Excerpts For Journalists & Newsletter Editors
following excerpts from the book subject to the following conditions:
1. Total of such use shall not exceed 7500 words
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3. There must be a copyright notice crediting the author: Greg Moran, Author
of Tennis Beyond Big Shots
Downloadable Table of Contents
rackets, power strings, power shoes, power warm-ups, you name it. If it’s got the word “power” on
it, we want it.
It’s easy to understand why. We see Andy Roddick fire in a 150-mph serve that would penetrate
concrete, and we walk away thinking that winning tennis is all about big shots and quick points.
While there is a place for power in your tennis game, the problem comes when the search for
those "magic moments" dominates our style of play. Big shots are not your biggest weapon—not
even close.
The foundation of a winning tennis player is not power and aggression but consistency and
control. From here on out, I’m going to show you how to develop a style of shotmaking and strategy
that will allow you to win points with consistency and control without low-percentage power shots.
conversation usually goes something like this:
Greg: "How did your game go?"
Anne: "Terrible. I lost, and the girl I played stunk. All she did was get the ball back."
Greg (to myself): "All she did was get the ball back? Hello? Isn’t that the
idea?"
The ability to "just" get the ball back has somehow become something to be looked down upon. Those who "just get the ball back"
have been thrown in with the other black sheep of the tennis world, the "lobbers," "pushers" and "dinkers." Macho tennis players call
these people “tennis wimps.” You know what I call them? Winners!
- Greg Moran, Author of Tennis Beyond Big Shots
opponent. The top 5 high-percentage shots for
singles and doubles.
beyond the 3.5 level, you’re going to find that you’ll need to take your strategy to the next level and understand the theories of high
percentage tennis.
High percentage tennis means hitting the right shot at the right time. It means hitting the shot that gives you the least chance of
committing an error while, at the same time, the best chance of staying in, or winning the point.
I have identified the top 5 high-percentage shots for singles and a set of 5 shots for doubles, and show you how you can make these
a part of your every game. For instance, in singles hitting your approach shot straight ahead will allow you the best chance to stay in
the game, and win!
A tennis match between players of equal ability is a contest of patience, and it is the player, or team, who can be the more patient,
executing high percentage shots, who will usually walk off the court the winner.
Percentage tennis is a systematic approach to strategy that will be effective against every opponent you face.
- Greg Moran, Author of Tennis Beyond Big Shots
about girls. Most of all, we played tennis.
Before, after, and sometimes instead of, school, we'd head over to the old lady's house down the street from where Bill lived. She had
a cement court that had clearly seen better days: cracks extending from the net to the baseline and grass peeking up from in-between.
The conditions didn't matter. We just wanted to play. And play we did.
For hours each week, John, Bill and I ruled that court as the greatest tennis players in the world. We played the French, Australian and,
when the gardener had neglected the grass in the cracks, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
I was a pretty good player. John was better than me and extremely competitive, with dreams of playing pro tennis. Bill was better than
no one. Tall, thin and painfully un-athletic, Bill struggled to make contact with the ball and when he did, it usually seemed to rest in the
deep end of the pool.
“Bagel Bill” we called him due to the number of games he usually won each set. But it never mattered who was better, we were just
having fun. John and I also played "real" tennis: the junior tournament circuit, and for our school teams. Bill would always be at our
matches, cheering us on.
The years went by and I often thought back to those great times on that horrible tennis court. Whatever happened to my buddies?
Where were they? What were they doing? Most of all, I wondered if they still played tennis. They had to, I assumed. It was such an
important part of our lives growing up. How could they not? I certainly had continued my love of the game. After tennis I began to teach
and write about the sport. Surely, my buddies were still involved in some way. I decided to find out.
Thanks to a few phone calls and the Internet, I was able to track down my long-lost friends. Both had ventured out into the world after
college but had eventually returned and settled close to where we grew up.
I picked up the phone and called John first. He seemed genuinely happy to hear from me and we caught up on the years quickly. John
never played professional tennis but his competitive nature had served him well in the world of business. I then asked if he still played
tennis. His voice dropped and developed a bit of an edge to it. "No," he said firmly. "I haven't picked up a racket since my freshman
year in college."
The phone was silent for a moment and then John explained, "I got to college, went out for the tennis team and found that the high
school tennis star really wasn't very good after all. I couldn't beat anyone so I gave my rackets away and haven't played since."
"Do you miss it?" I asked. "No, I've moved on," John answered, a little too quickly. "Moved on" clearly meant "grown up." After a few
more minutes, we said goodbye, promising to get the families together.
Bill, coincidently, showed up at the club one day. I had just come off the court and there he was at the front desk checking out our
programs. It turns out he’d just moved back to the area and was looking for a place to play tennis.
We reminisced a bit and I told him I was glad to see that he was still playing tennis. “I still stink,” he said with a smile, “but I play three
to four times a week and absolutely love it.”
A few days later, we took the court and Bill was right, he did still stink (just kidding, Bill). Actually, he was a 2.5 level player. He ran after
everything, hit some nice shots, made many more errors, but clearly loved every minute of it. We came off the court and, over a soda,
talked about my conversation with John. I told him how interesting it was that, of my two great friends, John had quit tennis while
“Bagel Bill” was still madly in love with the game. Bill said that he wasn’t particularly surprised.
“Though we both played the same game, it meant different things to each of us,” he said. “John liked tennis because he won so
much,” Bill went on. “Once the winning stopped, the game brought him no pleasure so why would he keep playing? For me,” he
continued, “the results of matches were never an issue so I learned to enjoy other aspects of the game. I love the workout, the
socializing and the chance to work on improving my skills.”
I mentioned to Bill that it was interesting that there was no competition involved in any of his tennis. “That’s not true,” he said. “I
compete every time I step onto the court. During my lessons and practice sessions, I work on trying to make my strokes and footwork
better than they were the previous week. At my Cardio Tennis classes I try to become fitter. I’m competing with myself."
Take a look at where you are, set a realistic goal for where you'd like to be and enjoy trying to narrow the gap between the two. When
you adopt this approach, a moment will come when hitting the ball cleanly will mean more to you than the outcome of a match. You will
be my definition of the winning-est tennis player ever!
- Greg Moran, Author of Tennis Beyond Big Shots
Though we may try to deny it, at some point we’ll all begin to feel the effects of aging. Our clothes become tighter, but we're much more
willing to go along with the discomfort than we are to admit that our bodies are perhaps spreading out a bit. We're stiffer after a tough
match, but we rationalize that by saying that we really did a lot of running.
For some players, this inevitability is too much to bear and, as soon as their performance on the court begins to decline, they get
frustrated and say, "What’s the point? If I can't play as well as I used to, why play at all? It's time to try golf." Bite your tongue! Middle age
and the years that follow should be the most enjoyable time of your tennis life. By the time you hit your late 40s or 50s, the kids have
probably flown the nest and you’re relatively secure in your career. Now it’s your time!
Experts at the American Anti-Aging Society say that as science progresses, those of you reading this book can possibly live to be 120-
130 years old! That’s a lot of years to enjoy roaming the courts. Here's one advice to take father time deep into the third set.
Adjust your equipment
If you begin to notice that your eyes aren’t as sharp as they once were, try switching to an oversized racket with a bigger sweet spot.
Also, an extra-long frame will make some of those harder to reach shots more reachable.
Two experts in the area of racket technology offer some additional helpful hints: David Bone, the Executive Director of the U.S. Racquet
Stringers Association (More info: usrsa.com suggests that “if you find that your shots aren’t as powerful or as deep as they once were,
try stringing your racket a few pounds looser.”
James Martin, the Editor-in-Chief at Tennis magazine (More info: Tennis.com) says that “another key factor as you get older is using
racquets that are easier on the arm. Most of the major companies have specifically designed rackets to create a softer feel.”
Regardless of what type of racket you use, be sure to keep your strings and grips fresh as both will provide cushioning for your arm,
wrist and shoulder. A general rule of thumb says that you should get your racket restrung as many times per year as you play each
week. Your grips should be changed at least that often.
Finally, make sure to use new, lively balls every time you step onto the court. Balls become heavier the more they’re hit and, as a
result, become more stressful to your arm, wrist and shoulder. Finish your match and then give the balls to the pro for his lessons.
I would love to know your thoughts on how we can play our best tennis through our golden years.
Until next time, aces to you!
Greg Moran
Author Tennis Beyond Big Shots