The Joy of a Hit on Lord Howe Island

A Passport Called Tennis

I never thought I’d play tennis in the middle of the Tasman Sea — but there Pam and I were, on idyllic Lord Howe Island, 420 miles northeast of Sydney, with a court tucked away among the palms.

Legend has it that the court at PalmTrees Resort was laid by JC himself (no, not THAT JC, but the Manly one). That Sunday afternoon, we borrowed a pair of old Prince rackets, scraped together a few dead balls, and had what I can only describe as the pure joy of a hit.

Apparently, a fresh case of new balls had yet to arrive on the Island Trader — a supply ship whose name needs no translation — but we made do.

⸻

First Lessons on the Island

Soon, a couple of staff, Chiara and Rosi, wandered over, curious to try. With Coach Pam’s encouragement, we found ourselves giving what may have been the first-ever tennis lesson on LHI.

Watching newcomers laugh their way through their first rallies, framed by mountains and sea, was as memorable as any tournament win.

⸻

The Island Champion

Every April, the island hosts its annual LHI Championships, fiercely contested but always in good spirit. The reigning champ is Fran, a warm-hearted Chilean and now a two-time winner.

I had the joy of hitting with him two days later. By island standards, Fran is still a “newbie” — he’s only been here six years — but his game and generosity have already made him part of the island’s fabric.

Just as much a part of that fabric is Dillis, his partner — a charming English lady with a quick wit and kind heart. Together, Fran and Dillis embody the spirit of the island: Fran with his energy on the court, and Dillis with her warmth off it.

⸻

An Island of Stories

Lord Howe has a fascinating history. The first settlers arrived in 1834 — George Ashdown, James Bishop, and Chapman, along with their Māori families. A few years later, men like Owen Poole, Richard Dawson, and John Foulis expanded the settlement, while the Andrews family became known for cultivating the island’s famous Lord Howe Red Onion. Their legacy still lingers in the island’s character today.

Owning property here? Harder than a Manly real estate auction. Leaseholds are rare treasures.

But the people make the island. Friendly, welcoming, country-town kind of warm. Our little United Nations of friends at Pine Trees — Lindy, Chloe, Caroline, Abbie, Ellie, Chiara, Greta, Fran, Rosi, Dillis, Michael, Aleks, Julia, Rosalie, and more — turned a casual tennis hit into a gathering of cultures, laughter, and stories.

⸻

Why It Mattered

In the end, it wasn’t about strokes, serves, or who won the points. It was about connection. A mismatched group of locals, travelers, and staff, bound by a shared love of the game, on one of the most beautiful islands on Earth.

Sometimes tennis is about tournaments, strategy, and footwork drills. But sometimes, it’s simply about the joy of a hit — especially when you find it somewhere you least expect.

⸻

Wrap

Tennis is more than a sport. It’s a passport — one that opens doors to places, friendships, and experiences you could never plan.

Lord Howe Island is now stamped in my tennis passport — not for the scores or the strokes, but for the laughter, the people, and the pure joy of a hit in the middle of the Tasman Sea.

Djokovic: On Mentorship

Novak Djokovic recently gave an interview reflecting on the importance of mentorship. He spoke about how deeply he values passing on his knowledge to younger players.

His philosophy is simple yet powerful:

“What’s the value of knowledge if you don’t transfer it to the next generation?”

From Holger Rune learning that power isn’t everything, to Hamad Medjedovic being reminded to “believe in yourself more than your shots,” Djokovic’s quiet guidance runs through today’s ATP and WTA tours.

Mentorship Lessons from Djokovic

Build Before You Bang

He teaches first steps before first serves.

Footwork drills like prep steps, split steps, and multi-directional movement remain at the heart of his coaching. Balance and movement create the foundation for every match-winning shot.

Temper Power with Percentage

Rune learned that “never going beyond 80%” on routine shots builds reliability under pressure.

Often, consistent, high-quality balls win more points than occasional highlight-reel winners.

Mentor with Detachment

Like Djokovic, many teaching pros quietly understand the value of discipline and routine.

Your habits – daily stretching, mindful hydration, thoughtful lesson notes – create small moments of excellence that flow into your students’ games. Over time, these routines become part of the quiet wisdom you pass on, often without even realising it.

Share Without Fear

You know that sharing your knowledge never diminishes your worth.

Giving away your best insights keeps your mind sharp, your teaching evolving, and your love for the game alive – even as your students grow into players who may one day achieve things you only dreamed of.

Beyond the Lesson

Students absorb every drill, every tactic, and every small correction. Over time, they build games that go beyond what their mentors once played.

But for a teaching pro, there is no clash. There is only quiet pride, knowing your knowledge lives on in stronger, wiser, and more confident players.

Because in the end:  To teach is to remain timeless.

Breath: The Final Frontier

For the experienced tennis player, mastering endurance starts with mastering breath.

At a certain point in your tennis life, you stop chasing perfection and start chasing sustainability. Your strokes are reliable. Your instincts are sharp. You know the angles, the tempo, and the wisdom of a well-timed lob.

But here’s the quiet truth most players miss—especially those of us playing well into our 60s, 70s, and beyond:  It’s not your legs or even your heart that usually gives out first.  It’s your breath.

We spend decades perfecting our serves, footwork, and equipment, but very little time tuning the one system that touches every shot, every point, and every rally—the respiratory system. And that’s a missed opportunity.

Why You Feel Winded So Soon

Ever notice how you can start a match feeling great—resting heart rate in the 50s, legs loose—and yet just a few games in, you’re gasping for air at what seems like a modest 110 bpm?

That sensation isn’t random. It’s your body hitting VT1—the first ventilatory threshold. It’s the moment your breathing shifts from automatic and quiet to something more labored. It’s when oxygen demand suddenly outpaces supply. In tennis, this is where your rally length drops, your footwork gets lazy, and your partner starts carrying more of the load.

The problem? As we age, this threshold comes sooner.  The solution? We can train it.

Rethinking Breath: It’s More Than Inhaling

To manage this transition, you need more than strong lungs. You need breath awareness. You need a system that works with you, not against you.

Try thinking about your breath like this:

• Before VT1, you’re in candle mode—burning clean, controlled energy.

• At VT1, you’re shifting to a blowtorch—hot, powerful, but hard to sustain.

• When you hear yourself breathing during a point, or can’t string five words together between serves, you’ve likely crossed that threshold.

Most players don’t recognize this line—let alone train to move it. But with a few simple changes, you can.

On-Court Tactics to Expand Your Breath

1. Warm up slower than you think you need to.
   Try 5–10 minutes of hitting while breathing only through your nose. It’ll feel awkward—but it tells your heart and lungs to sync up before the match gets hot.

2. Listen to your inner coach.
   Can you mentally or quietly talk yourself through shot selection during points? If not, your breath is ahead of your brain. Ease back.

3. Reset between points.
   Walk slowly to the baseline, inhaling for 3 seconds, exhaling for 6. This trains your nervous system to recover like a pro.

Breath Training Off the Court

The work doesn’t stop at the net. Here’s how to improve your breath system away from matches:

• CO₂ Tolerance Walking: Exhale fully, hold your breath, walk a few steps. Repeat. It builds breath control and resilience.

• Box Breathing: 4 seconds in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 hold. Trains focus under fatigue.

• Pursed-Lip Exhales: Like blowing out a candle slowly—helps strengthen your diaphragm and calm your system.

Wrap

Breath isn’t the backup plan. It’s the baseline.
Train it. Trust it. Tune into it.
Because breath is the difference between burning out… and playing out your full game.
And if tennis has taught us anything, it’s that the long game always wins.

Muscle Knots from Overplaying? 

Tennis is a demanding sport — long rallies, intense footwork, and repetitive motion can lead to those painful, stubborn muscle knots. If you’ve ever come off court with that deep ache in your neck, shoulders, or calves, you’re not alone.

These myofascial trigger points are common in high-level players and can seriously impact your performance if left unchecked.

Why Muscle Knots Happen to Tennis Players

When you overtrain or maintain poor posture (yes, even between matches), your muscles can contract and fail to release. Over time, this creates dense, sensitive knots — especially in high-load zones like:

• Shoulders and traps – from serving and overheads

• Forearms – from racquet repetition

• Calves and lower back – from explosive lateral movement and long matches

They reduce blood flow, compress nerves, and limit your range of motion.

How to Break the Knot Cycle

Most knots resolve on their own, but when you’re competing or training daily, you need quicker solutions. Here’s what works:

Heat and Ice

• Heat helps relax muscle tension and boost circulation

• Ice reduces swelling and numbs pain

Use post-match or during downtime between sets.

Stretching

Stretch after matches or before bed to increase mobility and reduce tissue stiffness. Think of it as recovery insurance.

Self-Massage

Use a foam roller:

• Pinpoint the knot

• Apply pressure until discomfort lessens

• Follow up with gentle stretching

Professional Help

Sports massage and dry needling are go-to tools for persistent knots. Needling triggers a micro-healing response that relaxes the knot from within.

Prevent Muscle Knots from Returning

Once you’ve loosened up, keep knots at bay by reinforcing smarter habits:

Correct Your Posture

• Keep your screen at eye level

• Ensure arms are even with the keyboard

• Avoid craning or hunching

Incorporate Movement Breaks

• Stretch or walk every 20–30 minutes

• Add mobility drills to warm-ups

Build Strength and Resilience

Consistent strength training improves flexibility and prevents overuse injuries. Progress gradually and avoid overtraining.

Play Smarter, Not Sorer

Muscle knots are part of the grind — but they don’t have to hold you back. With smart recovery tactics and intentional routines, you can stay mobile, powerful, and ready for peak performance.

Train hard. Recover harder. Win smarter.

Tennis for Life: Building the Player You Want at 90

Imagine striking a forehand at 85 with the same steadiness and purpose you had at 45. This isn’t fantasy — it’s the promise of what Dr. Peter Attia calls the “Centenarian Decathlon,” a blueprint for aging with strength, autonomy, and joy.

For competitive tennis players, training for longevity means putting your most fundamental skills — ball watching, balance, and rhythm — at the heart of your program.

Dr. Attia encourages everyone to define ten physical tasks they want to perform effortlessly in their 80s or 90s. For lifelong tennis players, this list might include:

• Tracking the ball cleanly from racket to contact

• Serving pain-free through a full match

• Recovering wide balls with confidence

• Finishing points at net with poise

• Walking onto court independently, ready to play

These aren’t feats of athleticism — they’re measures of control, clarity, and resilience. The very same pillars that define great tennis and independent living.

The Most Critical Skill: Ball Watching

Tennis begins and ends with the eyes. Your ability to read the ball in real time — not just see it, but truly track its speed, spin, and trajectory — shapes every movement and decision on court. As we age, this skill becomes even more vital, and more vulnerable.

The changes aren’t just about reading glasses or straining to spot the ball at the baseline. Even subtle declines in visual clarity can erode your timing, disrupt footwork, and lead to mis-hits. One of the most overlooked yet impactful causes? Dry eye syndrome.

Often dismissed as a minor irritation, dry eye syndrome can significantly impair visual performance. It causes a gritty or burning sensation, along with intermittent blurred vision — symptoms that worsen after prolonged concentration, like during extended rallies. This leads to slower reactions, visual fatigue, and mistimed contact. Fortunately, lubricating eye drops offer a simple fix: restoring clarity, reducing irritation, and helping you stay visually sharp from first point to last.

Whisperer Tip – Ball Watching: Develop soft-focus vision using our whisperer ball-can drills that simulate visual tracking under pressure. Practice scanning from your opponent’s hips to the contact point rather than locking in on the ball too early. This switch from reactive seeing to anticipatory reading expands your court coverage — and extends your competitive edge by years.

Balance: Your On-Court Anchor

You can’t strike a clean ball or finish a rally without balance. From groundstrokes to serves to recovery steps, it underpins every phase of play. Balance allows you to load your legs before a shot, rotate with control, and finish in position. It’s the quiet force behind efficient movement — conserving energy, reducing strain, and sharpening timing.

As you age, maintaining balance becomes even more crucial. It helps prevent falls, protects your joints, and preserves your ability to move confidently. But balance isn’t just about standing still — it’s about staying centered through motion. That’s why your training should focus on dynamic stability: integrating vision, footwork, and body awareness.

Whisperer Tip – Balance: Use eye-foot crossover drills to build dynamic stability and elevate court awareness. These drills teach your feet to respond to visual cues with rhythm and precision — the foundation of balanced, injury-resistant tennis.

Rhythm: The Secret to Timing and Longevity

Rhythm isn’t musical — it’s neurological. A player in rhythm isn’t rushed, even under pressure. It’s how older players keep up with younger ones: not by moving faster, but by moving smarter and avoiding injury.

Whisperer Tip – Rhythm: Anchor your rhythm with rituals and visualization. Begin each drill or point with a consistent pre-movement cue — a bounce, breath, or sway. Visualize the timing of your movement from hip coil to contact to recovery. These routines act as internal metronomes, syncing your body to the match’s tempo.

Cardiovascular Training: Extend the Rally of Life — Better on Two Wheels

VO2 max isn’t just a performance metric — it’s a powerful predictor of healthspan. Dr. Attia’s cardio protocol includes:

• 4 weekly Zone 2 sessions to build aerobic base

• 1 weekly Zone 5 session to maintain peak cardiovascular power

Whisperer Tip: Use cycling to lock in Zone 2 rhythm — your foundation for endurance and recovery. Add hill sprints to mimic tennis demands. Cycling protects joints and builds leg stamina while strengthening the heart and sharpening recovery.

Fueling Recovery: Nutrients That Support the Game

What you eat fuels your performance and shapes your aging trajectory. Key nutrients from Dr. Attia’s model:

• Taurine — cardiovascular & mitochondrial health

• Carotenoids — fight oxidative stress

• Niacin — replenishes NAD+ for energy & tissue repair

• Protein — essential for muscle maintenance and metabolic health

Aim for 30–40g of high-quality protein per meal (eggs, fish, chicken, whey) to trigger muscle protein synthesis and preserve mobility as you age.

Build the Player You Want to Be at 90

You don’t rise to your goals — you fall to your systems. The routines you build today shape the strength, clarity, and capability you carry into your final decades.

Whisperer Tip: Make consistency your most powerful skill. A short daily routine that tunes your eyes, steadies your balance, and syncs your rhythm will serve you longer than any last-minute match prep.

Wrap

Tennis for life isn’t about outlasting younger opponents — it’s about evolving into your sharpest, most capable self. The skills that help you win points are the same ones that support clear thinking, fall prevention, and graceful movement into your 80s and beyond.

Proof? Meet Dodo Cheney.

Still skeptical? Consider Dodo Cheney — a legend in senior tennis. She earned over 100 Gold Balls (US National Titles), her final win at age 91, retiring only after a championship loss to “the 89-year-old kid.”

Dodo didn’t just defy age — she redefined lifetime play.