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The Benefits of “Self-Rallying” for a Beginner as a Training Wheel
[For those who aren’t beginners: read this article anyway, it will help you to get more friends and others into the sport.] Time and time again, I witness the following scenario on a tennis court: A person arrives with a friend to a tennis court, eager and willing to try the sport of tennis. Brimming […]
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Improving Your Self-Talk During Tennis Practice or Matches
Quite often, as coaches, we hear new students talk negatively about their strokes. One common student answer to “Is there anything that you know you need to work on?” is “Well, my backhand SUCKS” or “My serve is TERRIBLE.” This is unhelpful self-talk and programs the student for hesitancy in repeating more of what they […]
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Tennis Scoring Guide
There are several ways to keep track of the score in tennis, from junior tennis to adult, recreational to professional, and practice to competitive. Players often make up their own games and scoring system related to the type of tennis they are playing. Here is a breakdown of the traditional scoring system in a regular […]
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I’m A New Player, What Racquet Should I Get?
Choosing a tennis racquet for adults could be a daunting experience, especially when we’re new to the game. So what’s the best racquet for a beginner? The answer depends on a few factors, but the main focal point would be the weight, followed by grip size. Of course, some of us might want to use […]
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The Importance of Tactical Flexibility
[by Nick Tchernikov] Story time! In the semi-finals of U16 nationals eons ago, I played an opponent with a game-style very similar to my own. He was aggressive, at times flashy, with well-placed serves, and counter-attacking returns. We were pretty much evenly matched on paper, and this was one of the more important matches of […]
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Myth-Busting the NTRP Rating System
We’re often asked or seeking what level we are when looking for potential practice partners or signing up for a tennis program. From beginner to professional, these are valid questions to help ensure we match well with the person we decide to get out on the court with. Now, to be fair, a professional will […]
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The Beginner’s Guide to Tennis Strings
There are plenty of tennis racket stringing guides out there, but often what you want is a simple reference, especially when you’re a beginner. There are 3 basic tennis string properties to be aware of: string tension, string thickness (gauge), and string material. Tennis racket string tension is measured in “pounds per square inch”, but […]
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One Way Grunting Can Help You Get the Advantage
Although this tactic may be something you are already doing regularly, it is worth mentioning that those who don’t do it are doing themselves a great disservice. Grunting during a shot is the sudden expulsion of air in a turbulent manner during the striking of a shot. For some time it was hypothesized that the […]