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Great Christmas Gifts for Tennis Players (2024 Edition) Ultimate Stocking Stuffer List for Tennis Players (2024 Edition) Secrets of Winning Tennis The USTA Encourages Double Dipping The Speed Ladder Tennis Beyond the Headlines: November 18, 2024 A Balanced Diet: Healthy Tennis Engagements

Maple Syrup as Energy Gel

On By Teresa Merklin

“Fireball.” That was my absolutely favorite comment I received via Facebook after posting “The 2020 Ultimate Stocking Stuffer List for Tennis Players” last Friday. For inexplicable reasons, that comment reminded me of this clip of Vasek Popisil chugging a brown liquid from a bottle during a change over earlier this year. In that case, the substance being consumed was not his “on-court liquor of choice” — which I recently learned is a widespread phenomenon — but rather Maple Syrup.

USTA League Registration Improvements

On By Teresa Merklin

Last Thursday the USTA sent out an email addressed to all league captains announcing enhancements that should help league captains find and recruit prospective new players. It is a genuinely useful enhancement to the system that is going to help more teams form. At the same time, it illuminates how some local league rules in my area make it unlikely that many captains will actually have the luxury to use all aspects of the tool.

Great Technology Gifts for Tennis Players

On By Teresa Merklin

This weekend, the Fiend at Court has been exploring gift ideas for serious tennis players. Friday led off with the “Ultimate Stocking Stuffer List for Tennis Players.” Yesterday’s topic was the “Ultimate Tennis Equipment Gifts for Players.” Today I am wrapping up (see what I did there?) this three part series by writing about Technology gifts. These items are generally non-tennis specific gifts that are perfect in a tennis context.

The United States Tennis Association: Raising the Game

On By Teresa Merklin

I have been reading Warren F. Kimball’s book The United States Tennis Association: Raising the Game almost all year. It has been an invaluable resource for me as I have explored the purpose and culture of the USTA. This book has frequently been listed in my resources/citations section of my posts. It is a fabulous account of the early history of the USTA and the development of tennis in the United States.

When On-Court Coaching is Allowed in Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

This week’s Rules of Tennis topic focuses on the exceptions to the “no coaching” rule. Those special cases are codified directly into the ITF Rules of Tennis. Fundamentally, there are two situations when coaching is allowed. The first is during certain team events. The second is if a sanctioning body receives approval from the ITF to allow on-court coaching at specified events.

Tennis and Corrective Lenses: A Low Tech Solution

On By Teresa Merklin

I have worn glasses since I was about ten years old. I will never forget the day that my first pair of prescription lenses arrived. The first stop after we picked them up and had them fitted at the optician was one of the local tennis centers. We had hit balls for a few short minutes when the umpire who gave birth to me excitedly called me up to the net to tell me that I was playing really well in the new specs. From my side of the court, I didn’t notice much of a difference.

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First One In

On By Teresa Merklin

In a significant Fiend at Court departure, today I am writing about a movie. I would characterize it as “a cute little show.” Until fairly recently, I would have lamented that there are no truly great movies about tennis. In 2017, Battle of the Sexes and Borg vs McEnroe changed that. Even with those titles anchoring the top two spots, I would be hard pressed to find ten movies to even construct a “Top Ten Tennis Movies” list.