London Broil

This is a wonderful beef dish when done right and can be cooked court-side if you have a grill at your club.  If not, this is one of the few tasty beefs you can enjoy cold and serve at your next match or later in salads, or in other ways, such as hors devours.  Throw in a horse radish dip and you are done.

London Broil is not a cut of beef as some butchers would have you believe.  London Broil is a technique used to cook a flank or top round steak/roast cut of beef, which takes advantage of the beef's texture by marinating thoroughly.  This is the key to enjoying what you will find to be a very versatile main course, just off the grill or eaten later.

Transitioning to the Slice Kick (Topspin) Serve

About 17 or so years ago I moved away from a flat first serve to a slice (which doesn’t imply kick/topsin) serve. Prior I was tossing more directly into the court rather than more down the base line and ripping it. Flat power (relative to level of play) serving, using so much forward motion of the body can be quite exhausting, inefficient use of the body and the over-the-net-and-in-the-service box window gets much smaller.

Also, many returners, even at lower levels, can be quite accomplished at nailing a flat serve or just blocking it back, perhaps dropping you.

Junior Challenge Clinic - Thank You

Thank you for all the participation we had and the cheers and support received at the Junior Challenge Clinic.

I hope the idea of me coaching both players after every third game was beneficial and I thank all you parents for staying in your seats.

It was instructional and competitive, yet fun and everyone had a very sportsman like attitude. Great food too - thank you to the families. I plan to do this occasionally when we have the proper time and right mix of students.

It was amazing what the player's learned about their game and their opponent's game as well. Actually, it's amazing what I learned about them.

I hope they shared with you parents what they learned. If they didn't, just ask.

Again, thank you.

Congratulations Gail Forse

Congratulations to Gail Forse for being moved up to 4.0.

Her record last year and her Singles win at the Orlando Open at the end of the year left no denying she is playing better than the 3.5 label she had been wearing for the last two years.

At least she is not protesting this as I know so many sand-baggers do. (You know who you are.) She's ready to go play with the big girls and probably take it a little further.  

Short of an injury or another baby, I guarantee she will be playing 4.5 within two years, perhaps sooner.

Congratulations Gail!