FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: November 23, 2010

Devvarman wins historic Gold for India at 16th Asian Games

Somdev Devvarman, of India, beat top-seeded Denis Istomin, of Uzbekistan, for tennis singles gold… read more

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: November 18, 2010

One Year Anniversary of Timeless Tennis

One year ago last November, when I started this Blog Timeless Tennis, I wanted to express my thoughts... read more

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: November 12, 2010

"Choose to be a Great Tennis Player" Video

"Choose to be a Great Tennis Player" is a tennis lesson video by Dale LePrevost. It's about self-confidence...read more

NEW CONTENT OF NOTE: Tennis Stroke Evaluation Form

Take advantage of this form that provides a breakdown of skills in a tennis player. These general categories, and the self-evaluation included, can help you determine a realistic approach towards future progress in your game.

Episode 58: Interview with author of the Timeless Tennis blog

As you've seen from my web presence at GPT, Timelesstennis.net has been identified in the Favorite Site category. For this episode, I interview it's author–Gary Bala–who not only explains the benefits of Timeless Tennis and his passion for tennis history, but we also discuss a recent posting on his site entitled "Quantum Tennis." 

Episode 57: Playing as a tennis "pusher" and enjoying the wins

Much is said about playing against a "PUSHER" in tennis, but not many discuss the benefits of this style. Could this be your way to keep on winning HAPPILY EVER AFTER?

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: October 27, 2010

A couple of tennis lessons from the great Bill Tilden

Bill Tilden was the first great tennis superstar. In 1950, he was voted... read more

Episode 56: Proper tennis court behavior

Let's not forget the "public" in public courts. Following appropriate etiquette is part of being a respectable tennis player.

REFLECTIONS...string woes

I've done a podcast about strings in the past, and although I hate to admit it, I am far from an expert on nylon, polyester blends, artificial gut and whatever whiz-bang string is popular on the market. Dammit Jim, I'm a tennis instructor–not a racket technician. There are people out there on the web far more qualified than I to explain the whys and wherefores of stringing.

At the moment, I wouldn't mind a little advice about how the weather, more specifically coldness, affects the life of a string. It makes sense that these materials would get more brittle as the weather here on the East coast cools down to the high 40s to low 50s at night. But I have now broken strings in two rackets in my last two hitting sessions and I'm wondering if it is just bad luck, bad stringing or something else I should be aware of.

If you as a player have had any similar experiences, or you are a racket technician, please let me know your thoughts and stories. I'm always looking to expand my own tennis knowledge which I can then share with others.

Want to support GOTTA PLAY TENNIS?

There are now several ways you can support my work at Gotta Play Tennis.

• Amazon links: you can make purchases from your existing Amazon.com account from my site and Amazon will reward me with a small commission for displaying links to their site.

As a long time Amazon.com customer, this was a no-brainer for me. It also gives me a chance to recommend things that I like and use myself from their store. So instead of going directly to their site, do it through my link and help support Gotta Play Tennis

• PayPal Donate button: you can make a donation to support my efforts of tennis evangelism using a credit card through YOUR PayPal account. 

If you like what you read, enjoy my GPT podcast, participate in the Forums, or gain insight from the Slide Shows, consider a small donation to my cause of bringing quality and experienced tennis instruction to families, friends, kids, tennis teams, or any others who enjoy the lifetime activity of tennis.


Thanks for your support.

NEW CONTENT OF NOTE: Tennis Stroke Slideshows

Recently I have expanded on my Tennis Stroke Slideshows available as a link from the sidebar under PAGES. Here is an opportunity to see, slide-by-slide, how I produce various types of tennis strokes.

By clicking the link under each picture, you are taken to my Picassa site where the slideshow can be viewed. As time permits, I will add captions to each slide explaining what is taking place.

I hope you can gain some insight into your own tennis game from this informative content.

REFLECTIONS...why did I miss that shot?

When we miss a shot, do we know why? As a commissioned salesmen at one time in my multiple careers, I was told that the sign of a good salesman was not that he closed every deal. That would be great, but it is a bit unrealistic. No, I was told that a good salesman knows why a sale DID NOT happen. He can visualize in his mind's eye just where things went wrong. He may not be able to fix it, but he can at least learn from what occurred and carry that knowledge with him to help with the next potential customer.

I believe that a good tennis player is very much the same. One should know why the shot was missed. Was it positioning, shot selection, willingness to make adjustments, fatigue, or a loss of mental clarity? It could be many things. Even though I cannot take the shot back, here is what I do with my hitting partner (this is of course during practice and not a match): I attempt to make my next feed shot a replica of what I just missed. If my swing was too low, I adjust. If I did not get low enough, I adjust. If my feet were not correct, I adjust. If the racket path was offline, I adjust. I make whatever adjustment I believe would have made the shot successful. And if I hit the shot well, then I have just proven to myself the ability to identify the flaw and make the adjustment.

This would not work on things like a drop shot, etc. as there are limits to a hitting partner's patience. But if you have good rapport with your associate, then they will understand what you are doing and perhaps even admire you for your always striving to improve your game.

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: Monday, October 11, 2010
QUANTUM TENNIS: A Path to Tennis Mastery
Quantum Tennis is a system intended to capture this fluidity in the game of tennis. It is both a mental philosophy...read more

Episode 55: Gettin' Down leads to good volleying

While I may not be the cat's pajamas on the dance floor, I'm not afraid to get my knees dirty for great net play on a tennis court. Let's discuss those really-low volleys from the shoe tops that wreak havoc at the net. (see slideshow of low backhand volley)

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: September 22, 2010
For God and Country: The Davis Cup–USA vs. Colombia 2010

In tennis, playing for God and Country means The Davis Cup, which carries a very special history of pride and passion.

I had the unique opportunity...read more

Episode 54: You should see what I see...or maybe you already do

            U.S. OPEN 2010           

Vision is something we take for granted, but exactly what do we see or not see with our own two eyes?  I take a good look at the men's semi-final and final at the 2010 US Open and share some thoughts on what my eyes captured.

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: September 15, 2010

2010 U.S. Open: The Rafael Nadal Story & the Lessons of Rod Laver

The story of this U.S. Open is the career Grand Slam win by Spain's best player of this or perhaps any generation...read more

Advancements occurred in tennis thanks to old school tennis fans

Tennis today is better than ever. So is technology. We have tennis players who are wonderful athletes–I think the best in the business–and play a game that is faster, harder, and more difficult to succeed at (at a professional level) than any other time in history. Technology has come a long way as well. I remember when a computer came out by a small company named Apple Computer. The year was 1984, and the computer was the Macintosh. It was revolutionary in design, user interface, and ease of use. But a funny thing happened on the way to Apple's success. Windows. An obvious and blatant copying of what had already come before it, Windows owes its existence to that which paved the way for its success.

We have many wonderful players in today’s game of tennis much like we have a great multitude of computing devices to choose from. But someone had to pave the way, and for that, we need to respect and revere what standards were set in the past. Players love to debate over old legacy tennis vs. newer contemporary skills. When those of us who have been around a while recall what a beautiful and craft-filled sport this was, the newbies call us winers. I say to those people that perhaps you are the one who needs to button the lip. We older players were on the court when you were in diapers. We blazed the trails in recreational tennis, clubs, and audience support for the game. We have an appreciation for what you will never know. When someone twenty years younger says "I can understand where you are coming from", to be honest, you really cannot. You see, we were THERE, and we are still HERE TODAY. We older players are more than aware that the game has changed, and I have certainly seen my own adjustments in play over the decades I have chased around a fuzzy yellow ball. I love seeing the athletic performance of these lean and mean tennis machines on the court today who can hit at over one hundred miles per hour 3+ hours into a match. But I beg to differ when it comes to saying that today's tennis is better. What we enjoy for ourselves is what is better–for us. So when we express our opinion about it, must we be branded as winers? Maybe we simply have a broader perspective from which to judge. 

Many of us believe that the serve and volley should be reborn. Some of us just want more variety in the "new" game. Maybe this is old fashioned thinking, but everything that is current is not always better. Windows 7 tries to compete and match the Macintosh OS X operating system in the computer world and does pretty well. But how were computers with DOS before we had a graphical user interface that introduced a mouse, folders, and point-and-click like the Mac did in '84? Android-based smart phones are all the rage in tech today and they are getting better all the time. But what phones worth mentioning existed before the iPhone? Once again, something had to set the standard.

Time brings innovation and new generations advance us forward. But sometimes it is three steps forward when we could actually benefit from two steps back. And when it comes to whether or not old school tennis fans have it right or wrong, just remember that we were here first. We're happy to have given you the benefit of our experience for you to grow with. Now if we can only get you to use our gift wisely and actually show some respect to those who laid the groundwork for what you enjoy today. That is why what we say is still relevant, and the apprentice would be wise to learn from the perspective that the older master might be able to provide.

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: September 4
A day at the 2010 U.S. Open
I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the 2010 U.S. Open in Flushing, NY on Day 5, Friday, September 3, 2010...read more

FAVORITE SITES: Timeless Tennis by Gary Bala

Posted: August 31, 2010
THE 2010 U.S. OPEN: FOUR INSPIRING STORIES.
Last night, the U.S. Open's Opening Night Ceremony "Reach & Dream" celebrated and honored the inspiring stories of four people...read more