Francis Tiafoe and I Agree.

I’ve said for 20 years that tennis has a “tradition” problem. Making fans sit? Not letting anyone into the stadium except on changeovers? Give me one reason tennis needs more restrictions than basketball? One real reason? I can think of 2 words a fan cannot yell without ejection during a point: “Let!” And “Out!” and of course, obscenities. Beyond that I say make noise, get rowdy and bring tennis into the 21st Century. Francis Tiafoe is totally correct. This is something I believe John McEnroe and I also agree on. 

I’ve had times where I had to stand outside for 15-20 minutes while a good match took place inside that I’d paid over $100 to attend because walking into a 15,000 seat stadium (in the upper deck at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the second largest tennis stadium in the world) would disturb players and other fans. Gimme a break! Poor little sensitive tennis players. If we allowed it the players would learn to focus the same way basketball players have learned to focus when shooting foul shots. And the fans? It’s no different than a movie theater. People will police themselves. If someone gets up too much, fans will get annoyed and speak out.

Now I’m speaking out. Let’s do away with all this “tradition” and let athletes who are paid millions of dollars learn to focus and let fans free of the imprisoning nature of tennis’ stuffy attitude toward movement.

See article below for more info on Tiafoe’s statement.

Article on Tiafoe’s opinion on how to bring more spectators to the greatest game in the world.

Tennis Rule for Life #1

There are five major goals in tennis. These rules are not always obvious. When I ask people what’s the #1 goal in tennis they say things like:

“Watch the Ball”

“Move Your Feet”

“Turn Your Shoulders”

These are all excellent guesses. But none quite get to the heart of the matter when it comes to fundamentals of tennis and the rules of the game. The most basic thing one must accomplish to play tennis is (drum roll):

“Get the ball over the net.”

“Why?” is often the next question. The answer is that we often focus on complex things, but in reality, tennis requires getting the ball over the net because otherwise, you cannot accomplish any of the subsequent 4 steps. Most things in life are progressions, and to develop your tennis, one also requires progressions. If one cannot get the ball over the net, all other results are irrelevant to play tennis.

Sure, you can get exercise by moving your feet. You can watch a ball all day as it hits your tennis racket. You can practice turning your shoulders. But, none of these things achieves the goal of actually being able to play tennis with another person.

That said, getting the ball over the net, by itself, will not allow you to play tennis either, as you could hit the ball over the back fence, and you will have achieved the first goal, but your partner will not be able to hit the ball back. However, the second goal cannot be addressed until you get the ball over the net.

In golf and basketball they have similar step one rules: hit the ball past the cup, and get the ball over the rim, respectively.

Stay tuned next time for goal #2.

Tennis Visualization During COVID-19

As you may have surmised, our tennis courts, the court club, gym, pools, and restaurant are all closed until further notice. This COVID-19 issue intends to be with us for a bit, so the club had chosen to remain safe and super-careful until the danger has lessened. I know we all want to play tennis…probably the longest many of us have gone without being on a tennis court in years! Please strengthen your problem physical areas (I have a tight calf I need to stretch a lot and strengthen). Do some “shadow tennis” (swing a racket without a ball).

And truly, visualization where you “experience” your tennis strokes in the mind works. Imagine as realistically as you can a tennis match or practice. Include walking onto the court. Imagine the hiss of the can of balls as you open it. Feel the grip of your racket and the pimples of sweat as you go through a mini-tennis warm-up. Then back up. Picture perfect strokes and feel the ball strike the sweetspot on each swing. Feel the perfect slice, topspin and flat shots. Go through each stroke: groundstrokes, volleys, overheads, backhand overheads, half-volleys, serves. Feel each of those strokes and imagine beautiful balls coming off lengthy, smooth swings. Take your time and experience each stroke. Feel your feet on the court. Know you are split-stepping each time your partner strikes the ball. Once you’ve warmed up, start the match. Don’t forget to drink water and change sides. Feel the sun on your shoulders and the weight of the ball as it strikes the strings. Straighten your strings and towel off the sweat on your forehead and hands. Feel the wind blowing and adjust your shots to deal with the elements. Begin the match with the racket spin and choose to serve or receive. Go through your routine (you have a routine, right?) before serving or receiving. Tell your opponent, “Good luck!” Hold up the ball to indicate you are ready to serve if you are the server. Then, strike a perfect ace right down the T. Watch the ball hit the fence with blinding force as you hear the crack of the windscreen and move to the next point. Pick up the ball or ask your opponent to give you the ball. Feel the second ball in your pocket. Continue in this vein through an entire tennis match. It’s not easy to do, but it will help you become a better player. Start by just playing one game or hitting a series of forehands cross-court, then move on to more challenging and advanced drills and match scenarios. It’s important that you not only see the strokes and the ball, but feel the strokes and the ball and your feet and the wind and the sweetspot. This will provide your body and mind with the genuine interaction that heightens the experience to something real. At that point, you’ll actually, for all intents and purposes, be playing tennis. Drew Brees, the quarterback for the New Orleans’ Saints is the all-time leading passer in yardage in the history of the NFL. Reggie Bush, the running back for that team, talked about how Brees would come to practice and games before everyone to stand on the sideline with the ball and with his eyes closed play the entire game before the game started—in his mind. Bush insists that was one of the things that made Brees such a special quarterback. Elite among the elites. This is a chance for all of us to practice our mental acuity. To become better players and see our greatness in our minds before we do it in reality.

Valentine's Day Mixed Doubles Tennis 2020

This year’s Valentines Mixed Doubles tennis round robin was a blast! We had some new faces and improved tennis this season as everyone seems to have been practicing all year long. The low-stress environment and beautiful weather probably didn’t hurt the level and attitude either.
We had many couples sign up, but we also had a lot of single players who needed a partner and we were able to accommodate those players with fun and friendly partners. We even had our pros pair rotate in with different partners after each round so everyone could enjoy their skills and have a good time. Some of the women who got to play with Jacek and Gene were Nancy, Marcia, and Liz. There are times when being single has its benefits and this event is one of them! Some actual Valentine couples who participated were Tania and Brad, Tony and Libby, Marva and Bill, and Dave and Jennifer. Other couples who were not romantically involved (that we know of) but love playing together were Tess and Sammy, Cookie and Lisa-Marie, Ariel and Bianca, and Nancy and Liz. The tennis was very friendly and social with a hint of competitiveness, but all the players were cooperative and showed great sportspersonship. We are trying to have more social events for those who just want to have fun and meet new people, so be on the lookout for our next social round robin, but you must be willing to play with various partners and sometimes play with those who are not exactly at your level.

Mcc Junior Tennis Play Day 2020

Mcc hosted another fun and exciting day of Junior tennis on January 25^th. People from the club brought their children and grandchildren to gain a sense of fun on the court. The event is mainly designed to produce an atmosphere where the kids enjoy games and social interaction with each other and the adults who are present. Our club pros, Jacek and Gene were there simply to facilitate and give light instruction, but not get bogged down in technical aspects of the game. We encouraged free play and rallying as well as playing games like Tennis-Baseball, Fireball, Around the World and other classics that kids love. We used the red balls for kids under 8, Orange dot balls for 8-10, Green dot for 8-11, and yellow balls (regular tennis balls) for kids over 11. These lower pressure balls allow the kids to keep more balls in play and swing properly at balls that bounce to suit their size. Whether you come to our play day or not I recommend you get the proper colored ball for your kids so their tennis game can develop organically without the big looping strokes kids used to have because they were using adult rackets and adult balls. Speaking of rackets, we also offer rackets to borrow if kids don’t have their own. Special thanks to Kara Rossi, Brian Condon, and Ashley for helping keep the children engaged and active. We had a solid turnout and the weather was lovely. We do invite the Boys & Girls Club of Venice as well as any members’ friends children to join, so we have a variety of folks attending. Be on the lookout for the next Junior Play Day!

• 

Gene’s Tennis Tip: February 2020

The importance of the first ball cannot be overstated. I recently listened in on a seminar discussing match techniques and strategy. The basic findings were as follows:

30% of all points are decided in one shot. Let me repeat that: “30% of all points are decided in one shot.” That applies across all levels of play. This is by far the most frequent number of shots played per point in a tennis match. What does that tell you? You need to practice two shots the most if you want to improve at winning tennis matches. What are those shots? Before I give the answer, I’d like you to take a moment and guess. Think about a tennis point. Think about the first shot and the second shot. What are the first two shots of any tennis match? In this scenario, the players are hitting the first shot in and missing the second shot. Write down your guess.

If you said serve, you are correct. That is the first shot of any tennis point in a regular match. And 30% of all points in a match never go beyond the serve. That means, THE MOST MISSED SHOT IN TENNIS (30% of the time) is what shot? Again, write down your guess. Ready? The Return of Serve. The most missed shot is the return of serve. I’ll repeat: the most missed shot is the return of serve.

What is the least practiced shot? You guessed it: the return of serve. What do you do to improve your chances of winning tennis matches? Go find a partner who wants to practice their serve (along with the overhead, the other least practiced shots in tennis) and hit returns all afternoon. Become a return machine. Ask your local pro to hit serves at you for 20 minutes of your next lesson, until you become a return machine.

I have a rule in my matches. I’m not allowed to miss more than five returns per set. Once I reach five misses, my sole goal every time my opponent is serving is to get the return in at all costs. Even if it’s a sitter. I want to make them hit that third shot at all costs. I block every ball into the middle of the court high over the net. Even if they put them all away on the third shot, at least I’m making them hit one extra ball per point.

Institute an attitude of consistency when returning serve and you’ll be surprised how many more competitive points and games you have per match. Perhaps, you’ll even turn the tide and win a close one. If you institute any of these suggestions, please let me know.

Marina City Club Tennis Holiday Party 2019

Karen & Harvey in Holiday Outfits at our Annual Tennis Holiday Party 2019

Another splendid season of tennis draws to a close with our annual Tennis Holiday Party in the beautiful Galaxy Room of the Mcc Restaurant. Chef Jesus and Louis set the stage for a memorable evening of food, conversation and dancing, with some speech-making and tennis awards thrown in for good measure. About one-hundred tennis enthusiasts and their significant others attended the event, making for a lively and crowded room. People looked lovely wearing holiday attire and festive smiles as they entered. I tried to greet everyone and hopefully succeeded…if I missed you, please call me and let me know. A brief recap of the awards are as follows:

Happy tennis players in the Galaxy Room at Tennis Holiday Party

Best Dressed: Karen Dixon & Bianca Reindell
Most Improved: Lori Tenan & Jennifer Hubka
Cleverest: Jim Richards & Robert Rudelius
Never-give-up-on-a-shot: Barrett Stuart & Sheelagh Boyd
Sportsmanship: Sean Cook & Joel Fisher

Westside League Players

Thank you again to the staff and members who make this such a wonderful and inclusive tennis club. See you in the 2020!

Pros and members socializing

Gerry Ramirez Invitational 2019

Gerry Ramirez Tennis Invitational 2019

This year’s grudge match between USC & UCLA was very hard fought. Three of the doubles matches went the distance, but under pressure the BLUE & GOLD of UCLA shined just a little brighter today, earning a hard-fought 3-1 victory! The individual scores were as follows:

Court #1: Marv Benson / Karen Dixon (UCLA) defeated Carlos Dunkerley / Marva Baumgart (USC) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2  

Court #2: Mitch Levine / Maureen Hunt (USC) defeated Richard Saunders / Mike Skolnik (UCLA) 6-3, 6-2

Court #4: Wilky Lau / Lahdan Rahmati (UCLA) defeated Marcia Brewer / Karely Deal 6-4, 7-6(4)

Court #5: Jennifer Hubka / Lea Wall (UCLA) defeated Linda Finn / Lonni Cowan 7-6, 4-6, 10-2

The trophy in our trophy case will be embossed with UCLA as the 2019 champs!

Mcc Annual Palm Desert Trip 2019

Deep Canyon Tennis Club Nov. 3, 2019

Westin Mission Hills Tennis Resort Nov. 2, 2019

The Palm Desert Trip this year came together in such a serendipitous manner, I have no choice but to call it one of our best trips in my tenure as Racquet Sports Director. The catered meal at the wonderful residence we’ve used the last two years for our party and for some of the members to reside at, was delicious and fresh and on time. Special thanks to Tess Gill for arranging the catering for this year’s Saturday night party. People did not want to leave, which I took to mean either the party was fun, or they didn’t like wherever they were staying. Either way, we had a blast.
The tennis was also scintillating. On day one we played at the Westin Mission Hills, hosted by a wonderful tennis director, Chad Ruthig, we enjoyed seven courts of doubles against their club. Chad and his crew were impressed with Mcc’s sportsmanship and tennis prowess…so much so that we took away the head-to-head victory 4-2 in matches. The seventh match was all Mcc players, so that was a win for us also.
For the second match on Sunday, we journeyed up Portola Avenue to compete against Deep Canyon Tennis Club. Nestled in the hills, this club boasted twelve courts, of which we used eight. The tennis was excellent once again, however, the heat got the best of our players as we were playing at 10:30am, but due to the end of Daylight Saving Time, we were actually playing in the 11:30am heat. Several had to forego the final set, which gave the Deep Canyon players the edge 2-5. Again, great times and friendly tennis equaled another great morning of tennis.
Please keep a lookout for our next tennis trip in May to the world-famous La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club. Sign-ups for that trip have already begun. For more information contact Gene at tennis@marinacityclub.net or call 310-578-4949.

Women’s A-B Potluck a Smashing Social Success!

This year’s women’s potluck tennis social was exceptionally warm and inviting. All the players welcomed one another with open arms, played the matches in a spirit that said, “I welcome all levels and personalities to the sport of tennis.” In this event we make a point of stressing sports-woman-ship and fun over stress and competition. It’s designed to bring different levels together and we change partners and opponents after every round of the round robin, so everyone meets many new people throughout the day on the tennis court. When the tennis ends, the eating and drinking begins! We gathered all twenty-four (plus a couple husbands who helped out and some who brought food but couldn’t play that day) players outside the tennis desk where they mingled until the mid-afternoon. The inclusiveness gave me a warm feeling as I watched all the tennis members embrace the feeling of being a real family joined by the love of tennis and friendship.

The wonderful women of Mcc Tennis!

Here’s what some of the tennis players had to say about this year’s potluck tennis social:

Hey Amanda, here’s some emails I received after our Women’s Tennis Potluck this Saturday. I don’t usually share these, but I have them saved in my “Kudos!” folder if you want to use them or present at a meeting to show how we’re doing in the members’ estimation. There are more, but here’s a few. “Thanks Gene, for organizing such a fun event!!  Thanks to the A players for playing with the B players!  Gives us all a chance to work on different aspects of our game!  And of course, the food is fun too!” –Diane Cooper

“Thank you.  It was great visiting and playing with all the lovely ladies.  Till the next time.” –Karely Deal

“Great fun having so many of us out on the courts and mixing it up! Thanks for organizing us Gene!” –Karen Dixon

“Gene, along with everyone else, I just wanted to thank you for putting the A_B potluck tournament together again. It was a lot of fun, and I don’t know why, but this year just seemed to be better than any of the others. A great time was had by all!” –Maureen Hunt