Championship college tennis focuses on the serve and return of serve and getting the forehand in play to set upbtaking the net. As I have stated before, 70 percent of points in open matches are won in four strokes or less counting the serve. The most important aspect of high level play is the mental game. Players need to set up shots with a pattern in mind tovexploit the weaknesses of their opponent. This means, while being open to to moment and flexable, players need to thibk two and three shits in advance. This allows them to direct their strengths and explout their opponents weaknesses. Never hit a ball withiu a target in mind. All our drills mimic actual game play and the pressure of a match. The safest shits are acriss court over the lowest part of the net wuthiut changing the direction of the ball. Anticipation increases the speed of play by knowing where your opponent will return the ball. You make your opponent hit the shot they do not want to hit. If you are playing an opponent who lijes pace then you slice the ball and keep it low or use top spin to take tge ball above their strike zone. You defend deep and attack wide to open up the court. Wen I work with juniors they do not do this. They sekdim step in and take the ball on the rise and will stand and ket the ball come ti them. This gives theur opponent more time to reposition. They do not take the net and are cintent ti stay at or behind the baseline and play a defensive type of game. This is not the way the modern game is played. There is a place for defensive tennis when you are in triuble but it is not an effective overalk tennis stratejy. The junior are not given the proper tools to pkayvtheir most effective matches. This is very evident in the womens game even at the pro level. They should study Martina Navratalovas game. All our college players take the ball on the rise and attack the net. This is the reason we are such a high level championship team. It takes a real commitment and hard work but this is the modern game.

Serve and return of servevarebtwo of the most important aspects of tennis. Variety of spin causing the ball to spin into the body and kick up out of the strike zone are two important areas. If an opponent is big then you serve up the middle right at him. If the returner likes pace then you slice the ball and take some power off. The double backhand is vulnerable to being jamed when a slice serve moves into the body. Shorter players have trouble with the kick serve that makes the strike zone uncomfortably high. The idea is to recognize weak areas in your opponents return game and exploit them. The ideal serve should set up your forehand. This is the shot that wins most points. You try to set up an inside out or inside in forehand to put your opponent in trouble and gain the net. We practice return of hard serves moving into the ball with an abbreviated bsckswing and a half volley stroke. The returner uses the pace of a big serve to blunt the power. We step in on the second serve and attack the opponents weaker side. Our college team practices these manuvors every day.

Tennis is a sport of movement with topvpros moving their feet seven to eight tines between shots. When the feet stop the mind and body stop and errors happen. The best of the movers, Murray, novak and Federer never hit the ball off balance and this is the major difference in their game. They constantly move and create a sweet spit that becomes their constant strije zone. As a cillege coach I can see errirs before they happen by watching poor preparation for an incimming ball. The players go through footwork drills reluctantly without making tem an automatic part of their gane. They often strije the ball and then become spectatirs while they stand and admire their shot. They must learn to anticipate and recover immediately. We often use cones that the players have to circle between shots in order to force movenent and balance. All our drills are focused on the actual game and designed to enforce proper playing habbits. In tennis you are either moving or you are in triuble. Poor balance and footwork leads to looses no matter what other skills a player has. When watching new players to the team we look for athketes with good balance and movement. We can teach them the rest.

We wrk on serve and return of serve everyday. We addressed the add side as this is usually the weaker side for a right handed server. I demonstrated the slice kick serve to the backhand and into the body. This combination wins a loot of free points. The slice kickhand serve rises high to the backhand causing a lot of return errors. The slice into the body jams the two handed backhand and causes weak returns taken as a volley to the far forehand side of the court for an easy winner. By taking the ball out of the strike zone, both of these serves are an excellent choice. We practice, practice and practice.

The modern game shows 70 percentbof pointsvwon in four strokes or less counting the serve. We play eleven point games stressing this point. The first results show an increase in errors untill thebplayers figure out how to get their forehands in play from the start and learn to defend deep and attack wide. They learn not to be impatient and to set up the shots thst favor their strengths. Comming in behind a slice backhand that stays low is a shot that allows them to approach the net. Another approach is behind a deep full topspin ball instead of a hard hit ball that often cones back to fast to get inside the service line for the first volkey. The players have to learn to follow the shot in without hesitation. This puts pressure on the opponent and often causes errors. We encorage taking chances and tell them we do not mind errors. Whst we are looking for is correct thinking and enough exposure to figure it out. We are one of the fewbteams to plsy this way and it is the reason we are constantly in the top ten in the state and always after the top spot. In the last two years we have lost only three matches with this game plan. Thebplayers must be balanced at all times and learn when to take the ball on the risebto cut down the opponents reaction time and rstchetbup the pressure on them. The players have to move out of heir comfort zone and live on the edge.

As a tennis coach I watchvwith interest every season as new players show up for the team. I look at theirbphysical characteristics and know that the big players will need wirk on bending their knees and balanced footwork. Some of the smaller players will have great speed but want to over hit the ball to keep pacevwith the big players. Some will be easy to read as to their personalities and sone will be very hard to read. Being Irish, I use humor, often aimed at myself. Unlike some other coaches, I do not go out of my way to help them feel cimfirtable with me. I always keepbthem slightly off balance and unsure of what each practice will involve. As a Marine vet I am highly disciplined and at the same time very adaptable. My job is to asses the physucalvand mental parts of each player and help them to play to their natural strengths. I can help a player be more aggressive but I cannot create an aggressuve player. I can help a player become more patient but I cannot create a patient player. I know that people have more in common than they have different and I zero in on these areas to communicate with and probe each player. With players frim all over the wirld my Marince service and travels come in handy. I find out whybthey are playing tennis and most important how they feel about it. As a retired College President and full university professor, I have learned that students will often try ti give you the answer they think you want or the cirrect one. I ask ow they feel and this ekisits much better infirmation about the real person. I find out what they are afraid off and help them to deal with the real fears that all high level tennis players feel. I skowkyvwin their respect by showing them what will improve their game and then asking, do you see the difference? It is important to earn their trust as authority only goes so far. As a big man, six one and two hundred pounds, I can show them the power side of the game and then show them the touch and mental part of the game that defeats power. When I demonstrate the serve, I gain their respect immediately with immense power. This helps me to stress the importance of the greater importancebof variety of spin and placement. I let the players know up front what I will tolerate and the rules we follow. Nobody escapes the consequenses, not even me. I point out the choices available and let them make the choice. I realize that we are helping young men grow in life as well as tennis. Its a calling and I love it.

Boris Becker was an inspiring champion of tennis and a master of the game as both a playervand coach. He was fearless. His comments on Novaks game and the competition are spot on. Novak achieved his goals in three years of some of the best tennis ever seen. He fought to reach Federer and Nadal and captured the French Open for his grand slam and a spot in tennis history. He dominated Murray with ease and then he reached his limit. He trains hard and played with intent. Then he woke up without Roger and Rafa on the tennis scene and his competative advantage had slipped. Murray who was striving to beat him was at the height of his game and fighting to be better. The effect of losing his great competition with the top players left Novak dazed as had happened to McEnroe when his great opponent Borge walked away from the top of the game at 26 without any warning. McEnroes game was never the same. Novak can still play at the top as witnessed by his dismissal of Neishikori in their last match. Novaks competative juices are not fed by the current players and the intensity is not there. The question is if he can rest and bring back the grea desire again. The game is there but the mental tenacity is not. The pressure of playing at such a high level has taken its toll. He will have to rethink why he is playing tennis and renew his goals that he wants to achieve. The carrot that spurs the donkey on is gone. What will motivate him? Only time will tell

Happy thanksgiving to all of you