent, we all want to win. But tennis becomes a contest when your opponent is evenly matched and wants to win every bit as badly as you.

Continue Reading →

ETI 001 – 3 Keys to Winning Tennis – An Introduction

Continue Reading →

Nike Clash of Champions Eugene Oregon February 8, 2011

I have been lucky enough to have seen professional tennis at Wimbledon (first row center court), the US Open, and Davis Cup in Portland and in Birmingham, the SAP Open and more. The combination of talent, venue, atmosphere, crowd participation, energy and noise made this the most remarkable tennis experience I have ever had –…

Continue Reading →

The Great Pancho Gonzalez

The great Pancho Gonzalez was both featured and honored at this year’s US Open (2009).  Fierce.  Graceful.  Combative.  And until Sampras came along, arguably the best serve in the history of the game. Pancho stories. I watched Pancho play Raz Reed in ain Lake Worth Florida, 1974.  I had lost in the first round to…

Continue Reading →