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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.

The Spinshot Player Tennis Ball Machine

On By Teresa Merklin

I have a complicated relationship with my Spinshot Player Ball Machine. It was purchased because I needed something that could deliver a precise series of shot patterns. When the machine is fully programmed and tuned, it does that very well. In fact the word I use to describe that state is nirvana. However, anyone considering purchasing a Spinshot should be aware that it takes considerable tinkering to get to that point.

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The Lobster Ball Machine

On By Teresa Merklin

Tennis ball machines hold a special place in my heart. I personally own two full fledged ball machines as well as a toy that has been repurposed to effectively work as a ball machine. My local tennis club has a commercial grade ball machine that I also frequently use. I love them all. I have decided to write about them in order of acquisition which means that my Lobster Elite 2 which was purchased back in 2009 is the first out of the chute.

Rene Lacoste’s Ball Machine

On By Teresa Merklin

Rene Lacoste is best known for the premium brand of sporting apparel that bears his name. He won seven Grand Slam Championships and was one of the “Four Musketeers” of the formidable French Davis Cup team that dominated tennis in the late 20s and early 30s. He also invented the ball machine, a fact that I was reminded of during my recent reading of “Ted Tinling: Sixty Years in Tennis.”

The Best of Bag Check: Marat Safin’s Laundry Bag

On By Teresa Merklin

If you can fight through the obvious product placement promotional schtick, some genuinely useful items regularly emerge from the racquet bags of the pros appearing on the Tennis Channel Bag Check series. One of the oldest Bag Check videos featured Marat Safin. In related news, Safin is the answer to the trivia question “Who was the last man to win a Grand Slam Title before Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal started their joint reign of terror?” in professional men’s tennis. You can probably win a bar bet armed with that knowledge.

The Best of Bag Check: Caroline Wozniacki and Resistance Bands

On By Teresa Merklin

Since the moment they first appeared, I have been a huge fan of the Bag Check short segments that run as commercial fillers on the Tennis Channel. Once you cut through the blatant product placement, some genuinely useful objects are frequently revealed in the series. This presents is the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at some of the gems that have emerged from the professional player’s bag over they years.

The Tennis Cone Game

On By Teresa Merklin

The “Cone Game” is one of my favorite tennis practice drills. In fact I carry a set of orange cones in my portable ball hopper at all times. Whenever a week passes when I don’t engage in this drill, I detect a perceptible drop in consistency during match play. The cone game may be the most essential drill that I perform on a regular basis.

The Topspin Pro Tennis Training Aid

On By Teresa Merklin

The tennis players that are playing in this year’s Australian Open series recently exited a fourteen day mandatory quarantine period required of everyone who enters Australia. While in isolation, some of the players were allowed to leave the quarantine hotel for a few hours each day under controlled conditions to train and receive treatment. However, many of the players were forced into a “hard” quarantine after others on their chartered flights tested positive for the COVID virus on arrival. Those players were not allowed to leave their rooms at all.