2nd in a series on Effortless Effort As a young coach I always encouraged my players to think. I would hear other coaches use phrases like: “Use your mind”; “You’re not thinking”; and, “Start focusing”. I naturally assumed these phrases were helpful. After meeting and spending time with the Linetskaya family, I became very interested … More My Introduction to Mushin
1st in a series on Effortless Effort I came across the concept of qi after meeting and working with a very talented Russian girl, Evgenia Linetskaya while traveling. Her dad was her coach and told me she never had an actual tennis coach. He just couldn’t afford the lessons. What started out as a serve … More My Introduction to Qi
I didn’t play tennis until I was 17. At that age, my mom wasn’t going to invest in tennis lessons. I had to learn from reading books and magazines or watching videos and studying skilled players. When I decided to become a coach, I did the same thing, only bigger. I went to the best … More Effortless Effort, A Critical Component to Elite Performance
Today’s post includes a drill you can do on your own to develop the flow split step.
Since most moves in tennis are only a few yards, it seems like raw acceleration should be the determining factor in getting to the ball. But, of far greater importance, is anticipation and the ability to change directions without losing balance. Anticipation means knowing early where your opponent is likely to hit and being ready to … More Movement: Anticipation
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
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.
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
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
Rhythm & Flow Tennis 