~The Theme Is: Me! (Brian Lutz, Tennis Professional)

National 40's Clay Court from Savannah, GA

slycer — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:49:31 -0400

For years fellow tournament players have been telling me about the great tournament each September in Savannah, GA. So this year I decided to check it out and I wasn't disappointed. The event if very organized and a lot of fun. I ended up losing in the first round but ended up making lots of new friends and catching up with old ones. Typically, I shoot other players but this year I found someone to shoot highlights of my match. Which was kind of cool and also scary all at once.

The courts were playing very slow so I decided to stay back from watching everyone else do the same on other courts. After getting dusted in the first set I changed game plans and went on the attack. Here I get in a solid forehand return and am able to mix in two slice backhand in between a top spin backhand before I approach the net.

This is one of my favorite points of the tournament . I get a bit jumpy on my backhand return but I am able to drive the ball which allows we to float in and carve out a forehand volley from inside the baseline. This puts my opponent on the run and I'm able to finish with one of my signature shots. Check it out!

As you can see I started to find some success with driving my backhand return and skimming approaches shots to put pressure on my opponent. The best shot of this sequence is a low volley that results in a lob that went sails wide.

In case you are wondering how I lost this match after watching these highlights here is just a sample of what went wrong. This was probably the worst shot of the tournament. I found the right tactics during this second set but I wasn't consistent enough to pull it off.

I have two more tournament on my calendar for the end of the year. Ft. Lauderdale National 35's on Clay in November and the National 40's Hard in La Jolla (San Diego) in early December. Stay tuned!

Ego 1 - Real Me 6

slycer — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:25:58 -0400

Training in extreme heat is challenging and fun until you are losing.

I sat down in my car and pushed on the ignition switch. As I rolled down the windows and set the air flow for the interior of the car I noticed one number that caught my eye. My car's thermostat has the afternoon temperature at 99 degrees. Suddenly, I felt better. At least I had a good excuse for my exhaustion.

I was depleted after my quarter-final match in the Fila Tennis Classic here in Miami. I played in the mid day sun against a younger, faster, fitter and more skilled tennis player. I was on the court for about an hour and 15 minutes. The last 1/2 hour of the match was mostly pain.

Again, the dialogue between my Ego and the Real Me was flowing with the Real Me winning the battle. I was wiped out. Each point felt as if it was the last 50 meters of an grueling 1600 meter race. I never thought of quitting I just wanted to keep battling under match conditions and hope to pull something positive from the match. At least i was burning calories and experiencing match emotions the Real Me rationalized. Ego was very quiet on this day.

After I congratulated my opponent and sat down I didn't feel good. I couldn't get my body cool and I was sweating perfously. The perspiration was the good news. My body was working overdrive to get me cooled off. I just couldn't get my breathing or heart rate to slow down. I needed to get in some shade and lug my bags to the club house. I threw on a long sleeve shirt because I didn't want to walk into the A/C pro shop and cramp up from the cool air.

Once I plopped on a chair I just sat quietly drinking the best glass of ice water I ever had. After about 20 minutes I wandered back out on the deck under the shade and watched some tennis. Eventually, I felt normal enough to hit the showers. It seemed I survived.

My thinking was with these two Florida warm up tournaments would be ideal training environments to make me match tough for Savannah which is typically hot and humid this time of year. The jury is out on his concept. I've not really enjoyed 3 of the 4 matches I played even though I won two of them. I think I like the training and practicing in the heat more than playing tournaments. With practice when you get overheated you can take a break. At this point my fitness is not nearly where it needs to be to play through pain or fatigue in matches seeking a second wind. I'm not close to giving up nor am I close to be where I would like: my elusive potential. It will take time for everything to come together including my fitness.

SPORTS and BUSINESS

Since launching TennisTIP in 2003 I do a lot less worrying. This is year six so I have seen the ups and downs of business and have overcome enough challenges that you can ride out bad stretches and understand good stretches are never to far off. Perhaps with enough training and experience the same will hold true for my game. You just have to enjoy the process and keep swinigng away and except the facts that not all will be rosy on your cash flow statements or first serve percentage.

Now back to packing for Savannah, GA and the National 40's Clay Court Championships.

Below are somewhat lame highlights (note: it's hard to find an enthusiastic camera man) from the quarter-finals but documented nonetheless. I'm 99 percent sure this forehand went sailing out! : )

Inspiration has its Moments

slycer — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:54:55 -0400

Fresh off the US Open final I'm fully inspired. Truth is I have been itching for awhile now to get back into tournament play. Watching the Federer performance last week was all I needed to get really motivated to start playing again. Here is my story.

I've decided to play the National 40s in Savannah, GA at the end of September. This tournament is probably the most popular and best run in the country. Everyone who has played says its a "must play" on the calendar. So this year, I'm playing. But I need some training, practice and warm up tournaments.

I've made the decision that training in Florida is perfect preparation since GA will be hot and humid even in Fall. I sign up for the Deerfield Fall Classic Sept 13 an 14th to get the ball bouncing. I'm not sure I can fit this in my schedule but I sign up. As the tournament nears I'm crunched for time and decide I'm going to try to have my cake and eat it to and fly out of LaGuardia at 6am for my 11:30am start time. This means as I am finishing up the LiveBall festivities in Long Island City Friday night in exactly 12 hours I will be in the 1st round of the Deerfield Fall Classic! I know what you are thinking.... But inspiration has it moments and we are at one right now.

I wake up at 4am fresh off three hours sleep and I feel pretty good. I'm tired by motivated so the excitement is getting me through the cob webs. I luckily am bumped up to First Class which means I can catch a pre-match meal and perhaps some sleep. I get the meal and no sleep but I'm feeling good.

The good thing about flying at 6am is there is no line at the take off runway and we arrive before our ETA. Nice. I arrive at my apt in Miami and keep moving. If I lay down now for a rest (9am). I'm finished. So I pack my bag stay busy and leave at 10:15am and arrive at the tournament at 11:25. Five minutes later and I'm warming up with my opponent.

THE MATCH

As I get into the match I game plan. I decide I need to play the first few games at about 1/2 speed to make sure all my parts are working. I will stretch after the 3rd game then turn it up a notch and put on the pressure. But I got nothing. Any kind of extended rally and I'm sucking wind. I'm down 3-0. At this point I just need to win a game but to do so we leave me exhausted. I lose the first set 1-6.

When I play I have a running dialogue in my head. It is usually between my EGO and the Real Me. My Ego is reasoning my performance. The Real Me is just telling it like it is " you are what you are". The Real Me dominates the conversation and I just make the best of the situation much to the chagrin of my Ego. I decided there is no way I can imagine going hard for two more sets but I will try by going all out in the 2nd. I'm exhausted for the entire set and lose 3-6. The Real Me says, I'm out of shape.

I'm so tired on the hour trip back to Miami I'm nodding off at the wheel. I get home an collapse on the bed. I don't really sleep I just lay there glad to be horizontal.

SUNDAY / CONSOLATION

Now after that performance it would have been real easy for my Ego to take a pass on my Sunday consolation but the Real Me is still inspired and drives back for more tennis on Sunday at 11:30am. The danger of consolation is the dreaded "no show" from your opponent. This would have pissed me off but he showed. I felt lucky and motivated.

Well as you might have imagined I felt a whole lot better on the court on Sunday. I was moving great feeling relaxed and won the match quite easily. This was great news for both my Ego and The Real Me as I needed at least a win to get my confidence back for the upcoming tournament in two weeks. Step 1 is complete!

Federer: Almost Obnoxiously Good!

slycer — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:24:53 -0400

It's been a while since I last posted here and I am happy to report my "make good" with the cable guy ended up with a happy ending. Our spot ran on a Quarterfinal right before Federer walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium during the second week of the Open. I also ended up scoring tickets to the Men's Final online ( I paid a premium). America is a great place with a bit of initiative, hard work and ($) you can get what you want in this world.

I hadn't watched Federer up close in awhile and he is amazing. As your eyes watched the points from the baseline he even fools you from the stands. Murray was struggling most of the day to shake his nerves. Occasionally, he would blast his way out of trouble with huge ground strokes only to have Federer up the ante. He plays with this almost obnoxious degree of talent that he can do whatever he wants. Fortunately, he is a super nice guy. Looks like the regular Federer is back to his dominating self. The thirteenth Grand Slam has been witnessed and is in the books.

TV Reps: Continued / Safin-Spadea highlights

slycer — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:10:17 -0400

Still no word from the cable rep. This is his pattern. We are a small account for him so we have to be the squeaky wheel to get any oil.

It seems the US Open still hasn't really started yet even though we are into the 4th day. I didn't see the Safin/Spadea match but I read about it in the NYTimes the next day. The article was more or less a retrospective on Safin's career and how he has underachieved since winning the US Open in 2000. There was a whole lot more interesting going on in that match beside the past. For instance, how about a quote from the Tournament Referee on the "hash mark" foot fault call from over 80 feet away on the other side of the net. The writer, Michael Brick, really dropped the ball on this one. I included the link below for your to review.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/sports/tennis/27siblings.html?ref=tennis

TV Reps: Paying + Attention = Headaches

slycer — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:45:09 -0400

Since I have started this business called TennisTIP I have been buying advertising. When you are a one man show you tend to rely on your reps and your consultants to help make your decisions. I've bought print, online, outdoor, radio, television, sponsored teams, movie ads, digital screens and classified. The one thing I've learned to do is pay attention.

I just bought about 4 days sessions of the US Open on US network here in NYC off of TimeWarner Cable. I utilize a media buying consultant with these purchases because television advertising can be tricky.

Television is sells inventory of local spots in each market. Demand and television ratings along with the station and program are all weighed in coming up with a spot rate. These are priced out by the ad reps.

I have been buying TV spots for about four years now so I have a good feel for how much audience I'm buying and how to make it work with my product. This TimeWarner rep is always the same. He doesn't pay attention so I do.

I tend to email my requests to him and have begun to CC my buyer and his assistant to make sure the campaign is executed on time. This week our new LiveBall spot launched during the US Open and wouldn't you know they ran my old commercial called "Looking for Tennis Lessons".

The US Open is my SuperBowl here in NYC. So if I miss my chance a do over on TV Land during Greenacres isn't going to do me much good. Especially since my message is being timed with my print, online and outdoor venues as well which of course are timed during the fortnight of tennis.

I'm in the midst of negotiating what they call a "make good" in the world of television advertising. I'm requesting a 3 for 1 make good. In other words, you messed up my one now I want 3 in return on the same program. Which in this case is the US Open.

Stay tuned. Don't touch that dial!

French Open 2008 TV Schedule

slycer — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:18:32 -0400

June 4 6 a.m.-Noon Quarterfinals (live) Tennis Channel
June 4 Noon-5:30 p.m .Quarterfinals ESPN2
June 5 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Women's Semifinals (live) ESPN2
June 5 1-6:30 p.m. Women's Semifinals Tennis Channel
June 6 5-10 a.m. Women's Semifinals Tennis Channel
June 6 10 a.m.-1 p.m Men's semifinals NBC
June 6 4-11 p.m. Men's semifinals Tennis Channel
June 7 9 a.m.-noon Women's final (live) NBC
June 8 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Men's final (live) NBC

Tennis Channel also carries French Open tonight every evening where you can see edit highlights from the days tennis!

Hamburg '08: Federer vs Nadal

slycer — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:20:50 -0400

I know a lot of pundits, including me, have lot of advice for Roger Federer in his quest to beat Nadal on red clay at the French Open. But after watching this match in Hamburg I am not sure what else he can do. He played aggressively with his forehand, played good defense, attacked the net, varied his approach shots and really moved his feet well. Federer is playing very well. Nadal just a tad better.

Check out the match below. The video isn't so great so it's tough to track the ball but the audio is very acute. If you like footwork the sound really brings out the hustle of playing clay. Enjoy.

Barcelona Final '08: Nadal vs Ferrer

slycer — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:16:00 -0400

Nadal is amazing on a clay tennis court!

Check out this first point in this highlight. At the end of this point he hits a bullet backhand down the line. Check out how flexible the trunk of his body is as his momentum carries him off the court.

1:25
In this :30 second rally Ferrer is punched in the gut after his hard work with a well disguised Rafa drop shot off the forehand. This is a very difficult shot to disguise but the modern players high looping back swing make for great technique for providing huge power and as you will see here superb disguise.

2nd Set Action
Ferrer does what a lot have tried to do and has some success here in the 2nd set. He steps up on the baseline assuming the position of an aggressive baseliner and starts dictating the flow of points. He also follows shots nicely to the net to clean up points.

3rd Set Action
Nadal counters the 2nd set tactic of aggressive baseline play by Ferrer and takes the power to another level. A lot of the points are shorter as Nadal cruises in the 3rd set with an impressive display of knockout punches!

NADAL VS FERRER FROM BARCELONA, SPAIN

Head Scratching Behavior in Miami

slycer — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:48:43 -0400

I have been down here a week in Miami running Spring Tennis Camp and enjoying some tennis at the Sony Ericsson Open. A lot of us are scratching our heads (no pun intended) at the unusual tantrum thrown by Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny. The funny thing is when you see the replay in slow motion he actually meant to thwart himself flush with his strings and misses by catching the edge of his racquet on his forehead. Repeating it several times! The result is a bit disturbing.

Federer vs Sampras at Madison Square Garden

slycer — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:49:07 -0400

I must be honest.

I have been looking forward to seeing this match up since I heard Pete and Roger had a practice session in Sampras' back yard last Spring. Apparently, there were about 19,000 other people interested as well because Madison Square Garden was packed to the rafters last night.

As I watched carefully I was truly amazed by a couple of technical things in each players game. Firstly, Sampras still has a big booming serve. You can really see and hear the ramification of his uncoiling power on his overhead and serve. This stroke is by far still the most impressive part of this 14 time Grand Slam Champion's game.

Roger just moves so gracefully. He is fluid, fast, quick and elastic. Some of the "gets" he runs down are what stand out with me each time I see him. I really feel this movement and shotmaking really are his strength. The day he loses his speed and flexibility will be defining. Federer has so much game, though, he could easily convert into a serve and volley player to accommodate any loss of foot speed or range.

As I watched the match it was interesting to see the difference in their forehands. I forgot how devastatingly flat Pete forehand was albeit is a rusty version of his old game. Roger's forehand and his semi-western grip apply a blend of power and spin that really give him a tremendous weapon.

Most of the match Pete spent time keeping the play in front of him with a lot of chipping and charging. I now see why players don't play this way in the year 2008. It is very difficult to do. Players, such as Federer in particular, are so quick to get into position and rocket these spinning missiles past the charging net man. Roger was equally devastating on the forehand pass as well as the backhand.

Sampras did try to utilize his forehand a bit to charge the net but Roger would not let him get into position to make offensive shots from that side without sacrificing court position.

Pete was rusty. At one point in particular, Pete snuck in on a 2nd serve only to bounce it off the bottom of his frame straight into the court beneath him. It was an awkward moment but one that all got a laugh out of. The Roger. Then Pete. In that order. It took Sampras awhile to absorb what had happened eventually looking up on on the Jumbo screen for verification.

It was more than nice to see these guys play. It would be even more fun if they did this in the future. Especially, if Pete doesn't mind honing his game for a match or two a year against the current crop of greats. Rumor is London is on the schedule next (not Wimbledon mind you but London none the less).

I also wouldn't mind seeing Nadal vs Sampras at some point on a hard court. Who knows maybe even Agassi would want to get into the spirit of things. I hear he is working out and bulking up. I am curious how his new and larger frame translates to a tennis court. Is anyone else curious?

THE SHOW

Star Games did a great job of producing the event. They went with a Star Wars theme as you will see in the video below. Federer as Dark Vader and Sampras as Luke Skywalker. Enjoy the video below of that memorable introduction. Their will be a DVD of the match available in the future so stay tuned for that. It should be a nice piece of tennis memorabilia.

Could Tennis Magazine Be Any More Unoriginal?

slycer — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:26:38 -0500

The latest issue of Tennis Magazine (March 08) arrived in my mailbox here at my office this week. It will be the first of three I typically receive since they purchase multiple mailing lists from tennis associations to pad their circulations. I belong to the USTA and USPTA Tennis Teachers trade association. I am not quite sure why i get the third.

On the cover is photo of Novak Djokovic with the letters N E X T across his chest. This is a blatant rip off of ESPN The Magazine "NEXT" campaign over a platform of sports. This type of editorial decision making continues to make Tennis Magazine a quick browse with little editorial relevance or innovation since I starting reading their tips in the 80s. Inside they have a shot of Novak at the 07 US Open. I guess they couldn't afford an stringers (photographers) to get any shots of his Australian Open victory a few weeks ago or were hampered by deadlines that make the current issue irrelevant by time it reaches readers.

One article did catch my eye about tennis in prison. It would be a cooler blog than article but I think it is worth a read.

Davis Cup: US leads Austria 2-0

slycer — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:45:57 -0500

I was just looking at the draw and perhaps this terribly built clay tennis court might be something of a blessing for the US Team. If the draw holds true to form we will play France in April here in the US (on a hard court). From there you are looking at a Sept semi-final on clay vs Spain and then a December Final in either Russia or Argentina. Guess which surface they will pick for that potential match up?

The US Team hasn't won anything yet but if they could run the table this year it would be very impressive after last years "perfect storm" of home matches.

Stay tuned to the Versus Network and Replays on Tennis Channel in the evening for highlights. TIP: Mute the sound!

Davis Cup: Barry McKay Syndrome

slycer — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 12:31:42 -0500

Roddick is up 3-0 (break) in Davis Cup vs Austria on what looks like mud of a tennis court on TV. There are a scattering of fans at the venue in Austria. A lot of empty seats and very little crowd support by international sporting standards. There is so little applause it really kills the mood and excitement, especially after the last sporting buzz from Super Bowl 42. I am not sure if it is applause or an occasional spring shower.

So what does announcer Barry McKay exclaim: "This is a tough environment to win in with this crowd support". Nothing like broadcasting from Santa Monica is there?

2007 Match of the Year

slycer — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:23:28 -0500

Wimbledon Men's Final 2007

The greatest tournament of the world with the two greatest players on the planet did not fail to live up to expectations. On a perfect day for tennis after a fortnight of rain we were treated to the twists and turns of a 5 set thriller at the Mecca of tennis.

Below are highlights of that last game. You will see Rafa's second serve had begun to become vulnerable landing in the middle of the service box. Federer was also able to attack his forehand to open up the court.

See you in 2008. Happy New Year.

FEDERER vs NADAL @ WIMBLEDON 2007

Sampras vs Federer from Malaysia

slycer — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 22:52:19 -0500

For many years tennis I have had discussions with my peers about Federer vs Sampras. Now by no means I am going to suggest their 3 city exhibition through Asia will settle this discussion as to who is the best player any time soon but it sure is an intriguing event. Below are highlights from Malaysia (Kauala Lumpur) where the court was playing very fast which made some explosive tennis from both players.

Below are some earmarks of a few points I thought were very entertaining.

8:25
Federer rolls his backhand crosscourt on the run leaving Sampras lunging.

8:46
Sampras goes from offensive to defense with his signature rocket forehand. His slice backhand has let him down throughout the match.

9:09
Here is a quick fun exchange as Federer takes his return and charges the net with a nifty volley exchange won off Sampras' backhand.

Is your tennis game funny peculiar or funny ha-ha?

slycer — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:04:53 -0400

Tennis is a funny sport.

There are two kinds of funny that I refer to. They are the Les Nessman choices from the old television show WKRP in Cincinnati. Les was concerned when the receptionist for the radio station (played by Loni Anderson) referred to him as “funny” at the office. With a look of concern he opted: ‘do you mean funny peculiar or funny ha-ha?” Loni’s character went with funny “ha-ha” but in tennis funny can be down right peculiar.

In college (West Chester University) I lost a match 6-0, 5-7, 4-6 to the number one player at Cheney State University. It was an early lesson in humility especially after cruising in the first set. After the match I realized I actually won 15 games to his 13 yet was the one sitting on the hill by the courts bewildered and frustrated.

This is one thing I learned to love about sports, especially tennis, is that it is a great teacher of life’s lessons. You can have an A-Rod like swing (Yankee fans I am talking about Andy the tennis player, I feel your pain) and it doesn’t guarantee you any wins.

One of the reasons I developed the format for our League by counting each game towards the team score is to educate and emphasize the importance of each game. Momentum can change in a moments notice and I want player to still fight for each point even though the score may seem like a lost cause or a large windfall. Now that my game has matured I think of the score only as a road map to the end of the contest and I play each point with the same intensity and purpose as best I can.

A lot of times tennis players are shocked about the adjustment from playing for fun (with friends or in a lesson environment) to playing a match that “counts”. It is a whole different ball game. I did a tournament amongst the rich and famous in the Hamptons a few years ago with my celebrity students. No one wanted to play the second year because it made most of them uncomfortable. I concluded not everyone appreciates life’s lessons sitting on the hill exploring their feelings after a tennis match.

Theme Song from WKRP:

Below is a very funny promo for WKRP with the aforementioned Les Nessman:

US Open Qualifying Round 1

slycer — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:34:46 -0400

One of the best kept secrets is that the US Open is a 3 week tournament. Starting on the Tuesday before Main draw the Qualifying tournament begins.

Qualies have a nice vibe. It is a combination of hungry players ranked outside 102 in the World blended with the higher ranked players milling around checking in on some of their peers while sharpening their own game on the practice court.

I saw Darren Cahill working out with Lleyton Hewitt. Hewitt looks very focused and hungry after his near upset of Federer in Cincinnati. I forgot how good Hewitt really is and Lleyton has that look in his eye like he remebers as well. Cahill had his hands full at the net trying to volley back the weight of Hewitt's forehand. I think it heard that Hewitt's favorite movie is Rocky and you can see it in his workouts. He has the Eye of the Tiger right now.

One of the matches I took some video of was Brian Dabul's (Argentina) R1 Qualifier. I found a good sequence of him displaying some baseline consistency combining offense with defense. You will see a forehand squash shot near the end of this exchange. He was up a Set and 5-1 in the second when an unrlenting fine mist reached a saturation point that forced the matches to postpone because of slippery courts.

Check out Dabul below. It was a great day for shooting video with no shadows because of overcast skies. Also check out his classic Western forehand grip that is so common in pro modern game.

"Live Ball" at Palisades Tennis Club in LA

slycer — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:41:33 -0400

Last week I visited LA to relax, watch some pro tennis and check out a clinic I have been hearing about called, Live Ball. Live Ball was created by Steve Bellamy, founder of The Tennis Channel.

TUES NIGHT LIVE BALL

The idea behind Live Ball is to put the student in a game-based mode of constant action and self-discovery by creating multiple scenarios and shot patterns over a 2-hour period of time. I played in the class twice during my stay--Tues evening 6:30-8:30 and Sat 12:30-2:30. The midday sunshine on Saturday made a big difference between the 2 sessions. So be prepared for quite a workout.

Live Ball is really an elevated game of "king of the court". Each pair of challenge players tries to dethrone the kings. To do this, you must win 4 points before you lose 2. The pro changes themes as the play evolves. The only real rule is on the feed from the pro to the challengers. Typically, the baseline player delivers the feed to a designated area, usually cross-court. This can be a forehand, backhand, inside out forehand, swing volley, or a chasing a drop shot. Themes change after each break.

If you miss the initial feed, you are bumped and a new partner steps in at the baseline while your partner stays on the court at the service line. If you hit a clean winner on the first ball (very hard to do), you and your partner race to the other side. Within a count of 5 (called out by the pro) the next feed to the new team is already in play.

The standard starting formation sequence is one up-one back; there is no poaching off a first ball feed. But once balls 2-6 come in play…anything goes. Anyone can hit the ball to the challenge side anywhere they want.

Generally, players are drawn to the net quickly. Here is where a good pro comes into play. He can feed balls as difficult as he wants with no angle or spin too extreme. As you get closer to dethroning the incumbents, the feeds get more difficult. Earning a victory gives you little time to celebrate. Your reward is a 5 second sprint to the other side of the court and a blasting initiating shot by the new challenge team into the dedicated area of the court. I call this Happy Campy - Hungry Bear syndrome because the winning team has little time to celebrate, as the hungry bears are ready to pounce their way to the throne.

There are breaks in the action. Every 30 minutes the teaching cart empties, so everyone cools down by picking up balls, toweling off and rehydrating.

Check out some highlights I shot below from the Open/ Invitational division. This is advanced but they do have classes for all levels--Beginner to Intermediate to Advanced.

I played the 4.5/5.0 division and got bumped to the Open/Invitational Division. The play is much more challenging. Lets just say my 'lob volley' saved me in Live Ball 4.5/5.0 but in the Open Division, I was lunchmeat. Naturally, it forced me to "discover" an alternative shot selection.

SAT AFTERNOON LIVE BALL

If you decide to play Live Ball bring a towel, change of shirt, multiple racquets, fresh grips and lots of water/sports drinks. A banana wouldn't hurt either. If you get tired don't be afraid to step out and take a few moments to catch your breath. The game goes on without you. But when you are ready to re-join, be prepared to hit the ground running. You will be in for quite an experience.

Wimbledon 3rd Round: Federer vs Safin

slycer — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 18:26:50 -0400

These two are always fun to watch just because they are so talented. The difference being one player has the determination and belief in himself and the other doesn't. You be the judge as we point out some key analysis to this 3rd Round match up.

0:00
The first point of this highlight package demonstrates the greatness of Federer. Check out his speed and range in this first set rally.

One thing that has changed at Wimbledon over the past 5 years is the clean bounce of the ball. This allow players to really show off their A games and use more spin than ever before.

2:30
Check out the shot tolerance of Federer as he is willing to sit back and wait for Safin's forehand to implode. Shank City! Safin probably has much better shot tolerance at the pub!

4:45
Safin started getting his teeth in the match and showed some acumen trying to get a feel for the grass by mixing it up. Here he carves out a little inside out backhand drop shot only to see Federer's soft response. (Notice Roger's racquet work their is barely any movement as he allows his momentum and the tension in his grip to do all the work).

5:10
By the 3rd set Safin was bringing his A game and made some nice adjustments in the match. Here he does the modern version of chip and charge by aggressively hitting his backhand return (his best shot) and coming to the net for a easy volley winner. Nice adjustment since Federer was surprised and hit it right to him at the net.

5:30
This is probably the most entertaining exchange of the match. Safin ended up losing the point but both contributed high quality tennis to this rally.

5:43
Safin really discovering some grass court instincts and comes into net off a forehand approach shot and hits another easy volley for a winner.

6:49
At the pro level it doesn't matter how hard you return you have to get it away from your opponent. This one is hit sharpley but right in federers comfort zone. The announcers (Fred Stolle and John Newcombe) gush over this shot and replay it at about 3 different angles. Don't get me wrong it was fun to watch but naturally instictful for a professional tennis player.

7:24
The beauty of Federer is his ability to adjust. As well as Safin was playing in the 3rd set it only ended up sharpening Federer's arsenal of shots. Here Safin wins the point but only barely. Look at the "get" Federer almost pulls off only to lose the point.

8:14
This is really where "belief in yourself" comes into play. Safin hit a big serve, an aggressive cross court approach and Federer hangs a cross court forehand and Safin tightens up with his footwork and doesn't close the shot out by moving forward. Instread he gets "alligator arms" and tries a crazy drop volley. Next point he lost his serve and it was only a matter of time.

Enjoy,

Brian Lutz / Tennis Professional

1980 Wimbledon: Borg vs McEnroe

slycer — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 22:24:05 -0400

I was fifteen years old in 1980 and I just discovered the game of tennis. Little did I know at the time what a roll tennis was on. Fresh off the 70s tennis boom which caused a tennis craze as everyone picked up the sport.

In my insulated world back in Manheim, PA everything in sports came up gold. The Phillies won the World Series (the only title in their existence). The Sixers were in the NBA Finals every year and even won it all sweeping the Lakers in '83. I hated the Eagles but even they made the Super Bowl only to lose in the early 80s. Penn State was winning National Championships in football and Rocky Balboa was King in Philly.

So when I picked up tennis I wasn't dissapointed by the star power even though none of it was local. McEnroe was from Queens and Borg from Sweden. Two places I have never been or even recognized on a map. Sports not geography was my major growing up.

Quickly I tried to imitate these two great players. Now we all wore our shorts above the thigh back in 1980. They were all cut that way. We all looked like Magnum PI running around the tennis courts.

Tennis came easily to me since I played what I call the 'big three' sports growing up. You know them. I will go in order of season: Football, Basketball and Baseball. Football made you tough and made you so tired meeting 9pm bedtime was not difficult. Basketball made me nimble and quick. Baseball frustrated me. But it taught me resolve. It also taught me not to play with fear. After you survive a fastball to your arm it builds your confidence.

Hitting a baseball is very difficult so difficult I think this Summer sport led me to tennis. Where the ball was much easier to find the sweetspot while my hoops and gridiron movement made the game seem easy to me.

Then I saw the 1980 Wimbledon final between Borg and McEnroe. I immediately tried to immitate both of their styles of play. My game quickly became crap. I might have looked cool in my mind but as I watch their games playing with wooden racquets 27 years ago it really makes me appreciate as a professional how good these guys really were.

McEnroe / Borg 1980

Justine Henin Workout

slycer — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:36:38 -0400

Here is some very cool video of Justine Henin working out on the court. It is great footage with some artistic camera angles as well. Watching this video is like a trance. You can really hear the sound (echo) of the ball and their is good isolation on Justine which really enforces a consistent visual to educate yourself from. Things that my eye notices were her long fluid swing on her topspin forehand and slice backhand. I beleive she does this to create power from her small frame. Typically, I don't use as much follow through on my slice as she does. But then again, we are built much differently (I'm 6'2" 198lb). Check her out below:

JUSTINE's WORKOUT

In contrast, check out how short John McEnroes strokes are in comparison (especially the backhand) from his exhibition up in Harlem in Dec 2006

JOHN McENROE's SWING

Roddick on Grass vs. Americans on Clay

slycer — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 12:23:18 -0400

As you watch these highlights you can't help but wonder how does Andy play so well on grass. It is not like America is lined with grass courts to practice on. Sure the speed of the surface helps his game making his forehand and serve big time weapons.

After the French Open the media and pundits were blaming the lack of clay courts in our 50 states for the poor showing at Roland Garros. So what is the explanation for America's success at Wimbledon where the firm bouncing grass has produced the following champions over the last 30 years.

US Wimbledon Champions

John McEnroe 81, 83, 84
Jimmy Connors 82
Andre Agassi 92
Pete Sampras 93, 94 ,95 , 97, 98, 99, 00

The US has had serveral finalist reach the Wimbledon final such as: Malavia Washington (96), Jim Courier (93) and Andy Roddick (04 & 05). Typically the explanation to our clay court demons is the surface as it relates to footing. For anyone who has played on grass will tell you the footing is no cake walk. In fact, the upredictability of the greasy surface makes it as tricky as the slow gritty red clay.

The philosophy that seems to make the most sense concerning this America's clay court ineptness seem to point towards our cultural impatience and low shot tolerance. American kids are trained to want things quickly by ending the point within 5-7 shots and this is rewarded with an aggressive baseline game that is cultivated on hard courts of America. The modern game and coaching philosophy here in the states is to find a player with a "weapon" and build around that. Lost in the development is the practical defensive play and patience needed to string together consistent results on a slow surface where movment and patience is crucial.

Perhaps America is blaming its results on the surface when we should be addressing cultural issues such as patience, enduracne and flexibiliy which can be more mental and emotional attributes rather than physical core competencies. Can the answer be a basic is the game of 1978 computer pong in a world of 2007 play stations and x boxes?

RODDICK PERFORMING ON GRASS

FO: Quarterfinal Federer vs Robredo

slycer — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:23:23 -0400

I am not sure there is a tip here since this last game features three tremendous backhands to end the match vs Robredo but you can simply enjoy the artistry. The first is a backhand drop volley. The second is a backhand drop shot and the third a firm backhand volley. He makes the game look so easy. Doesn't it make you want to run out and play a set?

FO: 4th Round (Federer vs Youzhny)

slycer — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:35:58 -0400

It has been a lot of fun watching guys just go for broke in the last few games of the match against Federer at this years French Open. We saw Starace do it in the 2nd round when Federer tanked the ninth game of the 3rd set so he could serve out the match and beat darkness only to get stretched to a tiebreaker by a reinvorgorated Starace. Here again in the 4th round Youzhny, who loves to play to the crowd, lets it all hang out in the final game of the match leaving nothing behind. Enjoy.

FEDERER VS YOUZHNY

FO Highlights: Federer vs Starace (3rd Rd)

slycer — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 11:58:06 -0400

Here are the last three games of the 3rd Round French Open match between Federer and Starace. French TV gives some great perspectives in this video. My favorite camera work is from the birds eye camera above the court while Federer is serving. You will see it early in this highlight package.

There is also a great exchange at the net at the 1:30 mark in this highlight. Federer will offer a drop shot to pull Starace forward which will result in a fun exchange of cross court "dink" shots and a playful game of cat and mouse. Enjoy.

FED-STARACE HIGHLIGHTS:

Clay Court Evolution

slycer — Wed, 30 May 2007 15:43:00 -0400

Here is a cool video comparing generations of clay court players. This footage compares playing styles of the 80s to 2007. I think you will notice some obvious differences. Also enjoy the Lassie footage as well in the bottom left hand corner. Let the video roll for a minute or so then each match will appear on the screen for easier consumption.

This begs the question: what is the primary reason the game is so much faster today than 20 years ago?

Who is gonna win the French? Post your Predictions Here!

slycer — Mon, 21 May 2007 14:43:10 -0400

It is hard to imagine anyone beating Nadal 6-0 on a clay court final. But the world #1 found a way to do it ending Nadals remarkable 81 match winning streak. This brings a lot of excitment to the French Open starting this Sunday. So I want to know. Who are you picking to win the 2007 French Open? Post your reply's below for the your Men's and Ladies Champions at Roland Garros.

Here is the best point of the match. I was happy to see ESPN pick up this highlight as well. They are famous for showing an ace or something undramatic on match point. This always urked me. It would be the equivalent of showing a QB go do on one knee on the last play of the game.

Email me your French Open comments / predicitions below with your name!!!

Hamburg Highlights: Nadal vs Gonzales

slycer — Sat, 19 May 2007 10:55:41 -0400

Fernando Gonzales came ready to play this week in Hamburg when he faced the "clay court king" Rafeal Nadal, who has now won 80 consecutive matches on the red clay. In the Italian Open final Gonzo got off to a slow start. Here in Germany this was a slug fest. Very fun match to watch with two terrific tennis players. Enjoy the highlights!

NADAL VS GONZALES

Hamburg Highlights: Federer vs Monaco and Fish vs Moya

slycer — Wed, 16 May 2007 13:52:22 -0400

Is this what Federer needs to get back on track.? Hamburg is noted for having the slowest clay courts on tour. Check out the last two games of this second round tennis match with World #1 Roger Federer vs. Juan Monaco.

FEDERER VS MONACO

Also some bleak highlights from Mardy Fish and he gets stomped by Carlos Moya. I add this in here for educational purposes of how NOT to utilize clay court strategies. Fish is just not fit enough to play on this surface yet. If you can bare to watch more than 3 minutes of this match like I did you will find that Fish in some points just looks lost. Is Todd Martin still coaching this guy?

FISH OUT OF WATER ON CLAY?