As the pro tennis season segues from the grinding rallies of clay to the opportunism of grass court play, one major concept repeatedly surfaces: transition skills. From juniors primed to make a big splash on the summer circuit, to adults ramping up their competitive efforts in leagues and tournaments, to the best players in the world gearing up for Wimbledon, everyone is looking for ways to swiftly move forward, take control of a rally, and effectively apply pressure.
With that in mind, the latest edition of tennisplayer.net is titled, “The Transition Game.” According to tennisplayer.net executive editor Joel Drucker, “No tournament is a better showcase for commanding all parts of the court than Wimbledon. So as the tennis world takes in our sport’s most important tournament, we figured it was the right time of year to give players insights into several shots and strategies that can help them best take control of the rally.”
As the sport’s preeminent instructional publication, backed by its archive of 100,000 videos and 1,600 articles, tennisplayer.net for more than 20 years has regularly delivered innovative and compelling visual and written content on topics ranging from how to return serve more effectively to building footwork skills to off-court training exercises, strategy, psychology, and more.
Four exciting new articles form the backbone of the latest issue. Former top tenners Tim Mayotte and Lori McNeil bring exceptional expertise to their pieces. Mayotte, owner of the best forehand volley of his time (the ‘80s and early ‘90s), shows what it takes to effectively strike this deceptively difficult shot. McNeil, also a superb netrusher, explains how to execute the classic chip-and-charge return of serve. Another ex-pro, Trey Waltke, offers a big picture view of “The Transition Mindset.” And Chris Lewit, author of the best-selling instructional book, Secrets of Spanish Tennis 2.0, provides insights into the contemporary approach shot.
Rounding out the issue are several tennisplayer.net “Classics.” These include stories on the volley authored by tennisplayer.net founder, the late John Yandell; as well as a piece on the modern volley by Bill Mountford, director of tennis at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Other notable stories in the mix – former top tenner Gene Mayer on the approach shot and Scott Murphy on swing volleys.
“The three words that matter most of us at tennisplayer.net are ‘learn, compete, improve,’” said Drucker. “Anyone who digs into this issue is certain to come away with ideas that will greatly increase their understanding of the dimensions of the court. We want to provide juniors and adults alike with the best practices for building mastery of the transition area.”
For more, including membership and subscription information, head to tennisplayer.net.
