For anyone who is interested in my writing, here are links to free versions of all of my books. Just tap the book title to access a free PDF file on Google Drive.
Little Green Book of Tennis (3rd edition) A new 2023 digital-only version of the Little Green Book edited to only tennis related writing, including some new chapters from the past few years. You can also download the3rd edition— a revised edition. Play is Where Life is is the first book I wrote.
Em Ole Coaches Lessons learned from my family, friends, and colleagues over my career. This book is a personal collection of insights from some of my favorite people.
A Level of Thinking A collection of essays on a wide variety of subjects including sports, politics, and American culture.
Helping A collection of essays on tennis and coaching, many of which are posted here on the blog. The second half of the book chronicles the impact of international players on college tennis.
Thanksgiving A collection of personal thoughts, stories, and pictures. Many of the essays were also posted here on my blog.
Nearly Fifty For almost fifty years, my closest friends gathered once a year for a men’s weekend. This book collects some of my favorite stories and pictures from this tradition. If you would like a copy of this book, please email me.
Last night Bob Dylan played in Richmond, Va. July 28 he is to be in Raleigh, NC, July 29, Wilmington, N.C.– as he finishes another tour segment. In October he starts the 31 site next tour. Shows in 11 European nations. Goggle Bob Dylan.com for details, tour stops, set lists.
In February 2018 I spoke at Barton College. On Dylan . And how this small college and a special teacher fit in with my appreciation of the Artist.
Unfortunately two vital video supports failed. One was Stellenbosch University (South Africa ) on graduation day, scored by Dylan music. The other video was MY BACK PAGES, done as a tribute to Bob and including George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Neil Young and Dylan.
Stellenbosch
My Back Pages:
All this now is on You tube, Google and such. Links below I hope work this time.
Today, almost 10 years later. I marvel that this man is touring at this level.
Today I found this video about Bobfest, or the tribute mentioned.
“The author argues that these early edits reveal the Founders balancing the roles of reason and faith in defining American rights. The final sentence declares that all men are created equal and possess unalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Isaacson presents this sentence as one of the defining statements of the American founding.”
When Jimmy Carter was elected, my Mother rationalized “…Well – at least we now have one who doesn’t have an accent.”
Recently I have spent some time watching interviews with the late Shelby Foote. I particularly liked the graduation ( “commencement”) address. Shelby’s voice MADE the Burns’ PBS series on the Civil War.
All Southern Americans wrestle with the race issue. Mr. Foote is a peer of great delta writers. All have dealt with the past. Or tried to.
The link below, beginning at about minute twelve, caught my attention. The moderator, who is Black, solicits Mr. Foote’s comments on the issue.
Almost with deep anguish Shelby started with “…it is difficult to talk about”, or a similar “…you had to know what it was like back then.”
As if talking to himself. he tried to defend his beloved South while unable to justify the horrors.
“… a tennis player is as strong or as weak as their weakest link, and the weakest link in tennis is the second serve.”
Wlmbledon Men’s Singles observation :
I don’t believe Shasha Zverev made many crucial double faults yesterday. Even elite players have problems. A short while back , two of the world’s best player’s ( Zverev and Sabalenka ) had big time second serve issues. Both seem to have corrected this significant flaw.
I’d like to know how their coaches helped them do it.
Pressure points in various sports must be dealt with. “Gimme” short putts in golf. Free throws in basketball ?
I think Dave Pelz had the clue. In dealing with golf’s “short game”. Pelz urged controlling pressure, or “nerves”, by
length of stroke adminstered with “dead hands”. (See THE SHORT GAME BIBLE ). No yips or jerks (Shaq’s free throws ?) Closers in baseball? Second serves ?
Motor memory through practice. Carnegie Hall ?—See THE TALENT CODE . Myelin , my Boy.
Discover what your second serve FEELS like. Practice it often. Trust it.
(From—ESPN Wimbledon broadcast of the Ben Shelton–Otto Virtanen first-round match yesterday, the commentators had a brief discussion about the changing path from college tennis to the ATP Tour.
The main points they made were:
College tennis is no longer viewed as a detour from professional tennis. The commentators noted that more elite players are spending one or more years in college before turning pro because the level of competition is so high.
Ben Shelton was used as the prime example. They pointed out that Shelton played at the University of Florida under his father, Bryan Shelton, won the NCAA singles championship, and then made an exceptionally rapid transition to the ATP Tour.
They mentioned that NIL opportunities have changed the equation for top American juniors. Players can now earn meaningful income while competing in college, making it less financially urgent to leave school immediately for the lower levels of professional tennis.
The discussion also touched on how college players now receive:
world-class coaching,
strength and conditioning,
sports science,
and frequent competition against future professionals, making college a stronger developmental pathway than it was a decade ago.
They contrasted today’s environment with previous generations, when the expectation for top juniors was often to turn professional immediately if they had the opportunity.
This wasn’t presented as a formal statistic but rather as commentary on how the landscape has changed, with Shelton serving as an example of a player who successfully used college tennis as a springboard to the top of the professional game.
From today’s THE ATHLETIC (by Austin Meek), a comment on the current state of college athletics:
” By now, it should be obvious that “equitable reform” and “competitive advantage” don’t fit neatly in the same box. In trying to have it both ways, leaders in college sports sound a lot like St. Augustine: God, grant me chastity, but just not yet.”
JUSTIFIED’S Raylan: “It is hard to imagine the wonderful things that might happen if you can plant the seeds of distrust among a garden of assholes.”
Winston Churchill: “When you are going through hell, keep going.”
“The secret to management is to keep the guys who hate you from the undecided.” Casey Stengel.
One golfer said another was even tempered on the golf course: “He was an asshole the whole round.”
•Tom Brokaw concluded: “For parents, bribery is a white collar crime. For grandparents, it’s a business plan.”
At a recent post-golfing social event, I overheard one wife chastise another. “Alice, you’ve got the wrong name tag on.” Alice: “… I’m much too drunk to wear my own name tag.”
JAMES ALLEN ROSE •A local high school running back was extremely quick and agile. A zig-zagging touchdown kickoff return brought this comment from an admiring hoi toiler coach: “My lord Son, you run ‘er like a hard crab”.
Unrelated favorites: 1. Women and cats will do as they wish. Men and dogs should get used to this fact. 2. The game film looks suspiciously like the game. Coach Bum Phillips 3. On Coach Landry of the Dallas Cowboys: “Does the coach ever smile? Player (Walt Garrison) “I don’t know, I’ve only been here three years”.
t know, I’ve only been here three years”. 4. “…if you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?” Response: “Living—-you think I am stupid?” From Jim Hightower. 5. Eulogy at “Curly’s funeral. “God, we give you Curly. Don’t piss him off!” From “City Slickers 2”. 6. From Coach Darrell Royal A: …faster than small town gossip”. B…”I had hoped God would be neutral”. C ”You are “what-iffing”. Anybody can “what- if”. 7. Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. W.B Yeats.
8. Every harlot was a virgin once. W. Blake 9. Courage is fear, holding on a minute longer. G. Patton 10. Buy the ticket, take the ride. Hunter Thompson 11. Don’t go around thinking the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first. M. Twain 12. If today was a fish, I’d throw it back in. 13. Jesus was a Jew, yes, but only on his mother’s side. Stanley Ralph Ross. 14. It is better to be a coward for a minute than dead for the rest of your life. Irish Proverb. 15. Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life a champion. Muhammad Ali 16. Expect problems and eat them for breakfast. 7. He that hath no children brings them up well. 18. A good scare is better than good advice. 19. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark. 20. For three days after death hair and fingernails continue to grow but phone calls taper off. Johnny Carson 21. Diplomacy is the art of saying “Nice doggie” until you can find a rock. Will Rogers. •22. One Father is worth more than a hundred schoolmasters. George Herbert 23. Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable. Plato 24.”…he that is without sin…Pick some up”. Barry Saunders 25. “I graduated with a 4.0, but it was my blood alcohol level.” James Carville. 26. “I cussed him out in Spanish, and he threw me out in English”. Lou Pinella, on being thrown out of a game by umpire Armando Rodriguez. 27. “I can’t believe that out of 100,000 sperm, you were the quickest. Steven Pearl. 28. “All pro athletes are bilingual. They speak English and profanity.” Gordie Howe 29. “Thank you from the heart of my bottom”. Nick Faldo. 30. “I’ve been around since “Preparation A”. Jack McKeon 31. “Think you are a leader? Turn around and look back: if no one is following, you are just taking a walk.” 32. “It’s hard to kiss the lips at night that chew your ass out all day long”. Vince Gill in drag (You Tube) 33. I used to be Snow White, but I drifted. Mae West 34. I’ve been in more laps than a napkin. Mae West 35. I have a rock garden. Last week three of them died. Richard Diran •
Televsion was new. A lot of disagreements ended in fist fights. Knives and Glocks now.
Written in 2019 :
” Wednesday night was a big night later at the Ritters. Gillette’s Cavalcade of Sports (Boxing on TV). Remember the big parrot carrying the round numbers? Walt, the old man was a big burly, funny guy. And sober he was a treat. Sober didn’t happen with a lot of mill workers, but on Wednesday night we watched the fights. Walt pulled for whoever the white guy was. For me, Kid Gavilan, Jersey Joe Walcott, Joe Louis, and Rocky Marciano, were gods.
No duels, but certain words had meaning : ” Say that to my face” .
Did Obama just call Trump OUT?
Have they crated that death cage off the front lawn?
The Little Green Book of Tennis 