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The Playmate Grand Slam Ball Machine

On By Teresa Merklin

I am stunned at how dramatically commercial grade ball machines have improved since my playing days of yore. In fact, my personal ball machines that I have been writing about over the past few weeks are generally on par with the commercial machines that I grew up with. More recently, I am enjoying almost unlimited access to a modern commercial grade Playmate Grand Slam ball machine. It is a lot more powerful than the battery powered personal devices that I own.

USTA Launches Rally for the Future Fundraising Campaign

On By Teresa Merklin

In 2020 this site donated the proceeds from this site to the USTA “Rally to Rebuild” initiative which was sponsored by the USTA Foundation. Last week USTA members received an email from Chris Evert announcing the follow-on to that campaign, “Rally for the Future.” Both benefit the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network. The NJTL is an in-school tennis and education program targeted at under-resourced youth across the country.

When Andy was Roddick’s Little Brother

On By Teresa Merklin

Andy Roddick loved to hit tennis balls from a very young age. The Umpire Who Gave Birth to me experienced that firsthand when Andy was 8 or 9 years old. She was officiating the Hamilton Park Tennis Center site for the Texas Junior Grand Slam tournament. While John Roddick was making a name for himself with the officials for… uhm… spirited behavior during the tournament, young Andy somewhat salvaged the family reputation by being generally adorable. Too young to play in the tournament, Andy was desperate to hit tennis balls with anyone who would tap them back and forth with him. The tournament desk kept him plied with used tennis balls to use at the backboard just to keep him out from underfoot.

An Ode to Slab Courts

On By Teresa Merklin

Yesterday I lamented how my hometown systematically blocks public access to tennis courts that are ordinarily open in other municipalities. After being thwarted by the locks and chains at the middle school courts last weekend, I swung by a couple of courts that I knew would be available. As far as I know, Belair Park has the only courts in Wichita Falls that are routinely open and accessible. In fact, there are no gates at all so they can’t be closed and locked.

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.