An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
I don’t think it is unreasonable to stake the claim that the Fiend at Court has independently reviewed more tennis books over the last two years than any other site. That being said, there were quite a few notable titles first published this year that I never got around to reading. (So many books, so little time.) Today I am sharing books from 2021 that are in personal reading queue that I plan to get around to covering… eventually.
The ATP recently unveiled plans to modify medical timeouts for tour events. Since the announcement came in the same press release as the new bathroom break rules, it kind of got lost in the shuffle. Additionally, the ATP has not determined exactly when this new rule will be effective. The expectation is that it will come sometime in 2022.
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I am still completely enamored with the SwingVision application. I have always been a big proponent of video review, but until SwingVision came into my life, my primary usage was pretty much confined to examination of individual stroke mechanics. My recent session using SwingVision with a ball machine illustrates how the heat map generated by the application opens a much wider perspective.
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USTA CEO Michael Dowse abruptly resigns, the ITF confirms that there are no World Tour events in China in 2022, and tennis great Darlene Hard passes away.
Last Wednesday we reviewed a new rule associated with toilet breaks that the ATP tour is implementing in 2022. It is a clear and direct response to the media coverage and backlash surrounding the toilet habits of Stefanos Tsitispas. Buried at the end of the ATP announcement of the rule, was an innocuous little sentence that the penalty for extended bathroom breaks are Time Violations.
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I finally got around to trying out SwingVision and was very impressed with the results. In fact, I immediately applied to be a brand ambassador for the product. I am absolutely kicking myself for not trying it out much sooner. As a strong proponent of video analysis, any technology that reduces the workload required for meaningful review is transformational.
The WTA takes bold and decisive action on the Peng Shuai crisis propelling Steve Simon to sports leadership prominence. Meanwhile the ATP decided to “monitor the situation” which is only marginally better than the IOC’s “quiet diplomacy” of complicity.
In “When a USTA Level 4 Tournament… Isn’t” three weeks ago, I repeatedly emphasized the phrase: “The draw format of a tournament should not materially alter the rankings point allocation for the players.” The reason for belaboring that foundational truth is that it is key to understanding the ongoing player frustration over the USTA tournament rankings points allocations. In the intervening time, I continue to wonder if the policy makers have fully accepted or internalized that feedback. Perhaps an example will help.
Details on how I approached the November challenge in the USTA Tennis Champions Program. Criticism mounts over the IOC’s handling of the Peng Shuai disappearance.
The impact of the pandemic has raised the public consciousness on the importance of supporting small locally owned and operated businesses. The retail pro shop attached to clubs or tennis centers are firmly in that category. If you are considering giving someone the gift of tennis, the pro shop at your local tennis center is an obvious first start.