Rhythm & Flow Tennis

Achieving Optimal Performance: Centering and Reflection, 7th in a Series

February 24, 2017

“What is skillfully established will not be uprooted. What is skillfully grasped, will not slip away. Thus, it is honored for generations” – Ta0 Te Ching Centering Optimal performance is greatly influenced by your ability to remain centered within. Centering means remaining true to yourself and performing up to your capabilities, regardless of the changes … More Achieving Optimal Performance: Centering and Reflection, 7th in a Series

Third Foundation: Opponent Awareness

February 23, 2017

Learning the foundation of awareness of the other side of the court is a key ingredient to becoming a good player. Once the match starts, most of your attention should be on your opponent’s side of the court. The greatest tool for exploiting your opponent is the utilization of the Two Opposites. There is a … More Third Foundation: Opponent Awareness

Six Steps to Better Footwork

February 20, 2017

Step One: Bouncing Keep your feet moving. Stay light on your feet (Butterflies). It’s like leaving your car in “idle”. You can generate speed more quickly while using less energy. Step Two: Split Step Probably the single most understated and underrated lesson in the art of moving is the split step. The split step can … More Six Steps to Better Footwork

Achieving Optimal Performance: Focus, 6th in a Series

February 17, 2017

“ Focus your thoughts and actions on one small aspect of the present, and you will create personal power” – Chungliang Al Huang Focus is the process of narrowing your concentration in order to eliminate unproductive or distractive occurrences. It means keeping the mind here and now. By focusing, you can fine-tune your attention so … More Achieving Optimal Performance: Focus, 6th in a Series

Angular and Linear Momentum: Video Series

February 15, 2017

Today’s post continues the discussion on angular and linear momentum and includes some ideas on how you can help your players develop better skills.

The Third Foundation: Opponent Awareness

February 8, 2017

Most players think they should win if they play well. They give very little consideration to the opponent’s game or how to exploit it. Identifying your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses is an important skill to have. Every player’s game is like a combination lock. It’s tough to open, but with the right combination, you can … More The Third Foundation: Opponent Awareness

Court Awareness: Hard Courts and Grass Courts

February 1, 2017

Hard courts The basic strategy on a hard court is related to the speed of the surface. The slower the hard court is, the more you follow clay court strategy. If the court is fast, the points last fewer shots. The chances of exploiting an opponent’s weakness are therefore less on a hard court. It’s … More Court Awareness: Hard Courts and Grass Courts

Movement: Leg Lapse and Beating the Ball to the Bounce

January 31, 2017

Because your lower body does the exhausting task of moving you from one shot to the next, it is easy to experience “leg lapse”during execution. A leg lapse causes the upper body to compensate for the loss of leverage resulting in a stroke that is off balance. It means your body has an inefficient base … More Movement: Leg Lapse and Beating the Ball to the Bounce

Achieving Optimal Performance: Visualization

January 27, 2017

“If an athlete can picture in advance each movement of an event exactly as it should be, in a relaxed meditative state, the greater will be the chances that he or she will carry out those movements during the actual performance” – Jerry Lynch Visualization is an active form of meditation in which you relax … More Achieving Optimal Performance: Visualization

The Second Foundation: Court Awareness and Clay Courts

January 25, 2017

The surface you’re playing on and how that affects your decision making is another important aspect of court awareness is . This week we’ll look at clay courts. Clay courts grip the ball so that it bounces up slowly, which favors a steady baseline style. Topspin is more effective than backspin or flat balls on … More The Second Foundation: Court Awareness and Clay Courts