WIMBLEDUMB I cannot take credit for the new word. To my knowledge, the new word "Wimbledumb" was created by an Englishman. I know the same gentleman has a clever name for the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association). He calls the LTA, "Lunatics Teaching Abysmally."...
First of all, I support the 10 and Under Tennis initiative. The international movement in tennis to have kids play with appropriately sized courts, balls and racquets is significant. Regardless of what ball or size court that your child is using, they...
Dear Tennis Parents, Are you going down the junior tennis path for the first time? If so, there are a few preliminaries you need to know. One of the most important has to do with the serve, and for your child to survive and thrive in junior tennis, this is something...
One short answer would be juniors switch coaches so often because pros do. Juniors do copy pros. A longer answer would be the role of the ‘buyer’, the ‘seller’ and the ‘taker’. The buyer is the parent(s). The ‘seller’ is the tennis coach. The ‘taker’ is the junior...
Dear Tennis Parents: Junior players today have no options. It is a safe bet that a kid today has an extreme grip on the forehand, a two-handed backhand hit with two collapsed wrists, and a toss that is way back behind an arched back. Volleys are non-existent and a...
Dear Tennis Parents, It is too easy to become a so-called "tennis teaching professional," especially in the U.S. All you need is a heartbeat and a ball hopper. The "car trunk" pro who charges cheaper fees is not a bargain. Remember, you can replace money, but when it...
The comedian Jeff Foxworthy gets more than a few laughs with his ongoing "you know you are a redneck if..." routine. Along those lines, here are a few thoughts for you and your junior player: …You carry your own racquet bag. If Mom is carrying your bag, you are not a...
Welby Van Horn was both a world-class player and a world-class teacher. Dr. Alex Mayer, whose two sons, Sandy and Gene, both had top-10 world rankings, once said that Van Horn was in a class by himself when it came to ranking tennis teachers. As a player, Welby...