Recent Posts
What’s The Right Shot? Episode #30 – The Chip & Charge Return of Serve in Singles
The chip & charge return of serve in singles, especially off of your opponent's 2nd serve, requires a couple of fundamentals that must happen EVERY time if you're consistently going to be successful with this play. 1 - Commitment. Just like a standard approach shot when you get a relatively … [Read More...]
The Mental Midget – Believing What?
Allen Fox, author of "Tennis: Winning The Mental Match", has written a really good article that you can find on page 66 in the July / August 2013 issue of Tennis magazine that has a pic of Andy Murray on the cover. Dr. Fox discusses a few different issues in this article, but the one I want to … [Read More...]
The ANSWER – What’s The Right Shot? Episode #29
Thanks for all of the well thought out comments in yesterday's "Question" segment to this episode of 'What's The Right Shot?". Shot selection is often a calculated guess. Here's what I mean ... Are you a tennis teaching professional? That's right, are you hammering out 15 … [Read More...]
What’s The Right Shot? Episode #29
So much of doubles strategy focuses on "false advertising" by both the player hitting the shot and the opponent who is "baiting" the hitter with showing a specific court position. In the end, a lot of doubles comes down to a guessing game. If you're defending, where do I think the opponent is … [Read More...]
What’s The 1 Thing (for your serve)?
So, you're stepping up to the baseline to serve, it's 4 all in the 3rd set and 30-40. That's right, you're break point down, and your brain goes into hyper mode considering this and that ... But instead of considering so many possibilities - most of them probably negative ;-), what's the 1 … [Read More...]
Getting Out Of Your Own Way – A Simple Key To Playing Better Tennis
So, one of the biggest struggles I deal with as a competitive tennis player is to not think about the consequences of making or missing this next, winning or losing the next point, this game, this set, this frickin match ... Heads Up! - Today, Tuesday May 7, is the last day to get signed up … [Read More...]
What’s The Right Shot? How To Defend The Chip & Charge Return of Serve
You've just missed your 1st serve in singles, and now you gotta deal with a 2nd serve AND an opponent who you know is likely to chip & charge behind your 2nd serve. You could go a bit panicky on that thought, but right, it wouldn't really help solve what might happen next. I don't … [Read More...]
The Answer! What’s The Right Shot? Episode #27
OK gang, here it is ... Many of you had this one figured out, however, there's some important teaching going on here on precisely why other shot choices can be either very risky and/or technically challenging. As I mentioned a few days ago in the Question segment video of this … [Read More...]
What’s The Right Shot? Episode #27 – Singles
I've got a point from a match I played recently at the 2013 National 60s Hardcourts in Rancho Mirage, CA at the Mission Hills CC. My opponent, the #1 seed Tom Smith, beat me in this match, but thanks to my good friend and tennis pro Scott Harper, we've got some video of this match. So, what do … [Read More...]
The Answer to What’s The Right Shot? Episode #26 – Phil’s Backhand Volley
Building Future Doubt. Well, this particular episode brought up a lot of things I could teach. Technique, shot choice, and the strategy of deception. Doubles strategy is so much about false advertising. Not only do we show movement when we don't have the ball - poaching, fake … [Read More...]
What’s The Right Shot? Episode #26 – Doubles Backhand Volley
We've got two thing to look at in this new video I have for you. #1 - I've got another clip that relates to what we worked on in out most recent episode (#25) of "What's The Right Shot"? where we saw Paul play his overhead down low at Brian's feet. In fact, this short follow up clip to episode … [Read More...]
What’s The Right Shot? Episode #25 – The Answer
There was lots of great feedback from our recent Question segment to WTRS? episode #25. However, weirdly, no one picked out the eventual target where Paul played his overhead. I must have led you astray on this one ;-) But may I say this about Paul's overhead - he shows instant … [Read More...]
Doubles Overhead – What’s The Right Shot? Episode #25
This match play situation doubles happens all of the time. You and your partner are up at net and one of your opponents lobs fairly deep right down the middle between you and your partner. 1) Who takes the overhead that's now in the middle of the court? 2) Where should the overhead be … [Read More...]
Why We Need The Federer High Forehand Groundstroke Roller (or something similar to it…)
There's a shot we don't consciously execute enough when we're back on the baseline. The high forehand topspin roller ... Come on, be honest, if you're anything like me, every time we're on the baseline and we get a ball played over to our forehand side, our first instinct is to drive our … [Read More...]
What To Do When You’re Up 6-4, 4-1 …
Ok, reality check time ... Mai and I just finished playing in the 2013 National USA Husband - Wife (combined ages 100+) Grasscourt Championships at the Mission Hills CC in Rancho Mirage CA. We ended up winning the Bronze Ball - 3rd place - which normally would feel like a really good … [Read More...]
