By Kendra Baisinger

Articles about the problems in women’s tennis have become so predictable as to be redundant.  What to do about the great grunting/shrieking crisis and whether Player X deserves her ranking have been dissected to a degree generally reserved for discussions of the Israeli/Palestinian crisis, and the sentiment that “women’s tennis is bad” has become the consensus. However, my (admittedly annoying) contrarianism combined with actual signs of life in the women’s game have led me to believe that the consensus is about to become outdated.  I am not about to claim that women’s tennis has been compelling in recent years, but if women’s tennis was a stock, I would rate it a “buy.”

First, however, it should be acknowledged that the popularity of women’s tennis has  plummeted and that it has done so for a reason. To me, the depths to which it had fallen became obvious during the first round of the 2011 U.S. Open.  Just to be clear, the people who arrive (armed with sunscreen and draw sheets) at 10:00 a.m. on the first day of the Open are not casual fans.  These people can pick Jesse Huta Galung out of a crowd.1 They know their tennis.  So, the WTA should take note when these tennis aficionados filled up  Louis Armstrong Stadium only  when  8th seed Marion Bartoli began decisively beating Alexandra Panova, and then audibly groaned when there appeared to be a slim possibility that the match might go to three sets. The groans were not, as you might expect, from Bartoli fans concerned that she might lose to an unseeded player.  Rather, the new arrivals were there to claim their seats for the upcoming match between Gael Monfils and Grigor Dimitrov and were irritated that they might have to sit through a third set of the Bartoli match2 (when they could have been watching the fifth set of Troicki vs. Falla).3 I saw this scenario play out several times over the first three days of the tournament, and I don’t think it is much of an exaggeration to say that unless Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova was playing, I never saw a full stadium at a women’s match.  Read more »

By Tom Allsopp

When doing volley drills many coaches encourage their players to volley and keep moving forwards. Closing in on the net after each volley is a good exercise as anyone at the net needs to win points within a shot or two – you can’t just stay on the service line and rally, you have to finish the point ASAP.

However, I like to have player’s position themselves based on their previous shot. What if a player hits a poor volley, should they still move forwards? Closing the net after a poor volley leaves you, and definitely smaller juniors, very susceptible to the lob.

Moving forwards to hit the volley is very important in order to hit a strong volley and cut off the angles. But if you are too close to the net you will often be thinking about the lob which can put you on your heels. I believe that moving forwards to hit the volley and quickly moving back in order to move forwards to the next volley without overcrowding the net is the best way to practice the volley. This is very important for doubles players who might find themselves hitting multiple volleys in a row. If they moved forward after every volley for five volleys they would probably end up on the other side of the net.

In this video Robert Lindstedt demonstrates the art of moving forward to hit the volley and quickly jumping back in order to move forwards into a split-step before playing his next volley. Try this next time you are coaching or practicing volleys….

Article from: http://www.aolnews.com/2010/08/27/the-curious-case-of-andrea-collarini/ Aug 27, 2010

The Curious Case of Andrea Collarini

If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em. Is that what we’re down to in American tennis? Is that the American Way?

The U.S. Open started Monday, just two weeks after a historic low in U.S. tennis, when no American men were ranked in the world’s top 10. It’s the great fall of U.S. tennis. And word now isn’t just that no one is on top, but that no one is coming, either. The U.S. doesn’t know how to develop players at all.

The best place to learn the art and nuance of the modern game is on clay, but Americans can’t play on the stuff. It’s not easy to find red clay courts in America, where hard courts suit the U.S. style of power and dominance.

But working through the minors now is an 18-year-old American left-hander, a clay court specialist who has been called “the chosen one.”

That’s right, Andrea Collarini (pictured) reached the final of the junior French Open in May on the slow, red clay. He’s playing juniors at the U.S. Open.

So how do you explain him?

“I have to use the expression,” a spokesperson for the Argentine tennis federation, AAT, told me, “they are stealing a player.”

No, the U.S. didn’t steal Collarini. It bought him, bought his loyalty, paid for his nationalism.

Did I forget to mention that Collarini grew up in Argentina? He was born in New York and left for Argentina when he was 3. That’s where he learned the game.

That’s the country that was calling him the chosen one. But early this year, thanks to a fantastic financial offer from the United States Tennis Association, Collarini left Argentina, moved to the national training center in Florida and became an American.

He is apple pie now.

“As far as stealing a player, that’s the farthest thing from what we’re trying to do,” said U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe, who’s also in charge of the USTA’s player development program. “We are America, right? This is what our country is built on.”              Read more »

By Tom Allsopp

Please note: All the videos in this article can be viewed on full screen

I believe that the volley, especially the forehand volley, is one of the most difficult shots to teach juniors or beginners. It is relatively simple to get a player to strike the ball clean from a feed but having them use the continental grip and develop professional looking strokes is not so easy.

I have a method that seems to consistently work for me. I would like to share it with you all and hopefully it can work for you too.

The way I regularly see the forehand volley being taught is by stepping forward and blocking or ‘punching’ the shot out in front. When teaching young children to volley many coaches often use props and games such as catching the ball in a cone. These exercises focus slightly on coordination but little else. Bouncing the ball on their racket could well be more productive and all of the children would be involved in hitting the ball at the same time. If I am working on volleys I try to have my pupils hitting as many volleys as possible while concentrating on technique and having fun. Focusing on technique and having fun should not be mutually exclusive in my opinion.

Many players that come to me for lessons are aware that a correct volley should be hit with a continental grip. Often the player will start with the continental grip prior to the shot but as they approach the ball their grip changes to an eastern or semi-western. This is because their body position and contact point doesn’t allow them to comfortably use this grip. You can’t use this grip if you face the court, step forwards and block or punch out in front.

The Reason Players Should Use The Continental Grip

Using the continental grip means that you don’t have to change grips for a forehand and backhand volley, or an overhead (eventually). It allows the player to hit low volleys easier by naturally angling the strings upwards. It will allow the player to impart under-spin on the ball which keeps the ball low and enables the player to hit drop-volleys.

How To Teach Or Practice The Volley

The method I use is to start with players hitting low forehand volleys. If I want a player to use the continental grip, or any grip for that matter, I have to sell it to them. It has to make sense! By giving them a volley down low they have to tilt their strings up to get the ball over the net. Now the continental grip actually helps them more than hinders them.

Games And Challenges Read more »

Article from: http://www.tennis-prose.com/articles/wayne-bryans-letter-to-the-usta/. Originally from Johan Kriek’s Facebook page

Here is a letter that Wayne Bryan (professional coach and father of Bob and Mike Bryan)  wrote to one of his friends who just took a position with the USTA. It is the best thing that I have ever read regarding the USTA, American tennis, and where things are going wrong in this country.

This is very long (too long for my website) but a MUST READ! I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did. Please also take the time to read my article titled; Are We Killing Creativity In American Tennis?

The Letter:

Dear Anonymous USTA Exec,

Again, so very appreciative that you asked my opinion re the U10s Mandate and U10 Initiative.

Let’s chop some wood and this will not be a formal submission and I will just type and roll this stuff out as fast as I possibly can and off the top of my head and hope it is helpful and hope you find yourself nodding in agreement every once in awhile:

1) The USTA has built a half mile bridge over a one mile river. Jump Street is age 6 not 10. Ask AYSO soccer. T Ball. Softball. That’s when kids start skateboarding. Playing computer games. Great rodeo stars and singers and dancers are doing their thing at 6, not getting on that horse at age 10 or singing that first tune for grandma at 10. Inner city kids are doing those amazing dance moves at 6, not 10. Incredible NBA stars are already playing on the asphalt courts at 6, not 10. World famous music teacher Dr. Shinichi Susuki has little children playing amazing orchestral concerts. Can you start tennis at 10? Sure. No prob. Come on in and have a blast playing the great game. But you want the best chance to be successful and play on your HS Team and in college and dream the dream of playing in the pro game some day? – – – You better be dragging that little stick around as soon as you can walk. Get a little racket in your hand at age 3, 4, or 5 and start doing little fun games at home and on the driveway and in the backyard and at the club or park. No video games or TV or skateboards at 6, tennis!! Early and often. Making this costly campaign 10 by the USTA was a huge error and waste of funds. 10 is too late. Most kids are already rolling in other sports and other things.

2) Champions are not created by million dollar slick ad campaigns! Tennis will never grow from Madison Avenue! It grows from Main Street. Local parents. Local groups of kids getting going. Local parks. Local schools. Local clubs. Local coaches. Tennis grows from solid and fun and dynamic programming and charismatic parents and coaches and club pros. It grows with bells and whistles. With energy and enthusiasm. With fun. With laughs. With trips. Hit records are purchased because people love the song. You go to great movies that your friends recommend. Word spreads about a great restaurant – – – good food, good service, good atmosphere. Ad campaigns are overrated for sports or entertainment. People go to the US Open, not because of flyers or posters or ads, they go to see that dazzling tennis at that majestic facility. People might buy Crest rather than Colgate because of an ad campaign. They might drink Coors rather than Bud because of an ad campaign. They might fly Southwest rather than American because of an ad campaign. They will not go see the Dodgers or the Angels or Lakers or Jets or Giants or Mets or Yankees because of an ad campaign. Our current US Davis Cup Team does not sell out 12,000 and 15,000 seat arenas the past few years because of ad campaigns – – – they sell out these stadiums in 11 minutes cause people like this team and want to watch them and root for them.

3) You want to help the environment – – – plant a tree in your yard. Plant two trees and you will provide yourself enough oxygen to breathe for one whole year. You want to help tennis, have your child or your nephew or that girl next door play the great game. Not trying to be negative, but all those USTA PD coaches through the years? Their kids don’t play the game. Those administrators telling us about this wonderful U10 Initiative? Their kids don’t play. If they play at all, they are sure not champions. “So, my humble opinion is that if you are a good junior coach, you will have multiple, great junior players in your program and if you are a great junior coach, some of those players will be your own children!!” Doug Pielet, South Carolina. Read more »