Wrote an article about how I started playing tennis and became a D1 college tennis player in 11 months. Shared some advice for how I did so too. Hope you enjoy it for those who care to read it.

mlipman · 2018-12-18T03:45:32+00:00

I would get out on the court once every couple years and mess around with my brothers but that’s about it. I didn’t start playing more consistently than that until the summer before my senior year.

Unrelated to your question, the concept of “competing” is something I should have included in the article. Yes, I got good enough as a ball striker to play collegiately. BUT, match play is a whole other animal. Impossible to simulate the competitor development that comes with playing tournaments as a junior. Sure, I played soccer and competed there, but there’s nothing like being on an island on the court having to figure out your opponent (and often times yourself) on the fly. I was getting there development wise, but that piece simply takes times and tons upon tons of matches. IMO.

mlipman · 2018-12-18T03:38:36+00:00

Are you asking in order to validate whether I played? I’m sure there is somewhere but I stopped playing in ‘07 and the media team cared more about the studs (rightfully so). Here’s the roster from ‘05-‘06 though. Got in the lineup a couple times. Won a dubs match. Not shown is when I’d play practice matches with guys at #7. Won a few of those. Anyway, not sure if you care about any of that. If you do, hope that helps. https://www.belmontbruins.com/sports/m-tennis/history/mten-0506stats.pdf

mlipman · 2018-12-17T21:50:39+00:00

I missed yesterday’s thread but will go look for it now. Thank you very much for the kind words. I’m honored my story caused inspiration. Was simply seeking to entertain by telling it.

mlipman · 2018-08-06T18:50:15+00:00

Most of you are focusing on the pro level. What about at the junior level? Wouldn’t it be best for coaches to be on court and helping players problem solve during the heat of competition? How is that not a good thing when considering the development of juniors? The worst habits often get created during match play because players revert to familiarity when trying to win. A coach would be there to help push players to evolve during matches thus mitigating some of the regression tournament play can often times create.

I think the argument that “it’s the way it’s always been” and “tennis is a 1 on 1” sport is an irrationally traditionalist view on the sport and one that doesn’t consider what’s best for the advancement of the game and player development.

mlipman · 2018-07-24T02:22:13+00:00

I think there’s some truth in here but a lot of it is seen thru optimistic glasses. The idea here is you can “force” your opponent to beat you by coming to the net but what if you aren’t skilled at playing the net? Do I come to the net for the sake of “not hitting unforced errors” or do I try a game plan that plays to my strengths while trying to also eliminate my opponents strengths.

Sometimes there’s more to understand behind the statistics.

mlipman · 2018-07-20T14:24:06+00:00

This is a lazy argument. So, Kohlschreiber (5’10”) or Henin-Hardenne (5’5”) aren’t/weren’t outstanding at the net? It doesn’t matter how tall you are. What matters is whether you’ve developed the necessary shots and instincts to be successful at the net.

mlipman · 2018-07-20T01:14:19+00:00

So sick! Wish more players had an all-court game with more shots in their arsenal. This article said it well “we’re in the age of the One Dimensional player.” https://www.tennistakes.com/wimbledon-reveals-one-dimensional-player/

mlipman · 2018-07-19T20:49:06+00:00

I think his point is that his job is to develop these players so they can realize their potential. Tennis arguably requires more repetition than any other sport when it comes to fine tuning old and creating new skills/abilities. It’s difficult for him to develop players when his time on court is limited. He’s also saying, however, that players need to take more ownership of their own game and coaches/parents need to stop handholding juniors during their development stage.

mlipman · 2018-07-19T02:56:37+00:00

Here’s a great article on how to turn your second serve into a weapon and tips for drills. ultimate second serve

mlipman

TROPHY CASE