USPTA Southern Division: Where Excellence is STANDARD
USPTA Southern Division: Where Excellence is STANDARD
USPTA Southern Division: Where Excellence is STANDARD
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<strong>USPTA</strong> <strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Div<strong>is</strong>ion</strong>: <strong>Where</strong> <strong>Excellence</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>STANDARD</strong><br />
The <strong>USPTA</strong> <strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Div<strong>is</strong>ion</strong><br />
Volume 13 Issue 3: June, 2012<br />
INSIDE:<br />
pg 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prolong Your Career with Nutrition<br />
pg 3-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Convention photos & awards<br />
pg 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Special offers from the Tradeshow<br />
pg 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spotlight Fred Burdick<br />
pg 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Why I Learned from the Convention<br />
Fred<br />
Burdick<br />
Newest Hall<br />
of Fame<br />
Inductee
Page 2 Volume 13 Issue 2<br />
HANDLING The Situation!<br />
Handling the Situation <strong>is</strong> YOUR opportunity<br />
to share how you handle various<br />
situations.<br />
THE SITUATION: How do you deal with the<br />
one bad egg on a ladies team? Nobody wants<br />
to play with her, yet she does not realize she<br />
should not be on th<strong>is</strong> team.<br />
I have had th<strong>is</strong> situation. I had to sit down with<br />
the player and explain what <strong>is</strong> expected both<br />
on and off the court. It was very uncomfortable<br />
but necessary. The situation worked itself<br />
out and I did have one lady who stepped up<br />
to play with her and tolerate the situation for a<br />
while. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> definitely a situation that needs<br />
to be handled sooner than later. The longer it<br />
goes on, the harder it <strong>is</strong> to fix. Both the problem<br />
player and the other ladies were very respectful<br />
of me for handling the situation.<br />
-Lane Evans, Hendersonville, NC<br />
Our club’s rule <strong>is</strong> that any member in good<br />
standing must be able to be on a team, but we<br />
have captain run teams. The pros can put the<br />
ladies on the team that “are not wanted” but the<br />
captains do not have to play them. The ladies<br />
will usually either change to a team that wants<br />
them so they can play or they start acting nicer<br />
to their teammates. It <strong>is</strong> not a perfect situation<br />
but it seems to work itself out between<br />
Mike Barrell of Evolve9 fame consults with and sets up<br />
10 and Under programs in several countries. He uses the<br />
terms “Tryers, Buyers, Flyers and High Flyers” to determine<br />
the interest and participation levels of kids participating<br />
in our sport. Let’s define these terms further.<br />
“Tryers” would be those kids who tried tenn<strong>is</strong> in PE<br />
classes, a tenn<strong>is</strong> carnival, SmashZone, or maybe are a<br />
first timer in summer camps. “Buyers” would be kids<br />
that have committed to a weekly program or are<br />
coming to Play Days. “Flyers” would be those who<br />
are coming back to our programs and are getting<br />
more involved in Play Days—perhaps they have<br />
tried a Jr. Team Tenn<strong>is</strong> season for the first time.<br />
“High Flyers” are those really committed kids who<br />
can’t get enough of tenn<strong>is</strong>, who come several times<br />
a week, show up for every Play Day, are on a Jr. Team<br />
Tenn<strong>is</strong> team and are getting into USTA Junior Tournaments.<br />
Question: Are we providing a pathway to get kids<br />
into the sport at whatever level of interest they have; are<br />
we educating and connecting with their parents, and are<br />
we seriously working at retaining as many of these kids<br />
as we can? Not all are going to be competitive “High<br />
Flyers”. Are our programs structured to accommodate the<br />
rest and keep them in tenn<strong>is</strong>?<br />
the members without putting the pros in the<br />
middle of a bad situation.<br />
-Matt Grayson, Atlanta GA<br />
Frankly do not get involved… at the end- whatever<br />
happens – it will be your fault .<br />
-Viola Madej, Alpharetta, GA<br />
I have come across th<strong>is</strong> problem in the past and<br />
there are a few options that have worked for<br />
me. Firstly, as a promoter and teacher of tenn<strong>is</strong>,<br />
preventing someone from playing on a team<br />
<strong>is</strong> not an option. There <strong>is</strong> always a solution that<br />
will allow for everyone to play, and most to be<br />
happy. One solution <strong>is</strong> to see if the “bad egg”<br />
<strong>is</strong> interested in playing singles. If so, problem<br />
solved. If not, a second solution <strong>is</strong> to rotate partners<br />
every match so no one person <strong>is</strong> stuck with<br />
the “bad egg” throughout the whole season. I<br />
have found that when the “bad egg” and their<br />
partner win a match, the whole dynamic of the<br />
relationship changes between those two players<br />
for the better. Th<strong>is</strong> will sometimes result in<br />
a permanent partner for your “bad egg” for the<br />
rest of the season!<br />
-Mark Schminke, Myrtle Beach, SC<br />
The Next Situation: How do you convince<br />
your club/boss to reimburse you for education<br />
expenses? How do you market to your superiors?<br />
Reply to usptasouthern@gmail.com<br />
Senior<br />
Sweetspot<br />
Do you want to be able to teach tenn<strong>is</strong><br />
in your later years and really enjoy the<br />
long hours on the court? Do you want to<br />
have less joint pain, realize more constant<br />
energy levels, have greater mental acuity<br />
and better overall health? Obviously,<br />
all of us want th<strong>is</strong> but are we willing to<br />
do the few simple things regarding our<br />
lifestyle choices to achieve these goals?<br />
There are just a few things that we can do<br />
to enjoy a longer, healthier career. Primarily,<br />
let’s eat better and drop the excess<br />
weight. By that I mean let’s eat whole<br />
foods; fruit, vegetables, whole grains,<br />
nuts and seeds - real food. Let’s cut back<br />
on processed foods, those with empty<br />
calories and those that can, over time,<br />
contribute to cardiovascular d<strong>is</strong>ease and<br />
diabetes - white bread, pasta, white rice,<br />
too much dairy, too much meat of any<br />
kind, and of course, the sweets. I›m not<br />
suggesting total abstinence (that would<br />
make me a huge hypocrite) but an overall<br />
diet of the right things and very small<br />
amounts of the things we love but aren›t<br />
really nutrient dense. There <strong>is</strong> a great book<br />
by Dr. Joel Fuhrman called “Eat to Live”<br />
that <strong>is</strong> not a diet book but a primer on<br />
common sense dietary habits. Diets don’t<br />
work and few if any, are sustainable for<br />
any length of time. Dr. Fuhrman has been<br />
successful in helping people lose weight<br />
in a healthy way, reverse cardiovascular<br />
d<strong>is</strong>ease, reverse diabetes, improve blood<br />
pressure and basically get people off<br />
most medications. Eating better, feeling<br />
more energized, having a better overall<br />
attitude, and finding our ideal weight will<br />
pay dividends for our career longevity and<br />
we’ll also be setting an example for our<br />
customers as healthy and fit ambassadors<br />
of th<strong>is</strong> lifetime sport. For more information,<br />
go to www.drfuhrman.com.
Standard Page 3<br />
Convention Wrapup<br />
Have you met Butch Staples? How about Lorenzo Beltrame from<br />
the Human Performance Institute (partner with Jim Loehr/<br />
Jack Groppel)? Do you personally know our National President<br />
Tom Dagl<strong>is</strong>? I feel very privileged to have been in the presence of these<br />
experts during the <strong>Southern</strong> Convention at the River Club in Suwanee,<br />
Georgia, May 17-20. The Convention was one of the best ever. Attendants<br />
had incredible opportunities to network, share knowledge and improve<br />
their bottom line through new business and marketing ideas.<br />
I feel so refreshed and excited every time I come back from our convention.<br />
I was able to bring most of my teaching team with me th<strong>is</strong> time and<br />
I could see how all of them came back to the club so energized! They had<br />
new games, new drills and a sense of community with their colleagues<br />
which makes the <strong>USPTA</strong> so special.<br />
The facilities were out of a fairy tale with multi-million dollar houses and<br />
manicured landscaping all around! Presentations ranged from pumping up<br />
your juniors to a higher intensity, trouble shooting your game, 10u tenn<strong>is</strong>,<br />
8 stages to the serve, video analys<strong>is</strong>, the Span<strong>is</strong>h method to training high<br />
performance athletes, business planning, marketing, client retention,<br />
developing young juniors with the physical education model, and energizing<br />
your cardio tenn<strong>is</strong> class!<br />
Todd Upchurch, 1st V.P. for the <strong>Southern</strong> board put together an amazing<br />
action packed schedule including Thursdays’ HEAD/Penn Welcome<br />
party, the ladies committee meeting, a rocking trade show organized by<br />
Matt Grayson, morning cardio tenn<strong>is</strong> with National Cardio speaker Viola<br />
Madej and Jorge Andrew, cardio shoot-out contest won by Chad Oxendine,<br />
our pro am ran by Bill Riddle (which ra<strong>is</strong>ed over $1,500!), individual<br />
morning consultations with experts, video contest won by Peter Freeman,<br />
the award luncheon, and Fred Burdick’s induction into the Hall of fame.<br />
Coming up next are your State Workshops, contact your state representative<br />
to find out the dates for your individual State. Our next <strong>Southern</strong><br />
Convention will be held in May next year. Be ready for our World Conference<br />
in the beautiful town of Monterey, California th<strong>is</strong> coming September!
Page 4 Volume 13 Issue 2<br />
Awards<br />
and Hall<br />
of Fame<br />
We had a tremendous<br />
awards and Hall of Fame<br />
luncheon, attended by<br />
almost 100 people. Th<strong>is</strong> was<br />
a great chance to celebrate<br />
the accompl<strong>is</strong>hments of<br />
these deserving award<br />
winners. Many people said<br />
th<strong>is</strong> was the best awards<br />
luncheon that they have<br />
ever attended.<br />
Special thanks to awards<br />
chairman Sophie Woorons-<br />
Johnston, Hall of Fame<br />
chairman Jeff Gray, and<br />
awards M.C. Tom McGraw.<br />
Hall of Fame Inductee<br />
Fred Burdick<br />
General Manager<br />
Marc Blouin<br />
Women’s 45<br />
Sue Bartlett<br />
Allan Henry Pro of the Year<br />
Andrew Minelli<br />
College Coach<br />
Brandon Feldman<br />
Ass<strong>is</strong>tant Pro<br />
Anthony Hiatt<br />
Industry <strong>Excellence</strong><br />
Keith Swindoll<br />
High School Coach<br />
Jason Allen<br />
Tester of the Year<br />
Ron Gwyn<br />
Men’s 35<br />
Matt Grayson<br />
Pride of the South<br />
Tom Dagl<strong>is</strong><br />
Award Winners Not Pictured<br />
Men’s 45<br />
Kevin Gillette<br />
Men’s 55<br />
Tom Smith<br />
Charity Event<br />
Lake D’arbonne State<br />
Park – Phil Trahan<br />
Rookie<br />
Megan Falcon<br />
Women’35<br />
Joanne Wallen<br />
Video Contest<br />
Peter Freeman
Standard Page 5<br />
cardioCORNER<br />
Pump Up Your Cardio Classes<br />
By now, most facilities see the benefits<br />
of running Cardio Tenn<strong>is</strong> clinics throughout<br />
the year. They provide the membership a<br />
no-hassle way to play during the week, an<br />
intense work out, opportunities to meet<br />
other members at your facility, and they<br />
are great for stress relief. The most difficult<br />
aspect of running a successful Cardio<br />
program <strong>is</strong> variety. It <strong>is</strong> easy to get trapped<br />
running the same formats each week. Below<br />
are some ways to“PUMP UP” your Cardio<br />
programs and keep participation levels high<br />
One Good Idea!<br />
FROM THE SOUTHERN CONvENTION AT THE RIvER CLUB<br />
Mark Kovacs’ serve presentation: Having players practice their<br />
service toss by tossing a ball in the air and catching it <strong>is</strong> ineffective<br />
because the players can vary their toss height by as much as a foot and<br />
a half. It <strong>is</strong> better to have them work on their toss by executing a full<br />
service motion. Using low compression balls can allow students to work<br />
on their toss and service motion while minimizing strain on their arm.<br />
On the serve to simulate the proper knee bend and hip position,<br />
have players take a service stance and then place a ball by the heel of<br />
their back foot. Once the ball <strong>is</strong> in position, have them reach down, pick<br />
up the ball and throw it almost straight into the air.<br />
Mark broke the serve into 8 segments of synchronization with three<br />
subcategories. (Preparation) 1.Start 2. Release 3. Loading 4. Cocking<br />
(Acceleration) 5. Acceleration 6. Contact (Follow-Through) 7. Deceleration<br />
and 8. Fin<strong>is</strong>h. It <strong>is</strong> interesting to note that the common phrase we<br />
use in the “cocking stage” <strong>is</strong> “shoulder over shoulder”. However, “hip over<br />
hip” <strong>is</strong> critical as well. Mark noted that players that do not reach these<br />
two positions on their serve will have ineffective serves and will suffer<br />
from bad ball tosses and will open up their hips too early in the service<br />
motion. Hips and shoulders become parallel to the baseline as opposed<br />
to perpendicular to it. The non-dominant hand <strong>is</strong> tucked by the wa<strong>is</strong>t<br />
at 90 degrees, which <strong>is</strong> very efficient within the overall service motion.<br />
These deficiencies will result in a loss of power on the serve and erratic<br />
and incons<strong>is</strong>tent performance.<br />
Stroke Preparation: It <strong>is</strong> a hip turn, not a shoulder turn. The hips<br />
must turn first on any stroke, the shoulders will follow.<br />
Butch Staples 10U presentation: Have players who are 8 and<br />
under use a continental grip on groundstrokes to start. By using a continental<br />
grip players naturally have an open racquet face, which helps<br />
them get the ball over the net, and it helps them get comfortable with<br />
throughout the spring/summer.<br />
Incorporate the following into your cardio<br />
classes<br />
• Steps<br />
• Balance d<strong>is</strong>cs<br />
• Jump ropes<br />
• Res<strong>is</strong>tance tubing<br />
• Medicine Balls<br />
• TRX suspension system<br />
• Segment your class offerings<br />
Ladies Group - These work great for<br />
women who participate in leagues in your<br />
By Chr<strong>is</strong> Chopra (excerpt from the<br />
Midwest Connection)<br />
club. You can cater the drills and point play<br />
to work on their specific match play needs<br />
and improve their fitness at the same time<br />
Seniors Group - Th<strong>is</strong> allows the instructor<br />
to cater the clinic to seniors and provide<br />
exerc<strong>is</strong>es and drills at a lower intensity level<br />
to prevent injuries for senior players<br />
Level of Play - Offer specific classes to<br />
certain levels of players so you can adjust the<br />
intensity, exerc<strong>is</strong>es, and drills to match the<br />
groups’ needs<br />
the continental grip.<br />
Relate, relate, relate with the kids. It’s not “use the continental grip”,<br />
its “use your ant smasher grip”. Its not “keep your racquet up as you do<br />
your unit turn”, its “get your racquet to the top of the roller coaster”. Its<br />
not “put topspin your groundstroke”, its “make a rainbow with your<br />
racquet and fin<strong>is</strong>h it in the pot of gold”.<br />
Michelle Skelly on using questions: Teach by asking questions.<br />
Having your student answer questions that are tailored to the lesson<br />
correctly, confirms not only that they were l<strong>is</strong>tening, but that they<br />
understand. Give them two options to pick the correct answer when<br />
asking younger juniors. However, older junior and adult students must<br />
come up with the correct answer themselves. Th<strong>is</strong> teaching technique<br />
will engage the student more in the learning process.<br />
HEARD AROUND THE CONvENTION<br />
Eric Wammock Interviewing tip: When interviewing prospective<br />
employees, ask them about their past experiences at former jobs.<br />
Encourage them to elaborate on relationships among past employers<br />
and staff. If they have negative comments about most of their employers<br />
and staff, a red flag should appear. The common denominator in all<br />
of those work relationships was the employee. I’m not suggesting to<br />
skip th<strong>is</strong> candidate, but you should definitely dig deeper.<br />
Todd Upchurch Hitting Topspin: When teaching the topspin forehand,<br />
remind the player to hit like they would a good stock market. Buy<br />
low and sell high and start low and fin<strong>is</strong>h high.<br />
Ken DeHart EEE of shot making: Remember the 3 E’s of shot<br />
making. Enter, Execute, and Exit. Many pros work on Enter (getting to<br />
the ball and preparing). Execute (the hitting of the ball), but do not<br />
continue with the Exit. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> the return to a ready position for the next<br />
shot. Unlike golf, the shot <strong>is</strong> not over once the ball <strong>is</strong> contacted.
Page 6 Volume 13 Issue 2<br />
HEAD RACQUET AND PRO PENN TENNIS BALLS ARE THE<br />
OFFICIAL PRODUCTS OF THE <strong>USPTA</strong>! Their financial contribution<br />
to the <strong>USPTA</strong> helps with many of our programs. Please contact<br />
Linda Ryan, lryan@us.head.com for all the latest prices and don’t<br />
forget HEAD PENN has all the QST (10 UNDER) products you need<br />
for summer.<br />
The Wimbledon Experience: Official Tour company of The<br />
Championships, Wimbledon – complementary place on 2013<br />
Tenn<strong>is</strong> Club Tour programs for PTA Pro’s. Please contact me for full<br />
details. Jan Thwaites, 704-896-2224<br />
The International Tenn<strong>is</strong> Performance Association (iTPA) <strong>is</strong><br />
the worldwide education & certification organization for tenn<strong>is</strong><br />
trainers, coaches and special<strong>is</strong>ts who are passionate about<br />
tenn<strong>is</strong>-specific performance enhancement and injury prevention.<br />
The iTPA offers three levels of tenn<strong>is</strong>-specific certification: Tenn<strong>is</strong><br />
Performance Trainer (TPT), Certified Tenn<strong>is</strong> Performance Special<strong>is</strong>t<br />
(CTPS) and Master Tenn<strong>is</strong> Performance Special<strong>is</strong>t (MTPS). V<strong>is</strong>it the<br />
iTPA website today at www.itpa-tenn<strong>is</strong>.org for more information or<br />
email contact@itpa-tenn<strong>is</strong>.org.<br />
At NetKnacks Tenn<strong>is</strong> Awards, our m<strong>is</strong>sion <strong>is</strong> to provide you<br />
with exemplary customer service and an array of unique prod-<br />
By Matt Grayson<br />
Specials from the vendors from our<br />
tradeshow at the <strong>Southern</strong> Convention.<br />
ucts that will promote your tenn<strong>is</strong> events and programs, helping<br />
you reach your goal to grow the game of tenn<strong>is</strong>. From now<br />
through August 15, 2012, we have great deals on summer camp<br />
items such as T-shirts, backpacks, jump ropes, and water bottles.<br />
V<strong>is</strong>it our web site at www.tenn<strong>is</strong>awards.com or contact us at 800-<br />
374-6153.<br />
Jobeasier – “We do the things you don’t always have the time,<br />
staff and resources to do”. Drills, Video Clips, Lesson Plans, Camp<br />
Formats, Programs, Handouts plus more and new information<br />
added each month! <strong>USPTA</strong> d<strong>is</strong>count code: use s-uspta at www.<br />
jobeasier.com<br />
Esoteric Sports – YOU RECEIVE $400. 23 years of Concierge<br />
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TopDrawer Cap & Apparel – Custom Made Caps for $6.85 each.<br />
The cap includes your logo in 3D Puff or straight embroidery, and a<br />
total of five logos on the cap. Even customize the interior sections,<br />
bill front, eyelet colors, and more. We also have apparel, i.e. mo<strong>is</strong>ture<br />
wicking polo and tee shirts, wind shirts, fleece and just about<br />
anything else you might need. 678-714-2525<br />
Tech Corner<br />
By Eric Wammock, Hilton Head Island Tenn<strong>is</strong><br />
Get Your Head IN The Clouds<br />
Computer advancements have taken<br />
paradigm shifts throughout the<br />
ex<strong>is</strong>tence of the machines, but one<br />
interesting shift of late has been the return to<br />
a somewhat centralized computing system<br />
(similar, but still different to the mainframes<br />
of years past) called “cloud computing”. Many<br />
companies such as Google and Apple offer<br />
free cloud services that allow users to store<br />
and, more importantly, share data online for<br />
collaboration. These files can be housed on a<br />
3rd party server, instead of (or in addition to)<br />
being housed locally on your pc. The focus<br />
of th<strong>is</strong> article <strong>is</strong> the file sharing advantage of<br />
cloud computing.<br />
Many of us are still using lesson/clinic books<br />
on paper to schedule activities. Problems often<br />
ar<strong>is</strong>e when a student w<strong>is</strong>hes to sign up for an<br />
event and the sign up book <strong>is</strong> not available at<br />
the moment. Cloud computing lets multiple<br />
users view these sign ups at any time and<br />
changes are saved for all to see in real time. The<br />
customer service element <strong>is</strong> improved because<br />
students can sign up with any member of the<br />
staff with access to the internet and the file. In<br />
my business at a resort, the reservation staff,<br />
shop staff and tenn<strong>is</strong> professionals all need to<br />
be able to view th<strong>is</strong> information at all hours –<br />
having a single, paper based sign up proved less<br />
than ideal. The owner of these files can grant<br />
access to only those he specifically wants to<br />
view/edit the files and he can also limit files to<br />
view OR edit capabilities.<br />
In our case we created a spreadsheet for<br />
each month of each program. End each tab at<br />
the bottom of the page represents each day<br />
of the month. The spreadsheet <strong>is</strong> customized<br />
for the information needed for each class and<br />
<strong>is</strong> uploaded to Google Docs. An e-mail <strong>is</strong> sent<br />
out granting access to the users, and voila –<br />
they are ready to edit and make changes. In<br />
addition to improved efficiency, paper use<br />
<strong>is</strong> greatly reduced, which <strong>is</strong> healthy for both<br />
conservation and the wallet. Time spent<br />
notifying people of changes <strong>is</strong> contracted, as<br />
interested parties can view the information<br />
when needed. Get out of the hard drive and<br />
into the clouds.
Standard Page 7<br />
Coach’s Coach<br />
Put the Feed in the Player’s Hands<br />
By Ben Hestley<br />
I think that one of the biggest downfalls in the h<strong>is</strong>tory of our profession <strong>is</strong><br />
the fallacy that “if you’re not feeding you’re not working.” A few years ago at the<br />
dawn of the QuickStart format, I ask a fellow pro to try th<strong>is</strong> coaching style with<br />
me with adults and older juniors where the players feed the balls. To say the<br />
least, he was very res<strong>is</strong>tant to getting away from h<strong>is</strong> teaching cart during lessons.<br />
He said to me “the members pay me to feed them the ball.” I replied “well then<br />
they’re paying too much. They pay you to coach them.” Next I ask “do you think<br />
you’re doing the absolute best job you can as a tenn<strong>is</strong> coach?” Of course he<br />
said yes. But take a real hard look. If you feed balls while standing next to your<br />
basket the simple answer <strong>is</strong> NO! Th<strong>is</strong> industry <strong>is</strong> filled with ball-feeders. We need<br />
COACHES!!!<br />
If you’re a legitimate tenn<strong>is</strong> professional, you’ll mobilize yourself around the<br />
court to see what’s really going on out there with your players and give them<br />
feedback that <strong>is</strong> meaningful. Below, I’ve come up with the top ten reasons<br />
you should put the feed in the player’s hands. I’m sure you can come up with<br />
more, but these are the most notable to me and my staff that have incredibly<br />
improved our abilities as coaches and our players’ performances.<br />
1. ALLOWS COACHES TO BE A MOBILE DEvICE<br />
By letting the players feed the ball into play, you’re not “tied down” by the<br />
basket. You’re able to move around the court and get a better view of what<br />
<strong>is</strong> happening with your players. By moving around the court you’ll see things<br />
from different (and better) angles and you’ll really stay engaged with your<br />
students.<br />
2. COACHES CAN “TOUCH” EACH PLAyER WITHOUT COMPLETELy<br />
STOPPING THE DRILL<br />
If you don’t have to feed, you can walk behind a player and give a quick “2<br />
minute private” while the other players remain occupied. Most players learn<br />
best through either v<strong>is</strong>ual or kinesthetic feedback. When you’re tied to the<br />
basket you can only give auditory feedback during play. Often times between<br />
points I will demonstrate the stroke or guide the player’s hand through a<br />
shadow swing. I will also step in for a few balls and “show ‘em how it’s done.”<br />
3. EASIER TO SEE WHAT’S REALLy HAPPENING<br />
Putting the feeds in the players’ hands does wonders in shortening your<br />
job description on the court. Think about all the things you are responsible<br />
for while teaching a group lesson. Organizing the activity, keeping the players<br />
occupied, giving feedback, and you’re going to pile feeding the balls on top of<br />
that. . Why not delegate some of that work to the players so you can actually<br />
COACH them rather than being an over-qualified ball feeder? The best way<br />
to give proper stroke/game analys<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> by getting as close to the player as possible<br />
and put yourself into their point of view<br />
4. CAN ONLy COACH FROM UP CLOSE<br />
A teaching pro standing far away (on the other side of the net glued to the<br />
basket) can only give quick reminders and encouragement. Players respond<br />
best to congratulations from afar and constructive critic<strong>is</strong>m from up close.<br />
Players will be far more “coachable” l<strong>is</strong>tening to a soft spoken, caring voice giving<br />
critical feedback close to their ear that appeal strictly to them<br />
5. COACHES CAN RUN MULTIPLE DRILLS ON ONE COURT<br />
Th<strong>is</strong> commonly happens with juniors and beginner adults as they progress<br />
at different rates once a skill <strong>is</strong> introduced. Do you let some be bored while<br />
the others “catch up” or challenge each player individually to keep everyone<br />
interested? You split the court into thirds and have them all rallying at the<br />
same time with different objectives based on their skill level; each improving<br />
and enjoying a challenge that <strong>is</strong> suitable for their needs.<br />
6. BETTER “PRIvATE LESSONS” INSIDE A GROUP SETTING<br />
You’ve probably heard for years as I have from pros “teach the group; don’t<br />
get caught giving a private lesson in a clinic.” But there’s nothing more meaningful<br />
to a player than personal attention within a group.. The only way to do<br />
<strong>USPTA</strong> Invited Guest<br />
th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> let the players feed. You are free to move about the court and spend<br />
time individually with each player; it doesn’t matter for how long (very short<br />
<strong>is</strong> recommended then move onto the next player) what matters <strong>is</strong> that you’re<br />
giving them feedback that <strong>is</strong> specific to their game.<br />
7. BAD FEEDS ARE GOOD!<br />
Too often as tenn<strong>is</strong> pros, and people in the service business, we’re too<br />
concerned with our drills being pretty, smooth, and seamless. In wanting<br />
that, we underestimate our students. “No way a 3.0 lady could feed the ball to<br />
start a drill. I have to feed. I’m the PRO!” But feeds coming from a player your<br />
student would face in a match automatically makes practices more “game”<br />
like and teaches players how to “read and react” to different type shots before<br />
hitting the ball. Thus, the focus moves to the “whole” of receiving and sending<br />
a ball versus just the “part” of sending a ball, which <strong>is</strong> what often happens from<br />
a pro’s feed.<br />
8. CAN’T PUT IT IN PLAy, yOU CAN’T PLAy<br />
Making your players feed the ball to start a drill or a game puts a certain<br />
level of “game-like” pressure on them. In a match, players have that pressure<br />
of putting the ball into play, so why not simulate that in practice? In a match<br />
if you don’t put the ball in play the other team gets a point. Trust me if they<br />
want to play (and they do) they’ll make it happen!<br />
9. PLAyERS PROPERLy DEvELOP RACQUET SKILLS AND QUICKLy!<br />
Dead ball feeding drills teach players how to “hit” the ball but often lack<br />
skills in “feeling” the ball. By having the players feed the ball into play, they<br />
quickly learn how to “feel” the ball because you force their awareness of the<br />
correlation between racquet face and ball.<br />
10. MAKES yOUR DRILLS/GAMES MORE REALISTIC<br />
With everything you do on the court with players, you must ask yourself<br />
“would th<strong>is</strong> actually happen in a match?” If it wouldn’t actually happen in a<br />
match there <strong>is</strong> no use in teaching it. To get your players to perform better, you<br />
have to take their practices to the point it resembles a real match. When you<br />
start coaching using the players’ feed concept, your drills will automatically<br />
filter to more real<strong>is</strong>tic match situations. Before developing th<strong>is</strong> system, we had<br />
match players and drill players. The match players were terrible at the drills<br />
and the drill players could master any drill but were terrible in matches. Now,<br />
ALL our players find benefits in our practices because they are doing things<br />
that relate exactly to what they see in a match.<br />
If you don’t already put the feed in the players’ hands I hope I’ve shed some<br />
light on why it <strong>is</strong> a fantastic idea and highly necessary part of player development.<br />
Tth<strong>is</strong> philosophy stemmed from work with the QuickStart format. If<br />
you’re using a pro no feed policy with six to ten year olds and they are improving,<br />
why change the process when they turn 11? I encourage you strongly to<br />
take a true coaching approach to group sessions, get away from the basket,<br />
start circling the court and let your players feed.<br />
Ben Hestley <strong>is</strong> a <strong>USPTA</strong> P1 and <strong>is</strong> the<br />
Director of Tenn<strong>is</strong> at Druid Hills Golf Club in<br />
Atlanta, GA. Ben <strong>is</strong> the current President of<br />
the Georgia Professional Tenn<strong>is</strong> Association.<br />
He has won <strong>USPTA</strong> <strong>Southern</strong> Ass<strong>is</strong>tant<br />
Pro of the Year and GPTA Director of the<br />
Year. Over the past four years, he has been<br />
a speaker at the <strong>USPTA</strong> <strong>Southern</strong> Convention<br />
and <strong>USPTA</strong> Georgia, Tennessee and<br />
M<strong>is</strong>s<strong>is</strong>sippi Workshops.
Page 8 Volume 13 Issue 2<br />
State News<br />
Hope everyone <strong>is</strong> off to a great summer! We had a<br />
Kentucky great time down at the <strong>Southern</strong> Convention at the<br />
River Club in Suwanee, GA. Alan Hartley, Pat Whitworth, Todd Upchurch, and the<br />
staff at the River Club put on a truly remarkable event. There were some great<br />
We had a fabulous <strong>USPTA</strong> <strong>Southern</strong> convention at presentations, good food, gracious attendee gifts, and excellent networking<br />
Alabama the River Club. Thanks to the staff of the River Club opportunities, all at an incredible value. If you haven’t been to a <strong>Southern</strong> Conven-<br />
as well as Pat Whitworth and the <strong>Southern</strong> executive committee for making the tion, or haven’t been in a while, I highly recommend placing it on your calendar<br />
convention such a success. If you were unable to be there, please consider attend- for next year. Congratulations to <strong>USPTA</strong>-KY professional Joanne Wallen for being<br />
ing the <strong>Southern</strong> convention in the future. I guarantee you will come away with named 35-under Female Player of the Year.<br />
information you can use right away to improve your programs and bottom line.<br />
At the end of the summer we are planning a joint State workshop with Tennessee,<br />
Your students will thank you!!<br />
which will be held in Bowling Green, Kentucky on Saturday, August 4th. If you<br />
The Alabama <strong>USPTA</strong> workshop will take place Saturday, August 18th at Hoover m<strong>is</strong>sed the <strong>Southern</strong> convention, you will not want to m<strong>is</strong>s out on th<strong>is</strong> opportu-<br />
Country Club from 9:00-3:30. Our outstanding speakers will include Mark Kovacs, nity. There will be some great presentations, food, giveaways, and good KY-TN<br />
Thay Butchee and Jeff Gray. We will also have a panel d<strong>is</strong>cussion as we did last camaraderie! Look for more detailed information in the coming weeks.<br />
year in which panel members will d<strong>is</strong>cuss how they handle challenging <strong>is</strong>sues with<br />
Our state board (Keith Cecil, Joanne Wallen, DJ McClure, and Brett Atcher) are<br />
players and programs. If you attend our Alabama workshop you will leave feeling<br />
always looking for more folks to help out. If you are interested, or have any<br />
energized and with new ideas to try at your club or facility.<br />
comments/suggestions email Keith at kcecil@transy.edu. Also, if you are a new<br />
In Arkansas news, we were not very well represented member, or simply would like to receive email updates about <strong>USPTA</strong>-KY send me<br />
Arkansas in Atlanta. It was the best, BEST <strong>Southern</strong> Conference an email and you can be added to the l<strong>is</strong>t.<br />
I have ever attended. Great speakers, great facilities, great fellowship and great<br />
The state of North Carolina was well repre-<br />
food. I hope when the next one comes around you choose to attend. Trav<strong>is</strong> John- N. Carolina sented at the recent <strong>Southern</strong> convention in<br />
son and I are trying to put together a state conference in October or November.<br />
Georgia. Current board members, Marc Blouin, Lane Evans, Tom Parkes, Henri<br />
We need your input on whether a Sunday/Monday conference would work. Let<br />
Elkins, and Kevin Brice were all in attendance. Todd Upchurch and Larry Karag-<br />
me know what you think and who you would like to get for a speaker. We only had<br />
eanes were also present and guest speakers. <strong>USPTA</strong> National President and new<br />
two take the certification test but I had a couple contact me about having another.<br />
North Carolinian, Tom Dagl<strong>is</strong> was also in attendance. We are now busy putting<br />
If you know someone that needs to test, just have them call me. The numbers are<br />
together our next event. We will be conducting a one-day workshop at the West-<br />
looking better at some of the junior tournaments which <strong>is</strong> telling me that we are<br />
wood Swim & Tenn<strong>is</strong> Club in Winston-Salem on Sunday, August 19th. The event<br />
doing a better job. Let’s keep it up.<br />
will cons<strong>is</strong>t of a morning seminar series or a Specialty course to be determined<br />
Undoubtedly, <strong>USPTA</strong> Georgia has had a busy year thus later. Lunch will be provided and then the attending pros will participate in an<br />
Georgia far. Thank you to all who attended our first event of 2012 afternoon Pro-Am with the members of Westwood. Host professional, Mark Trout-<br />
– The Georgia Tenn<strong>is</strong> Round Table D<strong>is</strong>cussions. Th<strong>is</strong> year we had great dialogue man will coordinate the event. On Monday, August 20, the <strong>USPTA</strong> NC professionals<br />
on the Green Dot ball initiative, 10U and 8U tenn<strong>is</strong>. We also had a Summer Camp will be on hand to help with the Kids Day event in coordination with USTA NC and<br />
Round Table d<strong>is</strong>cussion and fin<strong>is</strong>hed the day learning about the USTA Adult The Winston-Salem Open. Participating professionals will be given complimentary<br />
League changes with the USTA Georgia Staff.<br />
first round tickets. It should be an all-around great event for the tournament and a<br />
May 7, <strong>USPTA</strong> Georgia participated in a joint meeting with the Club Managers showcase event for the <strong>USPTA</strong> in North Carolina. Final Kids Day plans and speaker<br />
Association of America – Georgia Chapter and the United States Golf Association assignments are pending and will be relayed to <strong>Southern</strong> <strong>USPTA</strong> members soon.<br />
at The River Club in Suwanee, Georgia. We were honored to have our National We hope to have a great response to th<strong>is</strong> event. Look for details on our website<br />
President; Tom Dagl<strong>is</strong> give a State of the Union and d<strong>is</strong>cuss the importance of having<br />
a certified <strong>USPTA</strong> pro at each tenn<strong>is</strong> facility.<br />
<strong>USPTA</strong> Georgia had an outstanding time at the <strong>Southern</strong> Convention in Suwanee,<br />
soon at www.<strong>USPTA</strong>NC.com.<br />
The <strong>USPTA</strong> South Carolina board <strong>is</strong> diligently put-<br />
S. Carolina ting together a great workshop for the tentative<br />
Georgia th<strong>is</strong> past May. A big thanks goes to the Convention Chairperson Todd date of Sunday, October 7th. Th<strong>is</strong> one-day workshop allows attendees traveling<br />
Upchurch, Trade Show Convention Chairperson Matt Grayson, Pat Whitworth and from farther away the option of returning home that evening. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> a great<br />
Allan Hartley of The River Club for hosting a top notch event.<br />
chance to learn without giving up two days of income. Brookstone Meadows,<br />
With summer well underway, the <strong>Southern</strong> tenn<strong>is</strong> community <strong>is</strong> gearing up to<br />
once again host the Atlanta Tenn<strong>is</strong> Championships. Our local star Georgia Bulldog,<br />
John Isner, <strong>is</strong> a heavy favorite for the title once again. I hope you will have an<br />
opportunity to attend one of the sessions and support ATP professional tenn<strong>is</strong> in<br />
Georgia.<br />
Congratulations to Megan Falcon who was awarded<br />
Lou<strong>is</strong>iana the “Rookie of the Year” honor at the recent <strong>Southern</strong><br />
<strong>USPTA</strong> convention. Megan had a stellar college career playing for LSU and <strong>is</strong><br />
their best all time player in their women’s tenn<strong>is</strong> h<strong>is</strong>tory! Megan also competed on<br />
the women’s pro tour attaining a ranking in the top 400. Megan has transitioned<br />
into teaching at the Bocage Racquet Club. She also passed her <strong>USPTA</strong> test P-1 on<br />
her first try putting her in an elite group of pros who accompl<strong>is</strong>h that feat!<br />
in Anderson SC, has been generous enough to host our event. We are lining up<br />
expert speakers who will address a multitude of popular topics such as keeping<br />
your 10 and under program full, fitness training, testing, and injury prevention,<br />
creating and maintaining a profitable cardio tenn<strong>is</strong> program, and an on court drill<br />
exchange. It has been a while, however, th<strong>is</strong> year’s convention <strong>is</strong> lining up to be a<br />
great event.<br />
Despite a few setbacks, South Carolina <strong>is</strong> back on track with an outstanding board.<br />
Our statewide newsletter <strong>is</strong> in the making with some great topics and informative<br />
articles. It will be sent out through email in PDF form within the month. We are<br />
working hard to better serve our South Carolina pros!<br />
Greetings from the great state of Tennessee. What<br />
Tennessee a wonderful time was had by all at the <strong>Southern</strong><br />
We are about to hit the dog days of summer.<br />
M<strong>is</strong>s<strong>is</strong>sippi While most people are planning trips to the<br />
beach and summer vacations, tenn<strong>is</strong> professionals are hitting their busy time<br />
of the year. I would like to remind all our tenn<strong>is</strong> professionals the importance of<br />
upgrading your certification. Lots of tenn<strong>is</strong> professionals that have establ<strong>is</strong>hed<br />
positions, they will not see the need to improve their rating. Once a new job<br />
opens and tenn<strong>is</strong> professionals start to compete for the position, they learn their<br />
certification level <strong>is</strong> very important. There are lots of great teaching pro’s that are<br />
a lot stronger than their actual rating. Most employers however use the certification<br />
level to compare their initial applicants. When I receive resumes for a position,<br />
I normally classify all the applicants by their rating. Most employers will still<br />
consider lower rated professionals, but always want the highest rated professional<br />
if possible. I travel around the country for testing and always encourage new and<br />
old professionals to upgrade as soon as possible. It might be the difference maker<br />
when looking for that perfect job!<br />
convention. The River Club was a beautiful site and the lineup of speakers was<br />
second to none. Everyone I talked to said they learned a lot from all the topics and<br />
that the speakers were very personal in their delivery. A special thanks to all the<br />
TN pros in attendance who showed their dedication to their craft: Sue Bartlett,<br />
Claire Bartlett, Mark Foster, Greg Lumb, Brian Perry, Paige Resha, William Taylor, Bill<br />
Riddle, and Joey Hall. TN also had some very successful early development training<br />
center camps (EDTC’S) throughout the spring all over the state. <strong>USPTA</strong> pros<br />
were the pros of choice when it came to coaching these r<strong>is</strong>ing stars from the 10<br />
and under ranks. Out of the nearly 30 pros who were chosen to coach at these, all<br />
but 2 were <strong>USPTA</strong> certified pros. <strong>USPTA</strong> professionals Bill Riddle and Devin Crotzer<br />
from Hendersonville, TN recently served as guest coaches for the Global Tenn<strong>is</strong><br />
Legacy Foundation Elite Junior Training Camp in Nice, France. Top junior players<br />
from 10 different countries from around Europe attended the camp and also spent<br />
time with the coaches in Monte Carlo at the ATP event where they had a chance<br />
to meet many of the world’s top players. We are also proud to have Bill back in the<br />
ranks as a <strong>USPTA</strong> tester once again. Have a great summer!
Standard Page 9<br />
Fast Facts<br />
Rolland Garros was built for the Dav<strong>is</strong><br />
Cup originally but ended up as the<br />
home for the French Open.<br />
Rolland Garros was a famous French<br />
Military Hero. He was a famous aviator.<br />
Yannick Noah was the last Frenchman<br />
to win the French in 1983.<br />
The Stadium was built for the Four<br />
Musketeers who upset the US in 1928<br />
to win the cup.<br />
Wimbledon was the last tourney to use<br />
the white ball and in 1986 they went to<br />
the yellow ball.<br />
F E A T U R I N G<br />
Exhibition Match<br />
and Clinic with the<br />
Bryan Brothers<br />
(Free for all<br />
tournament players)<br />
®<br />
“Little Mo”<br />
Internationals<br />
The West Side Tenn<strong>is</strong> Club<br />
New York City<br />
(Forest Hills)<br />
August 19-24, 2012<br />
Girls and Boys Age 8-12<br />
All matches on full court with yellow ball<br />
Reg<strong>is</strong>ter now<br />
www.mcbtenn<strong>is</strong>.org
Page 10 Volume 13 Issue 2<br />
<strong>Southern</strong><br />
Spotlight<br />
Fred Burdick - Mtn view Tenn<strong>is</strong> (Club Fred), Dalton, GA<br />
Please give a brief<br />
description of your<br />
tenn<strong>is</strong> career: Started<br />
teaching tenn<strong>is</strong> at<br />
Dalton Junior College<br />
in 1972. Opened a<br />
tenn<strong>is</strong> and jogging<br />
retail shop in 1978,<br />
went to full time<br />
teaching and got my<br />
certification in 1985,<br />
taught for Cobb<br />
County Parks and<br />
Recreation Department<br />
from 1985 to<br />
1988, Director of Tenn<strong>is</strong> at Sunset Hills Country Club 1988 to 2002,<br />
been at club Fred ever since. I have been a member of the association<br />
for 27 years, earned Master Professional a few years back, and served<br />
the div<strong>is</strong>ion as Executive Director for 20 years.<br />
When did you start playing tenn<strong>is</strong>? I picked up my first racquet at age<br />
14 and fell in love with the game. Wasn’t much else to do in Dalton<br />
Georgia in 1959.<br />
What other sports did you play? I played Little League baseball but was<br />
an avid basketball player from the age of 12 to 18.<br />
Who were mentors that helped you develop as a professional? Vic<br />
Braden, Denn<strong>is</strong> Van der Meer, Randy Stephens, Alan Henry, Tom<br />
Dagl<strong>is</strong>.<br />
What <strong>is</strong> your favorite shot to teach? The serve. I’ve helped a lot of players<br />
with their serve.<br />
What are you teaching right now? I’m working with a junior that just<br />
made cheer leading. I’m trying to make her and her parents understand<br />
that in 4 years she will no longer cheer but in 50 years she’ll still<br />
be playing tenn<strong>is</strong>.<br />
What advice do you have for someone starting in the tenn<strong>is</strong> profession?<br />
Invest in yourself. As much as you think you cannot afford to take<br />
time off the court to attending workshops and seminars, it <strong>is</strong> not an<br />
expense it <strong>is</strong> an investment in yourself. The benefits are exponential.<br />
What are your hobbies? F<strong>is</strong>hing and boating. I still like to play but don’t<br />
get a chance much anymore. I’ve taken up Italian cooking recently. I’ve<br />
started my largest garden th<strong>is</strong> spring.<br />
What <strong>is</strong> your favorite movie? The Godfather<br />
What <strong>is</strong> your favorite book? “Walking Wounded”. A Vietnam Marine<br />
Corps account of a friend of mine that served with the author during<br />
the Vietnam War.<br />
Are you reading anything right now? Trying to get through “Atlas<br />
Schrugged” by Ayn Rand<br />
What <strong>is</strong> your favorite magazine? B.A.S.S.<br />
Who <strong>is</strong> your favorite player of all time? Rod Laver 2 time Grand Slam<br />
Winner. It will never be accompl<strong>is</strong>hed again.<br />
What person you would most like to have lunch with? Rod Laver<br />
although I did have a beer with him one time in Atlanta.<br />
What tenn<strong>is</strong> player you would like to play a set with? John McEnroe<br />
What <strong>is</strong> the first thing you would purchase if you won the lottery? A trip to<br />
Wimbledon and Italy.<br />
What would you be doing if you were not in tenn<strong>is</strong>? I was a court<br />
recorder in the Marine Corps and seriously considered doing that after<br />
I was d<strong>is</strong>charged.<br />
What was your most inspirational moment? I don’t know if it gets any<br />
better than to be inducted into the <strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Div<strong>is</strong>ion</strong> Hall of Fame.<br />
Megan Falcon, Bocage Racquet Club, Baton Rouge, LA<br />
Give a brief description of your<br />
tenn<strong>is</strong> career: I am originally<br />
from Alameda, California.<br />
Grew up playing junior tenn<strong>is</strong><br />
in Northern California.<br />
Competed in numerous USTA<br />
National and ITF Junior tenn<strong>is</strong><br />
tournaments. Left Alameda<br />
to attend Lou<strong>is</strong>iana State<br />
University in 2005 and graduated<br />
in 2009. While playing<br />
collegiate tenn<strong>is</strong> I achieved<br />
a #1 NCAA singles ranking<br />
and was a three time Singles<br />
All-American. In 2007, I earned<br />
SEC player of the year and got<br />
to participate in Pan American<br />
Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After graduating in December of 2009<br />
I traveled and played on the ITF Challenger Circuit until I started working<br />
at Bocage Racquet Club in August of 2011.<br />
When did you start playing tenn<strong>is</strong>? Age 6<br />
What other sports did you play? Played basketball and softball until<br />
high school.<br />
What moved you to teach tenn<strong>is</strong>? I love the sport and enjoy trying to<br />
help people improve their games.<br />
Who were mentors that helped you develop as a professional? My family.<br />
What <strong>is</strong> your favorite shot to teach? Inside out forehand<br />
Do you enjoy working with certain age groups or ability levels more than<br />
others? I enjoy teaching all levels because there are different challenges<br />
at each level.<br />
Which personality traits are most important for tenn<strong>is</strong> professionals to<br />
master? Lack of self-consciousness, patience, positive and encouraging,<br />
curiosity, modesty, value others, and confidence to name a few.<br />
What are your hobbies? Golf, reading, f<strong>is</strong>hing<br />
What <strong>is</strong> your favorite movie? The Shawshank Redemption<br />
What <strong>is</strong> your favorite book? The Green Mile<br />
Are you reading anything right now? 50 Shades of Grey<br />
What <strong>is</strong> your favorite sports team? Anything LSU<br />
Favorite magazine? Money<br />
Favorite player of all time? Andre Agassi<br />
First thing you would purchase if you won the lottery: Porsche
Standard Page 11<br />
DRILL DETAILS<br />
Type: Singles<br />
Time & Players: 15 min. [1, 4]<br />
Prepared by: InterTenn<strong>is</strong> Coach<br />
DRILL DESCRIPTION & GOALS<br />
The goal of th<strong>is</strong> drill <strong>is</strong> to help players recognize the<br />
next correct shot they will execute based on the<br />
bounce of the ball they are receiving.<br />
DRILL ORGANIZATION<br />
• Players A and B begin by rallying 4 to 6 balls<br />
crosscourt.<br />
• Player B, then, hits a short ball to player A, who<br />
decides whether to drive or slice the ball based on<br />
the height of the ball at contact. He or she must<br />
also decide whether to hit the shot down the line or<br />
attempt a winner crosscourt shot.<br />
• After both players have had a turn hitting the<br />
approach shots, fin<strong>is</strong>h the point.<br />
• Play several games of 11 points each.<br />
Games Galore<br />
Category: Approach<br />
Level: Advanced, Competitive<br />
Tenn<strong>is</strong> Organization: InterTenn<strong>is</strong><br />
DRILL KEY POINTS<br />
1. Players should d<strong>is</strong>gu<strong>is</strong>e their shot as they prepare the raccquet so that their opponent<br />
<strong>is</strong> uncertain.<br />
2. Balls that can be hit at the height of the net or above should be driven.<br />
3. Balls that can be hit below the net should be sliced down the line.<br />
DRILL DETAILS<br />
Type: Doubles, Singles<br />
Time & Players: 20 min. [3, 5]<br />
Prepared by: InterTenn<strong>is</strong> Coach<br />
DRILL DESCRIPTION & GOALS<br />
• The goal of th<strong>is</strong> drill <strong>is</strong> to practice controlling the direction, placement of the<br />
ball, and hitting an angle off a down-the-line shot.<br />
• The coach feeds the ball from the net in the ad court to player two. Player 2<br />
must change the angle of the ball and hit it down-the-line to player 1.<br />
• Player 1 then changes the direction by hitting the ball crosscourt to player<br />
three.<br />
• Afterwards, the point can be played out to completion.<br />
DRILL ORGANIZATION<br />
Rotate positions after 4 mins or keep score to make it competitive. Variations:<br />
1. Coach may start the feed to player three in which case the shot directions are<br />
reversed.<br />
2. Sequences can be played out with the coach in the deuce court.<br />
DRILL KEY POINTS<br />
1. Shorten the backswing for powerful shots.<br />
2. Baseline players should move in when possible.<br />
Category: Groundstrokes<br />
Level: Intermediate, Advanced, Competitive<br />
Tenn<strong>is</strong> Organization: InterTenn<strong>is</strong><br />
Approach to Win<br />
Change The Angle
Page 12 Volume 13 Issue 2<br />
Fit to Hit<br />
Tenn<strong>is</strong> Q & A with Dr. Ben Kibler<br />
By Keith Cecil, MS, CSCS<br />
In th<strong>is</strong> edition of Fit To Hit, we hear from a<br />
leader in sports medicine, who has a special<br />
interest in tenn<strong>is</strong>. Dr. Kibler <strong>is</strong> the Medical Director<br />
of the Lexington Sports Medicine Center.<br />
He serves on numerous boards including the<br />
Sports Science Committee of the USTA and <strong>is</strong> a<br />
founding member of the Society of Tenn<strong>is</strong> Medicine<br />
and Science. Dr. Kibler <strong>is</strong> also a fellow and<br />
former Vice President of the American College<br />
of Sports Medicine. Dr. Kibler has publ<strong>is</strong>hed and<br />
presented internationally in all areas of sports<br />
medicine. However, h<strong>is</strong> professional interests<br />
include shoulder surgery, the upper extremity,<br />
shoulder pathology, scapula, acute knee injury<br />
surgery, sports medicine, and arthroscopic surgeries<br />
of the knee, shoulder, ankle, and elbow,<br />
and the biomechanics of tenn<strong>is</strong>.<br />
Question: What <strong>is</strong> the “hot topic” in tenn<strong>is</strong><br />
that you have come across recently?<br />
Dr. Ben Kibler: There are many to choose<br />
from. From an injury standpoint, wr<strong>is</strong>t injuries<br />
are getting more attention. These usually occur<br />
due to improper stroke mechanics. On the<br />
dominant wr<strong>is</strong>t, extreme western grips put<br />
more pressure on the wr<strong>is</strong>t just before and<br />
during ball impact, causing overload injury.<br />
On the non-dominant wr<strong>is</strong>t, poor cocking in<br />
the two-handed backhand (when the trunk<br />
and non-dominant arm are not in full cocking),<br />
causes the wr<strong>is</strong>t to be “hyper cocked”, generating<br />
extra pressure on the wr<strong>is</strong>t.<br />
Question: What tenn<strong>is</strong> injury do you find<br />
to be the most easily preventable, and how<br />
do you prevent it from occurring?<br />
BK: Elbow injuries are largely preventable.<br />
The elbow <strong>is</strong> more affected by bad mechanics<br />
and muscle weakness in other parts of the body<br />
than most joints. Proper mechanics of the stroke<br />
will decrease extra strain on the t<strong>is</strong>sues, and<br />
maximizing strength and flexibility in the kinetic<br />
chain, especially the shoulder and trunk, will<br />
decrease the applied strain at the elbow.<br />
Question: In your opinion, who has the<br />
most efficient serve on the professional tours<br />
(men’s and women’s) that <strong>is</strong> effective as a<br />
weapon to help win points and why?<br />
BK: Male-The best serve motion and most<br />
effective server ever- Pete Sampras. The best<br />
current serve motion and most effective server-<br />
Roger Federer. Female- Current best serve<br />
motion and effective server- Serena Williams.<br />
Question: What are some of the major<br />
mechanical problems you see in tenn<strong>is</strong>?<br />
BK: Serve- Not using the ground to push off<br />
with the back leg, not rotating the hips away<br />
from the service line in cocking, not tilting the<br />
back hip downward in cocking. These all mean<br />
that it <strong>is</strong> difficult to put maximum force into the<br />
serve, and decreases the ability to go “up and<br />
through” the ball in the motion and put topspin<br />
on the serve.<br />
Ground strokes- Not rotating the trunk well<br />
into cocking, meaning that the player needs to<br />
use the arms more to hit the shot. Arm muscles<br />
are smaller than trunk muscles, requiring them<br />
to work harder to perform the shot.<br />
Question: What are some of the most difficult<br />
injuries for tenn<strong>is</strong> players to overcome<br />
and why?<br />
BK: Back injuries are difficult, because the<br />
trunk <strong>is</strong> so important in every tenn<strong>is</strong> move.<br />
Any injury there means that running, hitting,<br />
rotating, or bending <strong>is</strong> tough. Most back injuries<br />
need rest and therapy to get better- they can’t<br />
be “played through”, which means the player<br />
needs to take sufficient time off to let them heal.<br />
Question: Is it true that you can strengthen<br />
the muscles and ligaments around the knee<br />
to prevent injury?<br />
BK: You can strengthen the leg muscles and<br />
help to prevent injuries. However, you also<br />
need to strengthen the hip muscles. They are<br />
the base for the leg muscles, and increasing<br />
their strength also allows maximum leg muscle<br />
strength. They should be strengthened as a unit.<br />
Question: If you could give 1 piece of<br />
advice to a junior tenn<strong>is</strong> player, what would<br />
it be?<br />
BK: Good mechanics of shot production. Use<br />
the legs as the base of support and engine for<br />
generating power, not the arms.<br />
Question: If you could give 1 piece of<br />
advice to an adult tenn<strong>is</strong> player, what would<br />
it be?<br />
BK: Keep your entire body in shape. Emphasize<br />
core strength, flexibility of the trunk, hip,<br />
and shoulder, and muscle balance around the<br />
hip, trunk, and shoulder. Also, “warm down”-<br />
stretching and flexibility after the match or<br />
workout.<br />
I hope you enjoyed th<strong>is</strong> edition of Fit to Hit.<br />
Special thanks to Dr. Ben Kibler and the Lexington<br />
Clinic Sports Medicine Center.
Standard Page 13<br />
“Success Secrets”<br />
What I Learned at The Suwanee Convention<br />
By Lane Evans-<strong>USPTA</strong> NC Board<br />
Our recent <strong>USPTA</strong> <strong>Southern</strong> Convention at Suwanee CC was a spectacular<br />
event. Those who were not fortunate enough to be there m<strong>is</strong>sed a great<br />
event that was filled with some of the most knowledgeable tenn<strong>is</strong> people<br />
in the entire country. We are also very fortunate to have our National<br />
President right here in the <strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Div<strong>is</strong>ion</strong>. Tom Dagl<strong>is</strong>, the Director of<br />
the Professional Tenn<strong>is</strong> Management Program at Method<strong>is</strong>t University, has<br />
a resume that <strong>is</strong> far too expansive to l<strong>is</strong>t here in th<strong>is</strong> short article. However, I<br />
did reach out to Tom for th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong>sue’s “Success Secrets” and in typical fashion,<br />
he took time out of h<strong>is</strong> busy schedule to share some ideas he has come<br />
across of late that will certainly impact all of us. At a recent graduation<br />
ceremony, he heard Bill Gates share the following suggestions:<br />
1 “Life <strong>is</strong> not fair, get used to it.”<br />
2. “The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect<br />
you to accompl<strong>is</strong>h something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.”<br />
3. “If you think your teacher <strong>is</strong> tough, wait till you get a boss. He<br />
doesn’t have tenure.”<br />
4. “If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault. Don’t whine about your<br />
m<strong>is</strong>takes, learn from them.”<br />
5. “Life <strong>is</strong> not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and<br />
very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do<br />
that on your own time.”<br />
Here are a few personal thoughts that Tom had to share:<br />
1. “Do what you say and say only what you do.”<br />
2. “Network in the industry. Get involved on committees within the<br />
<strong>USPTA</strong> and USTA.”<br />
3. “Invest in yourself with education. It <strong>is</strong> what separates most successful<br />
people.”<br />
4. “Be an expert on something. Spend 10 hours per week on it and<br />
within 3 years you can call yourself an expert.”<br />
5. “Do your best to return phone calls and e-mails within 24 hours.”<br />
6. “Spend some time watching other successful tenn<strong>is</strong> professionals.<br />
How they teach, how they interact with their clientele, how they<br />
motivate and how they run their businesses will tell a lot.”<br />
7. “Be the first one to show up and the last one to leave.”<br />
8. “Volunteering to do the grunt/small tasks will be remembered more<br />
than the big ones.”<br />
9. “Err on the side of conservative, professional and formal.”
Page 14 Volume 13 Issue 2<br />
Ladies Vantage By<br />
The Ladies <strong>Southern</strong> Committee met<br />
during the <strong>Southern</strong> convention in Atlanta<br />
Georgia th<strong>is</strong> past May. The objective of the<br />
meeting was for women teaching professionals<br />
to share experiences and ideas<br />
specific to our profession. 7 women were<br />
present.<br />
Mariona works at a resort in North<br />
Carolina. She sees a different crowd every<br />
week. We encouraged her to push a cardio<br />
tenn<strong>is</strong> program at her facility because<br />
players of different levels can have a blast<br />
together. Since she doesn’t know the<br />
level of the players v<strong>is</strong>iting her facilities, a<br />
cardio tenn<strong>is</strong> class or even a family cardio<br />
class would be a hit!<br />
Lucia expressed how much she enjoys<br />
watching her students in all aspects<br />
of competition from adult leagues to<br />
junior tournaments. Lucia explained how<br />
through taking the time to watch them<br />
compete, she establ<strong>is</strong>hes a rapport with<br />
her students, has new ideas on what to<br />
teach them and the money it generates <strong>is</strong><br />
just icing on the cake!<br />
Some of the women present were<br />
former tour players and showed lots<br />
of on court confidence. Some others<br />
expressed concerns in the perception of<br />
their playing ability by the consumer.<br />
I’ll tell you what, I have seen inadequate<br />
male players who were amazing teachers.<br />
They project an energetic voice, they put<br />
together great lesson plans and activities<br />
for their students and they have the ability<br />
to relate to the players. I’m convinced<br />
that there <strong>is</strong> much to say about teaching<br />
Joanne Wallen and<br />
Dr. Sophie Woorons-Johnston<br />
abilities and people skills. If you are an<br />
outstanding player, that’s fantastic, use<br />
it to your advantage, if not, there are lots<br />
of qualities students (and employers!) are<br />
looking for that go beyond playing skills;<br />
Organizational skills, punctuality and<br />
reliability, energy, drill management, pace<br />
of the lesson, quality of the feedback,<br />
encouragements, giving a great work out,<br />
voice and enthusiasm… Remember, players<br />
don’t care how much you know, they<br />
want to know how much you care!<br />
Ladies, if you are looking to get more<br />
involved with the <strong>USPTA</strong>, we would<br />
love to have you write an article for our<br />
newsletter, speak at one of our State<br />
Conventions, or be part of our women’s<br />
committee for the <strong>USPTA</strong> <strong>Southern</strong>!<br />
We look forward to hearing from you!<br />
To get involved, contact Joanne Wallen<br />
at joanne@ltctenn<strong>is</strong>.com.
Standard Page 15<br />
C<br />
<strong>Southern</strong> Officers<br />
The “Standard” <strong>is</strong> the official newsletter for the<br />
<strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Div<strong>is</strong>ion</strong> of the United States Professional Tenn<strong>is</strong> Association.<br />
President<br />
Bill Phillips - 337-849-5821<br />
phillips@sta.usta.com<br />
1st Vice President<br />
Todd Upchurch - 704-258-7220<br />
tupchurch1@gmail.com<br />
2nd Vice President<br />
Sophie Woorons-Johnston - 864-202-1917<br />
Sophie@brookstonetenn<strong>is</strong>.com<br />
Secretary-Treasurer<br />
Matt Grayson - 678-898-2904<br />
mattgrayson72@gmail.com<br />
Executive Director/ Past President<br />
Pat Whitworth - 800-438-7782<br />
usptasouthern@gmail.com<br />
State Presidents<br />
Alabama<br />
Kevin Theos - 205-790-7256<br />
theos@sta.usta.com<br />
Arkansas<br />
Jimbo Hobson - 501-835-9793<br />
jimbopro@ipa.net<br />
Georgia<br />
Andrew Minnelli - 770-368-7040<br />
ajm@acc1.org<br />
“Being positive doesn’t necessarily come naturally. We have to make that<br />
dec<strong>is</strong>ion daily.”<br />
-Joel Osteen<br />
“Impossible <strong>is</strong> not fact, only an opinion.”<br />
-Muhammed Ali<br />
Kentucky<br />
Keith Cecil - 859-608-4640<br />
kcecil@transy.edu<br />
Lou<strong>is</strong>iana<br />
Ed Gaskell - 225-924-6273<br />
edgaskell@bocagerc.org<br />
M<strong>is</strong>s<strong>is</strong>sippi<br />
Kevin Jackson - 662-840-3528<br />
kjackson@tupcc.com<br />
North Carolina<br />
Marc Blouin - 919-876-0565 x101<br />
m.blouin@hotmail.com<br />
South Carolina<br />
TBA<br />
Tennessee<br />
Joey Hall - 865-531-5038<br />
jhall5@CovHlth.com<br />
Head Tester<br />
Tommy Wade - 256-341-4948<br />
wade@decatur-al.gov<br />
“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.”<br />
-Bruce Lee<br />
“The bad news <strong>is</strong> time flies. The good news <strong>is</strong> you’re the pilot.”<br />
-Michael Althsuler<br />
“It›s easy to make a buck. It›s a lot tougher to make a difference.”<br />
-Tom Brokaw<br />
<strong>USPTA</strong> Welcomes Our<br />
New Members<br />
Kincheloe, David L. Lou<strong>is</strong>burg NC<br />
Battle, Graham T. Todd NC<br />
Gumenyuk, Olga Charlotte NC<br />
Helms, Nathan T. Matthews NC<br />
Ross, Scott Kennesaw GA<br />
Munroe, Ian H. Stockbridge GA<br />
Melancon, Benjamin M. Baton Rouge LA<br />
Hampton, Jason C. New Orleans LA<br />
Dempsey, Phillip R. Alpharetta GA<br />
Cobos, Carlos Pawleys Island SC<br />
Craig, Glenda H. Atlanta GA<br />
Turner, John E. Boone NC<br />
King, Bryan A. Rock Hill SC<br />
Ware, John K. Wilmington NC<br />
Far<strong>is</strong>s, Danny L. Atlanta GA<br />
Wilson, Matt D. Conway AR<br />
Sosebee, William England AR<br />
Varela, Joshua R. Athens GA<br />
Beatty, Adam Fortson GA<br />
Martin, Tory G. Atlanta GA<br />
<strong>USPTA</strong> Certification<br />
Tests & Upgrades<br />
JULY<br />
7/8/12 Myrtle Beach, S.C.<br />
The Dunes Golf & Beach Club<br />
7/14/12 Anderson, S.C.<br />
Brookstone Meadows Tenn<strong>is</strong><br />
7/22/12 New Orleans, La.<br />
Metairie Country Club<br />
AUGUST<br />
8/5/12 Lou<strong>is</strong>ville, Ky.<br />
Owl Creek Country Club<br />
8/11/12 Atlanta, Ga.<br />
Dunwoody Country Club<br />
8/18/12 Gastonia, N.C.<br />
Country Club of the Carolinas<br />
8/25/12 Nashville, Tenn.<br />
Williamson County Tenn<strong>is</strong><br />
SEPTEMBER<br />
9/9/12 Hilton Head, S.C .<br />
Haig Point Club<br />
OCTOBER<br />
10/13/12 Atlanta, Ga.<br />
Dunwoody Country Club<br />
10/20/12 Fayetteville, N.C.<br />
Method<strong>is</strong>t University
<strong>USPTA</strong> SOUTHERN DIVISION<br />
N E W S L E T T E R<br />
337 Rhodes House Court<br />
SUWANEE, GA 30024<br />
The Standard <strong>is</strong> publ<strong>is</strong>hed every 60 days by the<br />
<strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Div<strong>is</strong>ion</strong> of the United States Professional<br />
Tenn<strong>is</strong> Association.<br />
The opinions expressed in The Standard are those of<br />
the authors and not necessarily those of The Standard,<br />
the <strong>USPTA</strong> or <strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Div<strong>is</strong>ion</strong>.<br />
Copyright© The Standard/United States Professional<br />
Tenn<strong>is</strong> Association, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved.<br />
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<strong>USPTA</strong> <strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Div<strong>is</strong>ion</strong>.<br />
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