What is percentage tennis? It means that, in any given situation, you would use the shot that has the greatest chance of success. Especially at the junior levels, playing the percentages is one of the fundamentals of successful tennis. Another way to look at percentage tennis is to play in a way that will make the most of your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. All to often, I see…

There are a lot of questions surrounding strength training, especially where children are concerned. The risk of injury is probably the primary concern of any parent or coach who has a child entering strength training programs. Many parents and coaches are hesitant to begin strength training with juniors for fear of damaging the bones and possibly stunting…

When I was younger, I had no idea the human body was so fragile. How can tennis be so demanding? It’s really not until you begin to develop some skills. Ironic, isn’t it. The better you are, the harder it is on the body. When you watch the pros, they appear to breaking the biological laws of physical movement. But have you noticed that some pros seem to disappear…

Sometimes having a great game isn’t enough. You may be an excellent player, but you won’t get the most out of it if you don’t eat the right thing at the right time. There are three distinct stages in every tennis player’s match play agenda: before a match, during a match, and after a match. Your nutritional needs are different for each…

When you walk on the court, do you feel tired or heavy? Do you take a long time to get warmed up? Are you resting well at night and feeling refreshed the next morning? If you have answered “yes” to the first two questions, and “no” to the third, it could be a sign that you’re not fueling your body with the right foods or the right…

Tennis is a passion that dedicated players refuse to give up on. Many choose to combat the heat and continue playing during the hottest of summer months.…

The ability to play tennis at a high performance level is an acquired skill that takes years of experience to master. Acquiring the ability to teach the game with a high degree of skill can be just as difficult. In fact, helping other players to develop their skills can be more difficult than developing your own. Just because you were a better than average player doesn't mean that you have…

More and more parents and coaches are introducing their kids to the game of tennis. As a certified tennis instructor, I’ve never been responsible for teaching so many children at such a young age.…

Instruction, coaching, and lesson taking are factors that should not be taken on a whim. I can’t stress enough the need to plan out each step of your instructional method. Lessons are the cornerstone to improvement in tennis.…

If the serve is the most important shot in tennis, getting it back should be your next priority. The service return is not just another ground stroke. Matches are won and lost with service returns. If your opponent has a booming serve, this is when you’re most vulnerable. So, developing a consistent service return is…

It seems that every young kid wants to hit a two-handed backhand with topspin like Raphael Nadal or Andy Roddick. That’s not so unusual, I suppose, since many kids tried to serve and volley like Pete Sampras when he was the world’s leading player. But let’s face it, most youngsters don’t possess the extraordinary skills of a Nadal or Roddick. Nadal’s…

Everywhere people are playing tennis, from the public parks to professional stadiums and arenas, you’ll see people of all ages using two hands on the backhand side. The two-handed backhand boom is here to stay. Back in the 1940’s, players like Pancho Segura came onto the scene using two hands in a professional atmosphere…

Most players that use a one-handed backhand usually have some variety in their shots off that side. Usually, the variety would include a slice backhand. The slice backhand is probably one of the most natural strokes in tennis. Bringing your racquet back to about shoulder height position on the backswing is as natural as…

The “hitting…

Just before your opponent hits the ball, take a little hop, then come down with your weight evenly distributed on the balls of your feet, ready to move in any direction with the correct foot. Taking this hop, called a split-step, enables you to stop and read his shot. Don’t just take a hop, land on your heels and turn off your engine. You have to be ready to…

Make contact with the ball just in front of your forward foot and keep the ball on the strings as long as possible. The racquet face should travel on a straight upward line through the hitting zone in the direction you want the ball to go. If you’re trying to hit the ball crosscourt, make contact a little farther out in front. But if you’re trying to send the ball down the line, make contact a…