The Dropper

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

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.

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!

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 League Team Practice. Come On!

Now, I know this is a very broad subject, considering how many recreational tennis players, teams and leagues there are throughout our country and the world, but this misnomer need be addressed.

I can't say I've experienced what takes place on every team, but I've been around the tennis league block.

I've had many prior captains say something to the effect of, "We practice on Tuesdays." or "We have practice matches on Thursday".

We all know so many league tennis teams and captains have their own agenda, methods or whatever (players aware or otherwise - I get it). Not all tennis teams and players are going to go out there and go for the jugular on every stroke or point, but please let's not call this practice, what may be, at best, a scrimmage.

"I Don't Play Net." What?!

I was playing on a mixed doubles (first time with this team) team years ago and the captain hadn't decided the final line-up until 
match time.

I was paired with this young lady who had good pace on both ground strokes and could move well laterally. I had only hit with or against her a few times in practice (more later on practice).

However, our opponents didn't meet each other just the day before and we had our hands full. I noticed my partner wasn't coming in, even when I may have had enough time to go get my car and park it in her service box. Our opponents weren't obliviously to the fact either.

During her next service and between serves I walked back to her and invited her to come up to the net. "I don't play net," she said, which up to this point was quite obvious. "I asked what side of the court you preferred. Not which corner," I replied. She laughed. "It's fun up here. Come on up," as I returned to the net.

She did and although we lost the match our odds of winning increased dramatically. She actually said she had fun playing the net.

Brain Alignment – The Art of Focus in Tennis

A few years ago a friend and I headed over to Wild Dunes, the wonderful resort in Charleston, SC, rated as one of the top ten tennis getaways in the country for the last many years.

We were to meet some friends, take in some tennis and enjoy Charleston in February.  Although I had lived their many times before year round and the end of summer can become somewhat tiring with all the beach and tourist traffic, February is not my favorite month in Charleston. By the way, I don’t hate tourists – I feel like I have been one most of my life.

I Think I'm Gonna Feint

Well, if you are about to feint, please don't let anyone else know. This defeats the whole purpose.

I have written this article with not one intent, but with a realization: At some point in many a club, league and/or tournament player's career (life), they no longer wish to improve the execution of their strokes, physical preparedness or their technical performance of the game. I get it. What happens on the court, particularly in doubles play, becomes pretty challenging - strategy and gamesmanship become paramount. 

Feinting (faking, if you will, without the drama) is implying (physically by posture or motion) you are about to do something you are not about to do, or maybe not.

That Darn Inverted Forehand Backhand Thingy

What the heck is this?

I don’t see it often (never in singles play or I would be challenging my own rating) and I imagine I overlook or completely miss it the first few times it occurs on court. 

But, what is that awkward stroke, if it can be called a stroke, which some tennis players use, whereas, using a forehand grip, turn the racket head 180 degrees, bringing the racket across the body (I need some graphics here), and then punch, hit, swat (whatever) at the ball?  This is all obviously in lieu of performing a normal and natural backhand stroke.

This is like using your left hand to shift gears in a car (at least here in the U.S.), opening a door with your elbows or cutting (attempting) a steak with the blunt end of the knife.  I don’t get it.  There aren’t enough bad analogies.

Finding Your Tennis Zone

John W. DenBoer, Ph.D., U.S.P.T.A.

After a great match, you often hear players say “I was in the zone!”  What is the zone?  Although there have been many different definitions, the most commonly accepted definition of the zone is a state of optimum physical and mental performance.  Many competitive tennis players describe that their emotions during this time are very stable and their play appears effortless.  Everything appears to be in flow and, in the end, everything appears to be “going their way.” 

In reality, the zone is something that takes a lot of hard work to achieve.  It is typically achieved through a combination of psychological techniques in combination with dedicated physical training.  Psychological techniques include both off and on-court techniques, including (but not limited to) deep breathing, visualization, and mantra use.  One needs to practice these off-court techniques before utilizing them in on court.

Introducing Dr. John DenBoer - Tennis Psychologist/Mental Coach

John W. DenBoer, Ph.D., U.S.P.T.A., is a former collegiate tennis player with an array of tennis teaching experience.  

He was a 4-time Most Valuable Player award and 4-time Academic All-Conference selection and played #1 singles and doubles throughout college (1996-2000).  He has held the #1 ranking in the Men’s 30’s division (USTA Southwest) and #1 ranking for Men’s Open Doubles and has been as high as #2 in the Men’s Open Division (USTA Southwest).  

As the Founder and Director of Mental Edge Tennis™, he specializes in providing mental coaching services to competitive tennis players, ranging from club level players to top-ranked juniors, and including WTA and ATP tour professionals.  

In addition to conducting individual and group mental coaching sessions, he also does consultant work and speaking engagements.  More information can be found at www.mentaledgetennis.com.


Expect to see some of his articles right here at I Toad You So.

‘Til Match Point Do We Part

Not all of us, but many of us, somehow will or have ended up (some, many times over) on the same side of the court with someone near and dear to us, perhaps our spouse or significant other.

This shared interest in tennis by two who also share a strong interest in one another comes in many forms and fashions and this courtship begins in just as many ways:

·      The two players whom meet on court

·      The player who gets his or her significant other involved in the game

·      The two non-players who decide to take up tennis together

·      The non-player wishing to participate in their significant other’s love for the game

·      The non-player that decides to begin playing as a way to meet their prospective significant other

Rough on Rafa

Who is rough on Rafael Nadal? Rafael Nadal.

I wrote a piece over a year ago about how Rafa will probably not outlast, in career longevity, most of his contemporaries of similar age, perhaps some of his seniors as well. This had to do more with his style of play than anything else.

The loss to Steve Darcis of Belgium in the first round at Wimbledon was huge. Is this an indication of things to come? Could be?

Bring It On Back - The OctaCurve Mach III

I love being around people in general and I love playing tennis and being with tennis players, on-court and usually off-court as well. 

I love tennis backboards. Why? No people and no other tennis players. Ironic, huh?

I had some spare time this afternoon and hadn't been to this local recreation center in quite some time, but I remembered it had this backboard for which I would have been surprised if it hadn't either pulled the fence down, disintegrated into saw dust or have been used in someone's fireplace by now.

Eye-Brain Preparation

We have all heard of eye-hand coordination, which to me relates to when one’s eyes are (through the brain) sending an adequate signal to the hands to perform the task at hand more accurately, with the most appropriate sense of direction and velocity.

I was reminded of this again by a tweet by Rick Salas @tennistennis.

One could probably paint this picture in at least a dozen different ways, but to sum all, I guess this is when the two, the eyes and the hands, are working harmoniously, with most efficiency and effectiveness.

Obviously all this information (visually) we are taking in is being interpreted by the brain and passed on to the body, yet we are not snakes slivering along the tennis court with most all our senses at high alert, waiting to pounce on the ball, as if a snake could – road kill.

Oh, My Bad. Your Point. Sorry, I Wasn't Paying Attention

The following was a comment to Off-Court Technology = On-Court Distraction by Dr. John DenBoer of Mental Edge Tennis.

John, this article brings to mind so much I have experienced and observed having become involved in electronic technologies in my 20’s, particularly what I have seen take place in personal wireless communications as I was involved with this from its somewhat public beginnings in the early 90’s as a technician and salesperson. I am still involved with many technologies in many different ways today.

Volumes could be written (and have) about computer and communication technologies’ distracting (perhaps ill) effects on society (not ignoring the positive impact), particularly on our youngest generation whom I believe are moving directly from pacifier to smartphone.

I wish to address the statement: A tennis match is not mentally stimulating enough anymore…

The Modern One-Hand Backhand

I stumbled over an excellent video by Tom Avery on maximizing the one-hand top spin backhand stroke. This video is concise and covers his instruction from the proper points of view, making Tom's explanation easy to understand.

As soon as he had covered the basic parts of the stroke and completed a full swing from preparation to finish, I was reminded of one player, Roger Federer.

I remember years ago after winning a major match (those days when we were more likely to see Roger run around his backhand), he was asked what part of his game he wished to work on the most. "My top spin backhand", was his reply. Well, we know what has become of this - it's one of the most graceful and accurate one-hand backhand swings in the game.