Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2019 from Timeless Tennis

Santa Tennis at Christmas

Tennis Christmas Wish

Tennis Video of the Day: Tennis Tricks

Courtesy: BuzzFeedVideo

Tennis Quote of the Day: Footwork = Moving Well = Playing Well

Tennis Quote of the Day: Enjoy being a better player

Tennis Quote of the Day: Go to practice to learn something

Tennis Video of the Day: Bruce Lee plays table tennis with nanchucks

Courtesy: 2005bluetank

Tennis Video of the Day: One-Handed Backhand Animation

Courtesy: Mili Split Method

Tennis Photo of the Day: Kinetic Chain, Power from Ground-Up, Balanced Core, Body Rotation, Racket Head Acceleration, Optimal Contact Point

Courtesy: Tennis Warrior (Please visit)

Tennis Video of the Day: Tennis (and life) - "One day better everyday" - Building confidence by focusing on the right goals

Courtesy: Head Tennis and Andre Agassi

Tennis - The Healthiest Sport

Courtesy: PTR (Professional Tennis Registry)

Tennis Word of the Day: Breathe

(Click Image to Enlarge)
 Courtesy: Tennis Warrior

The Osaka Forehand: Tracking the Ball, Proper Spacing to the Ball thru Crisp Footwork, Kinetic Energy from the Ground Up and Full Swing Follow-Through

Click Here for Video on Facebook (Courtesy Tennis Warrior): Osaka Forehand

2018 U.S. Open: Novak Djokovic Wins 3rd U.S. Open and 14th Grand Slam Championship

2018 U.S. Open: Naomi Osaka Wins First Grand Slam Championship

The 2018 U.S. Open is Here!

Tennis Video of the Day: The Curious Evolution of the Tennis Racket

Courtesy: Bloomberg on YouTube.com

Tennis Song of the Day: "Anyone for Tennis" by Cream and Eric Clapton (1968)

Courtesy: driftinblues on YouTube.com

Tennis Video of the Day: Learn to Play (and Live) FREE

Goal: Abandon Unproductive thoughts
Technique: Bring a waste basket or bag and discard them

Goal: Be (and stay) in the present, and address any issue
Technique: Focus on your breathe, and the exact moment when the inhale becomes the exhale

Courtesy: Bob ("Focus Coach") Litwin, Performance Coach, Tennis Congress (Apx. 14 mins., Published August 26, 2018)

Lessons from Dance: The Primacy of Balance and Core Rotation

Courtesy: John Cambridge on You Tube ("Puttin' on the Ritz" with Fred Astaire) 

Lessons from the Martial Arts: The Supremacy of Speed and Quickness

Courtesy: Topideo on YouTube (From the Martial Arts Movie "Enter the Dragon" with Bruce Lee)

Lessons from the Discus Throw: The Kinetic Chain of Energy from the Ground-Up

Courtesy: Throwing Smarter, Throwing Smarter

Tennis Topic of the Day: The Most Beautiful Game

Tennis is a "uniquely strong, complex and beautiful sport", which turns a game into a metaphor, and sport into art. Tennis is: angles, spin, power, control, direction, geometry, speed, strength, movement, balance, drama, dance, deception, doggedness, calmness, explosiveness, analysis, touch, bravado, nimbleness, defiance, elegance and the variety of both the human forms who play it and the styles it is played with --- and so much more. 

Read why many believe that tennis is the most beautiful game. 

Article: The Most Beautiful Game: Tennis Turns Sport into Art, Marianne Bevis, Bleacher Report (Nov. 2009)

Tennis Quote of the Day: Lessons from the Martial Arts

Click Photo to Enlarge

Tennis Topic of the Day: Legendary Coach Nick Bollettieri's Top 5 Tennis Tips for All Players

Legendary Coach Nick Bollettieri's Top 5 Tennis Tips for All Players

1. Early racket preparation - Unit turn of body with racket back can never be too early
2. Exaggerate the follow-thru - Do not think of just hitting the ball, but finishing the swing
3. Never-Two Bounces - Think of never letting the rally ball bounce twice
4. Hit & Recover - Recover immediately to the center of court after your hit and finish
5. Foundation & Balance - Your ready position and playing posture is always low, solid and balanced

For more: Coach's Tips to Improve Your Tennis Game

Tennis Topic of the Day: What you can do, even with zero talent.

Courtesy: Coach Allistair McCaw (Facebook)

Tennis Quote of the Day: Only Two Options in Tennis (or Life)

Wimbledon Championships 2018 (Gentlemens Singles): Novak Djokovic Wins Fourth Wimbledon Crown, 13th Grand Slam

Wimbledon Championships 2018 (Ladies Singles): Angelique Kerber Wins First Wimbledon Crown

Tennis Book & Topic of the Day: Tennis Anatomy

Amazon: Tennis Anatomy

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Tennis Article of the Day: The Best-Dressed Tennis Players of All Time

Article: The Best-Dressed Tennis Players of All Time, GQ Magazine (UK) (June 29, 2018)

In Pursuit of Greatness: The Championships at Wimbledon

Tennis Quote of the Day: Author David Foster Wallace on Roger Federer

Tennis Quiz of the Day: What sport is among the top 5 most popular in the world?

Roland Garros (French Open) 2018: Men's Singles Championship - Rafael Nadal, World No. 1, Wins 11th French Open and 17th Grand Slam Title

Roland Garros (French Open) 2018: Women's Singles Championship - Simona Halep, World No. 1, Wins Her First Grand Slam Title

Tennis Topic & Quote of the Day: The Calm Mind

Tennis Topic of the Day (Reprise): The Power of Visualization to "Create" Your Shot

Consistent perfect visualization can "create" the shot as much as real practice! 

Article: "Mental Rehersal & Visualization" by Joe Haefner (citing University of Chicago study by Dr. Judd Biasiotto which showed that a control group simply visualizing perfect free throws improved as much as another control group that actually practiced free throws)

Tennis Topic of the Day: The Most Universal Practice Tip

Tennis Topic of the Day (Reprise): Your Deadliest Opponent

Tennis Quote of the Day: The Greatest Teacher

Courtesy: Tennis Warrior (Please visit)

Tennis Topic & Book - "Muscle Memory and Mental Imagery: Better Tennis"

I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.  

Bruce Lee

Muscle memory is the result of focused repetition of strokes, through deliberate practice, over a concentrated time with appropriate recovery to empower the human body to produce an higher, elevated performance level. 

Many coaches might describe this performance level for the typical player as "unconscious competence." Other coaches might also suggest muscle memory is a vital predicate for "elite performance" for anyone at the professional ranks. 

The science of muscle memory (and use of mental imagery) to help players at all levels is thoughtfully explored in the provocative and well-researched book, Muscle Memory and Mental Imagery: Better Tennis. 

Backed by science, research and even statistical mathematics, author Archie Dan Smith (physician, medical director and tennis aficionado) clarifies the concept of muscle memory, proposes scientific laws to help explain it, and offers practice methods and practical tips to improve it. 

Muscle Memory then explores the intriguing topic of mental imagery, or literally self-creating a sensory experience, to supplement and enhance higher-level performance. 

The book also presents the tennis reader with an excellent recommendation section for further reading (books, articles and websites), and an extensive bibliography. 

Here's a brief excerpt on muscle memory for consideration. 

"Muscle memory is what determines your strokes and makes your tennis game what it is - for the good or for the bad. 
I propose the following laws of muscle memory. By understanding these laws, you can apply them to your training and your tennis game. You will become a better player. 
Laws of Muscle Memory.
1. Your tennis strokes are due to muscle memory.
2. Muscle memory is the result of permanent changes in the brain, nerves and muscles.
3. Permanent changes occur through repetition in a concentrated period of time.
4. Repetition by doing it right in practice is how you hit good strokes in a match.
5. Learning different patterns back to back may cause forgetting of the initial one.
6. Once your muscle memory is in place, it "forgets" slowly, if at all.
7. The temporary improvement that occurs during practice or matches should not be considered learning, but rather a transient performance effect." 

Here's another brief excerpt on mental imagery for consideration: 

"Imagery [means] 'to create an experience in the mind'. The goal of imagery is using your mind or imagination to see and feel yourself playing the point, as if you are actually there. . . . You are practicing, or better termed, mentally rehearsing, your shots. In fact, some even call it 'visualization'. The two most common [imagery], and relevant to tennis, are visual and kinesthetic. Visual - You see in your mind, as if you are actually there. Kinesthetic imagery is when you feel as if your own body is doing it . . . The reason [imagery] works lies in the fact that when you imagine yourself performing to perfection . . . you are in turn psychologically creating neural patterns in your brain, just as if you had physically performed the action." 

For much more reading on these compelling tennis topics, please see and review: 
Muscle Memory and Mental Imagery: Better Tennis, by Archie Dan Smith, MD (CreateSpace: 2017)(36 Chapters, 144 Pages)(available on Amazon- Kindle Edition)

Tennis Quote of the Day: What means the most is that tennis is fun!

Tennis Topic of the Day: Should Your Practice? Answer: Keep Doing It

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Tennis Quote & Image of the Day: Serena Williams

Tennis Article of the Day: Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People (April - May 2018) - Roger Federer

Article: "Roger Federer" by Bill Gates in Time Magazine

Tennis Topic & Photo of the Day: Transition Volley

(Click Image to Enlarge)
Courtesy: Tennis Warrior (Please Visit)

Tennis Video of the Day: Roger Federer Forehand Revealed

Video & Instruction Courtesy of: EssentialTennis.com (Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players)(Apx. 11 Mins.)

Tennis: "The most beautiful sport"

(Click image to enlarge)

Playing Inspired Tennis: A Roadmap

Tennis Topic: Stay Inspired to Play Tennis
Courtesy: TennisDrills.tv (Please visit)

Tennis Photo of the Day: Federer Forehand

Courtesy: Tennis Warrior (Please visit)

Tennis Quote of the Day: Direction and Control

Courtesy: Salomon.com

Tennis Topic of the Day: Kinetic Energy Transfer from Ground Up

Courtesy: Tennis Warrior (Please visit)

Top Ten Greatest Tennis Players Ranked Scientifically

Article: Greatest Tennis Players (Courtesy: Trove 42)
Video: Click & Watch Video on Facebook

Tennis Photo of the Day: Tennis Evolution - The One-Handed Backhand

Australian Open 2018: Men's Final: "Greatest of All-Time", Roger Federer Wins 6th Australian Open Championship and 20th Grand Slam

Australian Open 2018 - Women's Final: "The Land of Woz", Caroline Wozniacki wins first Grand Slam Championship & World No. 1 Ranking

Rod Laver - Australia's Legend - One of the Greatest of All-Time

2018: 50th Anniversary of the Open Era (Professional & Amateurs Playing Together for Major Titles)

Australian Open 2018: Play!

Tennis Topic of the Day: Success Indicator for Life or Tennis

(Click Image to Enlarge)
 Courtesy: MaryEllen Tribby

Tennis Tribute of the Day: Roger Federer

"Both flesh and, somehow, light." --- David Foster Wallace

Tennis Quote & Topic of the Day: Tennis and the Number 3

"Tennis is a game of 3s". 

Doug Lewis, USPTA-1 Certified 
Lead Tennis Instructor
Healthplex Tennis
Springfield, PA USA

Things in tennis can be quickly analyzed in terms of threes (3s). 
3 spins: topspin, slice, and flat
3 service angles: down-the-middle, out-wide, and into the body
3 court regions to hit to: their backhand, forehand or middle
3 court depths to hit to: short, middle and deep
3 net heights for groundstrokes: short for hard & flat shots, medium for deeper shots, high for lobs
3 types of opponents to access: baseliner, net-charger, grinder
3 types of player profiles: tall, short and medium

Happy New Year 2018 from Timeless Tennis!