To follow are some clips from a program developed by Jim Haslam ( See Bio ) .  The topic,  or theme , deals with open faced shots.  There were 55 clips filmed which proved too many to showcase.  In fairness to Coach Haslam the 16 selected are just  part of the  program.

In Jim’s career as a player, he was Australian hardcourt championship quarterfinalist, played #1 at Wake Forest, and was selected for first team ACC multiple times. At GTP Foundation, Jim is our specialist for serves, volleys, slices, and one handed backhand drives. He has 60 years of teaching experience and works with our GTP School students individually on his specialty shots.

Click HERE to view Haslam’s videos. The videos are organized from 1 to 16 with their corresponding titles.

Below are shortened comments Ron Smarr offered having read this chapter.

1. Never serve at your opponent’s strength on big points.
2. Drop shots and topspin lobs are old shots that modern players are revisiting.
3. Other than football, basketball and perhaps baseball-other college sports may become “club sports”!
4. Serves and groundstrokes up the middle can take angle away from your opponent. And you run less.
5. High school coaches and players and teams often are aided greatly by college coaches and local pros and players.
6. Coaching is not just about winning.
7. Many players are returning serve from way back. Enter the drop shot?
8. The closer you are to the net the more you keep the racket head out in front.
9. Over- night camps make directors much more exposed to liability.
10. One Jerk will and can make things bad for the whole program.
11. Movement can make 2/3 of the court available to a powerful shot. And avoid weak shots !

Challenge match policies are also extremely important. My essential

guidelines:

• Challenge matches earn you a spot in the lineup, match play

preserves the spot. These are perhaps the grimmest matches in

college tennis. (One of my players always lost.)

• The two most important challenge matches were between number

six and number seven (determines if you start) and number eight

and number nine (determines if you travel with the team). The coach

should always witness these matches.

CARDINAL SINS IN DOUBLES

• Failing to recognize the weaker player and attacking that person. This
  may change within the match.
  • Failing to identify the weaker service return of each player. This, too,
  can change within the match.
  • Failing to put pressure on second serves by moving in and hitting an
  attacking return.
  • Failure to attempt a “quality” return. This could be a lob or a chip, but
  it has to have a plan. Don’t hit “wimpy” returns. Our team will accept
  errors of ability but not fear. Go for it.
  • Our server with the best win percentage serves first in every set. This
  is not necessarily the player with the best serve.
  • Not closing in on “floaters” at the net; if you fail at this, you sit in the
  stands during the next match.
  • Assuming one service break wins the pro set (8 games). I saw many
  pro sets lost with the winners being down 7–3.

Never have I suggested we shouldn’t have delved into internationals then or now. But it seems to me to be a half full/half empty issue. Not once have I ever said an international should be prohibited from participation. Or equal admittance. The elephant in the room is scholarships. Never have I suggested internationals should be exempt from a reasonable amount of money. I do believe that the NCAA has a legal right to provide aid to our citizens first. One link to follow allows that about 200 million American dollars go into international men and women tennis players.

But to scholarship an all African team, rather than an African American team is bothersome, to say the least. What we have now is foreign aid, not trade. Not once in the many times I asked any international , “Would your native country do what we do?” was the answer yes. And the money is coming from the coffers of the only reasonable financial return for all the expenses encountered: Scholarships. 

Between Portal/Nil issues and the recent Supreme Court ruling on college admission the NCAA doesn’t know whether to punt or bunt. Nor does anyone it seems. Very few venture solutions. 

“… if you don’t start out with a trust fund, you’re stuck, especially for a sport like tennis that requires years of youth investment. This is a major, fatal disadvantage for American tennis. In Europe, South America and lately in Asia, kids from all social classes have a shot at a tennis career. If they show sufficient talent and motivation, there are numerous community organizations, government programs and general social assistance systems to help build up their careers, in part because these other societies strongly support investment in their youth. ” Never have I suggested we shouldn’t have delved into internationals then or now. But it seems to me to be a half full/half empty issue. Not once have I ever said an international should be prohibited from participation. Or equal admittance. The elephant in the room is scholarships. Never have I suggested internationals should be exempt from a reasonable amount of money. I do believe that the NCAA has a legal right to provide aid to our citizens first. One link to follow allows that about 200 million American dollars go into international men and women tennis players.

RULES !!!

College team tennis has its own unique rules. The “no service let” is even for men only.  One coaching colleague suggested “…the NCAA should have only ten rules, and if they add one they also have to eliminate one!”   Rules can be complicated .  Both coaches and players are better off knowing the rules.  American  college tennis is ruled by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).  High schools have their own.  USTA rules are the backbone of both, with differences for local and team differences. 

Here are some simple core rules:

PLAYERS ——Play by the CODE*

COACHES—-Don’t “stack” your lineup!**

REFEREES—- Line calls.  Stop the cheaters.  ***

• A. The Code USTA Rules & Regulations are in effect in college tennis except where explicitly superseded by ITA, NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, CCCAA or Conference Rules. The Code is not part of the ITA Rules of Tennis. Players shall follow The Code unless there is a specific ITA Rule on point or except to the extent to which an Official assumes some of their responsibilities

Opponent gets benefit of the doubt. Whenever a player is in doubt, the player shall make the call in favor of the opponent. Balls should be called “out” only when there is a space visible between the ball and the line. A player shall never seek aid from a Chair Umpire, Roving Umpire, spectator, teammate or coach in making a line call.

**3. Players must play in order of ability. The line-up shall always be based on order of ability. In singles, players must compete in order of ability with the best player on the team playing at the No. 1 position, the second best at No. 2, and so on through all positions. This rule shall also apply to doubles play with the strongest doubles team at No. 1, etc. 

***Overrule must be immediate. It is the responsibility of the player to make an initial line call. An official in direct observation of a court shall immediately overrule a player’s erroneous “out” call. 

The  USTA (United States Tennis Association),  The ITA,  NFHSAA (National Federation of High School Athletics Associations) all have their rules in their online handbooks.   Most states have theirs online also.  ( North Carolina’s  are under THE NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS COACHES ASSOCIATION).

Parting advice—  Rules change.  Year to year.  Tough to keep current.