Coastal Breeze News

A few years ago, when I was watching a ten and under boys’ singles match, it became so evident that one particular opponent was going to lose his match. He had no energy from beginning to end. From the moment he began, this ten-year-old talented youngster had literally no pep; not an ounce of energy to fight off his challenger. Immediately after the match, I had the opportunity to speak with this smooth-stroking fourth grader and I felt that I could pretty well pinpoint his problem: “Mickey, what did you have for breakfast?” I inquired. “Nothing, Mr. Browne,” the youngster ... Read More »

“Coaches are expensive,” Pete Sampras offered at a tournament press conference. There are several different ways a coach can be compensated but many of the ATP Tour players often reward their coaches with 10% of their tournament earnings. Now, with ‘Pistol Pete’ earning over 43 million dollars during his electrifying career, one may understand Sampras’ trepidation when he had to pay his coaching team for services rendered. One of the most disturbing changes in today’s world is this new trend that kids just don’t get together on their own and play their respective sport. Baseball historians brought this issue up ... Read More »

Back in the 70’s and 80’s, the Pacific Northwest tennis circuit offered a unique concept that made it one of the most popular tours in the country: Each event lasted one week and began each June in Eugene, Oregon. At the completion of the first tournament, the players moved on to Portland and then to Washington State for two more contests in Tacoma and Seattle. The participants then played their season finale in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. The players loved the various Pacific Northwest locations but what made the circuit so appealing was that the tournament organizers had the men’s ... Read More »

Options… everywhere you go, there are so many new tennis rackets, new tennis bags and the most stunning looking shoes that we have ever laid our eyes on. Now, the most important equipment changes need to be your racket and your string choice, as they will have the biggest and most immediate impact. The difficulty for many experienced players is that are afflicted with the ‘RC’ problem; the ole resistance to change dilemma. One of my oldest tennis pro friends in Naples never wanted to give up his Prince Graphite racket because he could not trust anything new. Years earlier, ... Read More »

One of my all-time favorite comedians is Dom Irrera, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who does this great bit about his friends, who always love to give medical advice, when a buddy is sick called, “not a doctor.” “Oh, you got that flu? Yeah. Drink plenty of fluids and get a lot of rest,” his good bud suggested. “Boy am I glad that I ran into you. First of all, you’re not a doctor, are you? Because I don’t know where you got that kind of information. I was just about out of my house when I was about to do wind-sprints and ... Read More »

Let’s see… hum, tennis amnesia, is that some kind of new disease? Unfortunately for me, I have never been afflicted with tennis amnesia and I think I know why. The true definition of tennis amnesia is a player’s ability to completely forget the past. In other words, even though the competitor has struggled with his serve and has double-faulted set-point, when he faces another crisis, he forgets his troubled past, and flourishes the next time out by hitting a wicked ace. Believe me I have analyzed this amnesia thing over and over and I have concluded that my memory is just a little ... Read More »

When we analyze good doubles teams, the one true barometer of success is how much one teammate trusts the other. Look no further than the Bryan twins of California, who are the best tandem in the world rankings. They communicate on every point, they switch with ease, and they show their appreciation for one another with a huge smile after most points. Unfortunately, when we view USTA amateur tennis or other local leagues, it is not obvious that one teammate fully trusts his sidekick on the doubles court. Specifically, when one player decides to make the bold move and poach, ... Read More »

One of the primary duties of a tennis coach is to either coach or view doubles competitions several times each week. Recently I have seen numerous CTA – USTA adult doubles and mixed doubles matches along with several national junior doubles events.  In our new world, the most stunning change in doubles is the emergence of the groundstroke; the one up, one back formation is rising in today’s doubles game.  This trend is not what I prefer but it is worth noting as it is so radically different from the early years of the doubles era.  The good news for ... Read More »

I heard tennis psychologist, Dr. Jim Loehr, first describe the circle of responsibility almost 25 years ago.  In simple terms, he wanted all of his athletes to be fully engaged in their matches and be prepared to stand in the box and take 100% responsibility for their efforts.  As Dr. Loehr broke the circle down, he explained using Jim Courier (one of his students at the time) as an example. If Courier were standing right in the middle of the box, feet inside the boundaries, he would describe a hypothetical match in the following terms: “I played my heart out ... Read More »

Is there anything in tennis more controversial than someone’s tennis rating? No matter how we roll the dice, individual or team tennis ratings can almost destroy the local tennis club or facility. “The new rating can be so challenging for players in our county,” Collier Tennis Association league coordinator explained. For instance, a club team wins a league title; with no time to celebrate, the team often gets split up because of its success. There are many reasons that tennis ratings have such a strong impact at the local tennis facility. Here are some ramifications to ponder: Players and teams ... Read More »