Match Analysis of Women’s Qualifying at BNP Paribas Open Tennis, Indian Wells, CA

Match analysis by Gene of Julia Cohen (defensive style tennis player) of USA vs. Eva Birnerova (flat, medium offensive tennis player) of Russia.  Note how to play against a moon-baller, I style I happen to employ at times to great effect, if my opponent is unable or unwilling to come forward to put balls away:

 

Dr. Allen Fox at Marina City Club

 

The famous sports psychologist, Dr. Allen Fox, gave a seminar and book signing for the tennis players of mcc on November 30, 2011 from 6-8pm in the Galaxy Room.  This event had great attendance with almost 40 people coming out to hear what Dr. Fox had to say about handling your emotions on the tennis court.  Dr. Fox signed copies of his latest book, Tennis: Winning the Mental Match.

Dr. Fox raised three primary concerns tennis players have from the mental side of tennis:  choking, anger, and tanking.

Anger turns out to be the easiest one to control.  A player must tell himself before he starts that nothing that happens on that court will make him angry, and he will usually succeed in controlling that emotion.

Choking is virtually incurable, but accepting that everyone, even the best players on earth, choke, makes it easier to accept in yourself.  Accepting that you are not a bad person because you choked will make you less likely to do so in the future, but will certainly not eliminate this common and persistent problem.  Also, realize that just because you choked once, does not mean that you will choke every time.  There will be more opportunities if you keep trying to win.

Finally, tanking, or giving up, is difficult to control.  Tanking relieves stress by taking you mentally out of the match, but a cost-benefit analysis reveals that rationally this is an unhealthy choice.  Once you realize that the benefits of trying outweigh the momentary relief of stress, the player may make the choice to “gut it out.”

Many more insights came from this talk and from reading Dr. Fox’s excellent book.  If you would like a copy, Gene has several copies left for sale at the tennis desk for $20 each.  They make great gifts to the tennis players in your life this holiday season!

Beginner / Intermediate Junior Tennis Clinic in Marina Del Rey

The Marina City Club will have an on-going beginner / intermediate junior tennis clinic starting on September 21, 2011 (Wednesdays) from 4-5:30pm. The class will cost $100 / month. Please call Gene at 310-578-4949 or email him at problemsolvergene@yahoo.com to sign up.

This clinic will focus on getting children started in tennis and is more a function of ability than age.  The ages will be mixed from 6-13, but the key is that these kids need to learn the basics of tennis from footwork to stroke production to grips.  After taking this clinic, juniors will be ready to compete in novice tournaments or play their first satellite tournament.

Advanced Junior Clinic in Marina Del Rey

The Marina City Club is adding an on-going advanced Junior Tennis Clinic to the Marina City Club tennis schedule for Tuesdays and Thursdays starting September 20, 2011 from 4-5:30pm. If interested please contact me at 310-578-4949 or email me at problemsolvergene@yahoo.com. The class will cost $100 / month for one day or $140 / month for both days.

Gene and Chris will focus on techniques necessary to compete on the satellite and open levels in junior tournaments in Southern California, regional, and national events.

Cardio Tennis July 26, 2010, 9-10am at Marina City Club

We have Cardio Tennis going today, Monday, 9-10am here at the beautiful Marina City Club in Marina del Rey, CA. Court 4 is the location and pumping the heart the the situation. We are going to be playing music from a rock / pop cardio cd to create a fun atmosphere and get everyone in a rhythm. We will run 4-6 drills that will incorporate every stroke with movement and obstacles (ladder, cones, and caution tape) for a dynamic workout.
We will warm up with 3 laps around the court, dynamic stretching (no static stretching before playing) like arm circles and waist twists. We then go into drills for the forehand and backhand with cone movement. Volleys are next. Then, we incorporate all the strokes and add caution tape for good measure. Some jumping jacks and lunges between hits also make this class exciting.
We will monitor our heartrate 2-3 times per class to see that all participants get cardio benefit.
Finally, we cool down with serves and use our rackets to help stretch and dissipate waste from our muscles so we don’t get sore.
Come try it for $15 / person, it’s a hell of a workout!

Backboard Volleying Training Video!

Check out my training video for volleys on the backboard.  I’ll see you on the court!

Quickstart Tennis Student Profiles: William the Conquerer

I have attached a wonderful video of 4 1/2 year old William engaging in quickstart learning right here at the Marina City Club in sunny Marina del Rey, California.  Caution tape serves as a net as I divide a tennis court in half to teach younger players.  I use low-compression balls and the basket is a convenient target.  Stickers serve as a wonderful reward, although William prefers me hitting “high balls” to him!

Client Profiles: Elena M.

Elena has been a client of mine for over three years now.  She always arrives with a smile on her face and a kind word!  She’s also a hip, latina who rocks the tennis court.  We work hard on her groundies and now we are concentrating on playing sets and strategy.  She’s progressing nicely, especially her balance and movement to the ball.  She moves like a cat!  Thanks for being a great student, Elena!

Elena M. on Court 4 at the Marina City Club April 2010.

Tennis Nugget: Think of yourself as a Samurai on Serve.

For the follow-thru on the serve, I like to think of myself as a samurai sheathing his sword after a telling blow to my opponent.  The tip of the racket should go diagonally downward on the opposite side of your body as your dominant hand as if putting a sword back into it’s scabbard.  Not only will this improve your form on the follow-thru, but it’ll remind you that you are skilled in the use of your “weapon” and mighty in battle.  All of these thoughts tend to make you feel powerful, often taking your serve to another level mentally.

The samurai mentality also works for the backhand (which is good since most of us have weaker backhands, perhaps the spirit of the samurai will make them stronger)!  It applies to the backswing, where you pretend that you are unsheathing your sword and unleashing it upon the ball with an upward stroke.  You want to stick the tip of the racket back into the scabbard and drop the head, just as the sword would hang in battle, then draw the weapon at the right moment.

Next time you’re on court, be a samurai, and watch your opponent fall to pieces.