Steal This Drill: The Iron Butterfly

Here's a neat little offense-defense drill that CAtennis.com dreamt up last night. This a two-player drill where one player (the PARTNER) stays in the corner and moves the other player (the PRINCIPAL) around. The pattern is as follows: Shot #1 - deep forehand; Shot #2 - deep backhand (or deep inside-out forehand); Shot #3 - short backhand; and Shot #4 - short forenahd. Rinse and repeat. The PARTNER's role is to work on ball control and perfect placement. His focus is to "look good" (perfect strokes and movement) and give the PRINCIPAL a good workout. 

When moving from the deep forehand to the deep backhand, the PRINCIPAL sprints forward around the cone (blue line). When moving from the short backhand to the short forehand, the PRINCIPAL circles backwards around the cone (white line). This way, the PRINCIPAL learns how to (a) hit and recover (short groundstrokes); and (b) turn defense into offense (deep groundstrokes). 

After a couple of sets, the players trade roles. The point is for each player to learn how to "hit and move" particularly when the opponent has managed to push you deep off the court and out of position. Much like Aikido and Jiu-Jitsu, tennis is a moving sport where you must learn how to use your opponent's energy (offense) against them in order to gain control (and put them on the defensive). 

One of the basic mistakes that players often make is to remain on the defensive when the opponent has managed to get them out of the comfort zone. They play the defensive role for the duration of the point without figuring out how to get back on top. In this drill, the PRINCIPAL learns that when he's pushed back, he can hit the ball high and deep and recover forward around the cone. Similarly, he learns how to recover backwards (in order to bisect the opponent's angle) when being pulled off-the court slightly short. By being moved out of his comfort zone, the PRINCIPAL manages to make his movement and his shots more effective and efficient under the given circumstances. 

Junior Development: $475,776 Price Tag

For all the money consumed in junior player development, why aren’t there tennis financial advisors? Has anyone taken the time to calculate the present value of future cash flows needed to develop an average national caliber junior from beginning to end? With so much uncertainty involved, probably not.

The available information is anecdotal at best. CAtennis.com comes to the rescue with a rough financial analysis of the costs associated with nurturing and maximizing talent from start to finish. Of course every family and child are unique and particular circumstances may differ (for example, living in Southern California and having access to outdoor facilities year-around versus the Midwest; playing at public courts v. having to join a private club; etc.). Therefore, a few assumptions are necessary before conducting the research: 

• 8 year old boy with average tennis skills on a national level (this means that that player is no bigger or smaller than the rest of the kids and average in athleticism and other physical characteristics).
• Player comes from a upper middle-class family in the Los Angeles area (approximately $150,000 in combined income)
• Child and parent share a long-term intention of attending a top D1 tennis school (in other words, this is not just one of the many activities that the player will be involved in; this is the main, if not one and only, extra-curricular activity)
• Ultimate goal is to pursue a career in professional tennis 

With these initial assumptions out of the way, it is time for some number crunching on a detailed annual basis starting with 2012. The proposed figures are purely hypothetical and should be analyzed through the lens of the picture painted above. The guestimation begins and all numbers are based on 2011 prices. Furthermore, this is a family that is totally committed to tennis (i.e., everyone is operating under the assumption that the child will pursue a serious tennis career which will include high-level college tennis and, perhaps, a shot at “the tour”).

2012 - Age 8

• Equipment - $400 (rackets, shoes, newest tennis clothes - gotta wear what Rafa/Roger wear, right?!)
• Group Lessons - $2,880 = 12 x $240 per month (3hrs x week @ $20 per group) 
• Private Lessons - $2,640 = 12 x $220 per month ($55 per private) 
• Membership Fees - $2,400 = 12 x $200 per month (not including initial membership fee) 
• Tournaments - $4800 = 12 x $400 (1 tournament per month, a majority of them within driving distance). Cost includes gas and food (maybe sports drinks and energy bars). But is also a rough estimate of paying a pro to go watch the child play (Lil' Mo?) as well as overnight lodging at some events. 

Total - $13,120

2013 - Age 9

Not much change happens between 8-10 years of age. The only difference will be accounting for inflation at a historical rate of approximately 3 percent.

Total - $13,513 = 1.03 x $13,120

2014 - Age 10

Total - $13,907 = 1.06 x $13,513

2015 - Age 11

The dynamics start to change on the part of the parent and child. Due to the initial investment made on the child, the parents and the player get more emotionally attached to the results. At this point, an “arm’s race” may begin to take place among the child’s immediate competitors. Therefore, they decide to “up the ante” a little bit and add more tennis, all in hopes of getting ahead of the competition (there’s always someone who’s better). The child is ranked in the top 300 on TR.net in the 6th grade and the he gets a taste of celebrity when he ventures out to a far-away national event. More and more discussions start to take place between players, parents and coaches with an emphasis on the national stage ("will he make it?" "does he have what it takes? Tell us, coach!"). The child wants to succeed at a higher level and the parents and still fully committed to supporting the child’s dream. After all, playing tennis is better than being a latch-key kid and the parents are so proud of the attention that the child is getting from other adults/parents. Can't let them down, can we?! The decision is certianly also influenced by the results of some of the kid's peers. 

• Equipment - $800 (goot fill up that 6-pack bag with 6 brand new rackets. Chances are that he didn't like the rackets after all, so he has to switch twice in one year).
• Group Lessons - $3,840 = 12 x $320 (4hrs x week @ $20 per group) 
• Private Lesson - $5,280 = 12 x $440 (2 privates per week x $55) 
• Membership Fees - $4,800 = 12 x $400 (adding another club for extra court time, coaches, and variety of players) 
• Tournaments - $7,500 = 15 x $500 (some tournaments require farther stays and duration)

Total - $24,219 = 1.09 x $22,220

2016 - Age 12

The only difference between 11 and 12 is the increase in duration per tournament (i.e., player stays in the draw longer; therefore, more cost to the parent), which accounts for a greater cost per tournament at $700. All other expenses remain relatively similar and there is no system for cost recovery in the mateur divisions. 

Tournaments - $10,500 = 15 x $700

Total - $28,246 = 1.12 x $25,220

2017 - Age 14

The child lands an equipment preferred player program deal for being top 10 in his Section, but it doesn’t offset all the equipment costs because he is breaking more strings (more expensive strings) due to addtional on-court time and a stronger physique, running through more shoes, cracking more racquets (from throwing the racquet), new Tourna Grip for every match, and the Nike clothes to fit the part. To save money in the long-term, the parents purchase a $1,000 stringing machine to string racquets for the kid.

Group lessons are reduced to 3 times per week to allow for more outside match-play with adults and juniors. However, the group lesson prices go up because he is in a more advanced group with more personal attention (coach's hourly rate is split among 2-3 players rather than 4-5 or even 6). The parents decide to hire a trainer twice a week to increase the agility and quickness of the child. Why? Because everyone else is doing it! Also, the player may be too young to know what he needs to work on from a cross-training point of view. Additional costs may include match analysis and stroke analysis software (certainly not for every match and practice but, perhaps, once per year) as well as slo-motion videography. 

Private lessons are bumped up to 3 times per week (so that the player can focus on specifics), mixing in a new professional who coaches all the best juniors around in hopes of getting more time with the pro in the future. The drive is three times as far for the third private lesson and slightly more expensive for the specialized expertise (supply and demand). Membership fees are static because the child is asked to play elsewhere as a guest, one of the benefits of increasing the level of play. More people want to hit with a better player. Tournaments are increased to 18 per year (the designated/manadatory for sectional rankings; national/super-national events; doubles; etc.) and a third of the tournaments require a flight or a severe cross-country drive.

• Equipment - $2,000 
• Group Lessons - $3,600 = 12 x $300 (3 x per week @ $25 per group) 
• Private Lessons - $8,160 = 12 x $680 (2 x per week @$55, 1 x per week @ $60) 
• Membership Fees - $4,800 
• Tournaments - $14,400 = 18 x $800 

 Total - $37,904 = 1.15 x $32,960 

2018 - Age 14

The child struggles somewhat in his first year 14’s and the parents decide that lack of training is the problem. Despite living in Los Angeles, they seek out new options to maximize his tennis. First, they explore the big academies like Everts, IMG Academies, Saddlebrook, Newks, and Weil. The price tag is hefty, but the word is they develop Grand Slam Champions.

At the same time, the parents check out smaller outfits such as Gorins, Moros, Harold Solomon/Andy Brandi- just to name a few. The parents decide on Weil because it is close-by and their son can get the best quality training within a 2-300 mile radius.

According to Weil Tennis Academy, here is the Customized Boarding and Training Program:

Full Academic Year (August - June) - Customized Boarding & Training Program 

• $43,000 US (including all application and insurance fees) [2011 figures – costs may increase or decrease in by 2018; note, also, that several other year-around academies come with an annual price-tag that is considerably higher - up to $68,000 or more]
• All the features of the Full time Standard Program plus 
• 1 private tennis lesson and 1 semi-private tennis lesson per week 
• 1 private fitness training time per week with a Certified Personal Trainer 
• 1 month of private Mental Fitness Coaching 
• 2 private Nutritional Consultations per semester 
• One Year Individual Developmental Training Plan 
• College Tennis Placement Program with Academy Director. 

A couple things to point out, the child is getting a mix of individual, semi-private and group coaching and attention; he is receiving a regimented training schedule with a group of competitive kids in addition to the mental coaching and nutritional advice. The environment is energized and the player is racking up on-court hours towards that 10,000 hour goal. The caveat is that the $43,000 will only buy training from August to June. In comparison, the parents spent $38,209 in the previous calendar year.

Other costs associated with the academy are not factored into the base price such as more private lessons (Private Tennis Lessons with Weil Academy Head Coach: $110.00 per hour), transportation, coaching fees at tournaments, and most importantly, school. The parents want the child to succeed in academics, so they purchase the University of Miami On-Line Education for approx. $11,000 per year.

The tournament costs will increase significantly because the private coach is going to travel to San Antonio Nationals, Clay Courts, Sectionals, Eddie Herr Qualifying, and Orange Bowl Qualifying. Not to mention, family members want to tag along to the fun locations exotic locations like Miami and stay at the Biltmore Hotel (for purposes of this article, we’ll assume that this is not the only vacation for the family unit thus, the costs, are tennis-related).

• Equipment - $1,200
• Weil Tennis Academy - $48,000 = $43,000 + 5,000 (figure accounts for privates, transportation, coaching at tournaments) 
• Education - $10,750 
• Summer Group Lessons - $900 = 3 months x $300 (3 x week @ $25 per group, must prepay for Summer Session) 
• Summer Private Lessons $2,160 = 3 months x $720 (3 x week @$60, old coach is out of the picture) Membership Fees - $4,800 
• Tournaments - $19,800 = 18 x $1,100 (very conservative number) 

Total - $103,379 = 1.18 x $87,610

2019 - Age 15

The Weil Academy did a great job in controlling all the things they can control, but the child was not ready to make this type of commitment so soon. He missed his childhood experience and became a bit deflated by the physical and emotional demands without the usual support group. Moving forward, the parents decide to bring the child home to LA and take time off, getting ready for the next big push: setting himself up for a top D1 collegiate scholarship.

• Equipment - $1,400 (switched from Wilson NXT to Big Banger) 
• Group Lessons - $3,000 = 10 months x $300 (3 x week @ $25 per group, no tennis for 2 months after academy) 
• Private Lessons - $4,800 = 10 months x $480 (2 x week @ $60, reducing the amount of private lessons) 
• Membership Fees - $4,800 
• Tournaments - 21,600 = 18 x $1,200

Total - $43,076 = 1.21 x $35,600

2020 - Age 16

Less is more. The child starts to piece things together with the technique, point construction, mind, and overall body coordination. He cracks the top 150 in his first year 16’s and things look promising for his second year 16’s. The parents start boasting about the upside potential of the aggressive game-style the child has developed- it was only a matter of time. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, the parents decide it is time to make a run for the top 50 USTA.

Staying the course of the previous year with the solid support staff, the parents decide to add a full-time personal trainer.

• Equipment - $1,400 
• Group Lessons - $3,600 = 12 months x $300 (3 x week @ $25 per group) 
• Private Lessons - $5,760 = 12 months x $480 (2 x week @ $60) 
• Membership Fees - $4,800 
• Off-Court Training - $7,200 = 12 months x $600 (3 x week @ $50) 
• Tournaments - 21,600 = 18 x $1,200 

Total - $55,006 = 1.24 x $44,360

2021 - Age 17

What a year 2015 was, a breakthrough year. He cracked the top 50 in the nation and is starting to make some noise with a few wins in the top 30 coupled with a few disastrous losses outside the top 100. The parents feel he is so close and he only needs a few more ounces of consistency to get him to the next level.

After speaking with various sources which included parents, coaches, ex-players, and the USTA- the parents settle on integrating ITF Junior Events into his schedule. The reasoning behind the decision is for stiffer competition and to attain a top 200 ITF ranking to impress the collegiate coaches. The “real” reason is everyone else is doing it, seems like the logical thing to do.

With that being said, someone needs to travel with the player, preferably a coach. A few families around the country decide on a knowledgeable coach to take the children to 10 (10 weeks of private coaching) different ITF events throughout the year. A majority of the tournaments are located within the United States with a few dipping into Central and South America.

• Equipment - $1,200 (costs are offset by a full racquet sponsorship with limited string) 
• Group Lessons - $3,000 = 10 months x $300 (3 x week @ $25 per group, 2 months at ITF events) 
• Private Lessons - $4,800 = 10 months x $480 (2 x week @ $60, 2 months at ITF events) 
• ITF Coaching - $4,000 = 10 weeks x $400 per week (Coaching rate = $1,200 per week, 3 players traveling) 
• Off-Court Training - $6,000 = 10 months x $600 (3 x week @ $50) 
• Membership Fees - $4,800 
• Tournaments - $32,000 = 20 x $1,600 (paying for coaches flight, parents at a few events) 

Total - $70,866 = 1.27 x $55,800

2022 - Age 18

The moment of truth arrives. The child cracked the top 75 as a first year 18’s and is ranked in the top 300 ITF. A great year nonetheless and sets him up for a run at cracking the top 20 USTA and top 150 ITF. Who knows, maybe the child can participate in a Junior Grand Slam Qualifying Draw.

Colleges are littering the mailbox with letters, especially with the game-style the child demonstrates. Professional tennis is a long-shot, but the parents want to keep the door open for a career after college.

Marching on, the parents decide to keep the same schedule and sign early with a top school. They feel they have found the optimum training formula for their child.

• Equipment - $1,200 (costs are offset by a full racquet sponsorship with limited string) 
• Group Lessons - $3,000 = 10 months x $300 (3 x week @ $25 per group, 2 months at ITF events) 
• Private Lessons - $4,800 = 10 months x $480 (2 x week @ $60, 2 months at ITF events) 
• ITF Coaching - $4,000 = 10 weeks x $400 per week (Coaching rate = $1,200 per week, 3 players traveling) 
• Off-Court Training - $6,000 = 10 months x $600 (3 x week @ $50, 2 months at ITF events)
• Membership Fees - $4,800 
• Tournaments - $32,000 = 20 x $1,600 (paying for coaches flight, parents at a few events) 

Total - $72,540 = 1.30 x $55,800

End of Junior Career - AGE 19

The parents are satisfied with the journey with their child finishing in the top 20 USTA and top 150 ITF. The child settles at PRIVATE University on a 35 percent scholarship, with no guarantee of playing in the top 6 for his first year. Regardless, the child is going to earn a world-class education in return for competing for a top-tier program.

The Journey Is Not Complete

The road is just beginning for the child and his tennis journey to achieving his full-potential. Private University is an expensive university ($46,000) with little chance of pouring a full-scholarship his way in the future. During the summers, Coach Awesome recommends further training coupled with competing in a handful of ITF Futures events. After college tennis, the road to professionalism is tough. Everyone comes so far to only give up a few inches from the finish line. The last two hurdles in a 100 meter sprint are the toughest to conquer and require a significant amount of financial backing.

If we add up all the years, here is the total amount spent before setting foot on college campus:

= 13,120 + 13,513 + 13,907 + 24,219 + 28,246 + 37,904 + 103,379 + 43,076 + 55,006 + 70,866 + 72,540

= $475,776 is the GRAND TOTAL accounting for inflation from the age of 8-18.

What if families invested the money instead?

With an 8% annual market return over the same time period, the parents will have saved the following amount by today:

= 13,120(1.08^11) + 13,513(1.08^10) + 13,907(1.08^9) + 24,219(1.08^8) + 28,246(1.08^7) + 37,904(1.08^6) + 103,379(1.08^5) + 43,076(1.08^4) + 55,006(1.08^3) + 70,866(1.08^2) + 72,540(1.08)

= $681,745 is the opportunity cost.  

Do you think that the $681,740 figure is high? Here are some thoughts (unfortunately, there's a glaring lack of outside information available):

• In talking about the state of college scholarships, David Benjamin, ITA Executive Director, says the following: “If parents invest $50,000 a year into their child's tennis career, some feel they're owed”. He goes on to say: "But it's not in the Constitution that if you spend a certain amount, you'll get a scholarship to the school of your choice. Intellectually, a family understands this, but emotionally it's difficult to accept. That's where you get the anger."
• According to the USTA’s “Going to College or Turning Pro? Making an Informed Decision!” (October 2010) prepared by Timothy Russell, Ph.D., the annual developmental value received at college is around $48,000/year (see Appendix A). That is, if it costs that university $48,000/year to train you, it is foreseeable that a player may spend about the same amount per year before entering college.
• "The expense of developing a world-class player from age 10 to 20 is astronomical — training, traveling, equipment," Martin Blackman (heads talent identification and development for the U.S.T.A.)
• Roger Draper, head of the British Lawn Tennis Association has estimated that the cost of developing a world-class player (Wimbledon champion caliber) is £250,000 (approx. $420,000). This, of course, taking into account fewer tournaments and less travel (given the smaller distances) in UK than in USA. 

Here are some questions:

A. Do you think that the figures above are too high for the average family pushing for the top echelons of tennis? Are the figures just right? If you are a parent (particularly one who is NOT a tennis pro), please feel free to share your experience so far. Are there aspects that you have sacrificed in order to reduce the overall costs? Has your child obtained a college scholarship the value of which outweighs the monetary expenditure? What would you do different? What advice would you have for similarly situated families just starting out with the sport? 

B. Even if the figures are not entirely spot-on (given that every family is different and some of the costs may be shared among siblings thereby reducing the overall average), one cannot deny that a great deal of money is, in fact, expected to be "invested" in a child's development and that the money would actually pay real-world dividends if used somewhere else (e.g. income producing property). If so, is there a way to get the same results (if not better) for a fraction of the cost? For, let's say, $50,000 - $100,000?

C. What steps need to be taken by the family, coach, club, regional organization, USTA, tournament organizers, academies, colleges, etc. in order to reduce the cost of developing across the board? Is there a road-map (CAtennis.com uses that term a lot) that each segment can follow in order to get the most out of tennis with least financial sacrifice? Why isn't anybody talking about this? What do the people "in the know" have to hide? 

Reflection on 2007 Brian Vahaly Interview

I personally interviewed Brian Vahaly back in 2007.  Let's reflect on how the game has progressed since 2007. It's always fun to look at where we were and where we are now...  

BACKGROUND: US National Junior Team, won the B18 Easter Bowl, QF at Junior Wimbledon, 20-match streak at #1 singles in college, NCAA Singles Finalist (unseeded), ranked #1 NCAA in Doubles, double-majored at the University of Virginia in Finance and Business Management, People’s Magazine 25 Most Eligible Bachelors in 2003, QF at Indian Wells ATP defeating Gonzalez, Ferrero, and Robredo, he was the only person with a college degree ranked in the top 100 ATP at the time.

From a developmental standpoint, who was your coach in the juniors, from what age, who was it, and what did he stress that separates him from other coaches from a technical, tactical, or mental standpoint? Also, looking back, did he coach anyone else that went on to become great tennis players? 

Jerry Baskin was my primary coach in the juniors. I started working with him when I was seven years old. He is also the coach of Robby Ginepri and spent time working with ATP Pro Bobby Reynolds as well. I think he is one of the best strategic coaches in the country. He always spent time teaching us how to win and the importance of doing what it takes to win a match. He would scout our next opponent and give us 3-4 things to concentrate on before we went onto the match. It wasn't about how we had to play to win...it was about making our opponent feel as uncomfortable as possible and exploiting their weaknesses. However, technically I believe Jerry Baskin is one of the best developmental coaches in the game. I think its a shame the USTA doesn’t incorporate more proven coaches like Jerry who by the results of their pupils, clearly know how to coach at a high level. 

If Jerry Baskin is excellent at player development with a proven track record, why aren't we (or the USTA) seeking out his opinions and knowledge to train the next batch of juniors? Or other behind-the-scenes developmental coaches for that matter? Along the same lines, do the same coaches churn out players (who are they?) and why? 

I think there are tons of high level coaches that the USTA currently is not employing. Personally, I worked with Steve DeVries and Scott McCain professionally who have an impeccable resume in getting players ranked in the 1000's into the top 100 in the world. They know what it takes to improve players at a high level and help them adjust to life on the road. They are a huge reason I got to my career high ranking and currently the USTA no longer employs them. The USTA continues to employ previous world ranked players who were great players but have no proven track record in coaching. And with the limited job security that the USTA provides you..lots of our top level coaches are unwilling to relocate or risk their own successful careers to try and help all the world class players. 

You had a great junior career, very similar to some of our current promising young American juniors in terms of international prowess and Junior Grand Slam experience. In the recent past, some of our best juniors have decided to forgo college, while you pursued a collegiate degree. There is a big debate as to whether college tennis can actually make you a better tennis player. For example, practices are not individualized, teammates have different goals, sleep deprivation from schoolwork, etc. What side do you take in the debate? Is it a case-by-case basis? 

I would definitely say this is a case-by-case basis. Obviously you are never going to hear me speak anything negatively about college. For many of the American players, I feel its an essential part of your personal development as well as your physical maturity. It is comical to see how many immature players we have out there on the tour with not a whole lot of intelligence or really a mind for the game. The sad thing is to know they do have the talent, but wasted their potential in their belief that their only chance to make it as a pro was to not go to college. I wish the USTA would do a better job showing them that people like James Blake, Todd Martin, Malivai Washington, John McEnroe, etc did go to college and went on to have a thriving tennis career. But overall, you have to look at each kid and what stage of development they are in. Personally, I think we all knew that Andy Roddick was ready for the pros. James did a very smart thing in taking a few years at Harvard before his game developed and he matured as a person to handle the pressures and day-to-day stress of being on tour. Ginepri, Fish, and Dent also made smart decisions in not going to college based on their style of play at the time to make that decision. Guys like Kuznetsov, Levine, Jenkins, Harper-Griffith, D Young, etc could have benefited for 1-2 years in college before the rigors of the pro tour. At this point in time, Sam Querrey is the only player that I highly endorse playing professionally immediately as his game is more than ready to take on the best in the world. Having played him twice, I'm very impressed with his speed, agility, and power. I'll be curious to see what type of coaching he gets and how his belief in himself develops over time. He's a great kid though. 

I look back through your senior collegiate results where you had a 20 match win streak in dual-matches through to the finals of the NCAA. The win streak is impressive, but what people do not realize is the scores by which you won those matches. On average the sets were either 6-0, 6-1, or 6-2 against #1 players from top NCAA ranked teams. Skipping to today, do you feel certain players such as Wayne Odesnik and Brendan Evans jumped the gun? What is your feeling on players who were in college for a year then turned professional such as Tres Davis, Travis Rettenmaier, Rajeev Ram, and Ryan Sweeting? Now we have talented juniors such as Michael McClune pushing forward to possibly forgo college. Seems like history keeps repeating itself- but people would say, "I am chasing a dream" and others would say, "you are betting the house." 

Personally, I believe they are betting the house. I'm not a fan of guys like Rettenmaier, Davis, Evans, Odesnik turning pro. While they have had some occasional good results, I do feel as though they could have benefited from time at college. I think Rajeev Ram is a different story. He had accomplished what he needed from college and had matured where it was his time to take a shot for the pros, and he was doing quite successful before dealing with injuries. But to me its a pretty big risk. Personally, I was always able to relax on the court knowing that tennis wasn't my only option. I had a great college degree from a great university that I could always fall back on. So I had no fear and just challenged myself to be the best I could be. Sometimes I wonder whether some of these kids feel too much pressure due to how much pressure they've put on themselves due to their education decisions. 

Under the description of USTA High Performance, here is the outline: 

Our program assists with the development of players in following ways:
• Bring our best players together to practice and play matches against each other
• Provide direct or supplemental coaching based on the player's developmental unit/need
• Develop a working relationship with personal coaches
• Impress upon the player the importance of physical fitness and off-court training
• Impress upon the player the importance of developing mental toughness
• Provide video analysis to improve technical aspects of the player's game
• Provide speakers on various topics in order to educate players and parents
• Provide play-off opportunities for wild cards
• Assist players with the proper balance of scheduling the appropriate level of tournaments (including exposure to international and pro circuit competition at a younger age.)

The aim of our program is to develop a united national culture among players, personal coaches and our staff, so that American tennis can be the strongest in the world. 

If you were in charge of the USTA Player Development, what would you do? Where are the current shortcomings? Where would you look for talent? Would you have more training facilities? Would you increase or decrease the number of National Coaches? Would you hand out money? Is college tennis a big part of the developmental process? How should wildcards be handed out? 

I currently feel as though the USTA Player Development program is in complete disarray. The coaching staff doesn't like it. The players can't stand it. No-one is happy and no-one is improving. What would I do to fix it? Well thats a pretty big open ended question where I don’t have a lot of the information to make informed decisions. Obviously I think its important to grow the game of tennis at a grass roots level so we have more athletes playing the game at an earlier age. With that said, I think there has to be a limited number of top level coaches who evaluate talent and help kids through their development process. I think the sports science department must be diligent with tracking their development as well and if you can tell kids are slacking off or don't want it, then kick them out of the program. It should be an earned right to train and work with the best coaches in the world. I also feel as though their should be a sports psychologist on staff that is paid to work with the top players in the country. Tennis is 90% mental and the players who know how to fight and win and handle the pressure, are the ones that are winning. And I think more investment needs to be made into the minds of these tennis players. Regarding grants, college tennis involvement, training facilities, etc. I'd have to look at the investment and the potential payoffs before I make any decisions. But clearly these national training centers have been a complete waste. Unfortunately, the USTA is very slow to act and it takes us years to evaluate decisions. Wildcards? Ohhhh thats a whole other subject. It used to drive me crazy how we'd give the same players wildcards where they feel entitled to the opportunities and don't earn them. I think there should be a very different system in place where only so many wildcards are given a year and the best player has the chance to rise to the top. Right now, we give too many free passes to guys who ultimately never make it. 

Right now, the USTA has 10 National Coaches on the Men's and Women's side. Each coach is responsible for a certain birth year and gender. However, for professional development- maybe the USTA could give a small portion of the budget to giving professionals a fair chance at the professional tour instead of a high number of USTA National Coaches. What if we gave $50,000 to the top 50 American men's players in the ATP rankings? That is only $2.5 million. Players will earn there spots and be given a fair chance at attacking the professional tour in a professional manner- hiring a coach, trainer, eating right, etc. 

It is a good idea but don't forget the importance of employing top level coaches for the players. Do I think all the coaches need to be located at a national tennis center complex? Absolutely not. I think thats ridiculous to expect the best coaches in the world to all live in 2 cities in the United States. However, I'm hoping the current President of the USTA knows the importance of having top American players on the last week of the US Open and how that can drive ratings, earnings for the company and hence, would be more willing to spend more on player development. 

From your experience, how prevalent is steroid abuse in the Futures, Challengers, and all the way up to the best players in the world? Do you know of players personally who have benefited from steroids and is this a problem we should be worried about, especially in the minor leagues of tennis? 

This is a very tough issue to discuss and very delicate when it comes to the ATP. We don't want to get into a situation that MLB is currently in where no-one trusts statistics and we doubt everyone's accomplishments. With that said, of course there are players who use steroids on the pro tour and most players have a good idea of who they are. However, there are so many 'masking' substances out there now to help flush out a players system that if you pay attention, you will not get caught. It's indicated very early on in a tournament when 'drug testing' will be going on and lots of guys flush it out of their system. Do I think it goes on at the college level? Honestly, in my day, I didn't see too much of it. I ran into most cases in the junior levels where there wasn't much testing and then in the futures and challenger level when everyone is looking for the edge. Players often justify it to themselves by saying, 'well if everyone else is doing it, then its okay if I do it because I'm just evening the playing field.' The real question for me is if there will always be kids out there who are comfortable cheating to win or get ahead and life. And that question will always be yes and so we will always continue to have a problem. I just hope the ATP and ITF does enough research into the matter so that it doesn’t become as prevalent as baseball. 

Hellooo!? You Play To Win The Game!

Nobody is good enough to only play offense and never play any defense.  Nobody, period!  Defensive astuteness is a very real skill that needs to be attended to and developed.  It makes logical sense if somebody is on offense, inevitably somebody must be on defense.  Against a very good player, evenly matched with yourself, there is a very good chance you will be spending half of the match on the defensive end playing hockey goalie.  

Below is a slideshow of all the top pros on the run (dead sprint!), in nasty, uncomfortable, and mind-boggling positions.  Yet they are fighting like sunsabitches to weasel their way back into the point. Many juniors fall into the trap of only doing drills that are warm and fuzzy, working on their technique, minimizing the movement. Ahem, crosscourts! Ahem, feeding drills!  

On a funny and serious note, here is Herm Edwards, the infamous NY Jets and Kansas City Chiefs Coach talking to reporters after another poor performance.  "Hello!? You play to win the game!" Yes, in tennis, you play to win.  Technique goes out the door when you are sprinting 20mph...backwards....into the corner...snot up your nose...opponent on top of the net...switching your grip to find the right angle...sliding into the shot...breathing heavily...odds stacked impossibly against you...diving into the shot...PLAY TO WIN! Perfection is out the door, you play to win!  

My Karma Ran Over My Dogma

Tennis is a difficult sport to learn because of the many components that must be perfectly orchestrated in order to produce a player's individual masterpiece. However, when learning the game, it is becoming on a player to use some critical thinking and analytical skills in order to cut through the flak, misinformation as well as seemingly conflicting information and get to the truth. In this regard, when a coach tells you to "never" do this or "never" attempt that, it is helpful to keep in mind that because the game is so complex, the "never" can mean "most of the time", "sometime" or "heck, I don't know. I don't feel like explaining the difference...just don't do it again".

Take for example our previous article on building forearm and wrist strength. In the article, we sought to emphasize the importance of having a strong grip. One of our favorite readers mentioned, like many players across the United States, that he was taught to hold the racket with the same grip strength that he would use when holding a bird. Sound advice...but is it? USPTA High Performance Coach and former WTA player Yvonne Gallop takes issue with this approach. Her opinion is that the grip must be varied to take into account pace of the oncoming shot as well as your intent vis-a-vis the ball. For example, squeezing the grip against a hard, incoming ball will propel the ball past it's intended target (like a ball rebounding against a wall). Similarly, having an overly-stiff grip and wrist against a soft ball may prevent you from generating sufficient pace. In short, there is no rule of thumb...it's a lot of trial and error and integrating various components (emphasizing some; de-emphasizing others) in the particular circumstance. 

Nevertheless, this brings into question an interesting concept: when we're talking about grip STRENGTH are we, ipso facto, talking about grip PRESSURE? The answer is "no". Think of grip strength as a barbell collar (device that keeps the weights from sliding off the bar). It is a pretty sturdy device made out of metal (first picture above) yet it slides easily onto the bar. If the bar is levered (i.e. tipped) against the collar, the latter won't break...because it's strong. On the other hand, grip pressure is the inward force (purple and red arrows in the second picture, above) that the collar applies to the bar when it's squeezed shut. Once it's locked, the bar doesn't slide within the collar due to the application of this pressure and friction. So, as a player, it's important to be strong when it comes to your grip so that you can apply the right amount of pressure as required by the particular circumstance. Try holding the racket like a birdie against an Isner rocket serve and you'll be collecting the stick from the next ZIP code. On the other hand, try choking the handle against a soft ball and your shot will have difficulty clearing the net.

In a similar vein, when talking about which grip is best and which one this player has or that player favors, keep in mind that there is no general rule. Take for example, tennis legend's Johan Kriek's take on Roger Federer's forehand grip:

"Roger adapts his forehand grip depending on the height of the ball...I have been doing it also for many years...tricky hey!" and "I used to use a continental grip but a little more to the strong backhand grip due to everybody thinking my backhand was the place to serve, which was great for me since it was actually my best shot. I could do anything off my backhand; my forehand was changed 2 years into my career from a continental to a more semi western grip but I used a little more eastern grip on fast surfaces. In 1986 I got to the semis of the French and that was for me one of the most satisfying results ever because of what it took in mental strength to attack so much on clay and the stamina it took to grind and attack at the right time. I eventually lost to Lendl but I was cooked physically by then, just too many 5 setters."

Many authorities, including Larry Stefanki, said the same thing about Bjorn Borg's forehand grip...that he adjusted it based on surface and trajectory of incoming ball. How many teaching pros have told you that you should probably master one forehand but be well-versed in many other grips?! Probably not many. How many pros have told you: (a) never hit swinging volleys (what about a floater?); (b) never play in the no-man's land (what if the opponent can't hit past the service line?); (c) never hit a flat second serve (what if you're serving for the match at 5-3; 40-0?); (d) never hit a drop-shot from behind the baseline (what if the opponent is 15 feet behind the baseline and tired?); (e) never serve and volley on clay (what about Johan Kriek's amazing run to the semis of the French Open?); (f) never hit to your opponent's strength (what if you want to do so in order to open up a weakness); etc.

When it comes to tennis, there are exceptions to every rule. It's your job as a player to read through the "nevers" as well as the "always" and determine when you should apply the exception and when to apply the rule. The more you play, the more experience you will acquire and the more adept you will become at parsing the communication. No coach in the world will be able to give you the exact recipe for every shot or every play since the exact factors that may exist in a practice scenario may be missing in a match. Accordingly, you have to do the dirty work of discovering the game yourself.