https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/Recent content on Online Tennis SchoolHugo -- gohugo.ioWed, 29 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/privacy-policy/Wed, 06 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/privacy-policy/Privacy Policy Last updated: July 20, 2026 This Privacy Policy explains how Online Tennis School (“Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and shares information when you use https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/ (the “Service” or “Website”). By using the Service, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/terms-conditions/Tue, 05 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/terms-conditions/Terms and Conditions Last updated: July 20, 2026 Please read these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) carefully before using https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/ (the “Service” or “Website”) operated by Online Tennis School (“Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/phase-play-offensive-defensive/Wed, 29 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/phase-play-offensive-defensive/Tennis can be described very simply in terms of three phases: offensive, neutral, and defensive. We are going to discuss some simple judgement errors that are common even among the pros, but far more common as we go down from 7.0 to 2.5 on the USTA scale. The neutral phase is the foundation of the game - but when we talk about losing the neutral phase, we need the three P’s: power, placement, and court position.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/tennis-life-at-the-extremes/Wed, 29 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/tennis-life-at-the-extremes/Take a short journey through imagination. Go back to a time you felt an extreme emotion - anger, frustration, fear at something small and sudden. How did you feel? Did you want to lash out? Did you do something you regret, or almost do something you never normally would? That emotion sat outside your normal range.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/building-future-champions/Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:59:03 -0700https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/building-future-champions/Building future champions requires a strong partnership and hard teamwork between player, coach, and parents. The secret is not a magic drill. It is commitment, hard work, and a simple structure you actually follow. Five major categories 1. Technical skills Strokes that hold up under pace and fatigue. Ongoing refinement, not a one-time “fix.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/values/Fri, 07 Nov 2014 15:40:24 +0600https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/values/I hope this metaphor helps you navigate the treacherous territory between winning and developing. Imagine you have been stuck in the woods for two weeks and stumble out on the verge of starvation. Your value for self-preservation is at full power. You see a basket of food that is not yours.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/processing-a-loss/Mon, 20 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/processing-a-loss/In every tournament there is only one winner. In a Grand Slam that means 127 disappointments and 1 satisfaction. Dealing with losses - and building through them - is a core skill of successful players. Emotional endurance Many of you wake up after a devastating loss feeling disempowered, anxious, hopeless: “If I have tried so many times, what will make the next attempt better?https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/learned-helplessness/Wed, 08 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/learned-helplessness/In brief In learned helplessness studies, an animal is repeatedly exposed to an adverse stimulus it cannot escape. Eventually it stops trying to avoid the stimulus and behaves as if it is helpless. When escape becomes available, learned helplessness means the animal still does not act. The experiment In Part 1 of Seligman and Maier’s classic work, three groups of dogs were placed in harnesses.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/changing-direction/Wed, 17 Sep 2014 16:59:03 -0700https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/changing-direction/Five laws for changing direction and going down the line. It is important to realize that going down the line off a cross-court ball is a risky proposition. There are two main reasons: Contact geometry. Changing the angle of the ball off the strings means you can catch it a little late and miss your target.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/phase-play-neutral/Tue, 16 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/phase-play-neutral/We are going to discuss some simple judgement errors that are common even among the pros - and far more common as we go down from 7.0 to 2.5 on the USTA scale. Tennis can be described very simply in terms of three phases: offensive, neutral, and defensive. We will start with the neutral phase, because it is the foundation of the tennis game.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/4-main-areas-of-development-top-level-player/Thu, 04 Sep 2014 16:51:59 -0700https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/4-main-areas-of-development-top-level-player/Players and parents need a map of the modern development path: technical work, physical work, emotional conditioning, and match knowledge - plus the environment that makes all four grow. The four pillars 1. Technique Excellent technique allows simplicity, accuracy, and reliability. It is a never-ending journey of refinement. Technique alone cannot win matches.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/overview-of-modern-tennis/Tue, 02 Sep 2014 16:54:49 -0700https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/overview-of-modern-tennis/An overview of the modern game for players and parents: what changed, what that demands, and which cultural habits fight against high-level development. How the game changed Racquets evolved; serve and return speed rose. Modern technique and equipment help top players maximize accuracy and spin. Semi-western and western grips, wide stances, and upper-body rotation into the ball are common tools for power with control.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/developing-a-top-level-player/Wed, 27 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/developing-a-top-level-player/This article gives players and parents an overview of psychological barriers to watch for, and what to look for in a coaching relationship that lasts. Parents and players who look only for technical expertise often believe technically superior shots make a great competitor. Executing under pressure involves far more than swing shape.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/overview-of-developing-a-tennis-player/Mon, 25 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/overview-of-developing-a-tennis-player/This article is for players and parents: the pathway, the psychological traps, and what an enduring coaching relationship actually looks like. The pathway Strong coach-player bonds leave a trail: Toni Nadal and Rafa; Steffi Graf and her father; Venus, Serena, and their father; the Bryan brothers and Wayne Bryan. These were not always “celebrity coaches.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/emotions/Tue, 12 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/emotions/Let’s use the example of laundry. I take my clothes off and throw them in the hamper. When it gets to the top, I have processing to do: wash, dry, fold. As long as I do this, the problem is never more than one basket. If I get lazy and let laundry pile up, eventually I have a room full of clothes and a long day of catch-up - or I live in chaos.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/leadership/Tue, 29 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/leadership/Too many players want six superstars at their practice session. They call and ask who is going to be there - and if the right people are not going, they skip the day, or they show up and goof around. That habit quietly caps your ceiling. Build the room you want to train in Instead of flying in superstars, lead by example and build up those around you.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/perspective-on-tournaments/Thu, 17 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/perspective-on-tournaments/I hear these comments too often: “I want to take it slow before my tournament tomorrow.” “This is a really important tournament.” Similar phrases everywhere. I want a different story to shake out the fallacy. The Microsoft interview metaphor On my way to a high-paying job at Microsoft, I clear many hurdles.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/how-to-beat-counterpuncher/Mon, 14 Jul 2014 12:50:46 -0700https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/how-to-beat-counterpuncher/The counterpuncher is one of the more feared opponents. I have personally struggled many times against this type of player, and I see my students go through many of the same struggles that I did. Know the style: Counter Puncher. The mental shift before the first ball There is an important mental shift you need when playing this type of player.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/high-performance-practice/Fri, 11 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/high-performance-practice/A quick note about high-performance practice. There is no such thing as a perfect practice - and the better you get, the harder it is to find equivalent practice partners. What to do? One answer is to fly Federer in at great expense. The other is to know how to play a game within a game.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/how-to-beat-aggressive-baseliner/Tue, 08 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/how-to-beat-aggressive-baseliner/Playing against an aggressive baseliner is never easy. They cover the court well and always look for a chance to attack. If you try to out-hit them in a pure power contest, you are usually playing their favorite sport. The better path - especially if you are a counterpuncher - is depth, variety of height and spin, and selective use of the short ball to drag them into places they do not love.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/developing-mental-toughness/Tue, 01 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/developing-mental-toughness/Mental toughness is a crucial part of the tennis game. Players without it can have all the natural talent in the world and still fall short of players with average physical tools and a sturdier mind. The great news: you do not have to be born mentally tough. It can be developed - the same way footwork and a second serve can be developed.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/detailing-your-practice/Mon, 23 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/detailing-your-practice/I like to think about practice sessions in categories. Random hitting is fine for a warm-up. Real improvement needs a named job for the next block of time. Consistency Set aside 30 minutes or more where the goal is simply not to miss. Choose lower-risk shapes, more net clearance, and ready these skills:https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/tennis-mental-toughness/Fri, 20 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/tennis-mental-toughness/The biggest and most basic weapon in tennis: mental toughness. Your technique, physical condition, and strategy matter enormously - but you must be mentally strong to win when those factors stop separating the two players. Very often, the biggest battle in a match is not against the opponent. It is against your own mind.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/chip-and-charge/Mon, 16 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/chip-and-charge/We are going to take a tactical journey through the most important game styles - what each style relies on, and how it matches up against the others. Chip and charge / hit and charge Chip and charge is a return tactic: the returner chips or slices the return and follows it to the net.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/serve-and-volley-player/Mon, 09 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/serve-and-volley-player/We are going to take a tactical journey through the most important game styles - what each style relies on to succeed, and how it matches up against the others. The Serve and Volley Player To become a successful serve-and-volley player, you must be tough and extremely quick. You do not need to concentrate for endless baseline rallies - but you must have a good serve, think quickly, and finish points fast.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/self-improvement/Sun, 08 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/self-improvement/A great competitor once told me that “competition merely justifies your process." Simple but true. Just like any test: if you have prepared well - relentlessly, consistently, covering the major touch points - you will do well. As a coach, I admire students who are willing to work hard to improve.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/excellent-technique/Wed, 04 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/excellent-technique/I get asked about the process of building excellent technique quite often, and I wanted to give a couple of thoughts that matter more than grip charts and YouTube frame-by-frame debates. Technique is a garden, not a project Think of your swings like your garden. When will you get to stop mowing it?https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/the-art-of-competition/Tue, 03 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/the-art-of-competition/Being a great competitor is very much like creating a painting or writing a beautiful song. Mastery inside the rules - then invention Look at great artists - Dalí, da Vinci, Escher. They were incredibly well versed in the rigid confines of their medium. They were also able to break those confines; Escher could make dimensions almost contradict mathematical norms.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/all-court-player/Sun, 01 Jun 2014 16:56:24 -0700https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/all-court-player/We are going to take a tactical journey through the most important game styles - what each style relies on to succeed, and how it matches up against the others. The All-Court Player All-court players hit big serves to precise targets. They keep the opponent off balance by mixing speed, spin, and placement.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/aggressive-baseliner/Sun, 01 Jun 2014 16:54:49 -0700https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/aggressive-baseliner/We are going to take a tactical journey through the most important game styles - what each style relies on to succeed, and how it matches up against the others. The Aggressive Baseliner Aggressive baseliners tend to hit the serve a little bigger, in an attempt to create free points and short balls where they can use their dominant forehand.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/counter-puncher/Sun, 01 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/counter-puncher/We are going to take a tactical journey through the most important game styles - what each style relies on to succeed, and how it matches up against the others. The Counter Puncher Counterpunchers hit their targets with a high percentage of first serves. They develop good enough serves to start the point in a neutral position, tending to use a solid three-quarter-speed first serve in order to keep percentage high.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/meet-matthew-biondi/Sun, 01 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/meet-matthew-biondi/I had the chance to pick the brain of Matthew Biondi - 11-time Olympic medalist in swimming, Hall of Famer. We talked about competing at that level and what separated him from his peers. I distilled the conversation (while trying not to be completely starstruck) into six points. They transfer cleanly to tennis.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/fear/Sat, 31 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/fear/When you are fearful, no other possibilities exist. You cannot perceive other possibilities, or act on them properly even if you were able to perceive them, because fear is immobilizing. What fear does on a tennis court Physically, it causes us to freeze or run. Mentally, it causes us to narrow our focus to the object of our fear.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/tough-positions/Fri, 30 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/tough-positions/Learning to hit from tough positions was a chapter I lived in - my movement was never top-shelf. These are the rules that kept me in points. Six basic rules Watch your depth. The deeper you hit, the fewer chances the opponent gets to attack - and the fewer tough positions you face next.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/a-game-within-a-game/Thu, 29 May 2014 16:53:36 -0700https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/a-game-within-a-game/One of the most important truths in tennis: it is very hard to always practice with someone better than you. You will face three types of partners - better, equal, and worse - and the best athletes get better with all three by playing a game inside their heads while in action.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/to-all-tennis-parents/Thu, 29 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/to-all-tennis-parents/Private lessons are valuable. They are also easy to waste if the only work happens in the 45-60 minutes with the coach. How to maximize results from private lessons Help your child build a loop around every lesson: Take notes (or voice-note right after) - one technical cue, one tactical intention Book a practice court the same week and drop-feed at least once or twice Work the lesson shots alone - shadow swings, basket if available, wall, ball machine Find a YouTube role model for the shot and watch with a purpose (unit turn, contact, finish) Mirror work for technique - slow, correct, repeatable The 3× rule: for every hour of lesson time, aim for roughly three hours of self-directed reps on the same theme that week.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/why-do-i-love-tennis/Thu, 29 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/why-do-i-love-tennis/Why do I love tennis? Or sport in general? This is the best description I can give. Chess pieces and human stories I believe this: “Anybody can move a chess piece, but only a select handful can move their pieces in the symphony of offensive, defensive, and neutralizing positions that would lead to becoming a grandmaster.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/backhand/Tue, 27 May 2014 16:59:03 -0700https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/backhand/A solid two-handed backhand is one of the great equalizers in modern tennis. It does not have to be a weapon on day one - but it does have to be reliable under pace, so you can stay in the point long enough to use your patterns. Here are the keys to building that backhand, with Novak Djokovic as the clearest high-level model.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/backhand-technique/Tue, 27 May 2014 16:59:03 -0700https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/backhand-technique/For all my students: we are still building the technique for a variety of shots, and I love to use the top pros as role models. You do not need a private coach on court every day to improve shape. You need a clear picture, honest feedback, and enough quality reps that the picture becomes automatic under a moving ball.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/backhand-slice/Tue, 27 May 2014 16:57:51 -0700https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/backhand-slice/One of my absolute favorite shots: the backhand slice. In a topspin-heavy modern game, the slice is still a high-value tool. It changes height and pace, buys time on defense, keeps the ball out of an opponent’s strike zone, and sets up the next ball when you chip short then go deep behind them.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/discipline/Tue, 27 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/discipline/Let’s talk for a minute about the word discipline. What does it mean? Training to ensure proper behavior - the practice or methods of teaching and learning proper behavior Order and control - a controlled, orderly state (think classroom or military unit) Calm, controlled behavior - the ability to behave in a calm and controlled way under the most stressful circumstances Conscious control over lifestyle - mental control used in directing or changing behavior, learning something, or training for something On a tennis court, discipline is rarely glamorous.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/lesson-from-roger/Tue, 27 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/lesson-from-roger/Roger Federer in super slow motion. Get the pen and paper out - there is a lot to steal in a few minutes. Study checklist Start with two simple questions: does he miss a split step? Does he use a small base? Then watch for: Load on the right leg when hitting the forehand inside-out Early preparation - shoulder turn while the ball is still roughly at the net; how long the ball takes to enter the frame after he is already turned Still head, and how low he stays on the approach shot Split step for the first volley - following the ball in, timing the split for the pass Concentration through the finish - it looks like he wants to watch the ball bounce a seventh time before he looks away One cue week: pick a single item (e.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/lesson-from-roger-2/Tue, 27 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/lesson-from-roger-2/Another Federer slow-motion study - this time with special attention to the serve and the forehand inside-out. Serve: what to watch Palm-down position on the backswing Non-stop motion - the racket never dies at the trophy; rhythm stays continuous (something I believe in more than almost anything on the serve) Pronation at contact - can you spot the forearm/wrist roll that turns the hit into a real serve?https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/emotionally-tough/Wed, 21 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/emotionally-tough/Toughness is learned and grooved, just like a forehand. Make sure you are working to improve your emotional toughness with each practice - not only on match day, when it is already expensive. What does it mean to be emotionally tough? Emotional resiliency - the ability to take a punch emotionally and bounce back quickly; to recover from disappointments, mistakes, and misused opportunities, and jump back into battle fully ready to resume the fight.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/serve-repair-tips/Mon, 19 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/articles/serve-repair-tips/I have worked with a lot of people recently who are having trouble with their serves. This shot can be as complicated as you want it to be - biomechanics, grip debates, platform vs. pinpoint - but most serve problems collapse into a few simple failures. Here are the four golden rules I used to build my service motion.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/about/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/about/Online Tennis School exists for one reason: to help you become a better tennis player without needing a full-time academy, a city of coaches, or a schedule that only works if tennis is your job. Whether you are an adult restarting the game, a junior building foundations, or a competitive player refining patterns and toughness, we deliver clear training you can run on your court, on your clock.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/contact/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/contact/Ask Us Anythinghttps://www.onlinetennisschool.com/thanks/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/thanks/Thank you for getting iu touch! We will get back to you shortly. In the meantime, perhaps you’d like to learn more.https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/elements/Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://www.onlinetennisschool.com/elements/H1 Heading H2 Heading H3 Heading H4 Heading H5 Heading H6 Heading Paragraph Did you come here for something in particular or just general Riker-bashing? And blowing into maximum warp speed, you appeared for an instant to be in two places at once. We have a saboteur aboard. 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