Tennis Tips

Singles Tournament and Mixed Social

2012-02-13T16:25:00.001-05:00

Falmouth Sports Center Singles Championship to start next week!

Now is the time to sign up. We will have divisions for adults and juniors of all levels.

Friday Nights have gone ballistic. You've got to come down and enjoy the fun 7-9:30 or so.

We send out groups of four and "play four" games and then get you out again with a new foursome.

You get a chance to play many different people and the matches can be extremely challenging and fun.

Nick has his guitar and a week from Friday we will be having Sean Daily join us with his concession truck of portable cuisine which is beyond belief. The level for this group is 3.0 plus. There are 3.5's. 4.0's and 4.5's who play in this event. We try to give everyone good compatible tennis. It is the event of the season every Friday Night. No one goes away without enough tennis and fun.

Call 1.774.392.3666 or e-mail us at kpsoptennis@gmail.com

Return of Serve (Forehand, Two Hand Backhand, and One Hand Backhand)

2012-02-13T16:15:00.002-05:00

Hey Team,

These are well done videos of the "return of serve" which is the second most important shot of the game.

http://youtu.be/r8pZu4BdvT0 for the one hand backhand return of serve

http://youtu.be/i-oOA-Y2ws8 for the two hand backhand return of serve

http://youtu.be/LBjzOeAP6Lg for the forehand return of serve

Notice that in all three types of returns you must start with a wide base, hit with a dynamic motion to gain power from the body, and adjust the back-swing (less dip and length) and still hit through with a full follow-through. The use of the outside leg is extremely important.

Coach Kevin Pease

Djokovic and Agassi with Coach "K" to help your tennis game.

2012-01-29T10:20:00.000-05:00

Today Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic played the finals of the Australian Open. These two players are at the top of their careers and ready to go. Nadal's blistering forehand topspins, drives, court coverage and "refuse to lose" attitude verses Djokivic's return of serve, clean ball strikes, and court coverage. The end result was the world's best tennis in 2012. I'll be back for the re-cap later. It's a great day here in New England. Let's get to the courts. Outside is sunny.

How do I train by myself?

First, watch my serving video so you have en idea of what you're doing http://youtu.be/90JontSZMJA .

Second, watch the Djokovic instructional video http://youtu.be/R0dldQUtRbo

Third, watch the Agassi backboard video http://youtu.be/QHbatpT1Fy0 .

You now have surrounded yourself with the best out there. You are ready for a complete workout with court, or backboard and as little as three tennis balls.

Get your serve ready by going outside (if the weather's nice) and work on the fundamentals of the serve. It's meditative and a great workout. Hit a dozen or less serves if you've only have three balls, run a lap as fast as you can around the court, then hit more, then 100 jump ropes, then hit more, then 12 push-ups, then more, get the idea...........You can be creative with your training. It makes it more realistic because you're not going to be fresh as a daisy when serving in a match. You have to be in shape and controlled, even if tired. Other possibilities include hitting reps on the backboard after hitting your serve or running forward to the board and hitting reflex volleys. If you don't have a board then just run forward, split and punch a volley out of your hand, then slide back and self toss an overhead. You then can add the cross training component of jump rope, sprints, and agility drills. You have to mix it up so you keep the body guessing and interested. In twenty minutes you could be ready to call it a day if you train hard. It's more about intensity and effort then it is about time.

Serve

2012-01-25T11:01:00.000-05:00

The serve is the only shot in the game where you have complete control of the outcome. In a sense you are the pitcher. And as a pitcher you have options. You can throw a straight ball (fastball), a slicing fast ball (slider), a kick serve (curve/ change-up). Those are the basic pitches. Just as in baseball you will develop favorite pitches either by talent or choice. You should be able to locate the ball in the service box with control. Here are the basics:

1) Stance--keep both feet shoulder width apart or narrower and fixed when starting your motion. It is helpful to bounce the ball a few times to maintain your ritual and timing before initiating your motion.

2) Grip--"Continental"--will allow you to hit the most variety of serves though it is tough for new players to square the ball (hit too much slice and reach too low). Your base knuckle of your index finger should be on the second panel from the top of the racket. Keep your wrist loose and drop the little finger off the grip to create more whipping racquet speed. Exaggerate the base knuckle of the first finger grip more toward the first (top) panel for the kick serve. When you first try this you might say--"There's no way," but that's the grip.

3) Toss--keep your wrist and elbow straight as you toss the ball from low (hand down to your leg) to high (full extension pointing up above your head). You should be able to draw a straight line from your front foot to the top of your fingers, up to the ball. This requires balance (do not move your feet).

4) Back-swing--the hitting arm goes down as the tossing arm goes up (some players lift their racket up sooner then others). I find it better timing for most to lag the hitting arm down a bit to build more kinetic energy. The racquet then loops behind your head and the head of the racquet points down with the butt of the racket pointing up (not to close to the back as you would lose power). As the racket goes down behind the back the knees go down; as the knees come up so does the racquet, then reach up to the ball.

5) Follow-through--for the flat serve and slice finish on the opposite side of your body. For the kick serve finish on the same side, hitting up and away to the side.Your weight will now shift to the front foot as you extend up and into the ball. For now don't leave the ground till you master the toss and hit rhythm

Practice:

Keep your feet down while developing your serve. You can first start with your racket already in the back and down position and then toss the ball to establish a high contact point. After you master this, start with your racket in the overhead position (as many pros do in their first few warm-up balls), keep it loose and whippy (maybe hang your little finger off the end to get the feel). You then can add the full back-swing keeping your feet down yet still using the knees (if you've got the feel for that). To help get the timing of the knee bend lean forward to your right a bit from the waste and then as you toss the ball bring your knees forward and bend. This gives the knees a "jump start." At this point you will be ready to work out your own serve style and add the jump into the court from the knee bend. First follow the process of steps because you need the right foundation. don't worry about the knee bend or kick serves till you get your basic motion and grip working down. You'll be amazed how much "easy power" there is with the serve when you time the arms and shoulders correctly.

Once you've mastered a pitch (flat,slice, kick) then work on locating the ball to target in the service boxes. Power is the last tactical priority so don't worry about that until you've mastered the basic fundamentals.

I found this old Bill Tilden Advanced tennis video (much has changed) but the kick serve fundamentals has not. Enjoy. Bill change the game of tennis with all the mastery of spins.

.http://youtu.be/EUA3Yb66YSQ

For the modern view of the serve I found this to be interesting: Roger Federer's serve and Poncho Gonzales. Enjoy.

http://youtu.be/8oaZ-49eebo

And finally here is my own take on the serve explained in the King's English.

http://youtu.be/90JontSZMJA

2012-01-08T08:08:00.001-05:00

Mixed Doubles is a sport in it's own right. Is it televised? I think I saw it once for ten minutes. It's probably the least televised sport in the world, right next to archery. Lately we've had a resurrection of the sport in Falmouth. Not since the eighties has there been so many mixed doubles combinations hitting the courts. What is mixed doubles? It's when a man and women play doubles against the same combination. It's one of the few sports that place men and women on equal footing at least more equal the average pay scale for men and woman except at the US Open. You won't see a woman share a boxing match, a hockey game, or football game, etc., except at cookouts. Okay there are some exceptions in Alaska.

When I think of women's equality in tennis I think of Billy Jean King. Together we instructed a Domino's Pizza tennis clinic in Dedham and shared a USTA high performance coaches certification in Chicago. In Domino's team matches players would switch in and out as in a basketball game. Today, on a professional level there is World Team Tennis which has has seen a rebirth from the seventies with teams like the Boston Lobsters and the Philadelphia Freedoms (enter Elton John). A colleague and former US Open Quarter Finalist named Bud Shultz is the coach for the Boston Lobsters. Bud still has a hell of a serve and volley. The USTA now has mixed leagues where players play in leveled matches. In 1892 the first National Mixed Doubles was played at the Newport Casino in Rhode Island. That predated the first Wimbledon Mixed which was played in 1913. So you could make a case that the United States officially instituted the sport of mixed doubles. Mixed doubles is the classic Friday and Saturday sport of tennis clubs across the country.

I remember watching Eli Nastasi (one of the most talented shot-makers in the history of the game) and Gabriella Sabatina (turned model) play Ferdi Taygen (a Boston and Falmouth resident) and Barbara Potter (Potsy). Nastasi was the worst sport I've ever seen on the court but that's why people loved to watch him play. You'd never knew what he was going to do or say. Taygen, was ranked number in the world in Mixed doubles at the time. When he retired we would share a hit from time to time here at the Sports Center and he would unlock secrets of the game and recant a few tour stories. He never let Nastasi get to him.

Mr. Van Alan who founded the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport recently passed away designed the "No-ad" or the Van Alan Scoring System (Vass) scoring and tie-breaker which is used by many high school, college, and recreational players today as a means to keep matches on schedule and stop the non-ending deuce stalemates. We use Mr. Van Alan's no-ad in our our Friday night mixers which sometimes include, heaven forbid, two men against a man and a women or the other way around. In a mixer anything can happen and it usually does. If the match is even it doesn't matter who plays whom. You can't have a good match if it is uneven. Levels of the game are important.

There are certain rules of decorum for mixed doubles at the club level--a man shouldn't never try to take a woman out with a put-away, a woman can blast the guy and that is humorous, the man always serves first (this is to insure the team wins the first game), the woman's serve should be broken (strangely softer serves often present more difficulty for the men), it's okay for the man to to poach madly at the net and steal easy points, the man should claim most of the over-heads, the man must always be supportive to his partner and never yell at her; I suppose the converse is true but I've never really seen that happen, having a sense of humor makes things more fun (don't take it too seriously because that will only hurt your chances; you have to stay relaxed), and give your partner a kiss on the cheek at the end of the match regardless of how lousy either of you played because you must remain chivalrous at all costs. It's not okay for the man to ask the woman to sit down on the bench and let him finish the rest of the game by himself. If the woman is has a knee brace on and has had a hip replacement it's not okay to hit aces by her unless she has aced him several times.You must be more of a lady and more of a gentleman. After-all it's a gentleman's sport. It's okay to win but not win badly.

"What do you do if you're serving and have a match point against your grandmother?" This was a question asked to me by Adelaide Cummings, the phenomenal tennis legend and writer from West Falmouth.

"I don't know," I said. "What?"

"You ace-a," she said.

Here's another one she asked. "How many tennis balls fit in the service box?"

"I don't know."

"Six hundred and fifty, don't you think you could serve just one in?"

That is a great way to lighten the load after a double fault. You'd better read your audience first.

This weekend the Sports Center will be hosting a Mixed Doubles Tournament that begins Friday evening and ends Sunday with the finals. Late Saturday afternoon there will be a social mixer for all players in the tournament. Hopefully no Eli Nastasi's will show up. If they do we'll have to throw them into the penalty box to the adulation of the locals.

Timing

2011-12-07T09:04:00.001-05:00

What is timing? Timing is everything. With it you can counter the toughest shots, adjust to your opponent, conditions, develop new levels of the game, and play with confidence. Without it you miss-hit, lodge the ball in the middle of your racket, hack-nub winners, hack-nub errors, and eventually lose your confidence. Timing is the ability to stroke a ball over the net with your desired outcome consistently over time. It's effortless outcome management. It's how an eight year old can hold down a rally with an accomplished adult player and maintain equal shot quality despite strength differences.

Other terms that travel with timing include smoothness, consistency, easiness, and fluidity. They describe the qualities of good timing. Smoothness is the ability to have your body flow with a steady motion from the ready position, the take away, loading, releasing, and finishing the shot. Consistency is the ability to repeat that motion over the course of a rally or point. Easiness and fluidity are required for good timing.

Many players have basic swing patterns down but lack smoothness. The best way to fix that problem is hold the racket looser, like a bird--not so tight you kill it but don't let it go. In doing so you will allow your body to react in a kinetic chain (the sum of the body parts put together creates the optimum result). When you trust your racket it will trust you. That's when hitting gets fun.

Players who catch the ball in the middle of their racket when swinging look around and wonder what happened to the ball. That's when I tell them it went to the Bermuda Triangle. When the finally discover it lodged in their racket we all have a good laugh. That's an example of bad timing. The good thing about that bad timing in this instance it teaches you to distance yourself from the ball. Rally practice will develop your timing to higher levels. Striking a ball repeatedly with better players or the ball machine will hone your strokes and timing. Timing is something that's borrowed from your hitting partner. Better players will give you better timing. A coach can hit you balls to help you smooth out your swing and eliminate hitches and fundamental errors. That will improve timing. Give yourself time for those corrections on the practice court to show up in competition.

Old habits die hard but an old dog can learn to hunt if he's hungry. If your shots aren't technically sound they're not going to produce desired outcomes. Play those shots with care. If you hack a ball over the net for a winner raise your hand or racket to your opponent in acknowledgement. They appreciate it and it sends a message that you're a sportsman.

Recently Rafa was playing in the finals of the Davis Cup representing Spain against Argentina. Jaun Martin Del Potro was his 6'5'' opponent, a big strong guy who hits with the old fashioned (like Federer) eastern forehand grip. His strokes were powerful fastballs delivered from both wings. Rafa has the timing and defensive skills to heavy topspin and placements form all over the court. It was just good enough to best Del Potro in the fourth set tie-breaker for the match. Del Potro who is making a come back from injury played extremely well and cried passionately after the loss in Seville amongst a rowdy Spanish crowd. He pounded balls from corner to corner without much margin over the net or inside the court. He had to blast past the Spaniard. Very difficult on red clay to put a ball away. Many times he did. Until it came to fourth set when Rafa stuck the sword into the bull. If it had been played in Argentina on a hard court would the result have been different? Yes the result would have been different. Most probably Argentina would have set up a hard court allowing Del Potro's flatter ball to run through the court. Argentina did not have the home court and Rafa would put Spain on top of Davis Cup for the second year in a row.

Del Potro took the ball early (close to the baseline) and pushed Raffa around. The trouble was Raffa was too fast to the ball and simply returned too many shots with margin and Del Potros risky but good timing was not enough that day. That was the only timing he had to beat Raffa and he did the best he could. 2012 will be an interesting year with this guy back in the line-up on the ATP.

There was an example of different timing styles--one who hits heavy spin and sometimes flat and the other who hits very flat all the time. One plays close to the line and takes things early while the other can play deep and send back enormous topspin balls that kick up into your shoulders or flatten it with tight spin when the ball is short.

How can you best develop timing? When you warm up start off easy. Hit balls that go slow and to your hitting partner. As your rallies develop pick up the pace gradually. When you have difficulty hitting a ten shot rally slow down and work at that level. This will give you great timing and you'll being training smart.

*************************************

The Sports Center recently completed a one day tennis singles tennis show down. Eleven college, high school, and juniors participated in this Men's event. Will White from Cape Cod Academy won the event with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Ben Monteiro (Falmouth) in the finals. Ben Monteiro defeated Theo Guren from Falmouth Academy 6-2, 6-2 in the semi-finals while Will White bested John Brvenik (Ct) 6-0,7-5. Other players in the tournament included Zach Rosenfeld (RI), Brett Floger (Falmouth), Malcolm Marshall (Me), John Chammet (RI), Ken McCormack (RI), Eric Bott (Ct), J.J. Jones (Falmouth), and Monaf Awwa (RI).

There will be another one day singles show down at the Falmouth Sports Center on Dec. 11th. The Falmouth Sports Center will host a Hoilday Tennis Social on December 28th from 6-8pm. Other events on the 28th include a junior open house form 9:30am to 11:00a. (N/C) and an adult open house 12:30-2pm (N/C). Players will have a chance to hit tennis balls, meet the staff and work on their game. Call 1-774-392-3666 to register for those events.

Tennis Technique

2011-11-27T08:25:00.000-05:00

Each person has their own potential of maximum output. Technique is a key component to that output.

Hitting like Roger Federer, Gasquet, Clisters etc. is not easy because their strokes were adapted in the competitive arena to handle the professional tennis tour's environment. As a player you need to first find a challenging game and then find your style (based upon solid fundamentals), That's when your game will take off.

Making mistakes is good if you can make adjustments to handle them and improve. It doesn't take hours of work just a little thought and help from a coach who knows how to push your learning curve.

Ben Cherington named GM of Boston Red Sox

2011-11-23T08:29:00.000-05:00

Hey, this is exciting. Fellow UMASS alumnus Ben Cherington has been named General Manager for the Boston Red Sox replacing Theo Epstein. Ben graduated from the Mark McCormack School of Sport Management.

Tennis Show Down at FSC

2011-11-21T15:46:00.000-05:00

2011-11-21T04:40:00.000-05:00

How to play with people watching

2011-10-26T21:00:00.025-04:00

You've got to be kidding. I've never had anyone watch my match play except once and I played awful. Pretend they're wearing clowns pants; does that feel any different? It doesn't matter who or when you are playing you need to be relaxed. Your body reacts better. It's more flexible, makes fewer errors, and shots happen without your self talk getting in the way.
A term for this mind/body relationship is called the ideal performance state (IPS). When you're in the IPS you make the shots. Ray Allen, the famous three point shooter for the Celtics practices his three pointers in the morning; he starts with easy baskets and then goes for longer ones. Then he comes back before team practice in the afternoon (he's the first one at the Garden) and shoots again for one hour. So, part of the reason for his success is that he practices significantly more and smarter than everyone else. Those automatic shots happen for a reason; it's probably harder for him to miss his shots than make the shots. Why? It has become second nature. The more you practice the less you have to think once you've mastered the fundamentals. Then, there's Tom Brady, a true gamer, a pressure expert, and he has performed amazingly in crunch situations. There more he does it the more consistent he shows himself. He's comfortable in those situations. Players who miss are not comfortable with those situations. They can't dial it up. The champions are great when they have to be. The crunch points determine the great from the best of the best. The very best thrive in a high pressure environment. Relaxation, focus, and confidence are all part of that equation. The largest success factor is determined by your preparation. Brady also puts in extra hours practicing his passes outside of the team practice.

What if people are watching when I'm competing? First, don't watch yourself. What does that mean? If you're your own critic you won't be able to zone. What I mean by critic is--you can't think of a double fault when your toss is up in the air. The prophecy will come true. Anyone who's played sports knows what I'm talking about. If a pitcher thinks ball before he throws then it will be a ball. If your out in the drive way and shoot threes they tend to drop more when your out shooting around because you believe in it. Maybe not the first one or two times you play but the practice court will eventually show up in your game. If you work on your serve for just twenty minutes per day you'll started nailing the serve in your matches because your body will be on auto-pilot. If you can't get by people watching imagine they're wearing clowns pants There are some tricks to relax: humor is a great way to calm yourself-- crack a joke with your doubles partner, fix your strings, take a deep breath, or tie your shoes. All of these things takes pressure off the moment. Pros will take time outs to control momentum and question calls. The list is almost endless when you think about it.
Many players think-- "just play." They think, hey I play for fun, I don't need to practice and they become cagey. What is cagey? That is when a player learns by experience and manages their game in competitive situations. They have a keen sense of what they can do in a match and in one sense this keeps them free of negative self talk. They just play. The only problem with this is that your game will only go so far. You might be a great singles player for your team but you can't volley too well. Or perhaps you have an aggressive game but no backhand. Or you don't handle pace well because of a hitch in your swing. You don't have the mechanics to execute in that environment. You could say that about anyone who wants to move up a level. What is the biggest hurdle holding you back? Until you address the fundamentals hurdle it's going to just sit there until you jump it. You'll keep getting the lesson every time you play up until you address it. Some players don't see their hurdles and won't address them or don't care enough to jump it. It's too much work.
The players who make the most improvements are the players who receive coaching, practice and put themselves in "playing up" situations. Then they start making the shots in the new tougher environment. They will have several breakthroughs because they go back to the chalkboard, work out the kinks, find challenging coaching sessions (those who want to improve are willing to spend money on their game) and then test those skills in the game. It's a cycle of playing, evaluation, and practicing with a purpose. When you are well prepared you become more relaxed.
Even with preparation you may need some more tricks to keep stress at an optimum level: tilt your head up and look up with your eyes as much as you can for a few seconds and then release the hold, lift up and relax your shoulders, jog in place ( Maria Sharapova) before starting a point, bounce the the ball before the serve (Novak Djokovic), grunt out your breath when you hit (Jimmy Connors), practice a couple of correction swings after a miss, sing a favorite song in your mind, hold your racquet lightly with your fingers when you feel tight during play,etc...etc....etc. You have to be comfortable in the big situations and relaxed. If you look out in the stands at the crowd you won't stand a chance, unless you can disconnect, and then reconnect.
Look forward to your next on court big moment and let yourself play. Tell yourself how much you love it and go for it. Pretend if you have to. Sooner or later you'll start believing. When you believe in yourself you'll play your best. That's all we can ever ask of ourselves. If people are watching that makes it better.

Playing Up

2011-10-09T10:10:00.004-04:00

Who doesn't want to play up? I guess if the match were for money you wouldn't, right? Guess what, it is for money. Players who play up are getting a chance to test their skills in a new forum of players, coaches, and clubs. Players who receive those players are giving them a chance. There is that day when you are the new kid on the block. Just remember that when you play it takes two to tango. Some players are moving down the club ladder: lack of conditioning, age, injury, etc. Today I'm talking about playing up: those players who have been hitting the ball machine, taking lessons, hitting the gym, and want a chance to showcase their skills.

I remembered playing my first tournament, a fourteen and under tournament in Barnstable. First I beat several opponents before losing to Tom who became a team-mate at Falmouth High School. Playing up in that tournament gave me my first forum to test skills. Before then it was the backboard of West Falmouth and random players at public courts. Playing up was always a treat because the environment tested you. It made you want to practice, get calloused hands, ride your bike to ball parks, look at new racquets, read tennis magazines, and run. I was hooked on improving and getting chances to play up.

When you play up expect to be surprised. Balls that regularly score you points don't. Your opponent gets to them and makes counter attacks. So you lose points that regularly go in the win column. The next thing you try to do is raise your level too much. You risk too soon and often. The result is a quick bad loss. The best thing to do is to make the easy shots well. What are the easy shots? Get the first serve in and place it with a plan, example: serve wide to the strength and then hit over to the less powerful side. That is a good play. It's percentage and it keeps your mind on the doing rather than panicking. Another play would be to return the line of the ball no matter what. Believe it or not better players make more mistakes holding a rally rather making great shots. When you hold the rally they tend to think--Hey this guy/gal can hit. Once you've created that thought in their mind, you're on your way to developing points. To compete you have to get your first two shots in play--the serve and next shot and the return and the next shot.That can be your first goal, compete, hit two shots in a row. The next goal is get into a winning position. If your're not competing then get back to basics. The next thing we tend to do when playing up is put the ball away twice as hard. IT's more effective to be more selective approaching the net, rally verses drop shot, or pass verses lob. Each one of those decisions can cost you points. Focus on execution. Read that again. It's all about executing the fundamentals. There's only so much you can do with smoke and mirrors. Try to get ready faster, smooth your swing out, stay low, see the ball early, and raise your level. Better execution trumps elaborate schemes. Above all stay relaxed so you can perform. If you become a stiff then your're done.This is why many big upsets happen with low ranked players. They are relaxed. They have nothing to lose. Their body relaxes and they just channel greatness. They have no conscious fear and their shots show it. They go in and they find the zone.

When you're playing up play your "A" game not your "B" game. If you volley best then come to the net as much as possible. If ground stroke best then let your partner take the net and play the back court. Playing up is not the day to test out new strings, new shots, and a new game style. Save that for the practice court. Today is the day to do what you do best. You have to play your best to win. Plan your best shots (partner's too) against the your opponents "B" game. They may still win but you've increased your chances. When I play I'm always searching for a way to increase my chances and decrease my opponent's chances. If I'm going to lose I'll lose slow. It's not good to lose fast. They may beat me 6-0,6-0 but their going to have to win every point and I'm going to keep them out there for one and one half hour. That's different then shaking hands before the first half hour bell rings. That is the worst.

Finally, in life we all have chances to play up. Take advantage of those situations and play them. If you don't you'll second guess yourself. When you get in those situations play your "A" game and learn. Take those lessons to the practice court and train to improve your skills. Also remember that you are not at the level of your opponent unless you can get into a position to win. There's a difference between playing up and over your head. Take small steps as you move up. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is your game. It takes a lifetime.

Fun Tennis Conditioning

2011-08-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

Let's be honest here. Who loves to condition? I think we tend to like fun activities over boring routines.

Here are some that you might like:

1) Forearm and wrist......bounce a tennis ball as close as you can to the ground with your racket (hold the racket half way), then repeat with the top of your wrist facing down (fingernails and knuckles face down). Do these exercises till you can't any longer. This is great to help improve forearm strength.

2) Swing with two rackets in one hand for all your strokes. This creates a "batting weight effect" which will help your muscle memory, develop strength, timing, and racket speed.

3) Practice volley footwork timing with a ready position, left foot out, cross step with right as you pretend to hit a volley then rock back to left foot, then back to ready position. Repeat for the other side. I think I'll show a little video for that one. It's a fun dance step I got from the Bryans'.

4) Take your racket and do knee-bends while holding the racket down, both arms extended down and then when you come up lift both arms up above your head all while holding the racket (one end in each hand). Do those till you can't do anymore.....enough.

5) Do knee-bends again, this time press both arms out form chest as you go down, and pull both arms in as you you come up.

6) Lie on the ground knees bent, feet on ground and do sit-ups pushing the racket straight up with both hands (one hand on each end of the racket/ arms extended straight up over eyes till you can't do any more. Gees.

7) Do push-ups with a racket on you back to help remind you to keep straight.

8) Practice tennis serving and/or returning and then going through tennis plays for singles and/or doubles. Work till you can't move.......It's hard.

There you have it. You can adjust your workout time for what you want--five minutes to one hour.

Enjoy. If you did this everyday you would get ripped for tennis and it doesn't cost a nickle.

Coach Kevin

Todays Final at Roland Garros

2011-06-05T07:46:00.001-04:00

Let's see if Nadal picks on Rogers Backhand. One of the reasons Nadal gives Federer trouble is because of that lefty forehand hitting the equivilent of forehand kick serves up high to the Fed backhand. It's my belief that Fed should slice them down because he is prone to miss hit his topspin backhand in the long exchanges that ensue. Slicing down the line would keep the ball to Nadals two-hand backhand and make him bend low, a potential set up for Roger's forehand. We'll see. The new balls and a dry court also assist Federer. That ball change this year could be enough to make a difference for Fed as they are more lively. I say it's an even match-up given age and everything else............

Kevin

Cancer Benefit Doubles Tournament

2011-04-23T08:46:00.000-04:00

This weekend coming up, April 29 to May 1 we are have the Cancer Benefit Doubles Tournament. We will have men's, women's and high school divisions. Sign up now for a great experience. If you need a partner let me know.

Kevin

The Directionals

2011-04-19T08:09:00.000-04:00

Paul Wardlaw logged these axioms as the Directionals. There are doubles and singles directionals. Here are the singles:

Picture the singles court split into thirds running vertical. So if you are standing at the center slash mark you are in the middle of the center third, flanked by a backhand third (lefty forehand), and a forehand third (lefty backhand).

The system says that hitting a ball on the outer thirds (outside shots) should go cross-court. Inside balls (shots you run around to hit the alternative side, i.e. a run-around forehand (avoiding the backhand to hit a forehand). These run around shots are best hit down the line Both outside and inside shots placements allow for natural rotation of the hips and control the center of the court. Hence, they are the most percentage to hit. Outside shots that you hit down the line are called anti-directional. Only go anti-directional when you think you can force your opponent to error and you are set up for it; perhaps when your inside the baseline and you are balanced to strike a hurtful ball.

This is just a short overview of the system. Enjoy.

Coach "K"

Doubles Tennis Tip

2011-04-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hi,

In doubles when you hit your shots plan for your opponent to get them back. Never count yourself or your opponent out of a match. When you hit shots try to set up easier shots or positions for yourself: aim low on a passing shot to make your opponent hit up or lob them to get them off the net. Approach the net with your partner to gain control of the service boxes and plan to "hold the line as a team." Those are examples of set-ups rather than: hitting a winner down the ally, put this away so hard they can't get it, hitting a drop shot winner, etc....Sure it's fun to try those shots but the final result is determined by who makes the routine volleys, approaches and return set ups not the amazing shots. Hey, there isn't a lot of space out there for winners.

Hope this helps.

Coach K

Cancer Tournament

2011-04-10T08:59:00.000-04:00

APRIL 29 through MAY 1 Cancer Doubles Benefit

for adults (all levels) and high school division (all levels) and junior division (during April Vacation)

Hey this is a great tournament; lots of players, player social with live music on Saturday of the tourney, "spring into tennis."

Doubles Tournament March 11-13

2011-03-06T17:04:00.001-05:00

Hey we're having another tournament: straight doubles with a tennis social on Saturday. So, that's twice on the court minimum. We have again, some special entertainment coming you way as part of the tennis social. Try to make it. It will be good for you to get out of the house and go to the club. This time we'll try a pot luck for the players and friends. I'll call people who sign up asking what they would like to bring. I'm sure we can find a singer with an acoustic. Spring is almost here.

Remember when warming up to rally a little, volley a little (service line and up close), overhead some; your opponent does the same and then take a few serves. Catch your opponent serves and only return them if you are finished taking yours. This should take 10 to fifteen minutes maximum. Practice moving your feet while waiting for the ball and split stepping with a knee bend when your opponent hits the ball. Try to stay loose and relaxed; feel the ball. Talk to your partner regarding which side of the court you are both going to take, then go over one or two things you want to avoid with your opponents and how you intend to play them. Adjust your strategy as the match goes on because good opponents will be doing the same thing. In the end it mostly comes down to execution, so try to remember a couple of things you did well and what you need to work on. Mostly, enjoy the game!

Playing Mixed Doubles

2011-01-29T10:41:00.000-05:00

Playing the percentages:

1) If you are the woman who is serving it is best to serve the middle to keep your partner in front of the ball; it's more difficult to hit the ball away from the net player (you want to create opportunities for your partner to make put-aways).

2) The womans job is to return the serves from the man to get into the point; lobs can be effective.

3) The man's job is to play solid shots but not overplay his side of the court. He should not take balls that he cannot put away as this leaves the court open for winning shots from the other team.
He still has to be be aggressive in the right measure and not let the sitting ducks go by.

4) The woman should play solid positional tennis and not make a lot of unforced errors; that is not go out of her way to make shots that are not clearly hers. Again, this will create openings for the other team..

5) The man has to hold serve and if the woman holds that is a bonus. Try very hard to break the woman's serve. If you break the guy you are doning very well.

6) Position yourself to play your best shots cross court, i.e. if you like your forehand then stand closer to the center on the deuce side of the court if you are righty and closer to the ally on the ad side. Always show more strength to avoid the net player in your cross courts.

7) The man should play the ad court as more points are decided there; unless the woman is the stronger player (hey it happens).

8) Play the ball first and your opponent second. Every ball should be played like it belongs to you.
That way you won't be caught with that deer in the headlights look on your face, saying--whoops.

9) Don't forget the lob; read that three more times.

10) No you don't have to crash the net together. Let the game evolve. You don't have to bull rush the net; one up one back is fine unless you are drawn in by a short ball.

11) Always be supportive no matter what..........because it's people first, then the winning comes......not the other way around.*********Read that four more times because this will help your team more than any other tip except possibly get your first serve in ;).

See you all the weekend of the 4,5,6 of Feb. Saturday Tennis Social 3-5; player reception 5-6 with the blues band--"Pedro" .

Coach "K"

Volleys

2011-01-15T09:45:00.000-05:00

I was practicing a couple of weeks ago with my doubles partner (Sean) and was up at the net hitting volleys. My forehand volley was a shot I tended to think about a little too much when playing because unforced errors and lack luster put-aways were cropping up too much during match play: when I received an up ball on a poach I would pop it up too much or hit the net (that's the worst). The solution was easy--I was putting too much slice on the shot (too much "work" on the ball); better to hit through the ball clean and finish through the ball. Remember this tip: when the ball is above the net-- stick it and step "as" you hit the ball; if the ball is below the net step "first" then put a little slice for control. Both of these volleys start with the same wrist position the only difference is the "follow-through:" slice is down slightly with a firm wrist postion and flat is foward with an extension of the forearm straight ahead--also with a firm wrist.

First weekend in February will be our Mixed Doubles Tournament. You will get your tournament play, a mixed tennis social, with a player reception all just for $35.00. Hell I spend that just on Bagels and coffee each week. There's a lot of energy at the club right now riding on the coat tails of the singles tournament. Don't miss this one.

Scoring for Tennis for Life

2010-10-01T10:52:00.000-04:00

Scoring was first invented in France when a court tennis ruled the game of Kings and serfs would come to serve for their masters on ther first indoor castle courts that used windows in the scheme. Hey, we all could use a professional server in our bull pen. The clock was used a means of keeping score.

Quarter past is 15
Half past is 30
Three Quarter past is 40 (I guess they knew people would say 40-5 for short and mean 40-15 so the score
of 45 for three points was not right)-ha.
Game is back where you started

Zero is Luv 0 which is the goose egg

Deuce is 40 all and one must win two points in a row to take the game
if you win the first point after deuce and you are the server then you have Addvantage In (Ad-In); if your the server and you lose the deuce point then the Advantage is out (Ad-Out). This can go back and forth for quite a while. This is called ad scoring which is the traditional scoring.

First player to win six games by a margin of two wins the set. If the set gets to six games all a twelver point tie-break is played. That is the subject of the next post.

First player to win two sets wins the match (best two out of three). That is the method that is used for most of the tour matches. The exception is the majors (Wimbledon, French, US Open, Australian) for men they play best out of five sets (first to win three) and at Wimbledon they play out the fifth set (win by two games with no tie-break; that's the way they used to do it). This past year John Isner and Mahut played the longest ever tour match at Wimbledon......It took days.

When you start to serve: go right to left to right for the first point keeping both feet from touching inside or on the baseline until after the ball is struck (you can be over the line in the air), then serve left to right for the next point, and just keep going till someone wins the game. You get two chances to get the ball in the service box. If you miss both you lose the point. If you hit the net and it goes in then you play a let and you get another serve fo that let. If the ball hits the net a goes in during play it counts. If it hit the net and lands out then you lose the point. Make all calls immediately. If it's in you don't say a thing, just play it. If it's out call it right away. If it's on the line it's good. If your not sure it is good. You can ask your opponent if they see it. They have to help. If they don't see it then you lose the point. IF you touch a ball before it lands you lose the point. Let it go. Even if it is heading for Landsdown Street outside Fenway Park.

Wow, that's a lot and there's more, but; at least it's a start.

Kevin Pease
Pro in the Trenches

Tennis Social on October 29th 7-9pm w/ party after

2010-10-01T10:19:00.000-04:00

There will be a Halloween Tennis Social on Friday October 29th from 7-9pm with a party after.
The playing level is 3.0 plus. Kevin and Sean will be your host pros. Call 774-392-3666 to sign up.
This is a dress-up event. Leave a message as to what wish wish to bring: salad, fruit, vitimin water, punch, cookies, veggie platter, etc.

How to test your ball speed!

2010-09-02T11:20:00.000-04:00

Hey it's been a while,

Well, the Fall is fast approaching but there's still some Summer left. I guess the best part for us locals.

Hopefully the hurricane misses us.

The other day I brought out the speed gun with my son Matt; sure a lot of fun.

It can be used to measure the best possible effect you can impart on a given shot,i.e. a forehand, serve, and backhand. It can also show how different spins produce different ball speeds. You know can test your best shot on the radar and see how to improve you performance. Speed and direction are the two most important attributes when measuring the quality of a shot; spin also causes balls to react differently on the court.

Example:

Hey lets try lifting the elbow a little higher on the next serve; "wow, that equals ten miles on the serve" or here, this is my impression on Andy Roddick; "wow that was 103 mph"; now for a Pete Sampras serve, still 103 mph,

now my own: that's 103mph. I guess it doesn't matter what I do I still get 103mph, but: I still can hit an 85mph slice wide which is my best pitch; Matt can serve at 60mph; tomorrow may be he can do 65mph.

So:

Come on in and take a lesson with the radar. It's fun and easy to set up. Even for a half an hour.

Have a great end of Summer! Start running, skip some rope, do some strengthening and hit balls.

It's a great way of life. Tennis for Life.

P.S.

Next week; Wednesday 6:30pm Womens free tennis (all levels) at the Sports Center and Thursday 6:30 will be the mens free tennis (all levels). A great way to gain exposure to other players and league captains and the tennis staff.

Your pro in the trenches, Kevin Pease

Racquet Speed

2010-07-11T08:28:00.000-04:00

Racquet speed creates the amount of spin and pace on the ball. To hit a shot with power you have to have racquet speed. Your mechanics--set-up, loading, timing, etc. all effect racquet speed. It's great to have one or two shots that really force your opponent to make errors. Try to get the serve and one groundstroke to fire big. It helps to have a weapon. You have to trust your racquet and yourself, stay lose, grip it and rip it. It's a lot like life.

All the best.

Kevin

Sean and me are here in Watefrville Valley on the red clay for a $ tourney. It's war up here in the mountains.