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Fail Faster: The Critical Skill of Tennis Finding the Sweet Spot of Failure Failure is (Sometimes) the Best Option Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness The Psychology of Rules Versus Requests Child’s Pose Tennis Beyond the Headlines: September 30, 2024

Talk to the Hand: A Halep of a Red Dress

On By Teresa Merklin

“2018 AO Flashback: Fashion Hits and Misses” published last Sunday focused on the duplicity of the Baseline Tennis columns highlighting fashion “Hits” and “Misses” from The Australian Open in 2018. That year was selected intentionally and it wasn’t because of the garish bright salmon color that was predominate in the Nike line that year. In 2018, Romanian tennis player Simona Halep was the lead photo and story in the “Misses” column. The official Tennis Channel twitter account, a part of the same media conglomerate as Baseline Tennis, even tweeted about Halep as a fashion “miss.”

Losing Points in Wheelchair Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

Long time readers of the Fiend at Court may recall that I rejoiced when this steady march through the ITF Rules of Tennis reached the section titled “Player Loses Point.” I am nothing, if not an expert, in the art of losing a point. Now that this project is in the midst of the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis, it comes at no surprise to discover that there are some unique ways in which a wheelchair player can lose a point.

Harsh Realities Revealed in the USTA Digital Platform Update

On By Teresa Merklin

The USTA sent an email to all playing members on March 5. That message contained an important update on the status of the deployment of the new digital platform, Serve Tennis. An identical news story was simultaneously released to the USTA web site. In typical USTA fashion, the subject line of “Competitive Pathway,” as well as leading off with some “rah-rah” news of PAC report tennis participation data, buries the lead. Additionally, the message any conveyed optimistic statements about how awesome the new competitive pathway is going to be for tennis players before getting to the crux of the issue.

2018 AO Flashback: Fashion Hits and Misses

On By Teresa Merklin

The dawn of each Grand Slam tournament sparks a ritual in the Fiend at Court household. I say something along the lines of “It’s official. Nike has completely run out of attractive color combinations.” To which the Fiend at Court spousal unit replies “Please don’t buy me any of that.” Fun fact: Outside of league and tournament swag, almost the entirety of the Fiend at Court household’s tennis wardrobe has been gleaned from the clearance rack of one of the major online tennis retailers. We are experts in what is likely to eventually be offered at deep discount.

Best Dressed at the Australian Open: Serena Williams?

On By Teresa Merklin

Before I delve too deeply into this topic, I first have to make it perfectly clear that my personal policy is to never accept fashion advice from an engineer. If the relevancy of that statement is not immediately obvious, let me provide a reminder the tag line of this blog here: “An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily tennis journal.” Based on a lifetime of experience, engineers and fashion don’t normally play well together.

Venus Envy by Jon Wertheim

On By Teresa Merklin

At first glance, the selection of Venus Envy by Jon Wertheim might seem strange. My ambivalence toward biographies of players who are still competing is well documented on this site, and the story of Venus Williams and her professional tennis career has yet to conclude. Additionally, based solely on the title, it might be easy to assume that this book might be more appropriate in February during Black History Month. Ultimately, Venus Envy is the perfect selection to kick off Women’s History Month in March.

Service Alternatives in Wheelchair Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

As we continue to work through the Rules of Wheelchair tennis, the final adaptation for delivery of the service presents a perplexing conundrum. While some wheelchair players can execute a conventional tennis serve, sometimes physical limitations make that action an impossibility. There is a rule adaptation that accommodates that situation.

Billie Jean King’s Eye Coach

On By Teresa Merklin

I am living in fear that at some point in the near future the management at my new tennis club will wake up to the fact that giving me 24×7 access to indoor courts and unlimited ball machine usage is a bad idea. Until then, I will continue to haunt the facility in the wee hours of the morning working on my technique and consistency. This brings us to the topic of Billie Jean King’s Eye Coach.

Breaking the Ice

On By Teresa Merklin

Many years ago I once chipped ice off a tennis court before playing a junior match in the Cotton Bowl tennis tournament. That event is an indelible part of our family lore. To add insult to injury, I lost the ensuing match. The Umpire who Gave Birth To Me watched me play from the cozy confines of the pro shop. She was less than impressed with my level of energy during the match as evidenced by the fact that I never took my sweats off. It was c-c-c-c-old.