My Thoughts on the Passing of Andy Brandi

Brandi spoke at the USTA coaches reception
 honoring him as a legendary coach

I heard about Andy's death yesterday evening and decided against including it in my post because I wanted to collect my thoughts while I processed the sad news. Andy was such a vibrant and passionate presence in the tennis world that I never considered there could come a time when he would not be around, and I admit I did not know he was ill, as I had not seen him in several years. All who knew him will mourn his passing and I want to extend my deepest condolences to his family, which I knew he cherished, often speaking about them in our many conversations over the years.

I met Andy a few years after I started this website, when he was a partner at the Harold Solomon Tennis institute in Fort Lauderdale. He had left the women's head coaching job at the University of Florida in 2001 after 17 years, having won three NCAA team championships in the Gators' eight appearances in the finals during his tenure. While he was at Solomon's, he was a part of a regular Coaches Q and A feature here at zootennis.com, writing 18 installments on topics ranging from cheating, to playing in the wind, to choosing a college, to choking. (I am linking to all 18 here). One of the most popular Zootennis.com posts ever is his answer to "What's a Heavy Ball and How Do I Hit One?", which 15 years after he wrote it, is still found and read many times every month.

The Need for Independent Thinking

Playing Up

Dealing with Cheating

How Do I Market Myself to College Coaches?

The importance of Doubles

The Difference Between 12s and 18s Divisions

The College Choice

Should I Scout Opponents?

Starting College in January

Boys and Girls Practicing Together

Choking

Playing Better When Down

Dealing with Rain Delays

What Other Sports Help My Tennis?

Avoiding Burnout

Should I try Nadal's string?

Playing in Windy Conditions

That feature ran from 2007 to 2011; Andy left Solomon's to take a position with the USTA as a National Coach in Player Development in 2010. I saw him frequently at junior tournaments during the next seven years and he was always happy to answer my questions about tennis development and engage in conversations about the latest changes in formats or trends in coaching or anything else that might impact the sport in the United States. The reverence that every other USTA National Coach had for him was unmistakable, and although he may have had detractors, I never heard anyone say a negative word about him, personally or professionally.

I wrote this article for Tennis Recruiting Network in 2016, interviewing Andy about what he was looking for as he spent days watching American players at the Junior Orange Bowl 12s. To one of the questions I asked, "where do you see yourself in five years?" Andy answered:

That's a good question. I'm not one to be able to sit still. So I always envision myself working and my wife begs me never to stop working. She says I don't know what to do with myself. I'll be working, whether it's in a full time capacity or part time capacity, I'm not sure, but five years from now, I will be working. At this point in my career, I want to work with young kids.

He was right about still working, but he did not stay with young kids. An opportunity to work with his son Chris, as a co-head coach of the LSU men, arose, so he left the USTA in 2017 and  worked in that capacity for five seasons in Baton Rouge.

There will be tributes across all levels of tennis in the days to come; it's impossible to grasp the range of influence Andy had in the sport. In his 72 years, Andy's kindness, wisdom and passion were the foundations of a legacy that will live on through all the coaches and players he touched, but it's profoundly sad now to consider tennis without him.

For more on Brandi's legendary career at the University of Florida, see this tribute from the ITA.

Guest Post from Coach David Hodge: Is the “trophy position” really the trophy position?

(This is a guest post from David Hodge, who I know from his years as the assistant men's coach at Stanford University. He moved on to his native Australia where he was a national coach for Tennis Australia. See the bottom of the post for his more complete bio.)

Remember that first tennis trophy you won? 

Think back. It seemed mammoth. You weren't sure how you actually fit it on your shelf next to your other worldly belongings. 

They all had the same construction – base with an engraving like mine “MDJTA Inc. 1993 Pennant Mens Doubls Champions D Hodge & B Hodge”. Yes, they failed to put the “e” in doubles but I only noticed that after the euphoria had died down decades later! On top of that base were tall columns of the cheapest gold embossed plastic made.

It is one trophy I've kept, a memorable title with my father, Bob. But this isn't about the story that has grown to be my epic triumph at a small tennis club in the country as a kid. It is about what stood atop that base and column that is referred to incessantly in clinics and private sessions by coaches all across the world. On the apex of that trophy, sitting gallantly, like a golden god, was the iconic serving man.

He represented success, league standings, past triumphs, and everything that was cool about the skin tight short shorts of tennis' yesteryear. He has been coveted, presented, mimicked, frozen, used and abused throughout tennis history. He's got more gold draped over him than Andy, Serena, and the Bryans put together. But what has stood the test of time more than all that, is that position. The trophy position. Mid swing, mid flow, casually held as if he were waiting for a bus. 

All photos supplied by David Hodge

I sense that recollection on your face now.

This phrase as been uttered so many times to unsuspecting hackers that most people have been numbed by the reference. Technically should we, as tennis professionals, still be using it at all? The serve is basically a throwing motion, fluid and loose. So to freeze a rigid moment in that fluidity can be confusing to even the most coordinated youngster. We will call it mid swing or preparation phase and move on.

Let's take a look.

•    He has little knee flexion. Ideally his back knee flexion would measure 110+/-10 degrees, so he won't be able to use ground force reaction (GRF) to begin the summation of forces required to create power. Remember this mold would have been created a long time ago when serves were predominantly used to start the point, not end it!
•    His toes are facing slightly different directions meaning GRF will be impeded. For efficiency sake keep your toes facing the same direction to keep your muscles working together.
•    He demonstrates a “foot back” technique. Foot back and foot up technique have both been effective on tour.
•    Hip tilt is present based on the waist band of those trendy shorts, but the left hip is unlikely to have crossed the baseline plane as it should (unless he's committing a sneaky foot fault!).
•    Shoulder tilt is present. The first separation angle is present between hip and shoulders on the vertical plane.
•    His shoulders are rotated slightly further than the hips creating a second separation angle around the twist axis or horizontal plane. His little plastic muscles of the trunk are now pre-stretched.
•    His tossing arm is extended (but I can't remember the last pro I saw keep the second ball in the hand!).
•    His hitting arm is elevated slightly above the line from shoulder to shoulder extended, i.e. his right elbow is not in line with his right and left shoulders.
•    His right elbow is at 90 degrees.
•    There isn't any wrist lag evident.
•    Grip would have to be eastern to allow the racquet face to be pointing in that direction considering the wrist position. Ideally you would keep a continental grip although we now see some eastern grips on serve e.g. Tsonga
•    And hair nicely coiffed and slightly breeze blown...ok, I'm getting carried away.

And if you don't want to take my word for it, how about a lesson from these two guys? You may have seen them before. I won't waste space introducing them. Two of the best servers statistically of all time (and they did some other stuff pretty well too).

So overall, the trophy position has a lot of the characteristically good positions for a solid serve but they are under utilised. This again would be consistent with the serve's use when this position was created. Nowadays, the serve is such a dominant weapon, especially in the men's game, that the nonchalant server is virtually extinct. My advice to the trophy man would be:

•    Increase his knee flexion to the required degree
•    Whatever stance you use, once planted, keep your toes facing the same direction.
•    Increase hip extension into the court, which should increase shoulder tilt from the side view
•    Increase shoulder rotation around the twist axis when compared to the hips
•    Get rid of that ball in your left hand!
•    Keep your right elbow at 90 degrees but relax it slightly to bring it in line with your shoulder tilt.
•    Relax the wrist, allowing it to lag through the preparation phase
•    Experiment with a continental grip. With the above changes you just may like it.
•    Get an up-to-date haircut and save on some products ok!

The Topline Trophy shop doesn't exist anymore behind the old car service station that shared an intersection with 2 pubs and a church. It's hard to outlive a pub or church in my hometown! But if the trophy shop was still there and those serving men on those trophies could talk, I'm sure they would want to be melted down and re-shaped to match the modern masters.

David Hodge is a career coach and organisational leader with a wealth of experience. He is a manager for Aussie Athletes Agency, the premier college athlete recruiting agency in Australia. He is also the Founder and Director of Return Serve, which is a not-for-profit, volunteer-based organisation committed to creating opportunities to the broader community, assisting elite competitors, and educating coaches. Previously, as the Head National Tennis Coach for Tennis Australia he produced 42 Australian National Champions and 38 Australian representatives. His career has spanned the professional circuit, U.S. College Tennis (Stanford University and the University of Colorado) and numerous academies and clubs. He has coached 19 players inside the top 1000 ATP/WTA rankings, 18 players inside the top 100 in Australia, and 7 players inside the top 100 ITF rankings, including a world number 1, Wimbledon junior finalist and champion. Follow him on twitter @CoachDavidHodge.

Coach's Q and A: How Do I Know if I Should Retire in a Match?

Harold Solomon of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida provides some insight into the delicate question of player retirements in this installment of Coach's Q and A.

Today's question: Retirements seem to be on the rise in pro tennis. How does a junior coach or parent know when their player should consider retiring from a match? How do you balance the health and safety issue with the desire to be seen as a tough competitor?

Tom Downs, director of coaching at the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute, responds:

Health and safety are of paramount importance for young tennis players. We think that it is important for players and parents to be clear about the risk/reward ratio for playing in situations which might cause long term damage to a players career.

Rarely do professional or elite junior players play matches where their bodies are 100%. That said, there is a big difference between playing or continuing a match where a player has obviously seriously injured a part of their body and continuing to may cause long term damage, and playing with a minor injury such as a blister, minor ankle sprain, or strained muscle.

There have been too many examples of professional players being determined to try and gut out a victory with an injury, when by continuing to play with that injury, they have actually put their careers in jeopardy. We believe that when a trainer tells a player that they are at risk of further injury or aggravating an injury, they should stop.

It is important to recognize how many players also try to come back too soon from injuries and once again put their careers in jeopardy. It is our belief that you always err on the side of caution. It is easy to get caught up in the moment of an important match or tournament but it is necessary to be able to keep everything in perspective and make sure that decisions regarding a player's health and well being are oriented toward the long term.

Harold Solomon adds:
Of course players are always dealing with minor injuries, most of which are not going to have long term effects on a player's career if they continue to play on. There is a fine line between a legitimate match-ending injury and one that is nagging, and it is important that players not use those nagging injuries as a back door to stop competing in a match. I never remember retiring during a match. I always wanted to respect my opponent and let them have a real victory rather then a default. I hate when I see players retiring being down 5-2 or 5-0 in the last set. Unless you are in serious physical trouble you always should have the character to finish out the match and walk always with your head held high.

Do you have a question for Tom or Harold? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coach's Q and A in the subject line.

Coach's Q and A: How Do I Deal with Cramping, both Physically and Mentally?

Top junior development coach Harold Solomon of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida addresses the problem of cramping in this installment of a regular Zootennis feature.

Q: I've heard that cramping isn't just physical, that it also has a psychological component. Do you think the stress of a big match in an important tournament can contribute to a player cramping? If so, what can you do to prevent this?

A: There are definitely two main components of cramping: physical, nutritional depletion and a form of psychological trauma which players inflict on themselves.

Physically, most cramps in tennis players are caused by the loss of fluids or the depletion of sodium in the body. For many years doctors and nutritionists insisted that the loss of potassium was the leading cause of cramps, but we now know that is not true. Most physical cramps can be avoided by properly hydrating both the night before and during matches, and making sure that foods is heavily salted, especially when players are playing in excessive heat and humidity. Adding a tablespoon of salt to a large bottle of a sports drink like Gatorade should be enough to avoid cramping in most situations.

Cramping can also have a psychological component. I have seen many players who get so tight and do not understand how to relax that they actually start to cramp on the court. These types of cramps usually begin in the hands where a player will be unable to pry his or her hand off of the racket to change grips. From there the cramps can spread to the legs and stomach making it almost impossible to finish a match. This type of cramping comes from the stress that is created in the body when a player is consumed with everything other then actually playing tennis. They are focused on the result and the consequences of the result instead of working with themselves to play one point at a time and focus on what they need to be doing in the moment to be successful.

Everybody gets nervous; it's how you deal with your nerves that separates top players from the rest of the pack. Helpful hints to stay on track include staying with your routines. For some players, that's turning their back to their opponent after each point and playing with their strings or bouncing a ball; for some it's doing deep breathing between every point or at the changeovers; for others it's making sure that they exhale after every shot (many players hold their breath when they hit the ball which never allows the body to relax during the points).

You may see some players who actually do meditation breathing on the changeovers. They close their eyes, breath and use imagery to focus on how they want to play. The quest is to be able to enjoy the challenge, enjoy the competition, and have fun with the adrenaline rush that you get from playing in a big match or a big tournament. I thought there was nothing more fun then playing a Davis Cup match in another country with 15,000 people going crazy against you, so I think loving the battle-internal or external-is what makes playing this game so much fun.


Do you have a question for Harold? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coach's Q and A in the subject line.

Coach's Q and A: What Should I Look for in a Summer Program?

With the summer tennis season just weeks away, Harold Solomon of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, answers a question on evaluating options among the wide variety of programs available during this season.

Q. I have a junior player who will be turning 13 and she is very driven and dedicated to tennis. She stopped all her additional sports to concentrate on tennis. She wants to take her game to the next level. We are considering sending her to a tennis academy in Florida or California for part of the summer. We are doing research on all of them, but I keep hearing that you end up with other kids and they keep the year-round kids separate and it's a waste of money. Can you give us some advice about this situation?

A. Since I own my academy I can speak to how we run our summer program.

We always look to put players together with other players of similar abilities no matter how long they are with us. Since we only have 2 players on a court in our career development program, it is essential that they are able to do similar types of work on their games. We also have a program with 4 players on a court, but we strive to have similar levels to make it more fun and productive.

We think that integrating a more diverse group of players into the mix is bonus for our regular students. At some academies most of the full-time students go away for the summer, so the great majority of students are new students from around the country and there isn't the opportunity to have the summer students interact on the court with the full time players. Because we are a smaller academy with highly ranked national players, most of whom are with us for a substantial part of the summer, we welcome new competition with open arms.

Take advantage of the opportunity to have one of the best American players of his generation and one of the nation's most respected coaches answer your questions about junior tennis and player development. If you have a question for Harold Solomon, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coach's Q and A in the subject line.

Coach's Q and A: Are Match Tiebreakers in Lieu of Third Sets a Good Idea?

After the discussion on this site two months ago about the USTA Mid-Atlantic section's decision to prohibit match tiebreakers in lieu of the third set, I decided to ask Harold Solomon, of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to weigh in on the issue for this edition of the Coaches Q and A.

Q. Do you like the move toward more junior competition decided by match tiebreakers rather than full third sets?

A. I understand why the USTA has gone to tiebreaks for the third set: juniors can play tournaments over a shorter period of time, which allows for less expenses and makes it easier for them to also play doubles.

I still think tennis should keep the element of fitness in the mix. Playing a tiebreak for the third set in a match takes a degree of conditioning away. I hate that a player could be playing the finals of a tournament and after doing all the necessary work to get to the finals, then has his or her fate decided by a tiebreak for the third set.

I say play out the third sets. Let players experience what it's like to play a complete match and get used to finding ways to win those third sets. Under this system of shorter events and shorter matches, juniors are still starting at 8 in the morning and with singles and doubles sometimes not getting finished until 10 at night and may still be playing the equivalent of 10 sets or more in a single day which, if you are looking for quality tennis, is ridiculous. I say keep the draws small, extend the events by one more day than they currently are, and play out the matches so that our players can get used to playing complete matches. Keep fitness as a major part of being successful in our junior tournaments.

Do you have a question for Harold? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line.

Tags: junior tennis, Coach's Q and A, Match Tiebreakers, Harold Solomon Tennis Institute, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: What's Your View of the USTA's 10-and-Under Tennis Program?

In today's edition of Coaches Q and A, Harold Solomon of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute , addresses the USTA's controversial decision to have all 10-and-under sanctioned competition take place within the QuickStart format.

Q. What is your view of the USTA's QuickStart initiative?

A. I think from talking to a lot of knowledgeable coaches and players that there can be many advantages gained from adapting and using the system that has been in place in Belgium and France for teaching young kids and beginners. The use of the small court, smaller rackets, and softer balls makes it much easier for young kids to learn proper technique, since the racket is much more maneuverable. That makes it much easier to learn and understand the court using drills that most of them simply could not do on a real court, with real equipment, because of strength issues. Using this system may help all young players end up being much more advanced from a tennis knowledge perspective, simply because they can so much more with the ball at a younger age.

It remains to be seen if this increased knowledge carries over to producing better players down the road, but the one thing that seems to take place is the kids having more fun because they are much more successful. Tennis is a hard sport and we lose a lot of kids because many of them they are not physically or mentally able to participate successfully on a full court with adult equipment at a young age. I would not discount the importance of having fun.

On the other hand I think it's ridiculous for the USTA to keep a ten-and-under player who is physically and mentally able from competing at a high level using standard equipment and courts. In effect, they are forcing kids to play tennis a certain way from a young age. They are, in effect, saying this is the only path to success. This is not so surprising since the current philosophy at the junior development level in the USTA is to try to teach a certain way or style for our players based on the European or Spanish method of developing players instead of nurturing and encouraging all styles, but instituting and reinforcing certain foundational markers that have to be met.

Do you have a question for Harold Solomon? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line. Take advantage of the opportunity to have one of the best American players of his generation and one of the nation's most respected coaches answer your questions about junior tennis and player development.

Tags: junior tennis, Harold Solomon Institute, QuickStart, 10-and-under-tennis, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: Should I help coach my child?

Andy Brandi, who coached at the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has taken a position as a USTA National coach, so Harold Solomon is now responding to your questions. Take advantage of the opportunity to have one of the best American players of his generation and one of the nation's most respected coaches answer your questions about junior tennis and player development.

Q. When watching my daughter play at tournaments, I notice things that I think she could do better as far as strategy goes. What is the best way to talk to her about my observations? Or should I leave those conversations for her coach? He doesn't travel to tournaments with her.

Harold responds:
Unless a parent is the player's coach, I think it's important for the parent to operate as the parent and let the coach take care of the coaching responsibilities. There have been way too many disasters when parents attempt to step into the coaching role on a temporary basis. I would suggest that all communication about tennis be channeled through the coach.

If you have thoughts, ideas, or suggestions for your child's tennis I would recommend having the conversation with the coach and allowing the coach to then have the appropriate discussion. The parent can easily relate to the coach what took place on the court and then the coach can decide the appropriate way to bring up the subject and can relate it back to the work they have been doing on the court.

In my experience, the happiest families for the most part seem to be the ones where the parents stay in their role as parents and allow the coaches the leeway to get the job done on the tennis court. Usually it is very hard for kids to hear about tennis-related issues from a parent and can cause a great deal of resentment which can get in the way of the parent-child relationship in the future.

Do you have a question for Harold? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line.

Tags: junior tennis, Coaches Q and A, Harold Solomon Institute, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: Should I Play Futures and if so, When?

After a three-month hiatus, Coaches Q and A is back.

Andy Brandi, who coached at the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is now a USTA National coach, so Harold will be doing most of the heavy-lifting going forward. Take advantage of the opportunity to have one of best American players of his generation and one of the nation's most respected coaches answer your questions about junior tennis and player development.

Today's question: Is there an appropriate age for juniors to begin playing Futures and Pro Circuit events?

Harold Solomon responds:

There isn't a specific age that I would recommend for juniors to compete in futures tournaments. If juniors have played well in national events and then gone on to have some success in ITF tournaments, especially at the top levels, then playing Futures events can be a good idea.

It's important for the player to be sufficiently physically developed so that playing against bigger stronger players doesn't cause injuries. For juniors who have had success in ITF events, playing some future events can be important as an indication of where they stand. It is still much easier for women who mature earlier to have success at a younger age in futures events and at the tour level.

I would shy away from requesting too many wild cards into the main draws. Use wild cards occasionally as a barometer for your level of play but the track record of former players who have virtually lived on wild cards at these and higher events is not very good. It's important to go through the growing pains of working your way up the ladder and feeling like you belong at a certain level because you earned it and have done the mental, physical, and technical development necessary to become successful.

Do you have a question for Harold? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line.

Coaches Q and A: Should I Try Nadal's String?

Babolat's new string has become a hot topic in tennis, so we asked Andy Brandi of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for his thoughts are on the trend.

What do Rafa Nadal, Andy Roddick, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Sam Stosur, Franchesca Schiavone and Maria Sharapova all have in common? They all use Babolat’s RPM Blast.

Introduced in January at the Australian Open the RPM Blast string is taking the tennis world by storm, with players gravitating to this string in droves. What's behind this trend?

The RPM Blast, which is black in color, is easier on the arm. It increases spin because it grips the ball during contact and it shoots the ball out of the racket faster for more power. It gives unique feel.

Rooney Levine, who is with Match Point in Fort Lauderdale, says that 25% of those brining rackets for stringing are asking for RPM Blast. She mentions that it easier to string and is replacing Babolat’s Pro Hurricane Tour as the string of choice.

After hitting with it, I would recommend that juniors and female college players use it in a hybrid form. It would allow them to take advantage of the characteristics of the string while being easy on their arms. Be sure that you string it a little looser for better response. Older boys and college age male players can venture into stringing the whole racket with RPM Blast. Because of their added physical strength, it will allow them to take advantage of the string without harming their arm.

So my advice, if you have not tried it, get to your stringer. It will give you an added advantage.

Best of luck!

For a further information on this topic, see Doug Robson's recent article for USA Today.

Do you have a question for Andy or Harold? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line.

Tags: college tennis, junior tennis, Harold Solomon Tennis Institute, Babolat, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: What is Your Advice for Playing on Grass?

With the conclusion of the French Open today, the grass season begins, and I'll have live coverage of the ITF International Grass Courts in Philadelphia beginning Monday. In this month's Coaches Q and A, Harold Solomon of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida offers his advice on effective grass court play.

Today's question: What is your advice for playing on grass?

Generally speaking playing on grass is much different than playing on other surfaces. For the most part, unless you’re playing at Wimbledon, the bounce of the ball is much lower, faster, and unpredictable. An attacking game is usually more effective on this surface. Slice backhands (which tend to skid and stay low), angle volleys, drop shots and drop volleys are essential parts of good grass court play, as are wide slice serves in the deuce box and slice serves up the tee in the ad box.

Players must practice staying low, gettong their rackets back fast and moving their feet quickly to be effective on the grass. Don’t be afraid to serve and volley. The serve is still the most powerful weapon on grass. Serving into the body, aiming for your opponents left hip for right-handed players, is a good way to jam the returner and produce an easy return. Take second serves and come to the net behind the return to put pressure on your opponent to hit a passing shot.

On bad grass getting to the net is essential. The more your opponent has to hit passing shots the better. Remember that hitting passing shots is much easier at 1-all in the first set then 5-all in the third. The pressure of having to continuously come up with passing shots is cumulative. Flatter balls tend to skid and go quickly through the court, especially if the courts are green. Footing on the grass can be difficult at best. It is a good idea to get a good pair of grass court shoes which have little pimples on the bottom and help you maintain your grip on the court. Remember to take those grass court shoes off after practice; walking around on hard surfaces will wear the pimples down or knock them off.

Take chances, take control, and be an aggressive player to be successful on the grass.

Do you have a question for Andy Brandi or Harold Solomon? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line.

Tags: junior tennis, Coaches Q and A, Harold Solomon Tennis Institute, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: How Can I Avoid Burnout?

This month, Andy Brandi of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., addresses the dreaded problem of junior tennis burnout.

Burnout is a symptom which can physical, emotional or mental. The results can be a decline in performance, fatigue or exhaustion. It can be related to stress from pressure to perform, from overtraining or from lack of social interaction. The warning signs are: reduced motivation, lack of interest, mood swings, muscle and joint pain, weight loss and loss of appetite.

In order to develop one’s talent, it has been thought that you need about 10 years or 10,000 hours of practice and training. Does it sound like a lot? It is a lot! That is about 20-25 hours a week.

The problem comes from wanting fast results and rewards. Tennis is like a marathon. Because we live in an instant society, we want instant results. We think that quantity is the answer.

As parents and coaches we need to realize what it feels like to train for 4 to 5 hours a day; we need to think how old the person is and how it much strain this is putting on their body.

When in my early 20’s, I trained with Harry Hopman. Our schedule was two and a half hours in the morning, followed by two and a half hours in the afternoon. By Wednesday morning, I could hardly get out of bed. I had no legs left! We justify this regiment with younger kids by saying that they are young and they do not get tired. Put yourself in their shoes.

Here are some suggestions to prevent burnout:

1-Take a day and a half or two days off every week. It might be a good idea to take a Wednesday afternoon off to balance the week. If you want, consider a light workout on Saturday.

2-If you are playing in a tournament over the weekend, begin to taper on Thursday. On Friday, play at most an hour and a half. If you finish on Sunday, take Monday off. The most important thing is to go to the tournament well rested. If you are not ready by Friday, playing four hours that day is not going to solve the issues.

3-Plan over the year to take some weeks off away from tennis. Think of maybe three weeks off--one after the summer grind, one during December and one before the summer.

4-Have realistic goals and look at the long term. Players put expectations and pressure on themselves as it is. They do not need more.

5-The philosophy in training should be quality and not quantity. If you do this, you will stay fresh and improve faster. Secondly, you will be eager to go to practice. Coaches need to provide variety in the practice sessions. Leave time for some fun. Set aside some weeks for fitness training away from the courts. That means maybe 30 minutes of hitting each day.

6-Make time for social activity away from tennis. Interact with friends. Maybe even limit the amount of talking about tennis away from the courts. If you are burned out, you might need to take from 4 to 12 weeks away from tennis. Rest is the only solution. Being away is the only way to rekindle your desire to play.

So you want to avoid burnout? Be smart about your approach to tennis. It is not how much or how hard you train. It is how smart you are in doing those two things! Best of luck!

Do you have a question for Andy or Harold? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line.

Tags: college tennis, junior tennis, Harold Solomon Tennis Institute, Andy Brandi, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: How Important is it for Juniors to Play Internationally?

In this month's topic, coach Harold Solomon of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida explores the benefits of international play for juniors.

Q: How important is it to play international competition during the development years?

A: We think that international play should be part of successful junior developmental plan. By successful, we mean junior players who have elevated themselves from top sectional players to elite national junior players.

It has always been our thinking that before juniors start to exclusively play up or play only international events, they should be among the handful of dominate players in their age groups.

There is a lot to be gained by getting to play international junior tennis. In the past, the best players came from the States, now the baton has been passed and the best players in the world are predominately in Europe and South America. If American juniors want to know if they are behind or ahead of the world's juniors, then international competition will give them a good idea of where they stand and what they have left to work on in their games.

Playing on different surfaces such as red clay and grass can give juniors invaluable experience if and when they become good enough to entertain professional careers. The red clay of Europe and South America is far different from American clay and requires players to develop different shots and styles to be successful. We also think it is valuable for players who will eventually become professionals to have the experience of playing at some of the world's great tournament sites so that by the time they play at those sites as professionals they are less overwhelmed by the experience.

We think that the whole experience of traveling overseas, getting used to foreign languages, different cultures, different foods, different players and playing conditions are an important part of an elite player developmental plan.

Do you have a question for Andy Brandi or Harold Solomon? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line.

Tags: junior tennis, Harold Solomon Tennis Institute, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: What are your suggestions for an opponent who takes too much time?

It can be irritating to compete against someone who goes to the towel after every point, or is often not ready to receive when you are ready to serve. We asked Harold Solomon of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida his advice on coping with that kind of distraction. His response:

When an opponent is trying to disrupt the flow of a match by taking more than the 20 seconds allowed between points it can be very annoying and negatively affect the outcome of the match if you let it.

Obviously the first thing you can do is to seek out help from the officials. However, during a junior tournament the officials are normally so thinly spread that they can not be expected to monitor the pace of every match.

So the real question is how do you adopt a mental framework which will allow you to be successful no matter what is going on on the other side of the net?

When an opponent of mine attempts to use gamesmanship it only makes me more determined to be victorious in the match. I tell myself to play one point at a time and I stay focused on what is working to my advantage on the court. I know if my opponent is resorting to these kinds of tactics that there is a sense of desperation and that I must be getting to him or her in some fashion. I don't let myself get emotional about things that are out of my control on the court. I focus on the things that I can control: my tactics, my mentality, my game, and allow myself to enjoy the challenge that is before me.

I loved to play in front of 15,000 crazy, screaming fans when we played Davis Cup in other countries--I took it as a challenge. They would scream out when I served, they would throw things on the court, and the more they did it, the more I liked it. I was determined and resolved to do everything I could to win my matches and I had over time developed in practice the mentality to do so.

Juniors can start by playing in practice the same way they would in matches. Work on your concentration, notice when your mind drifts off and work to get it back on track immediately. I liked to focus on the ball during my matches. I would not take my eyes off the ball for extended periods of time when it was in play or just on the ground. The ball became the center of my focus and I developed the ability to block out almost everything else except me and the ball, in a sort of a dance on the court. When you are focused on the ball it takes you away from everything else that is not important on the court.

It's important to remember that you're there to play tennis and not get caught up in the soap opera of tennis. So let your opponent try to rattle you; the more you practice staying focused on your side of the court, the more successful you will be.

Do you have a question for Andy Brandi or Harold? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line.

Tags: college tennis, junior tennis, Coaches Q and A, Harold Solomon Tennis Institute, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: How Should I Handle a Long Rain Delay?

As I waited out yet another rain delay at the Junior Orange Bowl, it occurred to me that the last outdoor tournament I covered that didn't have one was the Easter Bowl, way back in April. With these disruptions such a regular part of tennis, I thought it would be helpful to get advice from Andy Brandi of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on dealing with them.

How should I handle a long rain delay?

Rain delays can be disruptive or they can be beneficial.

If you are ahead in the match, a rain delay can halt my momentum. If you are behind, a rain delay is a godsend. The important thing is to stay positive and have a system to follow when this occurs.

1) Be sure that you turn in the score at the time the match is halted. You do not want to have a disagreement about the score when the match resumes. Turn in the balls.

2) Ask for a time when the referee thinks the match may resume or when you can check back about the status of the match.

3) Take adavantage of the break to:
+ hydrate
+ eat
+ change clothes
+ stretch
+ discuss what you are doing well or what adjustments need to be made when
the match resumes
+ Get your equipment in order
+ Relax!

4) Keeping the time you are scheduled to resume in mind, warm up before you go back on court. It is crucial that you are ready to play when you go back on court. After a long delay, you will get 10 minutes to warm up. What you do before you go on is very important. If there are courts available to warm up, do an abbreviated warm up. If at the time of the suspension you are returning serve, take more returns. If you are serving, take more serves. Play some points and if you can, go from the warm up court to the match court. If there are no warm-up courts, jog around and jump rope before you go back on.

The key is to take advantage of the delay so you return to the court ready and be able to take control of the match right away. What you do and how you do it can give you an edge over your opponent. Best of luck!

Tags: college tennis, junior tennis, Harold Solomon Tennis Institute, Andy Brandi, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: What Grips Do You Teach?

Today Harold Solomon of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida discusses his views on the grips that will enhance a player's long term development.

At the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute. we think it is really important to work with students from an early age to master the grips that will help them become successful tennis players in the future. Let me say that there have obviously been many successful players who have not used conventional grips on all of their shots but these players are the exception rather then the rule.

We prefer to teach the semi-western grip on the forehand. This grip allows the player to either hit with top spin or flatten out the shot for more penetration. This grip promotes more of an attacking style of play. You will see many clay court players use more of a Western grip, which helps on a slower surface and allows the player to have increased spin and margin of error on their shots. A downside of the Western grip is that it is more difficult to hit sliced balls and balls on surfaces such as grass.

On the two-handed backhand, we teach a Continental grip with the right hand and a semi-Western to Eastern grip with the left hand. This allows the player the ability to drop the racket head under the ball and get the necessary spin and penetration on the shot. It's important to remember that women tend to hit the ball flatter than the guys so their left hand would probably be closer to the eastern grip. On the one-handed backhand, we prefer our students hit with a full Eastern backhand grip which allows the student to get their hand and wrist behind the ball. This grip needs to be shifted to a Continental grip for slices.

On serves, volleys, and overheads we teach the Continental grip. Young students may have trouble at first serving with this grip, so we will at times allow them to start with a Eastern forehand grip and gradually move it over as they get stronger. On the forehand volley the grip remains the same but players will shift the racket a bit so that they get the palm of their hand more behind the racket.

We think that the grips we teach here will allow the students to maximize their potential. Bad grips or incorrect grips on shots have the potential of severely retarding the growth of students and should be discouraged.

Do you have a question for Andy Brandi or Harold Solomon? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line.

Tags: junior tennis, Harold Solomon Institute, player development, grips, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: What are some mental exercises to prevent me from choking when I am ahead?

In this month's installment of coaches Q and A, Andy Brandi of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida offers some tips to assist in closing out matches when in the lead.

We are all faced with the demons that arise when closing matches. It affects everyone at every level of the game. Choking happens when we lose perspective during a match and we focus on the wrong things. Instead of thinking of what we did to get to that point of leading the match, we turn our thoughts to what to do to not lose the match. Choking happens in all aspects of life and it is about how you confront fear!

Different things work for different players:

The great Harry Hopman use to tell his players to take two deep breaths and go for the lines.

My partner Harold Solomon used to tell himself to hit the ball.

Some people try to concentrate on their breathing to relax themselves.

Others try to smile and relax the facial muscles.

Because when we are choking we do not move our feet, thinking about using aggressive footwork might do the trick.

Be positive and reassuring!

The bottom line is to focus on playing one point at a time. Do not focus on the finish line, but what is in front of us.

Refuse to panic.

Don't play to the score.

Don't make a point larger than life. After all, every point counts the same.

Don't think about the outcome.

It is all about conquering fear.

Try some of the suggestions above and see what works for you. Everyone is different and if I had the formula for conquering choking in a a competitive situation, I would be a billionaire! Best of luck!

For the complete archives of the Coaches Q and A feature, see the category link in the left sidebar.

Do you have a question for Andy or Harold? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line.

Tags: college tennis, junior tennis, Harold Solomon Tennis Institute, Andy Brandi, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: Why Do I Play Better When I'm Behind?

Andy Brandi of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida has decades of experience in coaching. He provides the answer to today's question.

I seem to play better when I'm behind. How can I change my psychology to play more consistently no matter what the game or match score is?

How often do we games play with our own mind when we compete? How often do we talk ourselves out of winning a match? How often are we way up in a match and proceed to fumble it away? How often do we play our best when we are behind?

As competitors, we need to approach a match with a plan and not with concern about the outcome. When we have the outcome in mind, we do not play to our potential because we are tight, playing not to lose. Expectations make us tight.

Our plan should be to focus on the things that will give us a chance to win the match. It is the process that counts. Think about how loose you are when you play and you are behind. You go for your shots and you have a purpose in how you play each point. You are focused, aggressive and have a plan as to how to dictate and win each point. You take it to your opponent. You make them pay, you strike first.

Because we make winning or losing large than life, we do not allow ourselves to perform. When we are in this state of mind, we allow our opponent to control the points and the match. We react to what they are doing. Our goal should be to dictate and control what happens in the match. We need to love the battle.

To play your best:

1-Embrace pressure
2-Have a strategy and plan
3-During tense moments try to regulate your breathing to relax
4-Realize that your opponent is nervous as well
5-Use positive self talk after each point and reassure yourself
that you can succeed and you deserve to succeed.
6-Concentrate on the process and not the outcome.
7-Enjoy the battle.
8-Remind yourself that pressure begins in your head. As Charles Barkley said, pressure is the air in the tires!

Lastly, in practice try to simulate match situations, pressure situations. See how you react to them. This will allow you to get used to them and deal better with them in tournaments.

Best of luck!

Do you have a question for Andy or Harold? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line.

Tags: college tennis, junior tennis, Andy Brandi, Harold Solomon Tennis Institute, Coaches Q and A, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: Should Boys and Girls Practice Together?

Grand Slam mixed doubles is the one area of professional tennis where men and women compete against each other, but for practicing, both genders tend to use male hitting partners at the sport's highest level. In this month's edition of Coaches Q and A, Harold Solomon of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida comments on the benefits of junior boys and girls practicing together.

Q. Should boys and girls practice together?

A. We always have the boys and girls at our academy practice together. It is a given that boys and girls hit the ball differently. Boys tend to hit the ball with far more top spin than the girls and a boy's second serve, which is usually a kick, will jump up far higher than a normal girl's second serve.

Having said that, boys and girls can benefit from working together.

Girls’ balls tend to be flatter and go through the court more. For boys this can help them with their preparation and footwork. Boys can work on taking more little adjustment steps to get ready for the girls’ balls and getting their rackets in position earlier. Boys will also have to bend more and use their legs more to get down for the girls' shots.

Girls can practice moving up to the ball and taking it earlier since the boys shots tend to jump up more than they go through the court. Since boys hit the ball harder, the girls will have to increase their foot speed to be effective and since the guys will attack the girls' second serves, it puts more pressure on the girls to go after their second serves instead of just getting them in.

Girls will need to learn how to initiate right from the beginning of the point so that they can get in control and not let the boys' quicker speed of shots and feet come into play. It is also effective for the boys to work on serving and volleying and coming into the net when playing against the girls. The girls tend to pass well and have effective returns of serve, so many times we will make the boys play with one serve which puts pressure on their second serve and forces them to think through the point instead of just blasting for winners.

Finally, there can also be a good dynamic of both the girls and boys trying to impress each other, which we have experienced will make them work harder and more effectively.

Tags: junior tennis, Harold Solomon Tennis Institute, Colette Lewis

Coaches Q and A: Is Grunting/Screaming Really Necessary?

In this month's Coaches Q & A, we tap the expertise of Andy Brandi and Harold Solomon of the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on a very controversial topic in professional tennis today.

The recent focus on the noise made by Michelle Larcher de Brito, Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams during competiton came to dominate much of the conversation about women's tennis at Wimbledon. What causes players to adopt this practice, and is there a need for regulation of the volume?

Harold Solomon responds:

For players to hit the ball effectively, they need to let the air out of their bodies during each shot. We teach our players to breathe out when the ball hits the racket. Breathing allows the body to stay loose and flowing during the hitting process, while holding your breath will tend to shorten the swing and produces a much stiffer and mechanical shot.

Many players emit some sort of sound or grunt upon striking the ball, and this is an effective way of assuring that you are breathing correctly on the court. There is no therapeutic reason however for the excessive sounds that some players make, especially on the women’s tour. Rather, the loud grunting has simply become one of the players’ normal routines or habits.

Loud grunting is a major distraction to fans attending the matches and watching on television. It may seem cute to players, parents or coaches when the player is young, but it is definitely not something that is attractive to fans or sponsors. Players need to learn to breathe effectively, but keep from becoming a distraction on the court.

And with the National Clay Courts and Hard Courts coming up, please see Harold and Andy's suggestions from a previous installment on playing in extreme heat.

Do you have a question for Andy or Harold? If so, please send it to clewis[at]zootennis[dot]com with the phrase Coaches Q and A in the subject line. Next month they will answer a question on the benefits of boys and girls playing and training together.

Tags: junior tennis, Coaches Q & A, Harold Solomon Tennis Institute, Colette Lewis