A fellow tennis coach recently made this comment about YouTube tennis instruction: “there is mostly junk out there. ”

Here is a suggestion for intermediate players and backhand overheads.

Classic instruction has tradtional advice much like this–

1. Avoid the shot if possible. Once you realize the lob is headed over the backhand shoulder, use your feet and legs quickly and turn the backhand into a powerful forehand smash. Or a much better forehand than one of the most difficult tennis shots.
2. Ah– but sometimes you have no chance time wise and now the only choice is a backhand.
3. This ia a unique shot. Some can execute this most difficult overhead after developing these unusual skills: A. Point the elbow of the hitting arm almost straight up, having turned to the backhand side. As you make this new shot straighten the elbow ansd Snap the wrist so the ball is hit with the arm sraight.
4. This advice appeared most often. My long time attempts to follow this advice yeilded limited success.
5. ******As the two hander evolved youngters tought themselves what worked. Most average players had a tough time with this odd overhead. The way young girls (mostly ) reacted was by developng a new technique. Unable to run around this shot, they let the lob lower itself to just above shoulder height where they could tattoo what was much like a two handed volley.
6. Its origin belongs to young girls, but all but the real talented should be aware of its possibilities.

“…If you don’t like jelly there is always jam.

If you don’t like turkey there is always ham.

But there ain’t no substitute for love!” (JOE ROBINSON )

PROGRESS FOR AMERICAN COLLEGE TENNIS PLAYERS

Short version

In its inaugural year, the four-team doubles and four-player singles playoff was created to increase the number of American collegiate tennis players who earn wild cards into the U.S. Open. Previously, only the NCAA singles and doubles champions received a main draw wild card, while the other NCAA singles finalist received a qualifying wild card. This season, six wild card entries were up for grabs.

Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/article309005475.html#storylink=cpy.

While I support more scholarship money for American tennis families and players, this move is indeed encouraging.

My guess is the USTA IS WELL HEELED TO THE POINT THEY DON’T FEAR A LAWSUIT.  This eliminates the long held fear of a discrimination suit.  

Too,  the timing of relaxed amateur restrictions will make college tennis more attractive as a significantly better route to professional possibilities.  College tennis will gallop toward the hands down “Minor leagues of tennis.”

Probably some will resist change.  Internationals hopefully will recognize  that 

Americans are footing their bill for a much better developmental choice, particularly the financial positives.  

The ultra elite American juniors will now command significant college deals.  

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“Your perseverance is paying off.”     ( James Haslam )

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Robert Bayliss	Sun, Jun 22, 10:05 PM (5 days ago)
to me

Tom,

         Great observations. In today’s world of college athletics, any good news is welcome. The folks running college sports for the last 10-15 years should all be brought together and turned over to Islamic terrorists for punishment. I don’t think anyone knows how things will settle, but I certainly am glad that I didn’t have to deal with the likes of NIL, the transfer portal, and everything else that has been filtered into college tennis.

          I played at Richmond, graduating in 1966. In my 4 years of college tennis ( actually 3, as freshmen were ineligible then), I strung every one of my own rackets. I got to use gut my junior year and thought that was a big deal. My sophomore year I rode in the back of Coach’s station wagon with the gear and spare tire, as the other players rode 3 in the front seat and 3 in the back. Complain…. heck no; I was a varsity athlete! We had no strength coach, academic advisor, dietitian, or any of the amenities available to today’s players. I am not jealous and don’t regret a thing. In fact, I believe that I got much more out of my experience than today’s athletes because I had to do it all myself. I was much more prepared for the real world. 

      Sorry for climbing on my soapbox to force my opinion on you, but I imagine it found a receptive audience. Stay well, my friend. We can keep trying to confuse our detractors with logic!

Best regards,

Bobby 

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Wikipedia says this saying originated in 1512.

I have long wondered if college athletics shouldn’t take heed. Recently, evidence mounted.

Sadly the same is true of the values that built our Country.

Two comments on the French Open:

To CoCo: Well done. You did it right. Most impressive to me was your emotional control.

2. The evolving tactics of the drop shot. Carlos used this several times—He showed preparation for a drop shot but at the last second hit a firm under spin elongated volley down the line. Effective!

Next move? How to defend against this new element? Best guess–To volley his shot crosscourt. You now have to caution against in too far, too quick. A fine line . He has upped the ante !

Watch tomorrow.

Charlie Owens convinced many of the virtues of the drop shot. Years ago! (See MAESTRO and MAESTRO REVISITED ). I listened with amusement yesterday as commentators at the French Open extolled these virtues as if the drop shot was new.

What is new is the level of skill that the players have developed, the frequency of use, and how to defend against it. Carlos and the Joker most noticably.

Drop shots, drop shot defense, swinging volleys–“adapt or perish”!

Homework? Someone will soon add a most killer TOPSPIN LOB “.

https://chatgpt.com/c/683f7fdd-da30-800e-a98e-4aa642665397

AI rules ! Access to data gives new insight to college tennis. See link:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/KtbxLwHLrjstJvBXlcDmJWKrLDTdjcHrbq

I repeat this observation of the recent tournament

“Wake Forest University won the 2025 NCAA Men’s Team Tennis Championship. They beat Texas Christian University 4-2. Both are elite private, protestant schools. In the title match both teams played only the same six team members in singles and doubles. There was one American that played for WFU. One for TCU.

The unitiated might think this 5:1 ratio favoring international starters is unusual or new. Sadly the truth is it is a typical formula among men and women, NCAA Divisions 1 and 11, NAIA , JUCOS. Often total rosters and six starters is just as common.”

Here is some more amateur research:

Sixty two teams qualified.

Ten players was the average squad size. About 600 squad members.

Men are allowed 4 and1/2 scholarships. About 270 grants.

Assuming sholarships are awarded to the players that actually play ( 6 or 7), rosters and box scores reveal that about 80 grants of the 270 go to Americans.

While there were exceptions ( Stanford started 5 Americans ), the “typical ” squad of 10 listed 7 international members. The average ratio of starters was 5:1 international.

Thirty three of the 60 teams had zero or only one American starter.

2025 NCAA MEN’S D1 CHAMPIONSHIPS –MEDIA GUIDE

https://d3ms8mre5rhtvu.cloudfront.net/index.html?hash=QzU1OThENjZBRUQrdDkwYjhhbGs5cw%3D%3D&p=1

I’ll follow you down ’til the sound of my voice will haunt you

(SILVER SPRING ) by Fleetwood Mac.

Most college spring sports are over. Baseball never quits . Anything emerge with all the changes this year?

I played and coached college basketball and college tennis.

Here is an earlier quote that panned out:

It is pretty obvious some fundamental changes occurred in the 2025 FINAL FOUR college basketball tournament : No Cinderella, all four top seeds make it. Best bet is a large state University that can pay em, a seasoned and proven coach, some internationals to augment big, fast dudes. No need to recruit high school aspirants other than the rare Cooper. 18 years old—need not apply. 

This a link to the whole article:

WHAT NOW?

Wake Forest University won the 2025 NCAA Men’s Team Tennis Championship. They beat Texas Christian University 4-2. Both are elite private protestant schools. In the title match both teams played only the same six team members in singles and doubles. There was one American that played for WFU. One for TCU.

The unitiated might this 5:1 ratio favoring international starters might be unusual or new. Sadly the the truth is it is a typical formula among men and women, NCAA Divisions 1 and 11, NAIA , JUCOS. Often total rosters and six starters is just as common.

The first “small town” I lived in was Madison , NC ( Age 3 to 12 , 1943-1952 ). Mel’s Dad , Mutt–Mother, Polly–and sister, Carol went to my minister Father’s First Baptist church. While they were at our place on Sunday’s, our gang of boys gathered most days at the Steeles. Two main reasons were their family and their location near the banks of the Dan river.

I just read two biographies. One on Tom Brokow, the other on Al Pacino: What impressed me about Brokow’s was where he wound up , having a Father who quit school after the second grade. Pacino seemed to dwell on his childhood days , even in view of his fascinating acting career. I soon realized I do the same childhood “reflecting “. So when I read the article below ( see link
https://richardnilsen.com/tag/mel-steele/ ). And looked at Mel’s work I remember those days fondly. Mutt was a “man’s man”. First –he was a tough boxer! As we got older we appreciated that he was an accomplished tradesman, and teaching all kinds of skills to his talented Son.

Our move to another small NC village (Robbins, NC ) introduced me to Willis Williams. The late Dr. Williams , a classmate, was a world class surgeon, saving countless children with heart problems.

Dr. Willis H. Williams was a classmate of mine and a friend for over seventy years.   His entire life through high school was lived in Robbins , NC.  

He was eulogized by Dr; Robert Guyton.  

I have enclosed a video of Dr. Williams funeral.   Dr. Guyton’s talk appears at minutes 25  through 38.  

There was also an Astronaut from that Moore County mill town.

My guess is small towns all over provide many opportunities .

I asked my friend Earl Boykin who the famous people from his home town of Rock Ridge, N.C. were?

” I guess me and Ava Gardner and Gov. Hunt were the pick of the litter.”

Congratulations to the Elon University Women’s Tennis team for winning the 2025 Colonial Athletics Association team title. Great coaching by Coach Elizabeth Anderson.