New Book by Tom Parham?

No but–It is as long as a book.  MILESTONES is an index to writings, projects, collections, since the last revision of THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK of TENNIS (2015 ). 

Along with free access to all  seven previous books and 500 plus blog articles, there are twenty new instruction articles on the changing world of tennis. Plus 10 of the most visited coaching parts of the revised THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK of TENNIS.

A brochure that highlights SHOT DOCTORS.

A new section , THE REST of THE STORY, focuses on three recent developments that have an effect on college tennis in America: 1. The Portal and Likeness issues  2. Article Intelligence (AI) and 3. College tennis is becoming “ the minor leagues of Professional tennis!”

Just read the whole article in New York Times.

This is good analysis, writing , AND COACHING.

Analysis from James Hansen, senior editor for tennis

In this specific matchup, Michelsen’s ability to hit down-the-line and cross-court on his backhand from almost any position prevented Tsitsipas from using his favorite tactic. He knows his one-handed backhand can hamper him, so tends to try and hit an inside-out forehand (a forehand from the ad-court) as early as he can in a rally. To do this, he shuffles to his left, but this leaves him open to being attacked if his opponent can hit a backhand into that space. Michelsen can do that.

Tsitsipas could neutralize that problem with a slice, or a short ball, but he isn’t comfortable playing those kinds of shots. As a result, he found himself caught in a tactical fight he could not win.

(Graham Denholm / Getty Images

INTERNATIONAL NIL COMPENSATION==NCAA/FEDERAL RULES

https://www.icemiller.com/thought-leadership/name-image-and-likeness-the-foreign-students-dilemma#:~:text=As%20of%202022%2C%20there%20were,15%20percent%20in%20basketball.

They named the Cardinal the North Carolina state bird recently.

My Mom’s sister. Olive Phillips , was our family’s ecologist and a bird lover. So when she saw me gun down a Blue Jay with my Daisy air rifle, she lit me up. Aunt Ollie was also the closest thing I had to a rich relative. So. puzzled about her concern about a bird, I still remembered Christmas and my birthday. She subscribed to AUDOBON magazine and saved her copies for me.

My college friend , Watson Hale . told about a question from a co-worker. “Watson , what does it mean when you enter a town and a sign says ” Bird Sah koo cherry”? ( Sanctuary).

Watching our birds flutter around their feeders, I wonder if there really is a Sanctuary in the sky for the souls of beat up old North Carolina coaches?

I’d like to request a Cardinal to take me to the airport.

From CONCLAVE

Cardinal Lawrence : “…What I fear most is certainty. With certainty there is no doubt. Without doubt there is no mystery. Without mystery there is no need for faith. “

JIM TONEY

* JULY 4, 1985.  AW LED ME DOWN A NARROW PATH WITH DOZENS OF CARS PARKED NEARBY.    OPENING.  TENNIS COURT, POND, HOUSE AND POOL.   EVERY ONE HAD EITHER TENNIS RAQUET OR A BUD DRAFT FROM  RH BARRINGERS IN HAND.  SOFTLY, BETWEEN INTRODUCTIONS,  DR WHITE WHISPERED,  WE NEED YOU TO MANAGE THIS TOURNAMENT.  I ALMOST WENT BACK TO WILSON.

IT WAS A HAPPENING.   AND RAISED A TON OF $ FOR  TENNIS SCHOLARSHIPS AT  ELON.   J.POWELL WAS  THE $,   LACY HALL WAS THE PARTY, JERRY TOLLEY WAS THE  DESIGNER.

OVER MY EARLY YEARS  TWO THINGS THAT EMERGED WERE A DEEP FRIENDSHIP WITH JIM TONEY,  AND A REALIZATION THAT A MAJOR INCARCERATION WOULD LIKELY ACCOMPANY THE TSHF DOUBLES CLASSIC.

HOW CAN WE REDIRECT THE  EFFORTS AND POWER OF THIS GROUP?

THE JIMS,  POWELL AND TONEY AGREED  LETS FOCUS ON KIDS.

THUS BEGAN THE ALAMANCE JUNIOR TENNIS FOUNDATION.   AND A DEEPENING KNOWLEDGE OF JIM TONEY.

HE CALLED ME TOAMY.  WE NEED A PLAN.  YOU GOTTA HAVE A PLAN.  A GOAL.

WE ESTABLISHED THAT OVER DOZENS OF LUNCHES ( A VEGETABLE PLATE AT BAKATIAS), OFFICE MEETINGS, DISCUSSIONS AT MATCHES OR ON THE PHONE. 

OUR GOAL WAS HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS BETTERMENT.   HE BOUGHT MY SUGGESTION TO FOCUS ON TENNIS FACILITIES.    THERE IT WAS:   WE WON’T QUIT UNTIL ALL SIX HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE  GOOD COURTS. 

AS WE DEPARTED I REMEMBER THINKING,  “…IF I STAY HERE TEN YEARS I MAY SEE THIS COMPLETED.   IT TOOK ABOUT A YEAR.”

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THERE “TONEY SIGHTINGS”.    FROM JOE BARBOUR ( THE MAYOR ) , HAROLD OWEN ( RECREATION DIRECTOR ). AND  JOHN BOY WALTON ( DIRECTOR OF TENNIS ).

*COACH,  HE WAS WAITING IN MY OFFICE WHEN  I  GOT TO WORK.”

*HEY PARHAM, CAN YOU BACK YOUR BOY TONEY OFF A LITTLE?”

**TOM—I HEARD HE HAS MADE APPOINTMENTS WITH  THE SUPERINTENDENT,  ALL THE PRINCIPALS.    ADS, COACHES.   COMMUNITY LEADERS AND TENNIS PEOPLE.  GRANTS, MATCHING GIFTS.”

I SOON GOT A CALL FROM HAROLD AND JOE.    ESSENTIALLY THEY SAID  PARHAM YOU GOT THIS GOING.   WE MAY BUILD A CITY FACILITY AND WE WANT YOUR HELP.   SURE.   MORE  FUNDRAISING! 

ODDLY—NO MORE CALLS.    THEN I HEARD SOMEONE SAY IT LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING  WAS HAPPENING DOWNTOWN.  OK—THE CALLS WILL COME SOON.  NOTHING.  3 WKS LATER I’LL RIDE DOWN THERE AND SEE IF THE GROUND IS READY.   BURLINGTON TENNIS CENTER.   NEARLY DONE. 

 I LOOKED OVER AND THERE WAS TONEY.  HE SMILED.

THAT LASTED A  DAY.   I WANT TO DO CUMMINGS HIGH SCHOOL NEXT.  I WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE KIDS HAVE TENNIS.

SO, WE WANDER AROUND THERE, WALKING OFF THE AREA, WHAT NEEDED MAJOR REPAIR.   NEXT, THE WALKERS LED  WESTERN ALAMANCE. TO SIX  BEAUTIFUL COURTS AND GREAT TEAMS.   

“NOTHING LIKE THAT GONNA HAPPEN AT SOUTHERN!”   OH  YEAH?  TELL THAT TO ELANOR JOHNSON AND A MRS BONNIE MARROW WHO WRITES A 50K CHECK FOR  THE PATRIOTS TENNIS COURTS.

JOHN WALTON AND I SHOOK OUR HEADS IN AMAZEMENT.   IT WAS FRIDAY –WE WERE THROUGH. 

MONDAY AM —JOHN BOY.  Coach—you ain’t gonna believe this.    WE NEED MIDDLE SCHOOLS TEAMS.   ALL COME TO BTC  4 MATCHES AT A TIME.  INSTRUCTION.    COACH THERE IS NO MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY IN THE ENTIRE STATE.

THEY MADE  A GREAT PICTURE OF 85 KIDS AT MIDDLE SCHOOL TENNIS DAY.

 HOLD THAT THOUGHT AND BACK UP SOME 30 YEARS.   ROBERT AND TOM REGISTER HAVE BURST ON THE  JUNIOR TENNIS SCENE  IN A FLURY OF RACKET THROWS AND SALTY LANGUAGE.    AN ACKNOWLEDGED FINE  ADULT  PLAYER OFFERS TO PLAY WITH THEM.   ONE BROTHER SUGGESTS “…HAVE YOU NOTICED HE NEVERS SAYS ANYTHING BUT GOLLY PETE , TONEY,  WHEN HE MAKES AN ERROR?

“WISELY THEY AGREE TO ADAPT HIS POLICY.   ONLY “GOLLY PETE TONEY” FROM THE REGISTERS.   NOT ONLY THAT IT BECAME FAMILY VENACULAR USED IN BOTH ADULT HOMES.   SECOND NATURE.

FLASH BACK TO THAT OPENING MIDDLE SCHOOL DAY AS FATHER ROBERT TAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL DAUGHTER TO HER FIRST TENNIS DAY.    ROBERT WALKS ALEX UP TO THE COMMISIONER AND PROUDLY INTRODUCES ALEX TO MR. JIM TONEY.

AS THEY WALK AWAY ALEX ASKS HER DAD,  “…DADDY, IS THAT GOLLY PETE TONEY? 

THEY NAMED THE MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTSMANSHIP  AWARD THE “GOLLY PETE TONEY “ AWARD”.  ALEX REGISTER WON THE FIRST ONE.

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 !

BORG’S SPEECH

Borg taught a magnificent lesson one day on TV. Having just beaten McEnroe in “the greatest match ever” I watched commentator Bud Collins interview the Wimbledon Champ. Collins asked Borg how he did it? Borg, stoic as ever said simply: “legs.” Nothing more. Collins had several minutes in his hands and rambled on in a commentary I don’t remember. 

Then, Borg, having thought some, took the mike from Bud. His comments were: 

1. I was very nervous inside 
2. I thought, surely I will lose. 
3. I told myself, I must put these thoughts out of my mind. 
4. I will not quit under any circumstances. 

End of clinic. Pretty good advice for a lot of areas

THESE RANG TRUE (by Tom Parham )

Here are some quotes on strategy from people I respect. These “rang

true” for my many players in many matches.

Find out what your opponent can’t do, or doesn’t like to do, and make

them do that.” –Jack Kramer (Think Nadal over Federer in 2007 French

Open. Target? Federer’s backhand.)

Don’t change the “line of the ball” unless you are sure you can make the

shot. Otherwise, cross courts “ad nausea.” Two-handed backhand down the

line shots will “slide wide” too often, believe me –T. Parham.

When asked what he would do differently, Ken Rosewall replied, “I would

hit a lot more balls cross court.”

Cross courts get you out of trouble. Jim Verdieck demanded the cross

court ball from his team.

Get yourself in a position to “volley away from the source” –Jim Verdieck.

Any ball hit extremely deep in either corner allows a good attacking

possibility –Jim Verdieck (“two and in”).

The simple strategy of tennis singles: “Attack the short ball” –Dennis Van

Der Meer.

Good approach shots make easy volleys –Jim Leighton.

No shots in “no man’s land” is a myth –T. Parham.

Rule 1: Find a good doubles partner. Rule 2: Get along with your

doubles partner.

THE “NEW” DOUBLES

The “ Pinch “ or    “ 2 0n 1”

NADAL AND ALCARAZ TO PLAY DOUBLES TOGETHER IN OLYMPICS

That headline got some attention.   The Spanish duo, history’s elite,  past and future singles icons,  playing doubles. 

I watched too, but maybe with a new observation: 

Credit as due—my first glance  at this strategy came while watching the NCAA WOMEN’S DOUBLES this spring. 

THE GOAL is to pin the server deep and  wide  on the baseline.  Assuming all four players are right  handed and the point is from the ad court, ,  the best way  to begin is with a great service return down the line.   This flies in the face of conventional  thought which  sends the return crosscourt.   AND DOWN THE LINE IS  TOUGHER TO DO.  

However,  Tactic 2 ups the ante.  Once the receiver’s partner recognizes this return he moves to a unique position at the net,  almost up to the net and in the MIDDLE of the court.   This does two things (1)  it cuts off almost all but the super angled crosscourt return and  (2)  renders  the server’s partner to a neutralized position. 

The College Women used  this basic formation, and multiple variations of it, to achieve the same  goal :  To limit the opponent’s best option to a “down the alley” rally—-with our net player in a much better position  to attack.  And to put pressure on the opposition.  

As the Olympics match began to progress I noticed both professional teams were not only aware of this strategy,  both were using their own variations , OFTEN with great success.   

Alvarez and Nadal have been singles specialists.  Doubles is a different game. A team game, with different shots from different places.  VOLLEYS, QUICKNESS, SERVICE RETURNS, ANGLES AND LOBS. 

While odds favored the Spaniards doubles, a less familiar game featuring a new effective ploy,  evened the match ( 7/6, 6/4 ).

The two diagrams below reflect

1.  Traditional alignment for the four players and 2.  The alignment goal of THE PINCH ( One variation ).

Here is a clip from an earlier blog—College Doubles

The most fun in tennis is playing for your school team. The doubles point often dictates the team winner. American college coaches. all things equal, recruit players who are good at both singles and doubles.

I believe college women will find great pro possibilities in doubles because of the unique efforts in developing doubles teams.

One flaw in American Junior development is the emphasis on singles ranking only. Doubles play is considered a detriment to singles rank. What if players were ranked on singles and doubles combined. Or simply a combination ranking?

Actually men’s college doubles vets shone brighter this WIMBLEDON. Henry Patten for the UNC Asheville Bulldogs, a winning partner in doubles. Rob Galloway of the Wofford College Terriers played a spectacular first set in doubles second round.  Doubles COUNT in college tennis and the results shed light on a bigger issue. Having coached against Wofford and UNC Asheville years back I can describe them as small mid majors in the NCAA.

COLLEGE TENNIS HAS BECOME THE MINOR LEAGUES OF PROFESSIONAL TENNIS