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Non-Tennis Gifts for Tennis Players 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

Racquets are Flying: TSA and Airline Regulations

On By Teresa Merklin

A couple of nights ago, the Fiend at Court Spousal Unit and I played a recreational husband-wife mixed doubles match. As we were engaging in the pre-match banter I realized that I was the only person on the court who was not about to travel to the USTA NTRP National Championships later this month. As they were discussing their travel arrangements, the topic of dealing with racquets on commercial flights arose. I have a lot of experience flying with my tennis racquets in tow. Everybody get your shocked face ready. This is yet another topic where my overthinking tendencies prevail.

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.

Sustaining Pandemic Momentum in Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

I am growing weary of media sources blithely quoting the 22% surge in tennis participation during the COVID-19 pandemic. That claim is based on a USTA press release which cited that fact from the most recent PAC Report. I have no doubt that tennis participation was up in 2020. With gyms and health clubs facilities shut down, people were naturally funneled into tennis. It is inherently well spaced and commonly played outdoors. The self congratulatory nature of the USTA’s press release and the mindless parroting of the same claim in various media articles in the intervening time… is repetitive and annoying.

Early Childhood Participation in Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

This weekend’s Fiend at Court Unplugged series has focused on the importance of building participation that feeds into the competitive Player Development pathways. To close out this topic, we are going to examine the initial consumer engagement model for two current Player Development programs. Over the previous two days, a case has been built that one of the keys to building elite level players is to attract and engage as many prospective players as possible. Not everyone will be a future Grand Slam Champion. However, increasing the numbers the number of players who pick up the sport and work through the competitive pathway increases the odds that someone from that program will emerge with a competitive chance to compete at the highest echelons of professional tennis.

Tennis Player Development: The Numbers Game

On By Teresa Merklin

“Every Russian Schoolboy Knows…” is a concept that was introduced yesterday. The Russians and Soviet Union dominated the international chess world championships for almost 50 years. As a community, they were simply better than everybody else. Soviet propaganda would assert that the dominance was a reflection of intellectual superiority. Others would point to the efficacy of the chess knowledge, training, and mentorship available in Russia. While that is certainly a part of it, it is also an undeniable fact that the sheer numbers of people that were formally and systematically taught to play chess was also a factor. The high levels of participation dramatically increased the odds that prodigies naturally skilled in chess would be identified. It was a numbers game.

The Rivals: Chris Evert vs Martina Navratilova

On By Teresa Merklin

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova is the greatest tennis rivalry ever. In the post Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal era (or perhaps the waning moments), placing Evert vs Navratilova on top of the list is a semi-hot take. Anyone who wants challenge my assertion that Evert vs Navratilova is the greatest rivalry of all time must first read The Rivals: Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova Their Epic Duels and Extraordinary Friendship. (Sponsored Link) It is required reading to meaningfully engage in that debate.

Tennis Drill: T and Biscuits

On By Teresa Merklin

One of my favorite tennis practice games is a drill I call T and Biscuits. It is an effective way to practice points that wind up in a wild scramble. The player on the receiving side of the net trains opportunities to stabilize a point from a defensive position. The person that feeds the first ball in this drill practices the art of maintaining a competitive edge once it is gained in a point. T and Biscuits is a drill that can be done with two players, which is how I normally play it. However, it is also great for group settings.

USPTA 2020 Financial Data Insights

On By Teresa Merklin

The USPTA released preliminary financial data for 2020 in the April edition of ADDVantage magazine. In a summary introduction of the information, USPTA CEO John R Embree indicated that it was shared in an effort to be fully transparent about the financial performance of the organization. This same data will eventually be publicly available once the USPTA’s IRS Form 990 goes on record. It is commendable that the USPTA is has delivered a summary of the organization’s finances in a reader friendly format directly to its membership. Most people are not aware that IRS 990s are public data and even fewer ever bother to take a look at them.

Tennis Vernacular: Walkabout

On By Teresa Merklin

Evonne Goolagong’s profile in Grace Lichtenstein’s “A Long Way Baby: Behind the Scenes in Women’s Pro Tennis” highlights her easy going demeanor. She never scowled or argued and rarely exhibited irritation over a missed shot. She played the game with child-like abandon and enjoyment. Goolagong personifies how people should experience playing tennis. It is supposed to be fun.

Tennis Vernacular: Treeing

On By Teresa Merklin

To the best of my recollection, I never encountered the term “treeing” back in the 70’s and 80’s when I was playing junior tennis. I was first exposed to the word and its meaning through the junior playing career of the Umpire I Gave Birth To. Consequently, I regarded the word as a distinctly modern term. “Treeing” in tennis occurs when a player rises above their normal skill level on a temporary basis. The most common usage of the term when I encounter it in the wild refers to a single shot. Treeing can also be exhibited for an extended duration spanning a few games or possibly even a set.

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