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Last call for the gotta play tennis podcast

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

NEW CONTENT OF NOTE: Help me celebrate 30,000 downloads


I would never have believed that something I had to say would be accepted and enjoyed by so many. 

Just  hit 30,000 Downloads!
We're growing FASTER each day. And I've only just begun!

These are exciting times. With the number of tennis web content available today, I thought my little site and podcast would disappear in the crowd. I WAS WRONG! And I am so glad I was.

I look forward to continuing to grow my audience as I work diligently to discover and apply new and greater ways  to help you with your tennis activity in life. Please drop me a line with what you like, or dislike, about this podcast and website. As always, with two ears and one mouth, I am listening.

Thank you so much for the support you have shown me. Much like the crowd at a tennis match, without YOU, none of this would be worth the effort.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Episode 70 (Podcast): Playing in Past, Present and Future Tense


Nothing like adding a little Language Arts to your tennis game. How well do you know your verb tenses, and in what ways can you apply that knowledge on a tennis court?



FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: Sunday, May 22, 2011
Mapping: Tennis' Version of the Holographic Principle
The Holographic Principle is a scientific concept which has to do with information. It states that our entire observable universe consists essentially of information. More precisely, this concept suggests…read more

Friday, May 20, 2011

NEW CONTENT OF NOTE: Champions Tour 2011

Athletes to Compete for $1 Million Prize Pool in One-Night Shoot-Outs Played in 12 Cities Nationwide This Fall

CHAMPIONS SERIES 2011 TOUR SCHEDULE FEATURING TENNIS LEGENDS ANDRE AGASSI, JOHN MCENROE, PETE SAMPRAS AND JIM COURIER 

The newly expanded and reformatted Champions Series will begin on September 22 at the Bank Atlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL, taking the highly competitive tennis circuit to a total of 12 U.S. cities over a five week season through October 22.

In addition to Agassi, McEnroe, Sampras and Courier, the five-week tour, produced by legendary impresario Larry Magid, will feature fellow Grand Slam champions Michael Chang, Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander.  The athletes will compete for a prize pool totaling $1 million to be shared by the top three finishers at the conclusion of the season.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Episode 69 (Podcast): Getting a QuickStart to tennis

How the USTA, using the QuickStart tennis format in 10-and-Under-Tennis, has created a revolution in youth tennis success.


www.USTA.com

Saturday, May 14, 2011

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: Saturday, May 14, 2011
Tennis Quote of the Day: Thierry Henry
"What I like most about tennis is the beauty. It is the art. The way the players move their feet...read more.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

REFLECTIONS...more than one swing, and fun

I know this is podcast worthy material, but I couldn't help but think this morning about the different kinds of swings required on a tennis court. Last night I played, broke yet another string, but more importantly thought about how my swing was affected by depth, spin, and height of the ball.

I remember mentioning to my partner about how, on an individual shot, I had used an offensive swing vs. a defensive one. In other words, when he pressed with a really hard and deep shot, I was attempting to hit back just as hard with added mustard. I know this is not the way to win a point, but I found myself doing it anyway.

Tennis really fun to play. And sometimes I will sacrifice what I know is right for what I know is fun. It is great to crank a ball back at warp 3 when taking one at warp 2. It is NOT the smartest shot, and the likelihood of errors if great. But how great does it feel to hit that shot for a winner–even if it is only one out of ten.

The bottom line is this: not every swing is the same, and not all balls should be hit with 100% power or full follow through. But have fun with it. Boring may win more points, and perhaps it can win even more matches. But it is still BORING. I will choose fun now and then...because it is, well, fun!

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: Sunday, May 1, 2011
Men's Tennis Legends
Here's a short video from Tennis Now TV, showcasing some the top tennis stars of the past on the mens' side.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Episode 68: Spring, the ATP, and red dirt

Understanding the ATP European clay court swing 2011

Note: my apologies for the undoubtedly bad pronunciations of Spanish, French, and Italian words in this podcast.  In retrospect, I probably should have taken some time to practice saying them.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Episode 67: Seeing the ERRORS of your ways.Part 1

Errors on forehands, backhands, and volleys are the main factors in winning or losing in recreational tennis. Let's look at how and where these occur and what we should be aware of in shot execution errors. 

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: Sunday, April 10, 2011
Tennis Recovery
A player's rest and recovery always and inescapably follows his energy and activity. In fact, this seems true in all physical endeavors in the human and animal worlds.
Indeed, this is the life cycle which underlies all existence. In tennis and sports...read more

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: Sunday, March 27, 2011
A brief look at the Player Party: 2011 Sony-Ericsson Open

The 2011 Sony-Ericsson Open at the Crandon Park Tennis Center in Miami, FL USA is now underway. Each year, this electrifying tournament draws all the top men and women players in the world...read more

Monday, March 21, 2011

REFLECTIONS...there's hope yet!

This past weekend I finally got to hit tennis balls on the court with my hitting partner. We hung up our rackets in about mid-December of 2010 and had our trepidations about how the long, cold, and snowy winter would affect our games. Neither one of us play tennis in the winter here on the east coast in New Jersey.

So Saturday at two o'clock was the moment of truth. Could we attain some of what we had at the end of last year? We were both feeling pretty good at the time about what the Spring, Summer and Fall had provided for our games. Our rallies were crisp, our court smarts were focused, and we both were saddened with the prospect of letting all we accomplished go to waste while shoveling snow.

But there is hope yet! We did hit, and the result was better than expected. Yes, the cobwebs did show in some cases, and bread-and-butter shots that were a given last year did miss their mark a bit too often. However, our movement was not sluggish, balls did not spray all over town, and winners (and unforced errors) were both present.

Mainly impressive though was the thinking in our games. We were hitting with purpose. We know the court, we know where to hit and when, and we executed the mental minefield of a tennis court with relative ease. Our bodies and muscles may have atrophied a bit, and our wind or endurance may not quite be back to its fullest, but our brains were firing on all cylinders.

So remember when you return to the court that your ground strokes and serve are only a part of the big picture. Give yourself credit for THINKING like a tennis player. You will be much happier when you miss that running forehand.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Episode 66: How important is the serve in tennis?

We all know it starts the point, but is the ability to hit a thunderous serve all that important? What principles need we pay attention to when developing this part of our game?

Thursday, March 10, 2011

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: Friday, March 4, 2011
Playing tennis like the "wild thing" in D.H. Lawrence's poem

An interesting thing happened recently at a practice clinic. One of the players was definitely not playing very well. It was not her best tennis...read more

Friday, March 4, 2011

Episode 65: Portal into past greatness

I'll review Tennis Night in America at the BNP Paribas Showdown, glimpse at past greatness, and consider the future of kids tennis.


Thursday, March 3, 2011

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Is Jimmy Connors the greatest tennis player of all time?

Based on this study's "prestige scoring" ranking, Northwestern University statistical researcher Filippo Radicchi argued that Jimmy Connors might be considered the "greatest tennis player of all time"...read more

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Episode 64: Are they Strategies or Tactics?

 Stratactics? Tactegy? 


What is the difference, if any, between strategies and tactics? Can one exist without the other, or is there a dependent relationship between the two? We'll discuss if and why we need them.

Friday, February 18, 2011

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Three Golden Rules of Tennis

Are there any universal rules of tennis that will help lift all players to higher levels of success and growth?
Yes.Here are 3 interesting and pivotal concepts borrowed from some top coaches and writers...read more

Friday, February 4, 2011

Episode 63: Distance matters


How far away from the baseline you play tennis helps determine your offensive or defensive posture. And it can even help dictate wins or losses. Let's go the DISTANCE!


Ivan Lendl and the modern power game of tennis.