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Tragically Beautiful: Locked Tennis Courts

On By Teresa Merklin

Last Saturday was a beautiful sunny day in my hometown. It was also perfectly windy. It is Wichita Falls, after all. Lately I have been making a point of hitting serves on windy days while facing the sun. My plan to hit a couple of baskets of serves with some backboard work for a full workout was thwarted by a red ball kids tournament fully occupying all the courts at the club. (Huzzah!) This is what brought me to the tragically locked gates of a local junior high school blocking my access to beautiful tennis courts and a backboard.

The Tennis Ball and the Metric System

On By Teresa Merklin

This week we are moving into the Appendices of the “ITF Rules of Tennis”. It is tempting to celebrate the milestone, but we still have a long way to go. The main body of the rules concludes on page 19 as published in the USTA’s “Friend at Court.” The appendices run through page 36. The first topic on the docket as we continue to march through the rules is Appendix I, “The Ball.”

Tennis Training Hack: SKLZ Soft Toss Machine

On By Teresa Merklin

The sports training company SKLZ sells a “Catapult Soft Toss” machine that is positioned as a baseball/softball trainer. I have one that I have repurposed for tennis training. It is a pretty good substitute for working on striking hand fed balls. Additionally it is highly portable. I have carried it in my checked baggage while on business travel for those occasions when I stay at a hotel with nearby tennis courts, but no backboard.

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The USTA Tennis Champions Initiative

On By Teresa Merklin

Last Monday this site published “Celebrate #NationalTennisMonth by Becoming an Ambassador to the Sport.” The gist of that post is that individuals in the tennis community need to step up to promote tennis in their communities because the USTA apparently wasn’t going to do it. Two days later, the USTA sourced “Baseline Tennis” newsletter contained a blurb announcing a USTA initiative for “Tennis Champions” to promote tennis in their communities. It is a great idea, if I say so myself.

The Tennis World’s Most Interesting Man: Torben Ulrich

On By Teresa Merklin

Torben Ulrich has a couple of albums on Spotify. I know that for a fact because as I was drafting this essay on his life I was struck with the sudden realization that his music was probably available there. Ulrich is one of the most fascinating characters I have stumbled across while writing for this site. While his music will not be a regular fixture on my Spotify rotation, I do have a sudden desire to own some of his artwork. To say that he is living an interesting life is an understatement.

The Wall

On By Teresa Merklin

The author of “Dynamite Doubles: Play Winning Tennis Today!” details how she got her start in tennis by hitting against “The Wall” at a tennis club in Denmark. Helle Sparre-Viragh’s parents essentially used the wall to keep her occupied while they played their own tennis. In addition to illustrating her early passion for hitting a tennis ball, Viragh advocates that the wall is an effective way to train. The top ranked professional player in Denmark would occasionally drop by the wall and train alongside Viragh.

Tennis Drill: Take Away the Net Drill

On By Teresa Merklin

Today I am sharing a tennis doubles drill which was adapted from Pat Blaskower’s “The Art of Doubles: Winning Tennis Strategies and Drills” and Helle Sparre Viragh’s “Dynamite Doubles: Play Winning Tennis Today” which are two books recently reviewed by this site. The drill explains the core principles of the staggered positions when both players are at the net. Even better, it is excellent practice for mastering that court positioning under dynamic playing conditions.

Dynamite Doubles: Play Winning Tennis Today

On By Teresa Merklin

I have an improbably large collection of tennis books on doubles strategy. To even the most casual observer of my doubles matches… it is patently obvious that I have not actually read any of them. That is, until last week when I embarked on a journey to correct that oversight. This week’s book is “Dynamite Doubles: Play Winning Tennis Today!” The selection was an absolute stroke of luck because it is very closely related to the book that was reviewed just last week.

USTA Comments on USTA Comments

On By Teresa Merklin

This week we have stumbled onto what may be the most meta part of the USTA Friend at Court handbook. In essence, the USTA Comment against the “Amendment of the Rules of Tennis” section in the ITF Rules of Tennis, explains why the USTA makes comments rather than modifications to the rules.