🎾 TopspinPro May Newsletter
In this edition: The Power of Spin 🎾 Footwork Patterns 🎾 An Effective Tennis Serve 🎾 Forehands at Indian Wells 🎾 Start Them Young
I Was Not A Great Tennis Coach
My dad introduced me to tennis when I was 10. But it was John McLaughlin who inspired my tennis journey. It was 1982 in Johannesburg and this high-octane Austrian tennis coach with a peroxide silver mullet showed me topspin. He was ahead of his time in more ways than one!
Fast forward 15 years and I was coaching tennis at the Whistler Racquet and Golf Resort in Canada. Thanks to Marjorie Blackwood (Canada #1 - single & doubles) and Peter Schelling I fell in love with teaching tennis. I discovered topspin was the ‘biggest-bang-for-your-tennis-buck’ change you could make to your game. I was a fairly 1-dimension coach - no matter what problem you arrived with, you left with topspin. But it meant people could rally. And if they could rally, they could have fun. And if they had fun, they came back.
Want power but still keep it in? Topspin. Want a cross-court angle? Topspin. Want to approach down the line with little court to work with? Topspin. Want the ball to dip down to the net player’s ankles? Topspin. Want a lob that won’t come back? Topspin. Want to buy time to recover to the middle of court? Deep, looping topspin.
Turns out I wasn’t entirely wrong about topspin.
Improve Your Footwork: 3 Simple Patterns
Here's Ryan Reidy at 2minutetennis.net with 3 different footwork patterns to help take your movement to the next level.
Build An Effective Tennis Serve
Serving in tennis isn't just about aces or first-serve winners. While those are great, starting the point strategically is a more reliable way to gain an advantage over your opponent. Mastering various serve types, developing a dependable second serve, and understanding tactical serving can significantly elevate your game at any skill level. This article explores effective serve strategies, providing insights and tips for players at all stages of their tennis journey.
Read the full article here.
Which Forehand Do You Like Best?
Which of these forehands do you like best from some of the practice footage we took at this year's Indian Wells?
Parting Shot
Tennis is such a great game for all ages. How old were you when you started tennis?
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The TopspinPro Team