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    The day your kid beat you in tennis....

    Recently I've noticed that my kid is more consistent than me in warm ups. I am the first one to miss in rallies ( I continue counting the number when I miss or let the ball bounce twice but when he misses we start from unfair). I don't have to hold back much when I rally with him. In...
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    Grip size question

    My current grip is 4 5/8. I'm willing to try the new trend of going down in grip size. Should I go down to 4 1/2 or 4 3/8? What should I be expecting with smaller grip sizes? More spin, but higher risk of hurting wrist?
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    Kids group lesson observations

    1. Coaches love group lessons. In my area, it's $20-25 an hour/kid. The good ones limit the number of students to 5, the bad ones cram 8-10 kids onto one court. Easy money. Much easier than giving private lessons. 2. Most of the time, kids are waiting around for their turn to hit. The good ones...
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    Gender difference

    I set up practice matches for my son. I ask a boy's Dad, "Does Johnny want to play a match on Sunday?" The reply usually goes "Sure, what time?" I ask a girl's dad, "Does Jennifer want to play a match on Sunday?" The reply usually goes "Let me ask her if she wants to play and I will get back to...
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    Stop calling it footwork

    I hear coaches say so and so needs to work on footwork. That person goes out and gets jump ropes, does ladder drills, gets a ball that bounces funny everytime you drop it and a whole bunch of other "footspeed" exercises. And in the end, he still has bad footwork. Most of time, when somebody...
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    USTA junior tennis change in 2021

    I heard a rumor that starting in 2021, U10 can petition out of the USTA red/orange/green progression pathway. Is that true? If yes, how exactly does that work?
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    UTR level vs age correlation

    Does anyone know the UTR level vs age correlation for top male juniors in a competitive section say Florida or Southern California? I know kids aren't ranked until they are a certain age ... looking for a guideline. Age6 = UTR? Age7 = UTR? Age8 = UTR? Age9 = UTR? Age10 = UTR? and So on
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    Junior group clinic: Is there such thing as too much points play?

    My kid goes to a local group clinic. He is about mid pack in terms of playing ability. They spend the majority of time playing points, king of the hill type of format. They drill some but the majority of time is spend playing points. My kid loves playing points and I am happy with his progress...
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    Nick Bollettieri has found another cash cow (just my opinion)

    It's my opinion, Nick Bollettieri has found another cash cow. He is moving to SoCal. Charging $225 entry fee for a junior tournament. If your kid is not UTR rated, he will view your kid's video and rate your kid for a $150 nominal fee. Shame on you Nick (just my opinion)! If you are rich and...
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    Is tennis gaining popularity?

    I've noticed that tennis courts are very busy these past few weeks. The court times are hard to get. Private lessons slots are booked. Group lessons are starting up and the class size is getting smaller. Tennis being an individual sport, like cycling, is gaining popularity as team sports remain...
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    Gender difference

    Serena Williams is a UTR 13. Federer is a UTR 16. At some point in development, the physiological difference takes over and boys become better in tennis than girls. I am just wondering at what age do they start to diverge? The reason I ask is my son trains with my friend's daughter. We do...
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    Federer started playing tennis at 8 myth busted

    Straight from the horse's mouth. at 11:33
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    When coach and parent don't agree on something....

    For example, grip change. Coach says the kid should go with Semi-Western but the parent wants to see eastern forehand grip. Parent is a Federer fan, can careless what's better for modern tennis. Parent wants to see a little Roger Federer clone. What would you do if a coach and parent don't see...
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    Two handed backhand player’s backhand slice, to disguise or not to disguise

    I introduced my kid to slice last week. He has a two handed backhand. I taught him the traditional way with the off hand holding the throat of the racquet at the onset of the slice. Afterwards, I started to wonder wouldn’t it be better for a two hander to disguise the slice by holding the...
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    Junior moonball

    Watching my son's green dot class before the lockdown and wonder when do kids stop hitting moon balls? Is it a natural progression that as they get better, stronger, faster, better timing, they will start to drive the ball more. Or is it something that needs to be taught and told not to? It...
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    U7 vs U8 question

    In soccer, U5 and U6 kids are very different physically. U6 kids are so much more coordinated and run much faster. How do U7 and U8 tennis kids compare? Is the tennis/physical ability gulf between 7 and 8 year olds as wide as that between 5 and 6 year olds?
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    Do ROGY kids know how to handle high balls?

    Back in the days when kids learned tennis with regular yellow balls, for the first few years of their playing life, all they see are high balls and moon balls. They got adept at hitting balls over their head and shoulders. The good ones eventually learn to crush these balls. Now with the ROGY...
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    Jannik Sinner

    I have been watching the Next Gen ATP final. Really like this kid Jannik Sinner. His backhand reminds me of Berdych/Djokovic. Good athlete, possess an ideal height for a tennis player. We might be looking at a future top 10 here.
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    Afraid to take group lessons

    I recently got to talk with the parents of this boy. The boy is 6 years old, has beautiful strokes. I ask the parents why don't they put him in a group class where the kids play points and rally. They said they are afraid that the boy would pick up bad habits. I was like "bad habits"? Like in...
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    Coach search

    I have been coaching my son myself for the past 6 months. He is improving nicely but in the back of my mind I always wonder what if he had a more experienced coach. I have no coaching experience, I don't know how a 5 year old should hit or what they are capable of. I am the one that taught him...
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    Eastern grip to Semi Western for hard is the switch?

    I have a grip dilemma. My son is 5.5 years old. I taught him eastern forehand. Federer is my God and I want my son to hit forehands like him. I have no illusions of my son turning pro and all I want for him is to play an attacking brand of tennis. The problem is he is not getting least...
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    Indian wellsn question

    How does one find out when the pros will hit the practice courts? My friends and I are going to indian wells to watch some tennis. Does anyone know if they post the practice courts schedule anywhere or is it a get there and hope you are lucky thing? We want to watch Roger Federer practice.
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    Avoid a match with a chip pusher?

    I am in this awesome tennis ladder with close to 50 active players. Most guys are 4.0 and a few are 4.5. Among the 4.0s, there are a few that are pushers who chips at the ball all the time and drop shot you. By definition, they aren't true 4.0s but because of their style of play, they win enough...
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    Volkl Power Bridge 10 Mid 4 5/8 grip size 8/10

    2 gently used and never abused 2011 Volkl power bridge 10 Mid racquets for sale. 4 5/8 grip size. one is 8/10 and the other one is 9/10. $200 for both or $115 for one. Ships from Los Angeles. Buyer pays shipping.