Submit your questions to Bill Mountford here
Q: I play for fun against my friends and my dad a lot, but I'm going to enter my first USTA Sanctioned tournament on November 24th. I was just wondering if you had any advice for me. Also, I have a problem putting too much pressure on myself and getting mad at myself during matches, I was wondering if you could help me "control" myself a little bit.
Matt - East Stroudsburg, PA
Have fun. Competition should always be enjoyable. Tournament tennis can become- and feel- serious, but ultimately it must be a pleasure.
How to do this? Maintain perspective. Breathe out when you hit the ball. Smile. Enjoy the moment, instead of worrying about the results.
- Bill
Q: How much do you think the slowness of the USPTA and PTR to fully promote to their members the conversion from conventional tennis techniques (sideways, racquet back right away, step into the ball, etc.) to modern coaching techniques (tracking the ball with the racquet in front, hitting open stance, following through across the body) has stifled, in the U.S., tennis participation at the grass-roots level and success at the top levels and keeping it behind smaller countries, including the number of top-ranked players?
Oscar Wegner - Florida
Oscar,
I recognize you as one of the leading tennis coaches- and minds- in the world, but this is a loaded question. First of all, I believe that the PTR and the USPTA does embrace and encourage their members to teach players to use a modern style. Whether ALL of their respective members actually do this is unlikely.
As you have pointed out in lectures, the best players tend to discover on their own (by feel or “athletic intelligence” or whatever) the best and most efficient ways of hitting balls effectively. A good coach needs to know when to stay out of the way! That is a tough lessen to learn, by the way.
An argument can be made that there are MORE qualified coaches and teaching professionals in this country than anywhere in the world. Remember, many of the top international stars come to America to train during their formative years.
Bad coaching has definitely damaged (or ruined) many careers- and I include grass roots and recreational players in this statement. Great coaching has made a big difference in many a career. There are many other ingredients though. The US will have some champions again in a few years. The process is cyclical.
- Bill
Q: I've always admired (i.e. since his 2003 Davis Cup victory) Mikhail Youzhny and was pleased at this year's US Open when he was finally able to have a breakthrough at a Slam. I am wondering what you think of his service technique, specifically the "two-step" move? When "Misha" serves, he first steps with the front foot, and then the back, which seems extremely unorthodox. Does this help or hurt balance? Any insights as to why this technique is employed, and if it would be good for a "club-level" player?
Jim - New York, NY
I think that it helps Mikhail Youzhny’s balance. In fact, it is one of the trigger mechanisms that allow him to execute his serves so effectively. Left-handed Bob Bryan does this also, and he probably has one of the top-ten serves in the world.
Experiment with this technique. If it works for you, then use it. There is no One Correct Way to hit any shot. This is simply another example of this maxim. I agree that Youzhny is a great player to watch.
- Bill
Q: I have a young junior who is a good player, very athletic. Began playing tournaments at age 7 and he is now 11. He started with much success due to his natural athleticism but struggles more now with tournament matches mostly due to "nerves". He will get himself very worked up and become physically ill, refuse to eat and almost impossible to reason with before a match. He has always been very competitive and takes a loss very hard. We have attempted to help him by trying to let him play through it which did not seem to help and also by holding him out of tournaments which did not help and he keeps expressing the desire to play. I feel he has a lot of potential to be a good player but we struggle so much with this emotional dilemma. What advice could you offer?
Doc - Bristol, TN
If you want me to tell you why this young player is struggling with nerves, then I cannot. There are too many factors that I am not in a position to know about for me to even speculate.
I would advise that you de-emphasize the results. Continue to assist him in entering and competing in tournaments. Treat him EXACTLY the same way whether he wins or loses. This is crucial. If he continues to struggle with emotional issues and/or nervousness, then please consult with a Sport Psychologist. This practice has become increasingly standard, and a good “Think Coach” might be exactly what this talented young player needs.
- Bill
Q: What exactly is a "Pro Set" and how is it played?
Pat - Ukiah, CA
An eight-game pro set is a regular set that is played to eight games (first to eight games by two, with a tiebreaker at eight games all). A ten-game pro set is to ten games. These were established during the old Pro Tour barnstorming days, thus the name “pro set.” It allowed spectators to see more matches per session that way.
Incidentally, eight-game pro sets are used during doubles for all Division I college dual matches.
- Bill
Q: I live in New York City, and practice hitting serves and strokes against an outdoor handball court wall. I seem to recall some backboards in the suburbs where I grew up that had rectangular boxes painted on the wall as "serving targets" (if you practiced hitting serves into the target, your serves on a court then would most likely be in). Is this a good practice technique, and if so, would you know what the dimensions of this box is and where on a wall it should be?
Also, I've marked off the distance from the wall (net) to a baseline, and practice forehands and backhands from this point. I've marked the height of the net on the wall with white tape. Is this a good practice technique? Is there an effective practice regimen for hitting against a wall you would recommend or refer me to?
Richard - New York, NY
Practicing against a wall is an age-old tradition. It never misses. This activity forces you to quicken your reflexes, develop more strength (because the ball comes back as hard as you hit it in the first place), and to become accurate. If you hit the ball four feet to the left of your intended target, then it will angle away from you in a hurry.
Instead of worrying about a formal practice regimen, simply experiment yourself. You will likely hit more balls in fifteen minutes against a backboard then during two sets of a typical hard court match. Most of all… have fun.
- Bill
This week, I also wanted to include a note about a rules interpretation that I made incorrectly two weeks ago. Many thanks, in particular, to Jeff from Minnesota and to Laurel from Washington for recognizing my error.
Feedback:
You should inform questioners where to find the rules, including The Code (usta.com, "about us", then go to “rules”). Regarding the question about disagreeing with your doubles partner’s line call on a return of serve (Ask Bill October 11th - question from Mary Ann - West Point, MS), the player was correct in offering a first serve to replay the point, IF the ball called out was returned into play. The Code #12 states that a corrected out call "shall be replayed if the player returned the ball within the proper court". If the ball was not returned, then the point is to be given to the opponents. The Code #14, regarding disagreement between doubles partners, says that the ball shall be called good, but then repeats the instructions for replaying the point if the ball was returned in play.
Jeff - Shakopee, MN