In the coming months, I am going to review the Bryan Brothers 4-Part Doubles Series. I am doing this in part because as a Kentucky High School tennis coach 2 of the 5 matches in a dual are doubles matches. Therefore, 2/3rds of a team victory can come from sweeping doubles. I will also note…
Category: Coaching
Playing Smarter Doubles is a Process
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmnnG9fXV-I Federer and Wawrinka had to play as a team to win this match despite both being vastly (VASTLY) superior at moving, striking the ball, and playing singles For most of my tennis life, I have preferred singles by a wide margin to doubles. That gap is closing as I have gotten older and coached…
The Self-Similar Nature of Tennis
Tennis can be thought about at a number of levels, but each level is of a similar complexity to the level above or below it. I will look at 3 of these levels. The Level Most People Talk About: Individual Skills One’s technique when hitting the ball, one’s movement on the court, and one’s conditioning…
Second Season: Saint X wins Regional Title with Eyes on the State Tournament
What a Difference 1 Week Makes The 6th Region of Kentucky’s 16 high school tennis regions crowned a familiar champion before regional realignment goes into effect in 2019. Saint Xavier’s tennis team absorbed a tough upset loss on Senior Day 1 week ago. At the same venue, Saint X fended off duPont Manual High School to…
Saint X Hosts Trinity: Senior Night
I referenced not particularly liking losses in dual matches. My first season of being part of a tennis coach in three years ended with a dual match loss, but the atmosphere was something that I’ve never seen in all of my years of being around high school tennis at Saint X as a player, at…
Novak Djokovic’s Coaching Situation: I Like Reuniting with Vajda and a Suggestion
Novak training with God Marian Vajda!!! 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/UtoTf1Donw — Ashish (@Ashish_1603) April 8, 2018 Marian Vajda working with Novak Djokovic is a good sign. He is comfortable with Vajda’s approach. Djokovic took a lot of criticism when he split with Todd Martin and worked with Vajda only in Spring 2010. Djokovic then reached the US…
Tennis & Nerves – My Perspective from Playing & Coaching Part 2
Coaching Take 1 – Avoid Information Overload My first stint as a high school coach came when I took over a team of young men at a school with little tradition of success in tennis. I noticed that my players were good athletes so I felt I had a lot to mould as a coach…
Tennis & Nerves – My Perspective from Playing & Coaching Part 1
Mental Tennis Tennis being an individual sport with minimal to no in-competition coaching has always put pressure on a player’s mental fortitude. Anyone who has played tennis also knows that at times one’s mental fortitude falters. Singles is particularly tricky because a loss means either the opponent was better or one failed to play well….
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 