If you’re just getting introduced to tennis, there is an overwhelming number of new terms you will need to learn. Forehands, backhands, serves, double faults, drop shots, overheads, slices, and much more. While you can technically play tennis without knowing what these terms mean, your development will most likely be slower as you won’t really understand what you are doing.
We have covered the most basic terms in another article, and you can check it here. There, you will find definitions for the 8 basic tennis shots – forehand, backhand, slice, serve, return, forehand volley, backhand volley, and overhead. If you don’t know what each one of those means, I suggest you go take a look at that article. However, if you have a pretty good idea of their meaning and you want to learn a more advanced term, here we will cover in-depth what a tennis approach shot is.
Basically, what is an approach shot in tennis? The tennis approach shot is used to transition from the baseline up to the net, and it can be executed either with a player’s backhand or forehand. Mainly a player approaches the net on a ball that lands around the service line or shorter, or if they recognize that their opponent is out of position and is likely to provide a weak ball as a result.
A player can hit an approach shot as a winner, but it’s frequently used a setup shot in that the player isn’t looking to win the point on this shot. Alternatively, they’re attempting to force a defensive ball from their opponent which afterward can be put away with a volley to win the point.
For example, you hit a fast pace forehand crosscourt and you see that your opponent is barely going to get their racquet on the ball, their arm is fully extending reaching for the ball, you decide to take advantage by moving forward to the net to make a play on the ball resulting in your opponent not having enough time to recover and make a play on your easy volley. You win the point easily.
Below, we’ve covered a few of the most common questions when hitting an approach shot:
Is Hitting An Approach Shot Too Soon a Good Idea?
Many players will frequently attempt to hit an approach off a ball that was hit too well by their opponent. Approaching the net too soon often occurs because a player is overly eager. For instance, consider a point where your opponent hits a clean groundstroke that lands relatively deep in the court. If you try to move forward and hit an approach shot, then you may not be able to transition to the net quickly enough. The result can open up a variety of angles for your opponent to easily pass you.
Is Closing Too Close To The Net a Better Strategy?
Overly eager players may execute a great approach shot but finally, getting too close to the net – which makes them an easy target for their opponent to lob them. It’s a delicate balance. You don’t want to move forward too far because of the lob, but if you don’t close enough, you’re going to open yourself up to a passing shot.
Does Not Doing Enough With The Approach Make A Player Lose The Game?
When you move in for an approach shot, it’s important to strike the ball with confidence and perfectly, keeping the ball deep in the court. That’s partially the reason why you don’t want to approach too soon. Alternatively, you want to wait for a perfect ball that allows you to move forward with an aggressive shot which forces your opponent to play defense and sets up your volley.
Where Should An Approach Shot Be Hit In Tennis?
An approach shot should be hit deep in the court to prevent opening up angles for your opponent to pass you. Beyond that, your placement of an approach shot will depend on each point with the goal of keeping or putting your opponent on defense.
Here are some approach shot strategies to practice and master with:
Tennis Approach Shot: Footwork
Split Step
The approach shot is one of the most exciting shots in tennis and it all starts with the feet, Like on other shots you want to time your split step to make contact with the ground at the exact moment you realize where the ball is headed.
Ensure the Proper Spacing
Once you recognize the ball is short you want to start running forward while you assess exactly where you expect the ball to land. Once you have assessed where the ball will land you want to run up at an angle to the ball so that when you begin to set up for your forehand or backhand you have enough room between you and the ball.
Tennis Approach Shot Pro Tip
It is common for players to run into the ball and as a result, to hop up on their stroke or their shoulders rise up as the body attempts to create more space. If this happens to you, we recommend that you try this tip: once you turn to set up for the ball, begin moving your feet by making small shuffle adjustment steps around and away from the ball. This allows for several little steps to be taken to ensure you find the proper distance on the approach shot.
Tennis Approach Shot: Options
The approach shot is unique in the sense that you can utilize any stroke in the game and choose to approach the net afterward, For example, some players pick up on their opponent’s movements and if a player allows balls to drop rather than taking the ball on the rise they may choose to throw up a topspin lob and approach the net giving them plenty of time to react to the next ball. Or a player may notice their opponent has difficulty moving forward and chip the ball short and take the net – the possibilities are endless. For the purpose of this post, we will look at the approach in terms of the forehand and backhand.
Tennis Approach Shot: Stroke
Topspin forehand – With the racket back and shoulders turned, step into the ball with the lead foot. The ball should be struck just in front of the lead foot and far enough away from the body so that the elbow is slightly bent upon the strike. A sweeping low-to-high motion will produce topspin, which creates higher bounces that keep the opponent behind the baseline.
Flat two-handed backhand – Holding the racket with both hands (with the “back” hand underneath the second hand), turn shoulders and hips toward the ball, and the weight shifts forward. The ball should be hit just in front of a player and the center of the jacket head in order to produce a flat, powerful shot. Both hands are kept on the racket in the follow-through.
Final Thoughts
The approach shot is most effective when the ball is taken on the rise and hit from waist to chest height. Moving forward to play a short ball can benefit you in many ways and help you win matches more quickly, so you should definitely work on your approach shot technique and execution.
In any sport, adding tools that can help improve your game is often a hot topic of discussion. There will always be players trying to get an edge over others by using different tools, and you’ll usually find a crowd of critics who say these tools make the game unfair. In the sport of tennis, some players choose to use something called a tennis vibration dampener.
A tennis vibration dampener is a cool gadget that you can add to your racquet strings and that dampens or reduces vibration when you hit the ball – changing the level of the sound of “ping” that might distract you during your game.
Additionally, some tennis enthusiasts believe that a tennis vibration dampener works as a helpful tool to reduce the chance of pain from tennis elbow, keeping you in the game rather than out.
In this article, we will cover some of the most common questions related to vibration dampeners, and hopefully you will be able to decide whether these gadgets are good for your tennis game or not.
How Do Tennis Vibration Dampeners Work?
In essence, all a vibration dampener does is absorb the vibrations caused by the impact of your racket hitting the ball. These tennis dampeners are usually made out of rubber, which is a highly absorbent material. When you add the dampener to your racket, the noise and feel of hitting a tennis ball become less noticeable – and some players enjoy that.
You have a few choices when it comes to selecting a tennis vibration dampener: you can use one that is smaller and similar to a button or one that is a bit longer, similar to a worm. Some even look like your favorite emojis, enjoyable to all generations (especially next-gens), including professional tennis players.
The hardest part is first determining if you need to use a vibration dampener, and then deciding on which one to use. All of these different types do essentially the same thing, but their feel might be a bit different. You need to find the one that works best for you.
Once you’ve decided on the type that fits you best, placing it correctly on your racquet for the best performance is important. The video below is a great tutorial on how to properly place your dampener.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve66qPHj-8s
The video above is a good way to get started. Also, make sure that your tennis vibration dampener is placed on the outside of your cross strings, not the inside and near the throat area of your racquet. This aligns nicely with game playing best practices as per the U.S. Tennis Association standards.
Individual Preference
Getting to the heart of how tennis vibration dampeners work: a rubbery gadget meets strings on a tennis racquet positioned to optimize a player’s performance. It does so by reducing the “ping” and the sense of vibration while holding the racquet.
However, using a tennis vibration dampener may not increase your odds of winning. Some tennis enthusiasts make claims that tennis vibration dampeners are considered a psychological perk, rather than an actual racquet rave. Others believe that tennis vibration dampeners do enhance their winning streaks and they would not play without them.
The gist: it really comes down to the individual player’s personal preference to add a tennis vibration dampener or not.
Some Things to Consider
Grab your racquet
Get out there and play
While playing, does the “ping” sound distract you?
How about the feel of the vibration?
Decide to get a vibration dampener to see if you find a difference while playing your game with it.
Ease of Comfort
While deciding whether to add a tennis vibration dampener to your racquet is a personal choice, finding the best one that fits your needs is not going to be an easy find. Because it might be challenging to find the one that works exactly as you need it, we suggest you either try purchasing a few of them on Amazon or going to a local tennis shop and asking for recommendations. Some are more dampening than others, and this again comes down to personal preference.
Ace It
Once you start learning tennis, you will quickly learn how tennis vibration dampeners work or don’t work for you. Regardless of your age, playing tennis is fun and good exercise – and chances are that you will quickly become competitive about it. Learning how tennis vibration dampeners work can be that added something you need to play your best game.
Here is a tip to keeping your vibration dampeners on and in good condition, because if you decide to use one, you will want to learn how to keep them on during your games.
While not all tennis professionals over the years have used tennis vibration dampeners, today, there are a few players that choose to use dampeners. Four current professional tennis players who choose to use vibration dampeners on their racquets are:
Frances Tiafoe, US
Bianca Andreescu, CAN
Kyle Edmund, UK
Kim Clijsters, BEL
Takeaways
You don’t have to play like a pro to enjoy playing tennis, but you can take some tips from what works best for them – and that might just fit your game goals too. That old adage, practice makes perfect, does seem to be inspiring if you are trying to get better at playing tennis. Improving the performance of your game by simply adding a vibration dampener to your tennis racquet does not equal guaranteed success, you won’t know until you try one for yourself.
By now that you know what tennis vibration dampeners are – cool gadgets made of rubber that are shaped like buttons, worms, and emojis. You should know where they go – on the outside of your cross strings, not the inside, and near the throat of your racquet. And you’ve learned how tennis vibration dampeners work – they dampen/reduce that “ping” noise and vibrational feel. But most importantly, you need to know that the heart of it is about your individual preference when it comes to picking out the best tennis vibration dampener for you.
Tennis is a sport played predominantly outdoors, and the traditional court surfaces (clay, grass, hard) are better suited for warm weather. This is why people rarely consider playing tennis during the winter, usually choosing other sports and hobbies during this period. The arrival of winter brings cooler playing conditions, so many of us are forced to play tennis indoors if we want to continue playing the game. Those players who are a little less passionate will quit the game until the warmer weather comes again. And yet – you do not have to be one of them!
But what if you do not have access to any indoor courts near you? Well, it should not really be a problem, as tennis can be played outside until the temperature drops below zero. Depending on where you live, the winter will eventually force you to go indoors – but before that, you can still continue working on your game.
What can you do to play tennis in the cold weather? First, make sure you dress appropriately. Using several layers of clothes is a great idea, as you can “unpeel” as you get warmer. Second, accessories like gloves and sunglasses will keep your hands and eyes warm. Third, dedicate more time to the warm-up to prevent injuries. Fourth, adjust your game to the cold – shots with underspin (slice) will be more effective in the cold weather.
By adjusting your routine with the steps mentioned here, you won’t need to let your tennis skills cool off during the winter months.
In this article, we will talk about some good tips that will surely help you this winter, so the cold weather will not affect the quality of your game. It is such a shame to take a long break during the wintertime and not work on your skills and playing style even more. Following these tips below will improve your game during the colder months, and you will not have to pause your playing and training.
Dress as Warm as Possible
Playing tennis when it’s 30 degrees outside is a completely different thing than playing when it’s in the 70s or 80s. Obviously, the single most important thing you need to do is to dress appropriately – and warmly. We suggest that you wear a few thin layers of clothing so that you can undress some after you warm up. Besides wearing the regular clothes you usually wear, add a shirt with long sleeves under your t-shirt, a warmer tracksuit or find something to layer underneath your shorts. Thick socks and sweatshirts are a must! You may not think that you need to layer your clothes, and that one thick jacket will warm you more than three thinner ones, but if you only wear one thick jacket you won’t be able to take it off – while you can take off the thinner ones one-by-one.
Your Best Friends This Winter: Gloves and Sunglasses!
It is very difficult to feel your hand on the racket while wearing gloves, no matter how thin the material is – but it certainly won’t be easier without them too. While you can keep your hands warm when you’re playing, gloves might be a good solution for when you are warming up or changing sides. Remember that the colder your hands are, the harder it is to establish a proper grip. Then just imagine how difficult it would be to play with frozen hands. Our hands are a special part of the body that is not easily warmed by physical activity while exposed to the outside cold and that is why it is better with gloves than without them.
Sunglasses can help you a lot while playing tennis, because the winter sun is lower in the sky and more likely to disturb you than in summer. Of course, playing tennis while wearing sunglasses is a whole new challenge. Consider this part as a part of your training. If you master this skill, you will have more advantage of playing tennis in winter compared to your opponents. At the end of the day, how will you be able to play if you do not even see the direction on which the ball is moving?
Warm-up Before Even Taking The Racket In Your Hands
Remember to exercise and stretch well when warming up. When it is cold outside, your muscles will need more time to relax and reach a working temperature. You certainly do not want to hurt your muscles or body parts because you have not warmed up properly. Take a little longer time to warm up, around five to ten minutes longer than you normally do when the weather is warmer. Give your body time to adapt to the new conditions and temperature, and you will be playing easier and better for sure.
Tennis Balls Work Differently In The Cold
Without the heat and humidity you face when it’s 80 degrees, you may be able to play longer without feeling as if you will pass out. However, it is important to keep in mind that cold weather has its effect on your game and on the ball. The colder the weather, the less the ball will bounce. Just knowing about it will already give you an advantage compared to your opponent. You should try to use the conditions to gain more skills and experience while playing in colder weather.
Since tennis balls don’t bounce as much in the winter, the most effective cold weather shots are:
Drop Shots
Slice Shots
Flat and Slice Serves
How To Adjust Your Game
You must accept that shots with topspin will be less effective. Be aware if you have a high kick or top spin service – in cold weather, the ball will not have as much kick and bounce, giving your opponent an opportunity to attack the return. Flat and slice serves will be more effective in the cold and will force your opponent to run on a lot of low balls. It also means that the ball will bounce low for you as well. But do not let that scare you – it does not work for you, just focus on controlling your shots as much as possible.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, let’s go through the most important things to remember when playing tennis in cold weather:
Try to keep the ball low, because the ball will not have the bounce you are used to when playing tennis in the summer. That way you will earn more control over the ball.
Try to customize your serves while playing. In the cold, slice serves are better than kick ones.
Dress warmly, but wear more thin layers of clothing because your body needs protection while playing.
Do not underestimate the importance of warming up and exercising, you will get hurt easily and your playing will not be on a high level. Warm-up well before the match or training set.
Follow these tips and you will surely improve your game during the months of lower temperatures. And it is more than advisable not to interrupt the pace at which you are training because the temperature has dropped for some time. As long as there is no snow on the ground, nothing should not stop you from playing outdoors. Also, your lungs will be able to breathe some fresh winter air. But always remember, take it easy and slow, and do not overdo yourself!
College tennis in the US is one of the most thrilling tennis settings in the world. I played at UCLA for 4 years and it was one of the most rewarding experiences I could have asked for. College tennis is the hidden gem of the tennis world, so I wrote this article in an attempt to shed some light on what it is all about. This article mostly speaks to the rules and formatting of Division 1 tennis because that is what I played, but Division 2 and Division 3 are also fantastic options for many players.
Recruiting
Every successful college tennis team has one thing in common: great recruits. The process is tedious and complicated for coaches because there are so many rules in play, but the best coaches have mastered the art of recruiting.
What makes a good recruit:
There are many requirements a recruit must fulfill to make them to compete. The two biggest components to being eligible recruits are having adequate grades to get into school (with help from the athletic department), and having preserved their amateur status. There are a lot of small rules to look out for, but those are the basic ones that can make or break a student athlete’s opportunity to compete in college.
Finding good recruits for a team is extremely competitive. Missing out on a highly sought out recruit not only hurts you because they don’t compete for you but also because you must now compete against them as they play for a different school.
Another thing that coaches look for in recruiting is personality. If the number one player in the country would cause issues amongst the team, more often than not a coach will pass that player up. Team chemistry for a college team is crucial for success, and it only takes one rotten personality to ruin the entire team’s comradery.
How the ideal recruiting process works:
Each recruit’s experience through recruiting is different, but the ideal recruiting process is as follows:
The recruit contacts coaches at schools of interest, typically by email and phone call. There are specific rules as to what age a recruit must be to talk to coaches, and when coaches are allowed to contact the recruit.
The recruit asks questions to decide if the school might be a good fit.
The recruit takes “unofficial visits” to schools he or she is interested in. This includes meeting with the coach in person on campus, meeting the team, potentially watching a football game in person, etc. Unofficial visits must be paid for by the recruit, not on the school’s dime.
The recruit narrows their choices to 5 schools or less.
Once the recruit and the coach have a mutual interest and talks become more serious, they may offer an “official visit,” in which the school is allowed to pay for the trip. This is typically an overnight visit where the recruit is able to experience a couple of days in the life at that school. Recruits can take up to 5 official visits at 5 different schools before they make up their mind.
The recruit “verbally commits.” This is not a commitment that means much besides letting other coaches know that they are no longer available. This unofficially takes a recruit off the market.
In November of the recruit’s senior year in high school, they can sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play for the school they commit to. This is basically a contract verifying the scholarship (if any) they are promised.
Scholarships
There are many opportunities for recruits to earn scholarships through their tennis abilities. Due to Title IX, women’s college teams have 8 scholarships available to give for their team while men’s teams have 4.5. This makes the scholarship aspect of coaching a girls’ team fairly straightforward, while the men’s coaches have to be a bit more strategic.
Because a general team roster consists of 9-15 players, the breakdown of scholarship when recruiting can make a difference in the team’s success. If a coach wants to give 4 full scholarships and one-half scholarship, he has the right to do so. However, coaches typically opt for a different strategy. Most coaches tend to break the scholarships up so that a majority of the team receives some help financially. The amount of scholarship awarded does not always depend on the recruit’s level. For example, a coach may offer more scholarship to a foreigner because it is more expensive for foreigners to attend public universities.
Coaches are also able to offer scholarships as 4-year plans. This means that a coach can promise X% of scholarship for year 1, X% of scholarship for year 2, etc. Once a recruit signs their national letter of intent (NLI), or scholarship contract, the amount of money promised cannot be taken away for lack of performance.
What a scholarship includes:
Tuition
Room and board
School materials such as books
Format of Matches
Okay, enough business. Let’s get into the fun stuff. In division one college tennis, the format is simply 3 doubles matches followed by 6 singles matches. The team that is able to win 2 out of the 3 doubles matches earns 1 team point. Each of the 6 singles matches earns a point to the team total as well. Therefore, between singles and doubles, there are a possible 7 points to be awarded. The team to reach 4 points wins the dual match.
One of the best parts of college tennis is that the “weaker” players on the team matter just as much. Whether you’re at the top of the lineup or the bottom of the lineup, your singles match will count as 1 point. In addition, college tennis gives players with more doubles specialized skills the chance to play and make a difference in the match. The 6 players competing in doubles can be the same or different as the singles players depending on what the coach decides.
In doubles, the scoring format is a single set, no ad. This makes for a quick doubles point that can turn to either team’s favor within just minutes. Some say it goes too fast, but personally I like it because it makes the match more interesting and fan-friendly. In singles, each line plays 2 out of 3 full sets. Like the doubles, singles are played with the no-ad format as well.
Clinching
You are probably wondering, “What happens if a team reaches 4 team points, but there are still matches unfinished?” For the doubles point, once a team gets to two sets won, the remaining match is abandoned. Each conference has its own rules on this for singles, but generally, it falls to the discretion of the coaches before the match starts.
There are pros and cons to both “clinching” matches and finishing them out. Finishing all of the matches out is good practice for the players participating. However, it can also make the matches longer, risk unnecessary injury, and cause an individual result that would not have otherwise happened.
Speaking from experience, it is unmotivating to play in a match when your team has already won or lost the dual. The team aspect of college is what makes it so fun to play, so the interest level drops once the team result is decided.
Most of the time if the coaches anticipate that the match is going to be close, they decide beforehand that they will stop the match once it is clinched, leaving the remaining matches unfinished.
Photo after Martin Redlicki clinches final match against USC.
Rules that Differ from Pro Matches
College tennis and pro tennis rules differ in some spots. Most of the rules that have been amended in college tennis throughout the years are to make the sport more fan-friendly. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the body responsible for coming up with ways to make matches more engaging.
Speeding Up Matches
One way that the ITA has made matches more enjoyable for fans is making matches faster and shorter. The sport becomes boring for a non-tennis fan when the matches take too long. A few examples of rules that speed the matches up are no lets, playing no-ad rather than regular scoring, and no warm-up.
In pro tennis, when a serve hits the tape of the net and falls into the box, a let is played. In college, the returner must play that serve as good. Not only does this make the match a bit faster, but more entertaining at times as well. It is fun to see if the players are able to change direction fast enough to return a ball that clips the net tape.
In addition to that, singles and doubles are both played with no-ad scoring. Long deuce games can be long, tedious, and quite frankly boring. Sudden death points keep the match engaging, as every point matters just a bit more.
Finally, college tennis players do not warm up with their opponents prior to matches. In professional tennis, opponents warm up with each other for 5 minutes following the coin toss. In college tennis, players warm up with their respective teams before the match time, then go right to the court to compete. This rule was put into place because the warm-up creates a bit of a lull between the pre-match team huddles and the first point. Because the ITA has created rules to speed up the game, it has become more attractive for fans, especially college students that are unfamiliar with tennis.
Cheering
Cheering at college matches is part of what makes college tennis so exciting. Whether it be fans or teammates, the yells and screams of encouragement from the stands make college tennis more fun to attend. Sure, the biggest matches in the professional world (center court of the grand slams) have diehard fans cheering their favorite players on. However, it is unbelievable to feel that energy while watching or playing in an amateur tennis setting.
Tennis is known as a “gentlemen’s sport,” but college tennis makes it more entertaining. Teammates and fans are allowed to cheer as loudly as they please in between points. Technically they are not able to direct their words at the opponents, but experienced fans get creative and it adds another element to the matches.
University of Georgia crowd looks on during NCAA tournament.
On-Court Coaching
Another rule that improves the college tennis scene is on-court coaching. Each team is allowed 3 coaches to be on staff; a head coach, an assistant coach, and a volunteer assistant coach.
During the matches, their duties are equal. They are all allowed to coach players whenever they choose, whether it be on changeovers or in between points, as long as they are not slowing the pace of play.
This is a great way to improve our game because the athletes are young, so it helps to promote growth and improvement over a player’s college years. Because there is an immense amount of pressure during dual matches, on-court coaching can help to keep the athletes level-headed throughout. This is one rule that just about everyone that is involved with college tennis can get behind as it helps the game so much.
Me during a dual match with then volunteer assistant coach, Rikus Devillers.
College Coaching Staff
Being a college coach for a good program is a high profile job in the tennis world. It is an extremely demanding position because it has to do with much more than coaching the game of tennis. In addition to improving their players, the coach is in charge of recruiting, scheduling the team’s days, making sure each athlete is on top of school, fundraising, scheduling matches, and so much more.
To help with all of these responsibilities, the head coach is able to hire an assistant coach and a volunteer assistant coach. The NCAA allows only 2 staffed coaches to be paid, but a third unpaid coach is allowed. Most of the top programs in the country find a volunteer assistant coach pretty easily, but not every team has 3 coaches.
College Coach Salary
The pay for the head coach and assistant coach comes from the school’s athletic department. As tennis is not a revenue-generating sport, the pay is not nearly as high as what the football or basketball coaches get paid. However, college coaches can make a good living.
Just like other college sports, the amount a coach gets paid is based on the prestige of the program, a coach’s resume, and how many years of experience they have. Most of the coaches in power 5 conference schools make well over 6 figures per year, including bonuses based on performance. In addition, many run junior tennis camps throughout the summer as supplementary income. Obviously head tennis coaches aren’t paid like Dabo Swinney or Nick Saban, but they generally earn enough to live comfortably.
The salaries of assistant coaches vary more depending on the profile of the school. Some are able to make 6 figures themselves, while many assistant coaches for the mid-major programs make far less than $50,000 per year
Rankings
Just like any other college sport, the rankings in college tennis are important. They prove to be a great benchmark for measuring a team’s success through a season. Additionally, they make the difference in team seeding for the NCAA tournament at the end of the year. One ranking spot can decide whether or not a team qualifies, so it is important that the NCAA makes them as accurate as possible.
Up until a few weeks into the season, the college rankings are based on a committee’s decision. Members of an NCAA committee vote on who should be ranked where, 1-25, based on current results and how they predict the season will play out. As the season moves along, an algorithm creates the rankings from 1 to 75. This algorithm is based on a team’s win and loss of strength. For the formula broken down in detail, see collegetennisranks.com. This write up gives a clear and concise explanation of the college rankings.
Top 20 teams at end of 2019 season.
Conferences
Just like other college sports, conference play in tennis is a large part of each team’s schedule. A team plays every other team in their conference one time during the conference season. As these teams become familiar with each other over the years, conferences create intense rivalries that keep college tennis competitive and pride-filled.
Though teams within the same conference may play multiple times per year, only one of those matches counts towards the official conference record. The results in the conference season decide the seeding for the conference tournament. So, at the end of each season, there is a regular-season conference champion and a conference tournament champion. They can be the same team, but that only happens if the #1 seed in the tournament wins.
The “Power 5” Conferences
Why do conferences matter?
Conferences are important because they maintain long-standing rivalries, but also because the winner of each conference tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. This does not matter as much for the “power five” conferences (PAC12, SEC, ACC, BIG12, and BIG10). However, for lower-tier conferences, this rule provides an opportunity for a lower-ranked team to be matched up against a powerhouse.
For power five conferences, because the winner of the conference tournament almost never needs the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as they qualify on ranking, the conference tournament is meaningful for a team’s pride. But for teams in low tier conferences, winning the conference tournament means extending their season.
Team Schedule
The life of any student-athlete is demanding both physically and mentally. Days are usually jam-packed with practice, fitness, class, and studying. Due to the fact that NCAA athletes have such busy lives, the NCAA has rules in place to make sure that they are not overworked by coaches.
NCAA Scheduling Rules
Teams are capped at 20 hours per week of involuntary sports activity. This includes practice, fitness, and team meetings.
Coaches must give one full day off per week. This means they cannot be required to do anything related to the team on that designated day, including travel.
Coaches may not require more than 4 hours of team activities per day.
Each coach has a different schedule that they believe is best for their team. For reference, my typical day at UCLA went as follows:
8:00-9:00 — Strength and conditioning
9:30-2:00 — Class, depending on the day.
2:30-5:00 — Practice
5:00-6:00 — Treatment (optional)
Why College Tennis is Worth Getting Involved In
Now that you know what college tennis is all about, I wanted to conclude with a bit of my opinion. I have played 4 years of college tennis and almost 2 years of professional tennis. I can safely say that pro tennis does not compare to the experience that I had in college. Playing matches for a team is a privilege that most tennis players in the world never get to experience, so if given the chance to play in college, most juniors should take that opportunity.
Playing the futures tour, I have seen countless young players make the decision to go pro without even considering playing college tennis in the U.S. That decision is entirely up to the player and I respect that, but I feel that the reason many times is a lack of knowledge for how much college tennis can provide.
Admission to school potentially paid for. There are a lot of great schools out there that provide admission at a lower standard for athletes than normal students. It makes a lot of sense to take advantage of that.
Free treatment for injury. This includes care for something as small as a treatment for the common cold or a stiff back, to something as big as surgery for a torn ACL.
Free coaching and strength training. College coaching staffs overalls are very experienced and knowledgeable.
Free gear. College programs will provide their players with everything they need to compete. This includes rackets, string, shoes, grips, bags, etc.
Free traveling to competition. Coaches now are even providing travel to professional events during the fall and spring seasons, so players don’t even need to miss out on that experience.
Time to develop. Players arrive at college as kids, but come out of it stronger physically and mentally.
College coaches are eager to recruit the best players that they can find, American or foreign. There is not a lack of opportunity for these foreign players to come and play in college, so I recommend foreign players do their research on college tennis before ruling it out completely.
Finally, I have seen that players who come out of college tennis tend to do better on the pro tour because it takes the pressure off their shoulders. Having a college degree in your back pocket gives players the opportunity to play professional tennis with fewer worries.
In addition, players who have experienced the pressure of playing for a team find it easier to play for themselves on tour. There are many professional players within the top 100, 250, 500, etc. that played multiple years of college tennis. Click here to see that list, as you may be surprised to see how many college players have gone on to be successful after school.
Final Thoughts
College tennis is such an exciting setting. The comradery, competition, and passion make for one heck of a ride. If you are a junior looking for the next step in your tennis career, consider playing for a college team. If you are a fan of the game, go check out your local college’s men’s and women’s tennis schedule. It’s a lot of fun and you won’t regret it!
Want to learn more? Drop a comment below and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have!
I’ve done my fair share of traveling in my tennis career. Carrying multiple tennis rackets is, unfortunately, part of each trip. The rules regarding carrying rackets onto a plane as hand luggage are not universal, which can be frustrating.
There were times where I was able to carry my rackets without a problem, but I was occasionally forced to check them with my bags. Sometimes the airline had no issues with carrying the rackets, but airport security did not allow me to go through security with them. My experiences varied from airline to airline, country to country and so on. So I’ve done some research on the topic and here is what I found.
Under TSA rules, individuals are allowed to carry tennis rackets on board as hand luggage. Equivalent agencies worldwide (like the EU) also accept tennis rackets as a carry-on items. Therefore, be advised that it is up to the individual airlines whether or not you can carry rackets with you.
Major Airline Carry On Policies
We looked into the major airlines’ policies and found that most airlines do not specifically mention tennis rackets. This being the case, you need to consider the dimensions for carry-on luggage specified by each airline. Here is a table containing the hand luggage policies of some major airlines.
Airline
Hand LuggageDimensions
Max Weight
Reference to Tennis Rackets
AmericanAirlines
22 x 14 x 9 in 56 x 36 x 23 cm
Not Specified
No (view here)
Air Canada
21.5 x 9 x 15.5 in 55 x 23 x 40 cm
Light enough toBe stored Unassisted
Yes – allowed
Air France
21.7 x 13.8 x 15.5 in 55 x 35 x 25 cm
12 kg / 26lbs
No
ANA
22 in x 16 in x 9 in 55 cm x 40 cm x 23 cm
10kg / 22 pounds
Yes
British Airways
22 x 14 x 9 in 56 x 45 x 25 cm
Not specified
Tennis racketsProhibited
Delta
22 x 13 x 9 in 56 x 35 x 23 cm
Not specified
Yes – allowed
Easy Jet
22 x 8 x 10 in 56 x 45 x 24 cm
Not specified
no
Emirates
22 x 15 x 8 in 55 x 38 x 20 cm
Not specified
no
Etihad
19.6 x 15 x 9 in 50 x 40 x 25 cm
7kg / 15lbs
no
Lufthansa
22 x 16 x 9 in 55 x 40 x 23 cm
Not specified
no
SingaporeAirlines
Sum of length, width and height can’t exceed 115 cm (45 in)
7kg / 15lbs
no
Quantas
22 x 14 x 9 in 56 x 36 x 23 cm
Not specified
No
Turkish Airlines
22 x 16 x 9 in 55 x 40 x 23 cm
8kg / 18lbs
no
Virgine Atlantic
22 x 14 x 9 in 56 x 36 x 23 cm
10 kg / 22lbs
no
United Airlines
22 x 14 x 9 in 56 x 35 x 23 cm
Not specified
Yes – allowed
Problems Carrying Rackets
As you can see, most airlines do not explicitly reference tennis rackets in their carry on policies. The biggest issue with rackets when flying is their length. Most tennis rackets are 27 inches long (69cm) which is longer than most acceptable carry on luggage. Therefore, airline agents and security personnel can be inconsistent with their decision of allowing you to carry on rackets.
Full flights will cause additional problems, as the overhead bins may be overfilled. If you can’t board the plane on the first couple groups, you will risk having no space to place your rackets. Unlike a backpack, you can’t store the rackets underneath the front seat. Long flights tend to use bigger planes, so this won‘t often become a problem for those. On shorter flights, however, it can be tricky to carry on rackets.
Checking Your Rackets
A lot of people are afraid of checking their rackets because they may be damaged in the handling process. Workers aren’t particularly gentle with our bags.
Personally, I haven’t had an issue checking my rackets but there is definitely a risk on doing so. If you plan on checking your rackets, make sure you wrap them individually with bubble wrap or another protective material. In addition, keep in mind that the string tension of your rackets will change due to the cold temperature so you might want to cut your strings before leaving (just don’t string them right before traveling).
Our Recommendations
As you can see, traveling with tennis rackets can be complicated, so be prepared before you arrive. Decisions by airline staff and security personnel are arbitrary and there is no universal rule being followed. Therefore, here is some advice:
Look into the kind of airplanes you’ll be flying so you know how large overhead bins are
Know your itinerary: you might have a long flight and a short flight (smaller plane) and you might have a hard time storing the rackets on your shorter leg of the trip
Check your tennis bag and carry the rackets individually. Tennis bags are often too large as carry-ons, especially if you travel with 4 plus rackets;
Research the policies of the airline you are flying with and be ready for arbitrary decisions on your ability to carry on your rackets
If you are traveling with too many rackets it will be easier to check them. Wrap them in bubble wrap before leaving to the airport so you have peace of mind they won’t break.
Let us know in the comments what has been your experience when traveling with tennis rackets!
If you are a beginner in tennis, the first thing you need to learn in order to enjoy a tennis match is the scoring system. Don’t worry, we have you covered, you can check out our ultimate guide to tennis scoring here. As you watch tennis matches, you will notice something peculiar; the common use of the word “love” in the scoring system.
In tennis, “love” is the term used for a score of zero or nil. For example, if the score is 40-0, you would call it “forty-love.” The term love can also be used to count games in a set, such as 6-0 (“six-love”).
Tennis scoring is structured as:
Points → Games → Sets → Match
The accumulation of points will turn into games, and games will turn into sets. Players start the match with zero points and games. At the beginning of each game, both players have a score of zero, or “love.” Here is a quick recap of the point structure within a game:
Love = score of zero
15 = a single point
30 = two points
40 = three points
Deuce = tied at 3 points (40-40)
Ad in = server wins point at deuce
Ad out = server loses point at deuce
To win a game, a player must win 4 points. However, if both players win three points they will continue to play the same game until someone wins two points in a row. Here is a quick example of a game situation:
Point Outcome
Player A Score
Player B Score
Game begins
0 (love)
0 (love)
Player A wins the point
15
0 (love)
Player B wins the point
15
15
Player A wins the point
30
15
Player A wins the point
40
15
Player B wins the point
40
30
Player B wins the point
40
40
Player B wins the point
40
Advantage
Player A wins the point
40
40
Player A wins the point
Advantage
40
Player A wins the point (and the game)
(+1 Game) 0
0
When To Use Love
While love’s definition is fairly simple, it can still be a bit puzzling for novice tennis players to know when to use it. There are only a few scenarios where love is used, so let’s take a look:
You are the server:
You win one point: 15-love
You win two points: 30-love
You win three points: 40-love
You lose one point: love-15
You lose two points: love-30
You lose three points: love-40
The server’s score always comes first. Typically the server is the one who calls the score before each point, but if your opponent isn’t doing it and you want to call out the score, you will still call their score first. So if you win the first point of the game as a returner, the score is “love-15.”
The term love is strictly used to express the score of zero within a game. However, when calling the score in games, it is perfectly acceptable to us the term “love” and “zero” interchangeably. That is up to the individual’s preference. So, a score of 5-0 in games can be called “five-love” or “five-zero.”
The Origin of the Term Love
There is no universally accepted theory regarding the origin of the term love in tennis, but there are a couple of popular ones. The first, proposed by the Oxford English Dictionary, states that the term is rooted in the phrase “to play for love” (of the game), which speaks to the etiquette and sportsmanship of tennis.
Another theory suggests that “love” is based on the French word for egg; “l’oeuf”, because a zero looks like an egg. While clever, there is not much support to base this theory.
Regardless of the origins of the term “love” in tennis, one thing is certain; you should try to avoid it at all costs. There is a famous saying that states “love means nothing in tennis.” So, when you play tennis try to avoid love at all costs! As long as you can get away from “love” as quickly as possible in your tennis matches, you’ll be in good shape.
