Find Your Sweet Spot

FINDING Sweet YOUR Spot

By Joey Hanf

Why technique should not be your biggest focus

Everyone has a different reason they play tennis. Maybe you love the competition, the mano a mano battle. For some, tennis is a great workout, the best way to burn calories while having fun. And for most, it’s a way to spend time with great people and form lasting relationships. But what brings everyone together is the addictive nature of tennis; mastering the sport is a never-ending process, regardless of your level of play.

We certainly wouldn’t be the first to mention the mental aspect of tennis. What makes the technical side of the sport so difficult is that you must convince yourself to try something that feels uncomfortable. There’s no doubt that everyone is looking to improve, but that success might not happen if you focus solely on minute technical changes.

Mitch Joyce and I lead our Touring Camp program, which travels around the nation delivering unique and energetic tennis experiences for players at clubs of all kinds. The one common denominator across every player is that when we are enjoying ourselves on court, we are much more likely to improve. So next time you miss that forehand in the bottom of the net, don’t get too upset with yourself, just have a laugh with the players on the other side of the court. Anger and frustration almost never lead to improvement in tennis.

One of the best ways to actually start enjoying tennis more often is to make sure that you’re playing in a variety of ways. If all you’re doing is playing matches, you’re probably going to be stressed out and not trying new things on the court. At the same time, if all you’re doing is taking lessons or clinics, you will most likely have a very difficult time putting that same result into a competitive situation. One of the things we love to do in our Touring Camps is create competitive drills that are fast and mimic match situations. This takes a little pressure off, and lets players experiment.

Just like anything else, make sure that tennis is an escape, and not always a challenge. Take a day off with your family and just mess around on the court. Hit with your regular tennis partners, but just hit and feel the ball. There’s no exact recipe for mastering tennis, because nobody has ever mastered tennis! As Cliff Drysdale likes to say, improvement is a journey, and that journey will be a lot more enjoyable if you focus on a holistic approach to the sport.

TON ROELANDSE

Originally from the Netherlands, Ton now resides in Miami and is a prominant member at the Cliff Drysdale Tennis managed resort, The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne, Miami.

ABOUT PROFESSIONAL TENNIS U

Motivated and driven candidates will be chosen from the applicant pool to complete a 12-month intensive work and training program that encompasses all facets of tennis club management, including: on court programming of all ages and levels, event hosting and execution, facility management, employee management, digital media, marketing and financial operations. PTU trainees will also work vigorously to enhance their skills off the court through seminars, coursework and planning sessions taught by tennis industry leaders and guest speakers. This is a real life, hands on, program that allows tennis professionals to learn through action and experience. The PTU program is divided into 3 phases. Phase I begins in January or August.

Phase I: Intro to Tennis Management & Coaching/Work Experience Phase II: Summer Programming/Work Experience Phase III: Advanced Tennis Management/Work Experience

WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM INCLUDE?

1200 Hours of On-Court Teaching Daily Seminars and Classroom Sessions Taught by Industry Leaders & Guest Speakers Tennis Instructional Skill Development Organization and Management of all Tennis Programming Membership Sales and Customer Relations Digital Media Training & Expertise in How to Market Your Tennis Program Training in Accounting, Finance and Administrative Duties Essential to Success Human Resources and Leadership Training

learn. Teach. Grow.

Now accepting applications for motivated candidates to enroll in the 12-month, elite program at Professional Tennis U.