Ian’s Blog

Miss Serve and Volley? Get Over It.

Alright, that's it. I'm tired of reading these rants from old school tennis fans that say our sport is going down the drain since they don't see the stylistic choices of tennis players past any longer. I can understand where they're coming from and don't blame them for missing serve and volley a bit, but

Good Tennis Instruction, Poorly Applied

So often I see and hear tennis instruction that just doesn't make any sense. Recreational players can latch onto this poor information without knowing the difference and I think it's really a shame. Below is a post on the ET forums from a new member, he gives a perfect example of what I'm talking about

Controlling Your Emotions

I recently answered a great question about keeping your cool on the tennis court. Basically the question asked: "How can we keep from going crazy after stupid errors out on the court?". I'd like to share my answer with the rest of you because I know many of you reading this can fall into the

Overhead Footwork and the Three Step Drop

Moving backwards is not something that us humans do very naturally. This makes sense of course since our bodies are designed to move forward. What does this mean for our tennis games? Moving back to cover a good lob is very often a huge weakness for tennis players, especially doubles players who spend a ton

Tennis Video 101

Digital video has revolutionized so many aspects of our lives in the past decade, including how we learn and interact as tennis enthusiasts. It wasn't so long ago that the only way we could view video of tennis players was either on TV or by checking out tapes at your local library. Nationally recognized tennis

Taking movement to the next level

I would like to address a question I was asked in reference to my last blog, “Movement is easy to understand, but tough to do right. It's one thing to see it and know when each step type should be used, another to be able to feel it on court, and yet another to do

Maximize Movement

Many people claim that the serve is the only shot in tennis that you control from begging to end – of which I won’t necessarily disagree with. However, each player can control their footwork and the aggressiveness of their movement. While a person’s energy will ebb and flow depending on the day, each person is

Why I’m Thankful For Tennis

Today is a Holiday here in the United States called "Thanksgiving". It's a time to slow down and reflect upon everything that we have to be thankful of which, if we're honest, is a great deal no matter what circumstances happen to surround us. Below I'd like to briefly write about the different aspects of

‘Andre– Oh Andre’, Letter from Home

Dear All, Andre!  How much does it matter that he has disclosed probable abuse of substances by his father?  Abuses by his own choice of similar substances?  Clever manipulations to avoid being caught?   It would be so easy to judge him in whatever way anyone might choose, easy to find blame for his timing of

Effort is a Skill

When asked the question "what skills are needed to be a good tennis player" the first things that come to mind for most of us are athletic abilities such as good eye hand coordination, quickness, agility, or strength and flexibility. Other players may cite more cognitive traits such as being a good strategist, picking out

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