The Tennis Files Podcast

Today I spoke with Charlie Hoeveler, CEO and Founder of US Sports Camps. Charlie discussed his secrets to success and longevity in tennis and how he manages to run the largest sports camps organizations in the world. Charlie is also a very accomplished player and gave some fantastic advice on how older players can continue to be successful in the sport. He has been ranked number one in the world in singles (ITF) in 1991 (45's), 1995 (50's) and #2 in 2001 (55's) as well as #1 in singles in the U.S. twice (1990 and 2001). Charlie has won 48 Gold Balls for USTA national championships in singles (11), doubles (11), mixed doubles (2), and Father/Son (24) with a string of 24 consecutive years with a Gold Ball (1990 through 2013). Charlie and his VP’s of Tennis, Matt, Wendy and Siera, have managed to snag some of the best coaches in the country to run their programs, including Paul Goldstein, Stanford University Men’s Tennis Coach, and Billy Pate, Princeton Men’s Tennis Coach. In addition to his tennis accompli

On today's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Greenwald, an internationally recognized sports psychology consultant and licensed therapist who specializes in the mental game of tennis. Jeff gave us some fantastic advice on how we can play better tennis by improving the way we think on court and about the game on Episode 46 of The Tennis Files Podcast. If you haven't listened to Episode 44 with Neil Endicott on Mindfulness-Based Tennis Psychology yet, definitely check that one out as well. Jeff is author of a fantastic book entitled The Best Tennis of Your Life: 50 Strategies for Fearless Performance. He is also a speaker and a former world-ranked pro on the ATP Tour who went on to reach the No. 1 ITF ranking in the world and U.S in the men’s 35-age division. The mental game is such an important part of tennis and I am really excited to bring you this interview with Jeff. We discuss the most important lessons Jeff has learned about the mental game, his biggest struggles on the court, advice t

Mark Ein, founder and owner of the six-time World Team Tennis Champion Washington Kastles, was thrilled to hear that two members of the Kastles family sealed their places in the 2017 Australian Open final. Mark spoke about his friendship with Serena and Venus Williams, their impact on the Washington Kastles and the community, how he felt when he heard the final was set, and plans for the upcoming Washington Kastles season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Neil Endicott, a coach and author who specializes in Mindfulness-Based Tennis Psychology (MBTP). Neil discussed how tennis players can play more confident and effective tennis by training the mental part of their game through MBTP. Neil has written numerous articles that have been featured in publications such as The Huffington Post and Tennis Magazine. Even Novak Djokovic has talked about how mindfulness helped him reach new heights in his career in his book Serve to Win. If one of the greats in the game believes in training yourself to be more mindful, it's worth a try. We discuss human psychology, how players can change their mindset through MBTP, meditation, and how we can train ourselves to perform our best by being in the moment and recognizing negative thoughts for what they are: thoughts and nothing more. I know a lot of you struggle with pressure and negative emotions on the court. This episode will help you on your journey to overcoming these

On today's show I had the pleasure of speaking with Matt Bilger, Director of Tennis at Chantilly National Golf and Country Club. Matt was my former assistant coach at The University of Maryland, Baltimore County where I played Division I college tennis. He always kept our team positive and ready to handle adversity. Matt brings the same expertise and energy to the court with his current players, and it was my pleasure to interview Matt on the podcast. Matt and I discussed his passion for the game and tips for running a successful tennis program. Matt talks about his approach for teaching club level players, how he structures his programs, and common mistakes that he fixes in his students' games. It was awesome to speak with Matt and I appreciate the enthusiasm and effort that he brings to every lesson and clinic he teaches. Enjoy the episode and let me know what you think in the comments below! Time-Stamped Show Notes [4:15] Matt journey from a late start in tennis to Director at a country club [5:58] How

On today's episode I spoke with professional tennis player Clay Thompson, a serious contender for most interesting man in the world (move over, Dos Equis guy!). Clay grinds mostly Challengers and some Futures events as he pursues his dream of becoming a top-ranked professional tennis player. Clay has been ranked as high as 408 in the world (last year) and is famous for a viral video of him smiling and fist-pumping his way to the semifinals of the Champaign Challenger last year. His high-energy and carefree approach is what makes Clay such an entertaining and enjoyable player to watch. Even more impressive is Clay's business acumen and his outside interests, which include creative writing and helping grow the game of tennis. If you dare press the play button above, you are in for two of the most entertaining and insightful hours of audio that I have produced on The Tennis Files Podcast so far. And it only took me 42 episodes to crack a decent joke or three on the show! Thanks again to Clay for coming onto

On Episode 41 of TFP I had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Blicher about coaching elite junior players and high-performance tennis principles. I first heard about Adam when I searched for tennis podcasts on iTunes. The Adam Blicher Show popped up, and ever since, I have learned a lot from Adam and the fantastic guests he has had on his show. Adam focuses on dissecting and deconstructing the minds of world-class performers & leading specialist in our sport. This is something that I love doing as well, so it is not surprising that we connected and did an episode that will help you all improve your tennis games. Adam also has a really cool show called Adam's Advice that will be up around the time of this episode. I highly encourage you to check out Adam's podcast and his show to further immerse yourself in the world of experts so that you can improve your tennis game! Time-Stamped Show Notes [2:33] How did you get to where you are today in your tennis career? [3:51] What is it about tennis that inspir

On today's episode, I spoke with Brian Smith, creator of Performance Tennis Training, about tennis serve technique. Brian and I went through each phase of the tennis serve, from the grip to the finish. The serve is easily the most important part of the game. As I've said time and time again, we serve half the time, and you can start dictating with it immediately. Brian creates fantastic, value-filled videos about all aspects of tennis, including stroke mechanics and footwork, on his Performance Tennis Training Youtube Page. I've watched many of them, and when I've implemented Brian's tips, they have worked really well for me. Thanks to Brian for being on the show and talking about the most important stroke in tennis, the serve! Time-Stamped Show Notes [2:32] How Brian Smith became an expert tennis coach [3:52] Tennis book that made the most impact on Brian's tennis career [4:49] What motivates Brian to be the best tennis coach he can be every day [6:23] Why the tennis serve is the most important part of

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Todd Ellenbecker, DPT, MS, SCS, OCS, CSCS (whew!). Todd is the Vice President of Medical Services for the ATP Tour and a Director of Physiotherapy Associates Scottsdale Sports Clinic in Arizona. He was kind enough to join me to talk about injury prevention and recovery for tennis players. I received a ton of questions from all of you because injuries are a huge part of the game. We must take measures to prevent injuries, and properly recover when we have the misfortune of getting them. Otherwise, we will not be able to play the sport we love for very long. Todd's advice goes beyond helping your tennis game, and will help you lead a much healthier, more functional life. If you don't make time to work on your physical strength and flexibility, you'll never reach your tennis potential. Todd, along with recent The Tennis Files Podcast guest Dr. Mark Kovacs and Paul E. Roetert, is a co-author of Complete Conditioning for Tennis. This book has been a life-changer for me

On today's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Preston Lemon, a Territory Sales Manager for Wilson Sporting Goods Co. in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Preston, a former college tennis player at Virginia Tech, joined me on the podcast to give you some fantastic tips on how to choose the best tennis racquet for your game. Afterwards, we examined 6 of Wilson's newest racquets on the market: the Blade 18x20 Countervail, Blade 16x19 Countervail, Blade 98S (Spin) Countervail, Pro Staff 97, Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph, and the Ultra 100. Preston and I spoke about each racquet's specs and then discussed our experiences playing with them. Preston was kind enough to send me the six racquets above to playtest, and I have really enjoyed hitting with Wilson's latest sticks. In addition to the racquets, Preston also sent me several packets of Luxilon 4g string 125mm and Wilson Revolve 16g strings. We gave our thoughts on the 4g and Revolve as well. I really appreciate Preston coming onto the show, and for sending m

On today's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Luca Corinteli from the University of Virginia Men's Tennis team. Luca is an elite tennis player and was ranked as high as #2 in doubles in the country with partner Ryan Shane. Luca has helped UVA Men's Tennis win the NCAA Division I national championship the past two years in a row. Brian Boland, head coach of UVA Men's Tennis and a recent guest on The Tennis Files Podcast, highly recommended that I interview Luca when I asked Coach Boland who he might suggest I speak to from his team. Coach Boland was right on the money (per usual). The senior Wahoo with proud Georgian roots gave us a truly fantastic interview on the life of a college tennis player at the #1 college tennis program in the country. Luca is mature well beyond his years, and we wish him and UVA Tennis all the best this season and into the team's professional careers. Time-Stamped Show Notes [3:15] How does the championship ring feel? [4:13] How Luca got his start playing tennis [5:57]

On Episode 36 of TFP, Kim Selzman from The Tennis Quick Tips Podcast and tennisfixation.com joined me to give you some of her best tips to help you improve your game. Kim started playing tennis at 40 years old and fell in love with the game immediately. She is a super passionate tennis player that enjoys sharing what she knows and learns about the game with her audience. Well that sounds a little familiar! :) Kim does an awesome job of giving her audience value-packed tips that are quick and easy to implement, and can really boost your game. She has produced over 140 podcast episodes and it was a lot of fun to speak with her on the show. I also included her podcast in my article The 41 Best Tennis Resources Every Player Should Know. Time-Stamped Show Notes: [2:58] How Kim got her start in tennis [5:34] Kim's website and podcast [9:09] 3 tips to improve your serve [15:35] One tip Kim follows every time she plays tennis [18:52] Why Kim changed her mind about lobbing [22:43] Resources that Kim uses to improv

On today's show, I had the pleasure of speaking with Martin Blackman, General Manager of the United States Tennis Association's (USTA) Player Development Program. Coach Blackman is responsible for partnering with the U.S. tennis community to identify and develop the next generation of world-class American tennis players. The former ATP pro and college tennis coach spoke to us about the USTA's player development program that has recently seen a lot of success and a ton of top-ranked American talent. The current head of USTA PD was one of the top juniors in the world and eventually climbed to a ranking of #158 on the ATP Tour. He also played Davis Cup for Barbados. After his pro career, Blackman coached the American University tennis team and top junior players at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Maryland. On Episode 35, Coach Blackman speaks to us about what the USTA is doing to bolster the development of top American tennis players. We can adopt many of Coach Blackman's and the USTA's principles into

On Episode 34 of TFP, I had the honor of speaking with Brian Boland, Coach of the 2013, 2015, and 2016 NCAA Division I Championship University of Virginia Men's Tennis program. Coach Boland shows us how we can produce better leaders and human beings through college tennis. This approach is ultimately what determines whether coaches and players are truly successful in life. Coach Boland's approach of focusing on developing his players have resulted in incredible accomplishments, both on and off the court. Virginia Men's Tennis has been ranked in the top five of the ITA’s final rankings in 8 of the past 10 seasons, and they've also won 5 ITA National Team Indoor Championships, 14 conference championships and 18 NCAA and ITA individual national championships. What is so striking about Coach Boland is that he doesn't focus on the results so much as the development of his players. That his favorite moment at Virginia Men's Tennis has been attending weddings of his players, rather than winning titles, speaks volu

On today's episode, I spoke with world renowned sports science and fitness expert Dr. Mark Kovacs about strength and conditioning for tennis. Mark has trained numerous top professional tennis players, including John Isner, Sloane Stephens, Sam Querrey, Donald Young, and Melanie Oudin. In 2015, Stack named Mark one of the Top 31 Fitness Professionals to Follow in 2015. Mark is a performance physiologist, researcher, professor, author, speaker and coach with an extensive background training and researching elite athletes. He has been featured in many of the biggest sports and news publications, including ESPN, the New York Times, and Tennis Magazine. Mark was also a top college player at Auburn and achieved a world ranking on the ATP Tour. To sum it up, Mark has one heck of a resume, and it is an honor to speak with him on the show today. Mark co-authored an amazing book and resource, Complete Conditioning for Tennis (2nd edition), which was published a couple months ago. I have a copy of his book and have h

Today I discuss 10 of my favorite tennis tools that I regularly use and recommend. These tools will help you improve your tennis game in many different ways, from learning more about the game to finding hitting partners. I recently published a blog post on The 41 Best Tennis Resources Every Tennis Player Should Know, and wanted to talk about the ones I use the most. These are the resources that I think will take your game to the next level. On this episode, you will learn about the following resources: Tennis Books Search Tools to find players, coaches, and tennis courts Online Tennis Instructors Youtube Online Forums Facebook Groups USTA Podcasts Blogs, and Organizational Tools I hope you find the resources in this episode useful! Try using them and let me know what you think! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's show, I discuss 7 of the best technique tips I've ever learned in my 20+ years of playing and coaching tennis. These tips are awesome because they are easy to implement, and you will notice the positive effects on your game immediately. Pick one to use during your next hitting session and you will be really pleased with the results! The technique tips that I discuss cover different parts of your game, from the serve to groundstrokes and volleys. I racked my brain trying to think of which tips I've received that would offer the most value to you, my loyal and awesome audience, and I really hope you enjoy what I came up with. Let me know how the tips work out for you in the comments section below! On this episode, you will learn tips to instantly improve the following problems: Hitting the ball too short Inconsistent and weak serves Inability to follow-through on your strokes Erratic volleys Framing or shanking your groundstrokes, serves and volleys Hitting serves into the net Balance issues while

On today's episode, 15 professional tennis players answer the question: "How can our audience improve their tennis games?" I placed their answers in this episode and commented on their responses. The idea for this unique episode came to me when I attended Podcast Movement 2016 in Chicago last month. One of the presenters, Pat Flynn, gave us a list of cool podcast episode ideas. One of these was to ask a bunch of experts one question, and include them all on an episode. This is a brilliant idea, so when I was part of the media at the 2016 Citi Open, I ended just about all of my twenty or so interviews with ATP and WTA pros by asking what the key is to improving our tennis games. It is inspiring to hear what the best tennis players in the world think we should be focusing on to take our games to the next level. I hope you enjoy this unique podcast episode format! On this episode, you will hear answers from the following ATP and WTA tour professionals: Alexander Dolgopolov (#58 ATP) Alexander Peya (#25 AT

Today my guest is Dave Mullins, former head coach of the Oklahoma Women’s Tennis Team. Dave has had an extremely successful coaching career. His accomplishments include five NCAA tournament appearances, five ITA regional championships. three seasons with at least 17 victories, and ITA Central Regional Coach of the Year honors in 2014. Dave retired from college coaching this past […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I spoke with Jeff Salzenstein, a former top 100 ATP Pro and one of the most well-respected tennis coaches in the game. Jeff has battled against many of the best tennis players in the world throughout his career. He has combined that experience, along with his desire to learn all he could about playing optimal tennis, to create many of the most popular online tennis courses in the world. The very first online tennis course that I ever purchased was from Jeff! Jeff has recently moved his popular online tennis instruction site (jeffsalzensteintennis.com) to Tennis Evolution. There, he continues to create the highest-quality tennis instructional videos possible. I can speak from experience, having purchased both a fitness course and a tennis serve course from Jeff. Both these courses surprised me with the number of videos and how much value each one provided. My interview with Jeff was one of the best episodes I've had so far on The Tennis Files Podcast. Jeff answered each question with amazing insight, a