Jake Speeed
Professional
So, wife and I are living in Florida. Yes, I spent many years there in residence and as a Snowbird. I use snowbird loosely because not really an official snowbird.
So this woman calls me up and says I'm highly recommended and she would like a lesson.
Fast forward. Where on the court and I'm giving her the quiz. You know, how long have you been playing tennis, how much money do you have, stuff like that.
Now I already know she's run out of instructors because she's out on the court with me. BTW, this was like 6 or 7 years ago.
Nice looking woman BTW and she said she used to model.
"OK, so lets just hit a few balls so you can loosen up and get comfortable." "How's that?" "That's fine, great."
Well, she can't hit two balls the same and she has no, what we would call, a good ground stroke. None at all.
So, now where up at the net talking. "You look great in white." I'm kidding, really kidding! I never said that. You must show nothing but respect to all students, both young and old. To your "elders" also, but good luck with this.
She said she's been playing a number of years and had plenty of instruction but she has had difficulty. She was no natural. I asked her to describe her last lesson.
An instructor she spent the good deal of a year with.
Here's what she said. No, not word for word, I can't remember all that.
Basket of balls, either toss and hit or he would hit a ball to her. Basket gets empty, do it again. Repeat. Between shots or ball toss he says, stuff to help her improve. Yea, yea, I know it's not the instructor's fault if she doesn't improve, or is it?
She also says she gets quite a workout with this guy. Practicing forehands, two handed backhands, volleys both sides, overheads AND some service instruction. Gee. A great workout, but a good deal to digest. That's a bunch of stuff for an hour.
She leaves the court with absolutely no improvement she says.
So I say "Look." Let's not do the workout thing because you need work with your forehand and other stuff too.
I give the girl well over an hour of forehand instruction. All the stuff that goes with it like "drop and hit" noting the importance of this, and homework, so she can instruct herself while practicing. I also told her to stop playing matches.
I wish you could see how well she was hitting, off both sides, after only 6 months.
Sure, not a workout, but she learned something every time she was on the court with me.
A true story and I have a lifetime of them.
How about a story how fathers or parents destroy their child's tennis career? I got them also. It's common and it's everywhere. Any interest in this?
JS
So this woman calls me up and says I'm highly recommended and she would like a lesson.
Fast forward. Where on the court and I'm giving her the quiz. You know, how long have you been playing tennis, how much money do you have, stuff like that.
Now I already know she's run out of instructors because she's out on the court with me. BTW, this was like 6 or 7 years ago.
Nice looking woman BTW and she said she used to model.
"OK, so lets just hit a few balls so you can loosen up and get comfortable." "How's that?" "That's fine, great."
Well, she can't hit two balls the same and she has no, what we would call, a good ground stroke. None at all.
So, now where up at the net talking. "You look great in white." I'm kidding, really kidding! I never said that. You must show nothing but respect to all students, both young and old. To your "elders" also, but good luck with this.
She said she's been playing a number of years and had plenty of instruction but she has had difficulty. She was no natural. I asked her to describe her last lesson.
An instructor she spent the good deal of a year with.
Here's what she said. No, not word for word, I can't remember all that.
Basket of balls, either toss and hit or he would hit a ball to her. Basket gets empty, do it again. Repeat. Between shots or ball toss he says, stuff to help her improve. Yea, yea, I know it's not the instructor's fault if she doesn't improve, or is it?
She also says she gets quite a workout with this guy. Practicing forehands, two handed backhands, volleys both sides, overheads AND some service instruction. Gee. A great workout, but a good deal to digest. That's a bunch of stuff for an hour.
She leaves the court with absolutely no improvement she says.
So I say "Look." Let's not do the workout thing because you need work with your forehand and other stuff too.
I give the girl well over an hour of forehand instruction. All the stuff that goes with it like "drop and hit" noting the importance of this, and homework, so she can instruct herself while practicing. I also told her to stop playing matches.
I wish you could see how well she was hitting, off both sides, after only 6 months.
Sure, not a workout, but she learned something every time she was on the court with me.
A true story and I have a lifetime of them.
How about a story how fathers or parents destroy their child's tennis career? I got them also. It's common and it's everywhere. Any interest in this?
JS
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