Tennis Coaching in the Future: Work Smarter, Play Better

Work Smarter

This article stays in generalities mostly and avoids details but the point is that teaching must adapt.

Memes for Tennis: When your opponent has had enough of playing,

Enough of Playing

Tennis Journalism

Peter Bodo on the State of Tennis Journalism

I've been reading Peter Bodo's writings since he began publishing and he clearly knows his trade.  The one thing that I've witnessed and participated in is the rise of free tennis journalism thanks to the Internet.  It is more hands off since players can't have relationships with thousands of writers.  The cost of travel to follow the players can't be covered by most since they don't have an expense account courtesy of a publication.  Tennis reporting has become more distributed in terms of both quality and direction but on average I'd say that we've all benefited from the huge increase in information found regarding tennis players, the tour, instruction, and coaching.

Before you waited once a month for your Tennis Magazine and that was it unless you read the USTA publications related to amateur competition.  There is a Tennis Industry magazine that existed for a long time but only club owners usually saw these since they were the market for the products advertised there.

On average I'd say we're all better off with the state of things in Tennis Journalism.  Having Bodo out there to keep up the standard of knowledge and excellence gives the competition something to aim toward.

Tennis Equipment Costs - It's a bargain

I'm guessing at these prices based on memory but here is a representation of how to value your tennis gear.

Late 1970's Corolla $2k, Stan Smith Shoes $12-15, Jack Kramer Racket $20-25. Current price Corolla $20k, Newest Endorsed Shoes $60-130, Newest Endorsed Racket approx. $200. Everything went up 10x since mid 70's as the dollar went down in value.

The quality has improved generally along with the technology so I'd say we're good on most things. Don't buy the latest frame and when you find a frame you love pick up a dozen of them when they are being discontinued. You can always get your money back on Ebay if you switch out.

Pick shoes that work for you and avoid the logos with endorsements that add cost. If you are hard on shoes get and apply shoe-goo at Wal-M and wear those shoes when practicing and not playing or teaching.

Clothing, well that's your call but the modern fabrics are so much better at surviving stains, wear, and maintaining color that if you get the top quality stuff and wash cold you'll have it for years.

No matter what you think the value versus cost of tennis equipment right now is as good as it has ever been. Just don't think that you can buy skill with fancy equipment. Do the deep and repetitive spending on training, instruction , and competition whenever possible.


Addendum: Everything went up but tennis balls. I think they were $2 a can in 1960 and haven't seemed to budge since then. Spend your money on new tennis balls and laugh.

Health: Happiness as Social Glue

Happiness

Spread it around and smile more often.  It really does help others and yourself. 

Winning and Success in Tennis

If I had a kid that showed up for lessons and didn't seem to care or try and then while asking the kid about it the kid said, "It's not all about winning."

Here is how I would handle it. First background and then the answer.

I had a teacher tell me in 9th grade that it's not all about winning. She was a nice lady but didn't agree with a paper that I wrote on competition. I forget the details including the grade but remember that I essentially said that it's all about winning. Now let me move the clock forward 50 years. I still think that it's all about winning. Now though, I tell students that it is how you define winning and success that give you the most benefit and ability to move forward. Of course we want to win by the score if possible, but to even be on the playing field is a win if you are improving, learning, and competing. I only left the court unhappy after a loss if I let myself down for some reason.

Think of the future

Sometimes surviving to fight another day can be a win especially if you're in a life and death circumstance like cancer or war. I think almost tennis player would agree that to come up short against Rafa in a final anywhere at any time would be a win. I'd take it. Call me number two or three. " I'm good." The fact that I could honestly say that I was in his league or at least was there to be crushed by him would still mean I was better than 99%+ of all the other players out there. This would be especially true if I took games off of him since he doesn't give away gift points or games to anyone that I've seen. If could walk around saying that I met Rafa, Fed, or Novak on the court for a match and wasn't leaving in a wheelchair or on a stretcher and had taken some points, games or even a set would make me feel like winner. If you can't say that, well I suggest looking closely at how you measure success which is another way to say winning.

Set Your Own Definitions of Success and Winning

I made it through 40+ years of teaching a sport that I love though I never played professionally. I don't consider myself anything but a winner since I came out of the other side with a lifetime of pleasure on the court, a solid income, respect from those who wanted to learn tennis, and am able to share some lessons to others like this.

So when you hear, Winning isn't everything, it's how you play the game." I'd add , no it's how well you play the game. Well enough to call it winning. To quote Vince, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." Then go about defining it for yourself so you can claim success and a win by the standard you set and not those set by others including misguided teachers. Even on the court a score loss can be a win for the future.

What I'd say to the kid.

I'd tell the kid that his teachers must not understand winning and the if they never talked about how to define it or how to measure success then they needed to study the concept further. Otherwise, they are setting up anyone in this competitive world to have their delusions crushed. Did the teachers not chase a win by getting their credentials to become teachers and if they hadn't they wouldn't be there parroting such a false truism since credentials are everything in the realm of Education.


2 Mental Shifts Highly Successful People Make
This is good reading with some concise information.

Margaret Court: All time Grand Slam Winner - Treat me like Laver

Court - wants equal treatment        (She has a point.)

You can be erased from history if your views don't conform.  What does that say about the state of  freedom of thought in the West.