The Tennis Life

article by Phil Trahan

NELA Tennis closed 2024 with Christmas themed events for adults in Ruston and kids in Monroe. The Louisiana Tech Tennis Club hosted its Christmas Classic at the Ruston Sports Complex while Bayou Desiard Country Club hosted the inaugural Jingle Balls Tournament for kids. Winning players are featured in the photo section.

February should be an exciting month as the opening of the greatly expanded Forsythe Tennis Complex is anticipated. Fifteen courts plus the addition of Pickleball and a two story clubhouse highlight the improvements. Let’s Play!

TIPSTER SAYS
This month’s tipster is Phil Trahan.

Learning to hit and learning to play are different objectives requiring different skill sets and priorities. Hitting is essentially a self-contained execution of one shot at a time. On the other hand, playing is a dynamic and fluid activity requiring continuity between the shots. Your results will improve if you keep two principles in mind:

• Learn to view the point as one unit, not a series of shots, letting each shot segue into the next with continuity. Don’t overinvest in any one shot.

• When selecting your next shot always keep in mind the implication that shot creates for your recovery. Where you hit the ball determines the distance you have to move in recovery. Try to minimize that distance as much as you can.