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WELCOME DOUBLES 5 Keys to a Successful Doubles Team Happy New Year!!!! #1 is simple when you play doubles. Find a partner you like. I would like to thank all of you for They may not be the best but you will have the most fun. continued support of Wilson. Teams are built on fun. You will practice more and play big matches better because you will enjoy playing with the As we begin 2009, I would like you to person next to you. welcome Andy Benedict, National Promotions Manager for Wilson #2. In dubs, opposites work best! If you are a power player Racquet Sports. find a steady back board for a partner. Each player needs to bring a special strength that can help the team win! If two Andy will be taking over the Wilson’s players play too big it becomes too much of a hot and cold Coaches for Life Newsletter and team. If both players are steady then there is not enough fire overseeing our high school ball power to end points for your team. adoption partnerships. #3 This is all about winning! That is why we keep score to This past year has been a great find out who is the best on that day. The game of is learning experience for me and thank about keeping the ball in play. In doubles your team needs to you for all of your efforts on behalf of focus on getting the started. The first two shots are key. Wilson and the great game of tennis. and next shot or return and next shot. Do NOT go for a This edition focuses on the game of big power shot unless it is a very easy one to hit. Too many doubles. As in high school tennis, players lose because they fail to get into the point by going doubles gives players the opportunity for a huge return or 2nd shot. to experience tennis in a fun team #4, ,LOB and then LOB again! At every level the lob is environment. the high percentage shot that turns a point into your favor. Thank you to the dedicated Wilson Off the return of serve or after a the lob will Advisory Staff pro’s in contributing frustrate your opponent and win you tons of key points! articles for this edition of Wilson #5 placement is more important than power in doubles. Use Coaches for Life. angle shots and deep balls to keep the other team moving. We hope you find it helpful and Hitting back to a player just sets them up to nail another insightful. shot. Use an angle to pull you opponent out of position. Position is key because a team that uses the entire court WINS! Until next time keep going for the lines with the #1 factor in winning tennis.... Have a great 2009!!! Using a K Factor by Wilson. My K Blade ROCKS!!! Tracy Almeda-Singian Coach Luke Jensen 93 Doubles Champ!

Luke Jensen is the current Women’s Head Tennis Coach at Syracuse University. He is a former ATP Tour player with 10 Doubles titles including 1993 French Open Men’s Doubles Title with brother . SHOULD YOU PLAY DEUCE OR ADD COURT? The proverbial “to be or not to be” is not as important as “play deuce or add?” Coaches and players spend time ad nauseam trying to get the magic formula. It is my hope that I can help simplify this innocuous, yet potent, question. In order to find the answer to this question, here are questions you should be asking your players: What is your best shot? Understanding your strengths is key. Once you know what your best shot is, you and your partner can start working together to create patterns and point situations where you will set each other up to be successful to hit your best shots. What is your best inside shot? Thinking inside and outside is integral part of successful doubles. The inside shot is your shot closest to the center of the court. So if you are righty, the will be your inside shot on the deuce side and the is your inside shot on the ad side. You might consider your forehand your best shot, but would you rather hit crosscourt or forehands inside out? Having the ability to hit inside and outside shots, especially midcourt volleys is critical. So if you play the deuce court and have a strong forehand return, but struggle with inside backhand volleys, you are not going to be effective. Assuming you and your partner have compatible returns, you should play the ad side. Your BH is now an outside volley, which is typically easier to maneuver. Doubles is truly a game of crosscourt rallies and having the ability to keep the ball crosscourt, regardless of being an inside or outside shot, is a huge advantage. Can you handle the pressure of being the player who will win or lose the break point opportunities? Each side has different pressures. Typically, the ad side player tends to have better returns and thrives on the big moments. Which of your players enjoys the pressure associated with winning, or losing, the “go ahead” point? Here are general guidelines to follow for deuce and ad sides: Play the deuce court if you, • Love to use your FH return as a weapon. • Are able to not let the server attack your BH. • Are comfortable going down the line at server’s partner with BH return. • Like the pressure associated with setting up your partner with the “go ahead” point. Play the ad court if you, • Love to use your BH return as a weapon. • Are able to not let the server attack your FH. • Are comfortable going down the line at server’s partner with FH return. • Love to use your FH return inside out to server. • Love to run around BH and hit inside out FH, especially on weaker serves. • Like the pressure associated with winning, or losing, the “go ahead” point. Help your players think through pros and cons of ad or deuce side return. Once your players answer these questions, they should have a better understanding of what side best suites their game. Now you and your players can go out on the court and try to execute a game plan. Keep up the great work with promoting our wonderful sport! Ajay Pant is currently the National Tennis Director for Tennis Corporation of America (TCA) and the General Manager for TCA owned Midtown Tennis Club in Overland Park, Kansas. Ajay is also a Master Professional, National Tester and National Clinician for the Professional Tennis Registry. If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected].

Page 2 Coaches for Life DOUBLES DRILLS “How to Hunt Down your opponents shot and Bag it!” A “poacher”, as defined by Daniel Webster in his famous Dictionary, is someone “who poaches another person’s property.” You would say on the face of this definition that this is NOT a flattering term to use to describe someone you admire as a doubles player, or to call your valued partner, now is it? “Bobby ... he’s a darn good poacher!” would seem a contradiction in terms. A good thief? A person admired for his thievery? A great criminal? What is the tennis world coming to? Don’t fret; a good “poacher” in doubles is a very positive monitor. As every tennis player who has poached successfully knows, these thieves need to be masters at their trades to be successful poachers. Good poaching is an art, and like any great art, needs to be practiced and trained like other reliable strokes in your arsenal. The essential equipment for a Good Poacher is as follows: timing, quick feet and hands, a desire to be the “center” of attention, the ability to anticipate and pick up the ball off the returners racquet, and yes, a slight bend towards the criminal mind, all contribute to the success of a good “poacher “ in doubles. The Return of Serve is the most popular and most sensible shot to “poach”, so I will deal with that play and a good drill to exercise your poaching muscles. But all the elements listed above need to be in sync to become a successful & feared poacher. You will never do anything on a to anger your opponent MORE than to poach his shot. It’s downright disrespectful, unfair, and, by strict Webster definition, ILLEGAL! Timing: the moment your partner hits their serve and you sense it passing over the net, begin your move forward and diagonally to the middle of the net. Yes, that’s right, the “middle of the net”. This is what I call the “Captain America” move, as you want to move as boldly as possible and position yourself like a Super Hero smack dab in the middle of the court at the net. Be Big when you get there, assume a take no prisoners attitude and let your opponents know you mean to steal their shot and the point in one swift move. Now you are in position early and ready to handle whatever comes your way. Quick Feet and Hands: honestly, you don’t need to be that quick if you make your move at the right time, but it helps to move quickly to the middle of the court, and then to have your hands relaxed and ready on your racquet and for the volley. Hit your split step as soon as your opponent strikes his return, then move forward toward the ball with your racquet open and ready to volley. The closer you are to the net, the easier the volley will be, as the ball needs to rise to go over the top of the net and you will be volleying the ball “down” into your opponent’s court. Position at the Center: make that move forward and diagonal to the net and split step with the middle line between your legs as your opponent strikes their return. This makes you a huge target at the net, and most players are trained to hit for targets in practice. Like an animal that runs right into a hunter’s trap, you will be pleasantly surprised to discover how many players will hit their returns right to you for the easy poach. Eyes Focused on the Ball as it leaves the Returner’s Racquet: picking up the ball or “reading” it at the moment it leaves your opponents racquet is essential for a successful poach. This is the least coached or trained aspect of the poach play. Most coaches focus on your position or volley placement for the poach, but most poaches have no chance for success if you do not pick the ball up early so as to adjust your move to the ball. Get too close to the volley and you risk popping it up for your opponents to back in your face. End up too far away and you will lunge and net the volley, building your opponents belief that they have no worries about their returns being poached. So, training the EYES becomes a critical asset of the great poacher! Criminal Mind: don’t develop this too much as you may be poaching shots behind bars! But you can develop a strong, guilty pleasure by becoming a feared poacher ñ it will be fun to be the “bad guy” in your opponent’s minds as you poach shot after shot during your match. And though you may be thought of as the bad guy, you’ll most probably be the one holding the Winner’s Trophy at the end of the day! Repeat this sequence again and again from both service boxes moving to your right and left respectively, focusing on each element: timing your first move, split stepping in the center of the court, reading the return off the returner’s racquet and moving forward to the ball to pick off the volley down into your opponents court. After you become very comfortable timing your poach and reading the return, you can begin focusing on placing the volley in different spots to keep your opponents guessing as to where you will hit your poached shot. And of course, doing your best Captain America imitation.

Coaches for Life Page 3 I recommend working on poaching with your partner and a coach, as this will help both of you develop your poaching skills, as well as your communication and the control of your return of serve. And if your coach wants to switch with the returner, he can hit the returns while you and your partner practice serving down the T for the poach play to work. Have fun developing you poaching skills as it is a great skill to have! I wish you all Happy Poaching! POACHING DRILL FOR DEVELOPING THOSE POACHER’S MUSCLES

by Mark Weil You will need a Coach behind you with a basket of balls to hit serves and your doubles partner across the net from you in position to return serve. This is a very simple drill that will exercise all the components of poaching, and create a “real time” situation so that you can develop relaxation and confidence in your poaching execution. Stand in either Service Box where you are comfortable to wait for opponent’s return of serve. Have your coach stand behind you in the area of the server just inside the court and with a basket of balls, and serve the ball down the “T” to your doubles partner who is acting as the returner. As your Coach strikes the serve and you sense the ball is past you, make your move forward and diagonally to the “middle of the net” with the center line between your legs and Split Step as the returner strikes his return. Assume Captain America stance and attitude as you now Rule the Court! According to where the return is hit, move forward again to the ball with a relaxed grip and open face of the racquet to strike the volley Down into your opponents court.

Mark Weil is the Owner and Director of the Weil Tennis Academy in Ojai, . Mark has proudly been a Wilson Advisory Staff member for over 10 yesrs.

RECOVER DOUBLES 5 6 3 4 Level: 3.0 and higher This is a great drill to teach net players how to scramble and recover at the net. It also teaches players to maintain proper volley technique when they are on the run and stretched out. Ball 1: Pro feeds baseline team and players 3 & 4 must rush the net and play out the P point. Ball 2: Pro feeds the baseline team again, and players 3 & 4 must run to their doubles sidelines and touch it with their foot. (This will create a temporary “hole” for the passers to hit and the net players will have to “recover” back into position and hit a volley while they are stretched out.) Ball 3: Same as ball 2. After all 3 points are completed, the net rushers run to the other side of the net by chasing down a lob to become the baseliners. A good variation of this drill is to have the net team run back to the baseline instead of the sideline between points. This will make them hit many more transition volleys. In this version, the net team must always come back to the net after each trip to the baseline. A video of this drill can be seen live at: www.tennisdrills.tv (Free

Sample #3) 1 2

Jorge Capestany is the Founder of www.tennisdrills.tv - a video based website that has more than 600 videos of tennis drills and tips for coaches and pros.

Page 4 Coaches for Life DOWN THE LINE Hey Coach, Keep Your Players in the Game! Coaches of the 340,000 high school tennis players across the U.S. undoubtedly want to see their team members continue in the game. With only about 20,000 varsity spots at colleges and universities, there may be concern about a lack of opportunity for competitive tennis play after high school graduation. The USTA Tennis On Campus program relieves those concerns by offering co-ed, team-based play for those who might not have the opportunity to play varsity tennis in college. Currently, the program serves 30,000 students on more than 450 college and university campuses. “The Tennis On Campus program fills a tremendous void,” says Glenn Arrington, National Manager, Tennis On Campus. “We simply want to make sure that all high school tennis players have an opportunity to continue to play organized tennis through their collegiate years and stay in the sport they love.” Played in the World TeamTennis (WTT) format, Tennis On Campus teams have the chance to compete in 17 USTA Campus Championship-section events, success at which can lead to a bid to the USTA National Campus Championship held annually each spring. The event, hosted by the USTA, National Intramural- Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA), WTT and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), is the culmination of the Tennis On Campus season and brings together 64 college and university co-ed teams for social camaraderie and spirited competition. Teams that do not gain entry through advancement at section championships can apply for an at-large/first come, first serve bid. “The event has served as a tremendous catalyst for growing tennis participation on college campuses,” says Arrington. “Teams come from across the country to represent their school, build relationships, swap ideas and, above all, have fun playing tennis.” In addition to sectional and national events, many teams host their own events throughout the year, demonstrating their dedication to the game. A list of schools participating in the Tennis On Campus program can be found at www.TennisOnCampus.com, where high school coaches and their graduating seniors’ can learn more about Tennis On Campus through articles, photos, videos and more. The site also guides visitors on how to get a Tennis On Campus program started on their campus or join an existing team. For players not taking the leap from high school to college varsity tennis, but still have a love of playing the game, a home can be found with the USTA Tennis On Campus program.

Coaches for Life Page 5 BREAK POINT What can your players do to keep their competitive edge during the off season? Competing is fun, especially when you are part of a team. and Larry King created the unique gender- equity team concept in the early 1970s. The WTT Pro League first hit the courts in 1974 for a five-year run. After a short hiatus, the League returned in 1981 and has been a highlight of the annual U.S. Pro tennis calendar for the past 28 consecutive years. Now high school players have the opportunity to participate in the great WTT format. X TeamTennis features co-ed teams competing in three sets - men’s and women’s singles and mixed doubles. The unique WTT format, includes no-ad scoring and coaching.† The winning team is the team that wins the most total games! As in high school tennis, X TeamTennis provides kids the opportunity to compete on the court in a team environment. So here’s the scoop: • Participants MUST have played high school tennis during the 2008-2009 school year • ALL PARTICIPANTS will receive a WTT 2008 X TeamTennis National Champions & Runnerups: Membership, X TeamTennis T-shirt and a ticket (from left to right) 2008 X TeamTennis Champions - Chris Damion and Hailey Hogan from to a WTT home match in pro team markets. Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, Calif.; Tournament Director A.G. Longoria; and Danielle Kaidow and Parker Rhodes from Corona del Mar High School • High schools are NOT limited to one team – enter as many teams as you like. • Players must play for the same high school; or if it is an all-boys or all-girls school, they must partner with a player from another all-girls or all-boys school. • The high school coach is not required to attend; however, one parent/adult supervisor is required to chaperone and assist. • Winners of the Regional events will qualify for the X TeamTennis National Championships. Winners of the National Event in August will receive hotel accommodations (airfare/travel not included) to be recognized at Advanta WTT Smash Hits, an annual charity event co-hosted by and Billie Jean King!

For more information on WTT XTeamTennis please contact Delaine Mast [email protected]

My Point of View After participating in the X the past two years I can honestly say that it is one of my favorite tennis events. Because tennis is such an individual sport, the opportunity to play as a team is a welcome change. Also, to be able to represent my high school is also a†privilege. Our family was also able to house a couple of the teams and therefore, we got the opportunity to get to know some of the other participants. AG Longoria puts on a great tournament and does a great job in having the participants get together outside of the tennis. Some of the people went out for a kayak trip while others went out to dinner. I would recommend this tournament to anyone who gets the opportunity to play in it. Most of all, it was amazing to get to meet and speak with Billie Jean King. Haley Hogan 2008 Champion

Page 6 Coaches for Life RACKET CORNER What’s new for 2009? Game Improvement/ Power Frames are rackets that tend to be lighter in weight, with most of the weight in the head. These are powerful rackets, so they would be recommended for players with short compact swings looking for good maneuverability and a large hitting area.

Swing Index: 1/Slow and Compact Swing Index: 3/Slow and Compact Power Level: High Power Level: High Headsize: 122î Headsize: 115î Strung Weight: 9.3 ounces Strung Weight: 9.5 ounces Length: 27.5” Length: 27.5” Strung Balance: 10 points Head Heavy Strung Balance: 8 points Head Heavy String Pattern: 16X19 String Pattern: 16X19 Cross Section: 30mm Dual Taper Beam Cross Section: 30mm Dual Taper Beam This racket has the largest sweet spot of the entire Wilson racket The [K]THREE FX is a great lightweight and forgiving racket line and features all the latest Wilson technologies. Players featuring a uniquely comfortable feel due to the proven Triad looking for a lot of power and maneuverability will enjoy this shock dampening system. racket.

Swing Index: 4/Medium Power Level: Medium Headsize: 107î Strung Weight: 9.9 ounces Length: 27.5î Strung Balance: Even String Pattern: 16X19 Cross Section: 28mm Dual Taper Beam [K]Four FX racket is designed for the player who is beginning to utilize more pace and spin in their shots and game. [K] Four FX is the pinnacle of balance between power, stability and maneuverability and control. All Around/ Tweener Frames tend to be more evenly balanced and are for players with medium paced swing speed. These rackets fit many game styles and are great for players looking for that players feel in a lighter weight frame.

All Around/Tweener Frames tend to be more evenly balanced and are for players with medium paced swing speed. These rackets fit many game styles and are great for players looking for that players feel in a lighter weight frame.

Swing Index: 5/Medium Swing Index: 5/Medium Power Level: Medium Power Level: Medium Headsize: 103” Headsize: 105” Strung Weight: 10.1 ounces Strung Weight: 9.5 ounces Length: 27.25” Length: 27” Strung Balance: Even Strung Balance: 1 point Head Heavy String Pattern: 16X19 String Pattern: 16X19 Cross Section: 25.5mm Beam Cross Section: 24mm Dual Taper Beam [K]Zen Team FX is a versatile racket that compliments many game [K]Brave is the perfect blend of power and control for the all styles. If you are looking for a lightweight, maneuverable, and stable around player. frame, this is a great choice to help your game reach new heights.

Coaches for Life Page 7 Swing Index: 5/Medium Swing Index: 5/Medium Power Level: Medium Power Level: Medium Headsize: 100” Headsize: 100” Strung Weight: 9.8 ounces Strung Weight: 9.9 ounces Length: 27” Length: 27” Strung Balance: 2 points Head Light Strung Balance: 1 points Head Light String Pattern: 16X20 Cross Section: 22mm Flat Beam String Pattern: 16X20 [K]Fury offers up a winning combination of power and value without Cross Section: 22mm Flat Beam sacrificing control or performance. This racket is best suited for the [K]Court is an exceptional choice as it blends power, performance intermediate all around player. and control at a great value.

Swing Index: 5/Medium Strung Weight: 10.4 ounces Strung Balance: 1 points Head Light Length: 27.25” Power Level: Medium String Pattern: 16X19 Headsize: 102” Cross Section: 23.5mm Flat Beam [K]Tour FX is the offspring of the legendary Tour racket. Players seeking the best possible mix of control and maneuverability with a touch of forgiveness with instantly have a new favorite. Player Frames are the rackets that you see on tv. Pro players are generally looking for more control than power, so these rackets are the heaviest with a smaller head size. Since most of the weight in these rackets is in the handle, these frames are great for players with fast swings and can generate their own power. Player Frames are the rackets that y ou see on tv. Pro players are generally looking for more control than power, so these rackets are the heaviest with a smaller head size. Since most of the weight in these rackets is in the handle, these frames are great for players with fast swings and can generate their own power.

Swing Index: 6/Fast & Long Swing Index: 6/Fast & Long Power Level: Low Power Level: Medium Headsize: 88” Headsize: 100” Strung Weight: 12.9 ounces Strung Weight: 11.5 ounces Length: 27” Length: 27” Strung Balance: 6 points Head Light Strung Balance: 7 points Head Light String Pattern: 16X19 String Pattern: 16X19 Cross Section: 17mm Flat Beam Cross Section: 26mm Dual Taper Beam [K]Pro Staff 88 was designed and developed for tennis legend, Pete [K]obra Tour is a brand new player’s frame that was created for the Sampras and brings that classic feel for players. new generation of aggressive tournament players. This racket offers plenty of power, maximum spin and control.

Swing Index: 6/Fast & Long Swing Index: 6/Fast & Long Power Level: Medium Power Level: Medium Headsize: 100” Headsize: 100” Strung Weight: 10.5 ounces Strung Weight: 10.4 ounces Length: 27” Length: 27” Strung Balance: 5 points Head Light Strung Balance: 1 points Head Light String Pattern: 16X19 String Pattern: 16X19 Cross Section: 26mm Dual Taper Beam Cross Section: 26mm Dual Taper Beam A lighter, more maneuverable racket within the [K]obra family that [K]Pro Team TX is the latest edition to the Pro Family. Players combines power and spin thanks to the exclusive FX technology. looking for great power and “tour-oriented” control will be drawn to this racket.

And remember; always keep your gamestyle in mind when choosing a racket!!!

Page 8 Coaches for Life Aggressive Baseliner For the aggressive baseliners, the best suggestion for these players would be either a head light racket or an even balanced racket for maneuverability. These will tend to give the player more racquet speed, which will result in more spin and control. All- Court Player An All-court player would be a player that likes to play from both the baseline and the net. They will serve and volley some points or finish some points off at the net and they will hit aggressively from the baseline. One option for this player is a head light or even balanced racquet for maneuverability. Rackets with a head- light or even balance are usually most maneuverable. Serve and Volleyer If you are a serve and volley type player and strive to finish the point at the net, maneuverability is going to be the thing you would be looking for. Reaction time at the net is so short that you need a maneuverable racket in order to be able to get the racquet into position for the volley in that short timeframe. So, if it is easier to move a racquet through the air, you will have a better chance of getting the racquet in the correct position to hit that crisp volley. Racquets with a head-light or even balance are usually most maneuverable. Counter Puncher A Counter puncher would generally be a player that would be looking to play many and often is found in a neutral position until they find the opening to attack. For Counter Punchers, more weight toward the racket head (head heavy) can give the player more depth, power, and better stability (twisting on off-center hits). Please remember at the end of the day, a racket is a personal preference and there are many more rackets that would fit into each of these categories. Just a few have been listed, so that you would have a Brad Skoryi is the Lead good place to start. Technician of Wilson Wilson does recommend that the player should demo the Racquet Sports and is based rackets to find out what may work best for the individual. at Wilson Headquarters in , IL

Coaches for Life Page 9 TOUR UPDATE 2008 Year in Review 2008 MILESTONES FOR WILSON PLAYERS • Roger Federer wins his 5th consecutive US Open title and brings his title count to 13 • captured her 9th Grand Slam title by winning the 2008 US Open title • Feliciano Lopez helped catapult Spain to the title over Argentina by winning his singles match in the 1st day of action and followed it up with a doubles win with teammate Fernando Verdasco • wins her first ever WTA Championship Title in Doha • Wilson had a strong showing at the ATP Tour year-ending championships in Shanghai, four of eight players were Wilson players; Federer, Tsonga, Del Potro, and Djokovic • Philipp Petzschner wins his first ATP Tour Title in Vienna and reaches Top 100 for 1st time in career. • Juan Martin Del Potro reaches the Top 10 for 1st time in career after capturing 4 consecutive titles and reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open. • Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeats Novak Djokovic for his 1st ATP Tour Title in Bangkok. • Kei Nishikori is the 1st Japanese man to reach the Rd of 16 at the US Open and is currently the youngest player in the Top 100 • 18 yr old Sorana Cirstea wins her 1st WTA Tour title in Tashkent • 17 yr old has reached a career-high WTA ranking of 176. In the Quebec City Tier III WTA Event, Melanie took out #2 seed Sybille Bammer, ranked WTA #26. In the last two months, Melanie beat eight players ranked in the top 250 in the world • 14 yr old Laura Robson won her first $10,000 WTA event in her home country in Sunderland (UK) becoming one of the youngest players in the to win a WTA tournament.

UPCOMING US PROFESSIONAL EVENTS:

• February 16 Memphis, TN- Morgan Keegan Championships

• March 12 Indian Wells, CA- Pacific Life Open

• March 25 Miami, FL- Sony Ericsson Open

• April 6 Houston, TX- US Men’s Championships

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