Bernie McGuire Receives Top Tennis Coach Award

Local (to us) Hammond High School tennis coach, Bernie McGuire, has been named the Professional Tennis Registry High School coach of the year.

Bernie has taught some of my family and tennis friends and has been a huge asset to Hammond.

Read the article.





Also read McGuire Honored for No-cut Policy.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/local/education/article16870739.html#storylink=cpy

Mosquitos, Gnats and Dryer Sheets...Go Figure

Aside from tennis, I've played many field sports, which come to think of it, really has not much to do with this topic.

Mosquitoes, gnats and some other flying irritants which have little else to do in their short-lived lives, but to simply irritate us humans (and other animals), can make life or your time out-of-doors less than enjoyable.

You may be walking your dog, walking to your car after work or simply enjoying a beautiful day beyond the environmentally enhanced confines of your home. They, these perpetrators of misdemeanors, almost felonious acts, don't always show up, but we've all been there.

If you are out hustling on the court, throwing these little devils off by not presenting an easily accessible landing strip for which upon they will either annoy you or draw blood from your body, then they usually go without notice and find tamer, more docile victims better suited for their assault - those less mobile at the time: friends, family, off-court teammates, any spectator.

What’s in Your Bag?

Everybody has something going on in the pockets of this carrier of tennis equipment and perhaps a whole lot more.

What's in yours? Let us know! (Use the comment form below.)

Here’s what is in mine:

Main Pocket

3 Prince EXO³ Rackets

2nd Pocket

Way too many loose balls (bound for the hopper), 2 cans of tennis balls

1st Side Pocket
Two sweat towels

Water bottle (Blue)

A shoe bag – never used

A rather obscene object some clown tossed in my bag at Moose League, but it’s great for a laugh between matches.

A zipper pouch I haven’t looked in (glad I just did) for years, which has:

• A spray bottle of sun block which I have never used along with a packet of Capri Sun Sport Drink powder mix stuck to it.
• A tube of IcyHot with a packet of Capri Sun Sport Drink powder mix stuck to it. Another tube of IcyHot barely used.
• A bottle of eye drops
• One adhesive bandage (the outside of the package seems more adhesive than the bandage probably is – some liquid got loose in here)

2nd Side Pocket

Pair of shoelaces (this is one of those tough things to come by quickly when needed – I have never used them), lip balm, roll of medical tape (handy, but doesn’t work so well on broken rackets)

Another Side Pocket (the working pocket)

• Cell phone, wallet, keys
• Three empty sunglasses pouches (not sure why)
• Note pad, pens and business cards (you never know)
• A Huggie (Koozie to some) with a drink ticket in it from a recent tournament

So take a look in your tennis bag and let us know What’s in Your Bag. You may be surprised.

The Wilson tennis bag I have been using for over 7 years is still doing great - nothing broken.

The Dropper

What do you call a doubles player who doesn’t come to net?

Are Your Tennis Members Having Fun?

Back in the mid-90s I had the good fortune of being a resident and club member of Raintree, a country club in Charlotte, NC.

This was probably one of the best times I ever experienced as a member of a community and as a tennis player.

Back then we had two 18-hole golf courses, a 19th hole, as well as an upstairs dining patio overlooking one of the 18th holes, fitness facilities, locker room with lounge, swimming pool, another restaurant and one large party/convention/meeting area.

Oh, and a killer tennis membership and staff. It was a blast. Charlotte was growing, booming and there was plenty to do in the city and surrounding areas, yet most of these events and activities usually had to fall into my lap to gain my attention because my wife and I were never without something to do down on the tennis courts or with our tennis friends.

Again, The Effective Use of a Tennis Backboard

By now, you may know how much I believe the use of a tennis backboard may allow any tennis player to work on most any aspect of their game. Do you think boxers, swimmers or most any other athlete is always sparring or competing against a partner or competitor when they are in training? Is their coach totally responsible for their game, or your teaching pro, for yours?

No! Particularly not when working on the fundamentals and form. Can you afford to have a professional hitting partner who will ensure you repetitively work on your weakest stroke, your slightest missteps in your footwork or help you hone your biggest weapon?

Below is a video, by Ian Westermann, providing some effective techniques you may wish to consider the next time you take to court with that one opponent who will tell you no lies, nor let you down - the backboard.

If you feel so inclined, you may wish to check out our other articles related to Backboards.

Slippery When Wet?

Have you ever been playing a match and those tears from heaven begin raining down on your court and all you want to do is continue play - your game is spot-on, you have the tennis fever or you simply feel great because your in-laws just left from a three-day visit?

At Moose League a few years ago, during a chilly December morning, we began to get a slight drizzle which slowly increased with the sky lending itself toward nothing otherwise for quite some time. After a while this is when I and most other sane people are likely to pack it up and head for shelter.

Those Beguiling Tennis Geezers

The gentleman to the left, Father Time, usually shows up this time of year.

One can usually find him in cartoons, editorials and even some greeting cards.

Well, I'm accustomed to this and it truly doesn't remind me of much other than the coming new-year (which is wonderful), but then I stumbled upon the following picture along with the caption:

Older Players Handing it to Some Whippersnappers

Many of you may remember being a freshman or sophomore on a high school or college team. You may have been in equal shape or possessed the same speed and agility as the seniors, but they probably had something you didn't - more experience, perhaps greater wisdom on the field or court of battle.

Speed Up Your Backhand

I went down to the park a little while ago to get some time in with the backboard.

I usually begin close (8 to 10 feet) to the backboard, for about ten minutes, to warm up my feet, body and brain - mainly short bounces, but taking some volleys as well.

So I move back to a distance which would be about the same as the deepest half of back-court and I'm hitting alternating forehand and backhand ground strokes. (Come on, I'm not using fresh balls here.) Something is not going right with my backhand. I'm not all over the place, but I'm hitting too high and inconsistently. I know the mechanics and how this should feel, but am I hitting late, with old balls, from about 35 feet from a backboard? I'm not even ripping my shots - my forehand is doing just fine.

Winter Tennis Warm-Wear

Okay, so I have traveled almost half this planet we live on, but I've always seemed to stay much closer to the Equator, than not.

I've really never played tennis consistently in colder climates. Charlotte was as far north as I lived and I was a member of a club with indoor courts.

Part of my career in the U.S. Navy dealt with missile defense and I would have rather taken a hit broad-side from a missile, along with the prospect of instant-death, rather than the reality of having to die a slow death in frigid waters. So I don't like anything cold (except a glass of water, beer and iced tea), but I will do my best to take to court to play a set or match in less than welcoming temperatures.

Hey, it's all relative. I grew up in the south. I played soccer in climates in the teens, in a pair of shorts, but I had no choice. My legs knew no better and still don't.

We don't deal with the extreme cold that often down here in the south, but I have found a few clothing choices and other preparations which may make smacking that little yellow fuzzy a little more tolerable during the colder months.

Racket (Hand) Preparation and Overhead Technique

Obviously there is much involved with preparing for an overhead stroke - recognizing your opponent's shot or intent; your positioning, footwork and timing.

Below is a fantastic short video regarding racket (hand) preparation and technique brought to us by Jeff Salzenstein.

Notice how the upper body movement is very similar to a well-executed serve. Enjoy.





You gotta have Good Balance if you're gonna hit a Great Overhead!

Featured Tennis Web Site Owner - Teaching Tennis Pro Mark Sheldon

We hadn't met Mark Sheldon personally, although we had assisted him via e-mail, until we did a Free Web Site Review with him. He had done so well with his web site; we asked if he had any experience with doing so or with the Internet. His answer was, "No, I just took your instructions and ran with it."

We truly loved hearing this. Providing tennis web sites which teaching tennis pros and tennis team captains actually own, not rent, with no hidden fees, is our goal.

Mark took the slideshow gadget and ran with it and then he also added the stats gadget to his web site. He then added a list of upcoming tournaments using the list of links gadget - nice touch. 

We hope teaching tennis pros and others, like Mark, will want, not need, the support we provide for years to come, but if not, okay. Perhaps he's doing just fine on his own. We are simply thankful we had the opportunity to get him started toward having a web site he will actually use for many, many years to come.

Please visit his web site at MARK10SPRO.

Tennis Court Rabbit or Tiger

Rabbits are interesting, cuddly (domesticated) and make for wonderful pets for many people and families. 

They truly don't possess any attack techniques unless you consider getting bunny kicked (actually a defensive technique) by a rabbit a painful and horrifying experience.

Their main defense, aided or prompted by their acute hearing, is their ability to dart, while quite agile on the run.

A lion on the other hand, which possesses a killer defense - paws, claws and teeth, also has a killer offense. Quietly, they assess the situation while on the attack, trying to narrow their prey's odds of survival - they aren't scampering about trying to overpower every potential meal. Then they pounce, hoping for dinner or whatever tigers refer to such as.

In league or amateur tennis, we all know our opponents do not always have similar skills or the physical condition that we have (or not have), or vice versa, but if we aren't placing enough of our shots away from he or she, chances are good we may have to become a rabbit to survive our match.

Don't Sacrifice Your Tennis Game Being an Athlete

I was asked to play on my high school tennis team, but either I was so committed to soccer at the time or I wanted some time to myself because I definitely wasn't running short on extracurricular activities. Being an avid runner (soccer lends itself toward such) and probably faster than anyone on my high school track team in the two mile, I let that opportunity go to the wayside as well.

Tennis, I loved and still do, but at the time, it didn't work for me as for playing on an organized level.

So, I never really got the hardcore coaching and instruction, although I was fortunate to acquire enough real court-time instruction and advice from those I thought knew the game. Later in my adult life I would watch videos by the top pro teachers and attend clinics and group drills, but I had never had a personal lesson with a teaching pro.

One day, I finally asked the head pro at our country club, who I truly admired for his on-court instruction, to give me an hour's worth of instruction. We basically hit cross-court from both sides for about 40 minutes, simply working on ground strokes from the baseline - no approach shots, lobs, etc. - I love that intense repetition.

Tennis for All

This is why this blog exists. We love to hear from those in the real community tennis world. This is what it's all about. 

The following are writings sent to us by Meredith Harrington, Scarie Merrie.

___________________________

Tennis skirts! I looooove tennis skirts! Okay, really, who the heck cares about tennis skirts? This is a blog. Blogs should offer pithy advice or something upbeat everyone can relate to. Mine is mostly memoirs, or musings. But this time I decided to write about my life saving emotional retirement gift to myself. Tennis, and what it’s done for me.

There are no rules for blogging, except keeping it clean and honest. Some of my followers would ask with disgust, isn't tennis an elitist form of recreation? That I’m discriminating. Yes, and no. People play tennis at private clubs, public parks, and if they have a court in their own back yard, they skip tennis barn fees and head out back. Tennis is not elitist anymore. Tennis is neither segregated, or gender specific.  Look at Arthur Ashe, Donald Young, the Williams sisters, and James Blake for turning a once all white sport into a widely integrated one. As for gender equality, bravo to Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King and Venus Williams for coming out of the closet in a very public arena. As of this writing, no known male gay players have admitted their sexuality.

The Other Calf - Another Muscle Which Needs Attention

Actually, the topic here is not about another calf muscle, although the debate is ongoing about whether or not this muscle, the Soleus, may take claim to its own separate existence or is it part of what we most often think of as our calf muscles, the Gastrocnemius.

Regardless, it is there, right there below the Gastrocnemius, your most popular calf muscle.

Hey Rafa, How About Another Drink? - Pre-Hydrate, Hydrate and then Rehydrate

Recently, Rafael Nadal has been catching some heat from Federer for his lengthy breaks and according to a survey, about three-quarters of us fans are unhappy with his many mini-vacations during matches as well, although officials don't seem so awfully concerned. The whys and what-nots of this make for an interesting story I dare not venture into just now.

But, this does remind me of the lengthiest changeovers I ever experienced, accepted by all and for the right reason - we were all about to die.

Bad Line Calls

I don’t feel bad line calls are the number one topic of tennis play overall on the local league level, but it almost always seems the most prominent issue (other than one’s own lack of good play or opponent sand-bagging) for players walking off the court after a match, win or lose (usually having lost).

If I don’t agree with a shot-call and don't have a better point of view (court position) than my opponent, but his or her body orientation at point of contact doesn't allow for a focused, not peripheral, look at the ball, as in not recovering well enough to view the placement, I will challenge. 

C. Robert "Moose" Kahle Passes On

Moose, C. Robert Kahle, founder of the in/famous Moose Tennis League, passed on, not away, December 31st, 2013.

I didn't know what to think of Moose at my first Moose League outing. I didn't need to - he's a humble, inviting and witty guy.

And, I didn't and still don't know much about Moose. Again, I don't need to, didn't necessarily want to. He's that kind of guy.

Up(s) a Daisy (Whoops-a-Daisy)

The phrase has several meanings, for the most part very similar in origin and somewhat the same in explanation - from surprise in someone else’s err, one’s response to one’s own fault, to how to respond to a child whom just fell down.

The Brit’s coined the phrase in most any fashion and this is where the more abbreviated whoops we know today, originated. And, it literally and figuratively came to mind many years ago.