Dehydration: The Silent Performance Killer

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Dehydration: The Silent Performance Killer for Older Athletes

Hydration is the foundation behind the three keys of great tennis—ball watching, balance, and rhythm. Without it, your eyes track slower, your body wobbles during movemeny, and your timing falls out of sync. Even the best technique can’t survive when the system runs dry.

For many of us still grinding it out in Badge or weekend comps, the real opponent isn’t always across the net—it’s inside our own body. Dehydration is a silent performance killer, and as we age, the risks rise dramatically.

Why Dehydration Hits Harder After 60

Aging bodies hold less water in muscle and connective tissue, meaning older players start matches closer to the dehydration threshold. Add heat, long rallies, or even a couple of drinks the night before, and the impact multiplies:

  • Muscle elasticity drops, raising the risk of strains and tears.

  • Balance and coordination decline, making quick steps and safe recovery harder.

  • Cramping becomes more likely, as electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium get flushed out.

For players already battling slower recovery and tighter tissues with age, dehydration acts as an amplifier.

Accelerating Impact of Alcohol

Alcohol compounds these risks. Research shows it affects every organ system—muscles, blood vessels, digestion, heart, and brain. With age, those systems are already under strain. Older players typically:

  • Have less muscle mass and water retention, so blood alcohol levels rise faster.

  • Show memory and coordination deficits at lower levels than younger players.

  • Face a greater risk of falls and injury—especially troubling since tennis demands balance and quick directional changes.

Even “just one drink” can impair working memory, slow reaction time, and compromise balance—the very skills we rely on for safe movement on court.

Signs You’re Playing Dehydrated

Many players think they’re just “sluggish” or “getting older,” but the warning signs are often hydration-related:

  • Dry mouth or sticky saliva

  • Dark yellow urine (pale yellow is ideal)

  • Headache, dizziness, or mental fog

  • Heavy legs or sudden cramps

  • Faster heart rate than usual for your effort level

  • Footwork suddenly feeling clumsy

How Long Does It Take to Recover?

Recovery depends on severity:

  • Mild: A few hours with steady water + electrolytes.

  • Moderate: Often 24 hours before you’re truly back to baseline.

  • Severe (>5% loss): Can take days, sometimes requiring medical attention.

For older players, recovery is slower because tissues don’t retain water as efficiently. That’s why a Friday night out + Saturday Badge is a dangerous combo—you’re starting in deficit before the first warm-up ball.

Hydration and Cramping

Cramping is one of the most common on-court issues for aging players. Alcohol raises the risk in two ways:

  • It acts as a diuretic, flushing electrolytes needed for muscle contraction and relaxation.

  • It dehydrates tissues, making them less resilient under long rallies or hot conditions.

Even moderate intake the night before a match can leave you depleted, increasing the chance of those painful late-set cramps.

Dehydration in Much Older Players

For players in their 70s, 80s, and beyond, dehydration isn’t just a performance dip—it can be a safety hazard. At these ages, the body holds far less water, kidney function declines, and the thirst signal is blunted, meaning you may already be under-hydrated before stepping on court. Even mild fluid loss can cause sharp drops in balance, reaction time, and coordination—magnifying fall risk during quick directional changes. Recovery also takes longer, as tissues rehydrate more slowly and muscle water reserves are reduced. For this group, hydration isn’t optional—it’s the foundation for safe movement, clear thinking, and simply enjoying the game.

A Practical Hydration & Recovery Checklist

To stay ahead of the curve:

  • Hydrate steadily the day before a match, not just on game day.

  • Sip water  during play, especially in heat.

  • Avoid alcohol before/after matches, when the body most needs hydration and tissue repair.

  • Listen to your body—foggy thinking, sluggish movement, and cramps are warning signs, not “just aging.”

Wrap-Up

Dehydration steals performance quietly—slowing reaction time, draining energy, and increasing injury risk. For older athletes, the margin for error is razor-thin.

Tennis always comes back to the three keys: ball watching, balance, and rhythm. Protect your hydration, and you protect them. Lose it, and the game unravels one step at a time.

How Title IX Built US Women’s Tennis

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How Title IX Built US Women’s Tennis

For decades, US women have carried the Grand Slam torch, and in 2025, the trend is more alive than ever. Gauff, Keys, Pegula, Anisimova, and Navarro headline a wave of US women who dominate the game’s biggest stages. Four straight Slam finals have featured a US woman. Two Grand Slam winners.

That strength shows up in the 2025 US Open draw: six US women are seeded, more than any other nation. Gauff (#3), Pegula (#4), Keys (#6), Anisimova (#8), Navarro (#10), and Kessler (#32) form the deepest national presence at the tournament.

But this dominance didn’t happen by accident. It traces back more than 50 years, to Title IX, the landmark US law that required equal opportunity for women in education—including sports.

What Is Title IX?

Passed in 1972, Title IX prohibited sex-based discrimination in federally funded schools and universities. While its language never mentioned “sports,” its ripple effects transformed athletics in the US. Suddenly, high schools and colleges had to create programs, scholarships, and infrastructure for female athletes.

That meant more courts, more scholarships, more coaches—and most importantly—a cultural expectation that girls would play sports just as boys did.

How It Shaped Tennis

Tennis was already unique: it was one of the rare sports where women could earn prize money and media attention, especially after Billie Jean King’s 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” win. Title IX supercharged that pipeline.

  • College tennis as a development weapon: Navarro, Kessler, Stearns, and Collins all sharpened their games in NCAA competition, a luxury few European or Asian players have. That system exists because Title IX forced universities to fund women’s tennis scholarships.

  • Access to coaching and resources: Players like Anisimova and Kenin benefited from USTA programs, but their early opportunities—public courts, travel teams, scholarships—flowed from a Title IX culture where female athletic dreams were legitimate.

  • Role models and representation: Without Title IX, Serena and Venus Williams may have remained outliers. Instead, they became cultural icons in a system designed to nurture and multiply talent. Gauff and Keys are their direct heirs.

Why the US Leads the World

Many countries have talented female players, but few have the same critical mass. About 35% of US girls play sports regularly between ages 6–17. That’s unmatched globally.

The result? Depth. The US has Slam champions (Gauff, Keys, Kenin), Slam finalists (Anisimova, Pegula), rising stars (Navarro, Krueger, Stearns), and teenage prodigies (Jović). Title IX built not just one star, but a production line of champions.

The US has proven what happens when a country commits to equity in sports. Fifty years on, Title IX’s fingerprints are all over the US Open draw sheet.

Wrap

Title IX gave US girls permission to dream—and the resources to chase those dreams. The next US Slam champion won’t just be a product of talent and hard work. She’ll also be a child of Title IX.

P.S. In the spirit of full disclosure… Pam and I have six granddaughters. So yes, I may be a little biased when it comes to celebrating the future of girls’ sports

Manly 7 Valiant in Defeat in Badge Final

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Manly 7 Valiant in Defeat in Badge Final

Manly 7 fell 5–2 in their Badge Final on Saturday at Sydney Boys High, battling on an away blue hard court that felt far from their comfort zone.

Match Highlights

Barnaby & Isaac

  • Dropped their first set in a brutal tiebreaker (8–6) after serving for the set at 5–4 with three set points. Finals pressure kicked in, and playing “not to lose” into a stiff wind proved costly.

  • Down 1–6 in the breaker, they rediscovered their patterns, fought back to 6–6, but narrowly lost.

  • With their rhythm restored, they took the second set. (One Love’s top player later admitted he was intimidated by Isaac’s net presence.)

Bilal & Joel

  • Locked in two tight, deuce-heavy sets but couldn’t convert opportunities, falling in straight sets.

  • Equipment drama: Bilal broke his only racket, forcing Joel to lend him his spare.

Momentum Shift

  • Barnaby & Isaac carried their momentum into the turnaround, securing a third set win.

  • Bilal & Joel, facing the opposition’s top pair, pushed them deep. Joel earned the ultimate respect when they adjusted into tandem formation to counter his cross-court returns. Still, they lost another deuce-heavy set.

Closing Stage

  • In the final set, missed chances finally wore Barnaby & Isaac down. As Coach Tim put it: “Finals tennis is brutal — but it’s a great teacher.”

Positives to Take Away

  • Team fightback: rallied from 15 points down at the start of round two to get to the final.

  • Found their doubles identity: rediscovered magic diamond patterns travel well to any surface.

  • Serving & returning under pressure: remarkable execution in fierce wind and final-round pressure.

Areas to Build On

  • More match play for experience in pressure scenarios.

  • Strengthening regular doubles partnerships.

  • Sharpening tiebreak and pressure-play skills.

  • Across the board, volley improvement.

Wrap

While disappointment stings, this was a powerful learning experience. Manly 7 showed grit, flashes of brilliance, and plenty to build on. Finals tennis exposed the gaps but also revealed their competitive edge.

A loss on paper, but a huge step forward in development.

Ah! Doubles Really Is a Different Game

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Ah! Doubles Really Is a Different Game

At this year’s U.S. Open mixed doubles, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori reminded everyone that doubles is not just singles with four players jammed on the court—it’s an entirely different sport.

The Italian specialists—last year’s champions—are back again, dismantling some of the biggest singles names. Rybakina and Fritz? Gone. Rublev and Muchová? Outclassed. And with only a semifinal run so far, Errani and Vavassori have already pocketed more money than they earned winning the entire event last year.

The irony is sharp: the event was packaged as a showcase for singles stars, but it’s the doubles masters who are writing the story and cashing the checks.

Why Doubles Specialists Dominate

  • The Magic Diamond – Picture a diamond laid over the court, linking the four players. That diamond marks out the key sections where nearly 80% of balls are played at every level. Great doubles teams shift the diamond with each shot, always covering the hot zones, closing seams, and shrinking angles. Singles players often miss it—and leave space that doubles experts devour.

  • Craft Over Power – Singles stars try to blast their way through. Doubles specialists rely on placement, anticipation, and sharp angles.

  • Net Control – In doubles, the net is everything. Vavassori’s wingspan and Errani’s timing turn floating balls into easy winners.

  • Partnership as Choreography – Doubles isn’t improvisation. It’s synchronized movement—like Torvill and Dean on ice, only with rackets.

Badge Lessons

The same story unfolded last Saturday with two Manly teams in the Sydney Badge semifinals.

  • In Division 1, two young singles guns came out banging from the baseline. Nick and Rimmo stayed calm, worked the diamond, and took charge at the net. Result: four sets won, match sealed.

  • In Division 10, Issac and Barnaby committed fully to the diamond, keeping themselves anchored in the right zones every point. The payoff: three sets, including the clutch decider that delivered the tie.

Different divisions, same truth: doubles is a different game.

A Crowd’s Education

At the U.S. Open, fans came for the franchise names. Ticket prices were trimmed to fill the stands.

What the crowd got instead was a masterclass in doubles.

It wasn’t just tennis—it was Torvill and Dean on a court: precision, timing, and coordinated movement. The fans expected fireworks. They walked away talking about geometry, poaching, and anticipation.

How to Play Winning Doubles

To win in doubles, stop playing singles with a partner. Start playing doubles:

  • Play the Diamond – Shift with your partner on every shot. Protect the middle, close the angles, and make opponents hit the low-percentage ball.

  • Serve & Return With Purpose – Serves should feed your partner. Returns should be crosscourt, low, or lobbed to disrupt formations and keep the net player honest.

  • Stay Mentally Sharp – Keep your eyes outward on cues and patterns. Use quick rituals—like a simple ball squeeze—to reset and stay calm under pressure.

  • ABC: Always Be Closing – Move forward behind deep shots, poach the floaters, and keep opponents under constant net pressure.

Whisperer Wrap

This year’s U.S. Open mixed doubles was designed as a showcase for singles stars. Instead, it has become a clinic on the geometry and psychology of doubles. Errani and Vavassori—last year’s champions and already richer semifinalists this year—are proving the point.

From Flushing Meadows to Sydney Badge, the lesson is the same:

Doubles really is a different game. And those who master the diamond, the net, and the partnership—always win.  

And of course, it helps if you have a consistent volley!

Source: Getty Images

PS: Errani and Vavassori didn’t just make the semis — they won it in classic doubles fashion: 6/3, 5/7, 10/6 in the match tiebreaker. Another reminder that when the pressure’s highest, the doubles specialists know exactly how to finish the job.

The Underarm Serve: Errani’s Masterstroke

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The Underarm Serve: Errani’s Masterstroke

Most of Howie’s midweek group are appalled at Errani’s serve.  They are purists, to say the least. Some even question whether it’s legal.

But the results speak for themselves: Sara Errani, at 38, remains a force on the pro tour, a Golden Slam-winning doubles specialist who has mastered a serve few dare to try.

Sara Errani stood at match point in the Billie Jean King Cup semifinal, staring down Iga Świątek, one of the world’s best. Then, she served—underarm.  What followed was not a gimmick or an act of desperation. It was a masterclass in adaptability, executed by a player who has turned a perceived weakness into one of the game’s more potent weapons.

Michael Chang: The Original Underarmer

Long before Sara Errani brought the underarm serve into the women’s spotlight, Michael Chang executed one of the most famous underarm serves in tennis history—on match point, no less. It was the 1989 French Open, and Chang, just 17 years old, was battling severe cramps in a fourth-round clash against world No. 1 Ivan Lendl. Barely able to move, Chang pulled out an underarm serve late in the fifth set. It caught Lendl completely off guard. Chang went on to win the match and ultimately the tournament, becoming the youngest male Grand Slam champion in history.

Reframing Weakness into a Weapon

Errani’s story is unique. Standing at just 5’5”, she lacks the height and power of today’s big servers. For years, her serve was mocked, criticized, even meme’d. But instead of hiding from it, she embraced the challenge, building a tactical repertoire around placement, variation, and surprise.

The underarm serve wasn’t born from whimsy—it was born from necessity. When her regular serve began collapsing under pressure—most notably with severe yips in 2019—Errani made a radical decision: she would serve underarm entirely during a tournament in Paraguay. The reaction was brutal, but the outcome was revealing: she reached the final.

A Strategic Statement, Not a Trick Shot

While players like Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Bublik deploy the underarm serve for flair, Errani does it with a surgeon’s precision. Against Świątek, it wasn’t about showmanship. It was about starting the point on her terms—controlling tempo, rhythm, and positioning.

As she explained:

“I don’t try to make winners. I just try to make kick, make slice… sometimes is better for me to serve not that fast, because if you serve fast the ball is coming back faster.”

Is It Legal Under the Rules?

Yes—the underarm serve is completely legal under the rules of tennis. The only requirement for a valid serve is that the ball must be hit before it touches the ground and must land in the appropriate service box. There is no rule that requires the server to strike the ball overhand. As long as the motion is continuous and the ball is not thrown and allowed to bounce, the underarm serve is fair game—even in professional play. That’s what makes it such a disruptive, underutilized weapon.

Why It Disrupts Timing

What makes the underarm serve so difficult to return is that it fundamentally breaks the rhythm most players rely on. At every level of tennis, returners are trained to read toss height, racquet swing, and body rotation to time their split step and initiate their backswing. The underarm serve removes all of that. It comes slower, lower, and earlier than expected—often before the returner has even completed their split.

This plays havoc with players who “quick hit” the return—those who rely on the ball’s pace to time a sharp, early contact. Suddenly they’re forced to generate their own power on a floating ball that arrives below knee height, with no predictable trajectory. The result? Mis-hits, awkward footwork, or mistimed aggression. Even top pros like Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz have been caught out by Errani’s underarm, proving that disruption can be just as deadly as power.

Expect Scorn

Even so, if you decide to use the underarm serve, be prepared for derision and scorn. Tennis purists often view it as unsportsmanlike or beneath the standards of “proper” play. You might face eye-rolls, muttered comments, or even outright ridicule—from opponents, spectators, and yes, even your own teammates. But as Errani has proven time and again, winning changes the narrative. If you’re confident in your intent, unbothered by tradition, and smart about when to deploy it, the underarm serve can be a bold, effective answer to pressure—not a sign of weakness.

From Panic to Process: The Psychological Shift

Errani’s journey with the serve reflects the essence of mental resilience. Her coach advised her to serve underarm for a full tournament to liberate her mind. That decision echoes the “Practice Under Pressure” and “Adaptive Strategies” discussed in sports psychology: face the fear head-on, and reclaim control.

She also leans on breathing routines and visualization, managing match-day nerves that once crippled her ability to toss the ball.

For Competitive Players

The underarm serve isn’t a shortcut. It’s a reminder that tennis intelligence can outplay raw firepower.

Errani’s decision to lean into discomfort turned her serve into a disruptor—a shot that rattled Świątek, flummoxed Fritz, and helped Errani secure a Golden Slam in doubles.

Want to Try It? 

  • Practice under pressure. Don’t save it for matches. Test it during high-intensity drills.

  • Pair it with variety. Mix it with slice and kick serves to create unpredictability.

  • Use it selectively. Against deep returners or when protecting a second serve.

  • Own the moment. Confidence is everything. Commit, don’t hesitate.

Wrap

The underarm serve isn’t weak—it’s wise.  Errani didn’t just revive a controversial shot—she redefined it.

The Art of Hard Court Doubles

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Has Hypnosis Been Applied in Tennis?

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Has Hypnosis Been Applied in Tennis?

Rachel asks whether hypnosis has been used in mental conditioning in tennis.

The answer is yes—tennis professionals and sports psychologists have explored hypnosis techniques to enhance mental focus, reduce anxiety, and improve performance under pressure.

Notable Examples:

  • Tennis legends including Andre Agassi, Serena Williams, Jimmy Connors, and Martina Navratilova have publicly credited mental conditioning, including hypnosis or visualization, for their success (Village Hypnotherapy).

  • A review in Frontiers in Psychology supports hypnosis as an effective mental training method for managing stress, enhancing focus, and boosting performance in sport (Frontiers in Psychology).

Mixed Evidence:

  • One study evaluating hypnosis and progressive relaxation in tennis training found no significant performance improvement compared to standard coaching over the long term, suggesting effectiveness depends on context and implementation (Academia.edu).

Tennis Ball Squeeze: A Scientific Parallel

One of the most validated and comparable tools is the “tennis ball squeeze” method, developed by Professor Jürgen Beckmann.

While not traditional hypnosis, this neuromuscular priming technique—a form of embodied cognition—alters brain function to reduce performance anxiety. The method involves squeezing a tennis ball with the left hand for 10–15 seconds before serving, which has been shown to stabilize performance under stress by calming the brain’s motor control center.

Hypnosis and Guided Imagery in Sport

Hypnosis and guided visualization techniques have long been employed in elite sport to help athletes:

  • Enter relaxed, focused states

  • Visualize successful performance outcomes

  • Reinforce confident behaviors

  • Regulate emotional arousal

In tennis, these tools can be critical for:

  • Mental recovery between points

  • Handling momentum shifts

  • Sustaining focus and intensity throughout a match

Complementary Mental Conditioning Techniques

To maximize effectiveness, hypnosis or guided imagery should be integrated with:

  • Visualization

  • Breathing routines

  • Pre-match rituals

  • Mindfulness techniques

When combined with behavior design principles like those from Atomic Habits, these strategies can support the creation of mentally resilient, high-performance routines.

Wrap

Hypnosis in tennis isn’t just a theoretical concept—it’s a proven tool used by champions and backed by psychology.
While results can vary based on individual receptivity and application method, it remains a valuable option for players looking to strengthen their mental edge.

Lessons from the Badge Semi-Final

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Atmane’s Evolution: From Banging to Relentless Patterns

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Atmane’s Evolution: From Banging to Relentless Patterns

The newly expanded 96-player draw in Cincinnati gave Térence Atmane a lifeline — a spot in qualifying. He seized it, beating Yoshihito Nishioka to reach the main draw, then taking down Flavio Cobolli, João Fonseca, Taylor Fritz, and Holger Rune.

Cincinnati’s fast, low-bouncing hard courts, with their skidding ball speed, are tailor-made for his game. The surface rewards his first-strike instincts, amplifies his lefty serve, and keeps opponents from settling into long exchanges.

The Weapons Were Always There

Atmane has never lacked firepower — a left-handed serve that carves the court wide, a forehand that can rip through defenses, and angles that drag opponents into awkward recovery patterns.

What he hasn’t had is stability. His Challenger career yielded a 74–48 record before Cincinnati, but in 2025 he was just 19–10 despite two titles, his results swinging wildly from dangerous to erratic.

The last two seasons brought turbulence: a near-default at the 2024 French Open after hitting a spectator, the loss of his Asics sponsorship, and boos from the Philippe-Chatrier crowd after a flat 2025 French Open loss to Richard Gasquet.

A Mental Reset

After the Gasquet defeat, Atmane told Tennis Channel he wanted to be “more healthy, more happy.” It marked a shift from chasing only results to building daily habits that sustain performance.

He’s traded emotional volatility for adaptive mental strategies — match-day rituals, reset cues, and positive self-talk (shades of Draper) — giving his raw power a framework for consistency.

Inside the Patterns: How He’s Winning Points

Wide Forehand Setup: Lefty Geometry: One of his most effective plays this week has been the wide forehand setup — a nod to the Nadal variation, but executed with his own aggression. From the ad court, he serves wide to the backhand, forcing a stretched return. That gives him time to step around and crack a forehand crosscourt, opening the angle even further. With his opponent pulled far off the court, the next ball is an inside-out forehand into open space — precision meets geometry.

Short/Long Combo: Disrupting the Rally Rhythm: When rallies settle into neutral patterns, Atmane uses the short/long combo. He’ll carve a short, angled forehand that yanks his opponent forward, often on the run. As they scramble back, he picks his strike — a passing shot threading the gap or a deep lob that flips the point back in his favor. It’s a rhythm-breaker that unsettles even the most reliable baseliners.

Wrong-Foot Redirect: Timing Meets Deception: His improved timing and awareness are on full display with the wrong-foot backhand redirect. Taking the ball early, often as his opponent moves back to center, he sends it down the line — not into open space, but directly into their recovery path. The surprise forces an awkward adjustment, creating errors or easy finishes at the net.

Wrap

Cincinnati could be the turning point that transforms Térence Atmane from an unpredictable outsider into a player with top-20 potential.

His next challenge is Jannik Sinner in the semifinals — a meeting of two players with contrasting styles and very different routes to this stage.

Source: Cincinnati Open

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Keep Turning Up: The Mindset That Changes Matches

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Keep Turning Up: The Mindset That Changes Matches

Golfer Tommy Fleetwood knows the walk.  Final-round tension, leaderboard glances, cameras following.  And yet — no PGA Tour trophy in his hands.

He’s widely considered the best player without a win — a tag no one wants, but one he’s carried with grace. His close calls are many, his skill undeniable, but the breakthrough hasn’t arrived.

Tennis has its own versions of this storyline. Think David Ferrer, who reached a Grand Slam final and stayed in the top five for years without winning a major. Or Elena Dementieva, who played multiple Slam finals and won Olympic gold, but never claimed a major trophy. Like Fleetwood, they lived in the rare air of constant contention, week after week, without the crowning moment.

The Invisible Hurdle

Fleetwood’s challenge isn’t mechanical — he’s a world-class ball striker with multiple European Tour wins. The real opponent?

  • History’s shadow – Each time in contention, the whisper comes: Here we go again.
  • Expectation weight – Every point or shot feels heavier because of what’s at stake.
  • Anxiety’s trap – Playing to avoid failure instead of playing to win.

As Davis Love III says, “It’s a mental battle to not play for something other than one shot at a time.” Any tennis player who’s tightened up serving out a match in the third set knows exactly what he means.

Why Showing Up Matters

Performance psychology shows that repeated close calls can cause overthinking. The brain, trying to protect itself from the pain of past losses, tenses when the moment comes again.

The key is to keep showing up anyway.  Fleetwood himself put it best:  “I would way rather be there and fail than not be there at all.”

In tennis, the same holds true. Being in the fight — whether in the semis of your club championship or at the sharp end of a Badge finals match — is proof of belonging, not failure.

A Lesson From My Coaching Days

When I coached juniors in the US, I made a deal with my students: they had to play 10 tournaments over the summer. Why? Because no one knows when the breakthrough will come.

I secretly hoped it wouldn’t happen in the first couple — that early rush of winning can tempt young players to overplay and risk injury. But by tournament eight or nine, something deeper took hold. Turning up wasn’t just about chasing a trophy anymore; it became a life lesson in resilience.

They learned to:

  • Compete when tired
  • Focus after disappointment
  • Trust that persistence is its own kind of win.

The Takeaway

Fleetwood’s story — and those of Ferrer, Dementieva, and countless other players — proves that persistence is a skill.

When the breakthrough comes, it won’t be magic. It will be the natural outcome of showing up, again and again, long after it would’ve been easier to stay home.

Whisperer Tip: Keep turning up.

When the win comes, it won’t mark the beginning of your story — it will simply be the next chapter in your tennis development, forged through resilience.

The Silent Match-Loser in Badge: Unforced Errors

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The Silent Match-Loser in Badge: Unforced Errors

I still remember, as a kid learning tennis, going up against “the puddler” — that maddening opponent who never seemed to do anything but float the ball back to the middle of the court. Point after point, I’d try to blast my way through, only to miss and gift them another point. I was small, without the weapons to finish a point, clueless about court positioning, and far too impatient to play the long game. My young mind couldn’t wrap itself around one simple, infuriating question: how could you possibly lose to someone who never attacked?

The answer, of course, was simple: unforced errors.

What They Are — And Why They Matter

An unforced error is a mistake entirely within your control — no brilliant winner from your opponent, no impossible retrieval. Just a shot you should have made, but didn’t.

While the frequency of these errors generally decreases as standards rise, they never vanish. Even in Badge tennis, they are often the biggest deciding factor in a match.

Some are more painful than others. Failing to return a weak second serve — particularly in doubles, and especially when you dump the return into the net — is a serial offender. Other classic examples include:

  • Missing a routine volley with the court wide open

  • Overhitting an approach shot with no real pressure on the swing

  • Netting a slow sitter in the middle of the court

  • Double-faulting on a crucial point

  • Sailing a ball long when you had time to set up perfectly

The sting isn’t just in losing the point — it’s in knowing the outcome was entirely in your hands.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Roughly 30% of professional tennis points end with an unforced error. The best in history keep their rates unusually low:

  • Bjorn Borg → 4.9%

  • Rafael Nadal → 5.4%

  • Roger Federer → 8.2%

By comparison, the average Sydney Badge player will often see 35–45% of points end in a UFE — and in scrappy, high-pressure matches (especially against “puddlers”), that number can surge past 50%.

At Badge level, matches are often decided not by who hits the most winners, but by who can hand over the fewest free points.

Why It’s a Match-Changer in Badge

At pro level, shaving 5% off your UFE rate can swing a match. In Badge, where UFE counts are often much higher, the impact is even bigger. If you normally give away 40% of points through UFEs and you can bring that down to 30%, you’ll win far more matches — without improving a single other aspect of your game.

The Psychology of Control

Reducing unforced errors in Badge isn’t about playing “safe” tennis — it’s about disciplined execution under pressure:

  • Balance — hold posture through your shot so the ball stays on target

  • Footwork — small, precise prep steps to arrive balanced

  • Mental resets — breathing, self-talk, and rituals to stop one mistake becoming three

  • Training habits — making consistency automatic through repetition

Why UFEs in Doubles Can Be Easier to Manage

In doubles, you start in a winning position — right at the net. That positioning forces errors from your opponents and gives you high-percentage volleys to finish points quickly. Because rallies are shorter, there’s less time for UFEs to creep in — but the same rule applies: the team that gives away fewer free points almost always wins.

So how do you handle it when your partner makes a UFE? Nobody deliberately misses a shot, so be sympathetic — especially if they were doing the right thing tactically. In those moments, your role is to be encouraging, not critical. Remember, even a strong doubles team will still win only about 60% of points they play, so the occasional miss is not just inevitable — it’s part of the game. A quick nod, a smile, or a “good look” can keep your team’s confidence rolling into the next point.

How to Start Winning the UFE Battle

  • Track your mistakes — chart your UFEs in matches and notice patterns.

  • Consistency  — aim for 50+ rally balls deep-to-deep groundies and volleys without an error in practice

  • Simulate match pressure — assign penalties for UFEs in practice sets.  You lose 3 points when you hit the ball into the net.

  • Have a reset plan — deep breath, ritual, and a tactical target after every error.

Whisperer Tip:

In Badge tennis, you don’t have to be the biggest hitter to win — but you do have to be the one who gives away fewer free points. Control what you can control, and you’ll control the match.

How Screens Can Sabotage Your Tennis Game

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How Screens Can Sabotage Your Tennis Game

In today’s game, winning points isn’t just about fast feet or a powerful forehand—it’s about how well your eyes can keep up. Your visual system is constantly working overtime: tracking a ball moving at high speed, judging spin and depth in a split second, and syncing your movement to what you see.

But here’s the catch—if your eyes are fatigued or out of sync, your timing, balance, and anticipation can crumble. And in the age of constant phone scrolling and computer work, many players are stepping on court with eyes that are already running on empty.

Your Visual System’s Job on Court

It’s doing far more than just “seeing the ball.” It’s:

Tracking rapid movement

Across the net, baseline to baseline, in a fraction of a second.

Judging depth and spin in milliseconds

So you can position and time your shot perfectly.

Coordinating body movement with visual input

To maintain balance and hit in rhythm.

When the visual system is fatigued or unstable—often thanks to too much screen time—your reactions slow, your court positioning suffers, and your balance wobbles under pressure.

From Office Screens to On-Court Struggles

Take “Lira” (name changed), a 35-year-old competitive rec player. She spends hours online for work and hobbies. Over time, she noticed:

Dizziness

While tracking balls from the periphery.

Eye fatigue

After just a set or two.

Anxiety in busy visual environments

Such as crowded courts or doubles play.

Difficulty locking focus

On her opponent’s racquet or contact point.

Her problem? A combination of Convergence Insufficiency (trouble bringing the eyes together for near focus) and Vertical Heterophoria (a subtle vertical misalignment of the eyes). Each condition alone can throw you off—but together, they were wrecking her performance.

How Visual Fatigue Hurts Your Tennis

Late reactions on returns

The split-second delay in visual processing can mean a shanked return or being late on a passing shot.

Poor anticipation

You miss subtle cues in your opponent’s body language.

Balance breakdowns

You feel off-kilter when changing direction, especially on wide balls.

Reduced stamina

Your brain burns more energy processing unstable visual input, draining you faster.

Why Screens Make It Worse

A major clue in Lira’s case: her symptoms were triggered by visual activity—screens, faces, busy traffic—not simply physical exertion.

That’s a key lesson for players: if dizziness or fatigue only happens with visual demand, your eyes might be the real culprit.

The Tennis Takeaway

If you’re a player who:

  • Feels “foggy” late in matches

  • Struggles with balance on wide or low balls

  • Has trouble locking onto the ball in fast rallies

  • Gets anxious or disoriented in doubles traffic

…it might not be your strokes—it might be your visual stamina.

The bad news? Endless scrolling, streaming, and screen work off-court can slowly erode that stamina.

The good news? With the right training, your eyes can be retrained—just like your footwork or serve mechanics.

Bottom line: Your eyes are as much a part of your tennis toolkit as your legs and racquet arm. Protect them off court, train them on court, and you’ll feel sharper, steadier, and more confident in the big points.

Phone-to-Court Visual Reset (3 Minutes)

Goal: Loosen near-focus tension from screen use, activate tracking speed, and sharpen depth perception before warm-up hits.

1. Distance Reset – “20–20–20” Style (1 min)

Purpose: Relax eye muscles and shift from near to far focus.

  • Look at the furthest object you can see (tree, scoreboard, light post).

  • Hold your focus there for 20 seconds, blink naturally.

  • Shift to another distant object for 20 seconds.

  • Repeat once more.

2. Saccade Speed Boost (45 sec)

Purpose: Activate rapid eye movement for reading the ball early.

  • Pick two objects about 3–5 meters apart in your vision (court sign, umpire chair).

  • Without moving your head, snap your eyes from one target to the other as fast as possible.

  • Go for 15 seconds, rest 5 seconds, repeat twice.

3. Near–Far Snap Drill (45 sec)

Purpose: Improve quick focus changes between opponent’s racquet and ball.

  • Hold a tennis ball with a large letter/number written on it at arm’s length.

  • Focus on it for 2 seconds, then quickly shift to the net strap or far baseline.

  • Repeat 15–20 times.

4. Convergence Tune-Up (30 sec)

Purpose: Strengthen eye teaming for better ball tracking.

  • Hold your racquet in front of you, tip pointing up.

  • Slowly bring the tip toward your nose, keeping it single and clear as long as possible.

  • Return to start, repeat 5–6 times.

Whisperer Tip: Do this before your physical warm-up (short court rallies, mini tennis) and your eyes will already be in game mode—no “foggy first two games” effect.

Shake Off the Morning Rust

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Shake Off the Morning Rust

If you’re over 40, you’ve likely felt it — that morning stiffness in your hips, knees, or lower back that didn’t exist a decade ago.

For many experienced tennis players, it’s not a lack of skill or commitment that limits performance — it’s a body that’s slower to respond. The joints feel tight, movement isn’t as sharp, and recovery takes longer. But this isn’t just “getting older.” More often, it’s your body telling you it needs more consistent care.

You wouldn’t step on court with a broken string, right?  That would be unthinkable — no control, no consistency, no confidence.  So why start your day with stiff joints and locked-up movement?

You wouldn’t start a match without strings in your racket — don’t start your day without range in your joints.

The Silent Game-Changer: Morning Mobility

For years, I started the day feeling tight and sluggish — stiff hips, aching knees, and slow movement to the kitchen, let alone the court.  Everything changed when I committed to just five minutes of morning stretching before play.

And here’s why it works: your joints — especially synovial joints like the hips, knees, and shoulders — rely on motion to stay healthy. Movement stimulates fluid circulation, nourishes cartilage, and helps prevent stiffness and inflammation.

  • No movement = no lubrication

  • No lubrication = stiff, creaky, injury-prone joints

Prime Your Day in Five Minutes

Here’s the simple routine I use each morning — before tennis, before life gets moving:

  • Neck rolls & shoulder circles – awaken the upper body

  • Cat-cow stretch & thoracic twist – unlock the spine

  • Hip flexor lunges & seated hamstring stretch – release tension in hips and hamstrings

  • Calf raises & ankle rolls – prep your base for balance and footwork

It takes just five minutes. No equipment. No gym. Just intention.

Wrap: Respect the Gear That Moves You

You’d never compete with loose strings, a cracked frame, or a worn-out grip.  So don’t neglect the gear you can’t replace — your body.

Your joints are your primary equipment. Treat them with the same care you give your racket. Stretch. Move. Mobilize — daily.  Because a joint in motion stays in motion.

And a player with joint range plays longer, moves sharper, and stays in the game.