Global Tennis Teaching Institute

Is tennis talent hard to find? I don’t think so. I believe it is everywhere and just needs development! Tennis champions are not born, they are made. Nevertheless , certain talent is needed.   To describe talent, it is necessary to analyze what tennis talent is all about. It is well known, that a tennis game is the most difficult sport of all sports. For a young player it is important to have a body, able to develop into athletic ability with an accent on speed and agility. To this we should... (more...)

In tennis, balance is mentioned in describing a good tennis player’s movement. In watching the development of young junior players I never have seen exercises made especially to develop the balance in the player’s footwork, body movement and stroke.   Let me first explain what balance is all about. It is a sensation. Balance has no muscle. Balance has no mass, balance is a “happening”, created by many body muscles which function well organized and used only when needed. It ensures that... (more...)

Realistically, this question can only be answered by a teacher who had the luxury of having two hitters available during his teaching. For some teachers /coaches it was a must to have two hitters to be able to teach at the expected high standard. When I joined WCT in Dallas/Texas some 40 years ago, Lamar Hunt suggested to develop an optimal tennis teaching method to bring as many juniors and adults to the game, as people who play tennis will be more interested to go to tennis tournaments. During... (more...)

It should be well known that the tennis industry has excellent and interesting advertisements. We are told about the “ thinking racket”, the “speed producing racket” and other useful help to entice into buying their product and some of us do it without questioning their statements. Understandable, competition is challenging and tough. But when again and again TV commentators tell about a new string which produces a better top spin,I don’t like this, as their statements are just not... (more...)

In today’s athletic competitive tennis most balls are hit wide deep into the court or very wide with the bounce reaching far outside the side lines. During the last month tournament in Rome Italy, for many points 20 to 30 strokes were needed to win the point and most of the 20 or 30 strokes would have been winners 15 years ago. The running for the balls was fantastic and demanded great energy from legs and arms as all balls were hit with tremendous topspin power. Analyzing the players’... (more...)

Why am I addressing this topic of having a second opinion? Because I hope it becomes a common practice for parents whose children are putting some serious thought into their tennis development.   It is a thought which developed over the many years spent at junior tennis tournaments where again and again I was asked from active tennis parents why their child after receiving many years of good training developed the habit of losing in the first rounds at most tournaments. I felt that the question... (more...)

It is a fact that the tennis sport is a long time project and cannot be practiced by yourself. A teacher/coach has to be present all the time, otherwise no development is possible and short cuts do not work. This means that people around your child’s tennis must be paid.   The early stage of the game is simple as it can be learned in small groups of three to four children. But as soon as a decision is made to be more serious about it, parents should be aware that an additional investment... (more...)

My intention is not to give the usual technical advice or teaching information, but to address the reality which everybody will face trying to develop a tennis player, able to compete at a top level. There is no guarantee to reach this goal, nevertheless I feel confident that knowing what is needed will simplify and help to avoid going a path which looks fine by usual standards but has no chance to succeed. My advice is not out of the ordinary as I suggest to continue what you are doing but compare... (more...)

Good luck to Rajeev Deb-Sen and Robbie Erani for their upcoming collegiate season! Rajeev and Robbie return as sophmores to Columbia University and Claremont McKenna College, respectively, with higher confidence and stronger games after training with Rich Benvin at the Global Tennis Teaching Institute.  Read More →