Revamping the USTA rating system

Katelyn Caniford | Towpath Tennis Pro

      With the busy summer USTA season officially ending and fall season now in full swing, many players are in the process of getting their ratings set. Whether you’re a brand new player doing this for the first time or you’re returning from a long hiatus, in order to play on the USTA tennis leagues, a rating is needed. Unfortunately, anyone that’s had to endure this test has encountered first hand just how frustrating and sometimes inaccurate it can be.

       One of the biggest problems with the USTA rating system is their lack of detailed questions. The test begins with several yes or no fill-ins trying to categorize you anywhere from a world class player to a total beginner. The problems occur when you get deeper into these questions. For instance, back when I had to rate for the very first time, I had just committed to playing division II tennis. Long story short I got rated a 5.0. Now granted, I was a decent high school player, but no state champion deserving of a 5.0 rating. Not to mention I had just graduated high school and had never played USTA adult league tennis before.

       So why did they rate me as so? Was it solely because I was committing to play in college? The real question is, can the USTA really make a good evaluation of the type of player I am based on that one answer? No. There are many tennis players out there on college teams that couldn’t even compete with the average high school player!

       Another example is the classic story of a returning tennis player trying to get back into the USTA leagues. Take a former 5.0 college player who hasn’t touched a racquet in 20 years, has had two knee replacements, and isn’t nearly in as good of shape as she used to be. Should this player still be rated a 5.0? According to the rating system, if that was her last published rating, then yes. Even though the test doesn’t ask her when the last time she played was, or the injuries sustained (injury questions happen during the appeal process).

      Now obviously the USTA can’t come and watch everyone play who needs a rating (they tried it for years with people raters). So what’s the solution here? More detailed questions with a little more leeway. The yes or no questionnaire is fine and does cover a lot. A text box discussing dates and severity of injuries sustained or time off from playing would make a significant difference. Also, rather than a computer making an immediate decision, it would help if the USTA could review answers prior to giving out set ratings. This might not work for brand new players but it would be a good system for someone returning from a long break from the game. That way, they don’t even have to worry about going through the appeal process.

       It’s safe to say that the USTA doesn’t have the time or the man power to force groups of people to monitor their rating system-but they need to. They would save so much time having to sift through appeals if they would review the tests to begin with. Even just adding a few more text boxes so players can explain their history with the game would make a huge difference. 

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Tennis Tip: Approaching the net in singles

Katelyn Caniford | Towpath Tennis Pro

One strategy for singles play that is crucial to success is when to come into the net. As a general rule of thumb, you always want to attempt to get to the net as soon as possible to attack your opponent. Being able to combine a strong baseline game with solid net play is not only going to force your opponent into making adjustments, but will frustrate them as well. However, you don’t want to get too eager and come in for no reason or when the time isn’t quite right. Here’s a few short tips on when to come in and put away those shots!

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So when should I go to the net? There are usually many different opportunities to come in during the course of a point. However, the most opportune time is most often when your opponent is off balance. How do you achieve this? There are many equally successful ways but if you aren’t quite comfortable with the serve and volley technique yet, try playing it a little safer by hitting a strong and deep approach shot away from your opponent. This will hopefully cause them to struggle to get to the ball. More than likely, the shot you are then going to get back will end up being short. So close in on the net and put away the volley!

One key factor with the approach shots is timing. The easiest chance for you to try and come into the net off of a deep approach shot is when your opponent is hitting balls short into the service boxes. It’s not a bad idea to consider moving in off of these shorter shots because all of your momentum is already moving forward into the net.

Here’s one final tip to remember-every time you are charging the net make sure that you’re following your approach shot in the same direction you hit it. More than likely it’s going to end up coming back to you the same way! 

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Dealing with favoritism on a team

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Katelyn Caniford | Towpath Tennis Pro

Being a part of any team is great. Making friends with your teammates and sharing countless memories of hard fought matches is something truly unforgettable. However, good memories aside, not everything on your team can be picture perfect all the time. In many cases, whether its high school, college, or a USTA team, favoritism is very common. Sometimes so much so that it can be extremely detrimental to not only the players themselves, but the overall success of the team. Here are some different scenarios involving favoritism and how to deal with them.

Playing Friends

This is a very common problem especially on USTA teams. In many cases, if the captain is making their lineup, it isn’t unheard of for the captain to play their friends (regardless of what their playing level is) instead of other players who may in fact actually be better than the “friends” of the captain. Not only is this an incredibly frustrating situation, but it makes the team dynamic both awkward and uncomfortable. The best way to deal with this? Begin with talking to the captain yourself. Sometimes it even helps to get your teammates opinions as well and maybe approach the captain as a group (if your situation allows). Another option if talking to your captain isn’t working is to get an un-biased pro involved to hopefully help sort out the situation. Try to emphasize that the current situation you’re in is very detrimental to the team’s success especially with not having the best possible players in the lineup. Hopefully the pro will then be able to step in and help to resolve the situation.

“Pay-to-Play”

In most cases coaches and pros are completely unbiased towards the players that they coach, however, sometimes you can find yourself caught in a situation of pay-to-play and I’m not referring to paying to play on your high school team. This version of pay-to-play is where coaches favor certain players over others because of how much money they are paying towards their program at the specific club they play at. What this means is that players who are willing to spend the most money on the tennis clinics, programs, etc., will be favored to play higher in the lineup over players who might not be paying as much.

This can be incredibly difficult because it doesn’t leave much option for players who might not be financially able to pay as much as others, or because they work and cannot attend as many drills. And if these players are incredibly talented, is it really fair to downgrade them if they don’t play as often? Solution—if you are willing to pay and have the time commitment available then great! Otherwise, deal with the position you will be placed in even if it’s not where you think you should be playing. But the best and most logical option would be to find another club. Do your research ahead of time before making the commitment to go somewhere else and make sure you talk to whoever is in charge of the programs there to get a good grasp on how the club handles things and what their staff is like. Then make a judgment call from there and go with whatever will work best for you.

Tennis Pro’s and Coaches Picking Favorites

Unfortunately, it is easy to get caught in a situation of your coach or pro picking favorites. This is very common especially on high school and college teams. So what do you do when you know someone is playing higher then you because the coach likes them better? Well there aren’t a whole lot of options but the best way to approach the situation is to try talking to the pro/coach about your position on the team first. You can even try to gauge how some of your teammates feel and see what they think and then try to approach the coach as a group discussing how all of you feel about where you are being placed on the team. If this doesn’t work, your best bet is to talk to either the athletic director or person in charge of the overall program and have them handle it. After all it is their job to deal with those situations and hopefully fix them.

Overall the best way to deal with a situation of favoritism is to begin with talking to the person in charge of your program and go from there. Try to approach the individual or head person in charge with the best attitude possible and emphasize how your biggest concern is the success of your team. 

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How to win on clay courts

Kristianne Bontempo | Towpath Tennis Employee | Online Store Manager

It's the end of another exciting French Open where as expected underdogs, such as Lucie Safarova and Stan Wawrinka, rose among a sea of upsets by defeating past Open Champions, Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer, along the way to the finals. Even the domineering Serena Williams struggled to fight for the title on the red clay (and maybe due to a little cold). Nevertheless, the question is raised every year, 'Why do the top seeds in tennis perform poorly on clay?' Many players already understand that you need to adjust to the slower court surface, but many still don't know exactly how to adjust.

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In northeast Ohio we don't see that many red clay courts. In fact, there's only one red clay court facility in the entire State of Ohio (Perry Twp). What we do find a lot of are Har-Tru courts, which are green clay versus the red clay we see at the French Open. The main difference between the two is that the speed and height difference of Har-Tru is not as extreme as it would be on red clay, because of the layer of crushed stone on the surface. However, both clay surfaces call for a game adjustment in order to win and this is how you do just that:

• Play in the right shoes. Clay is a slippery surface and if you were playing on red clay, it would be imperative that you find clay court shoes to help with traction. However, with Har-Tru all you need is to find a pair of All-Court tennis shoes that are in good condition (so ditch those worn-smoothed soles). To help you, we have a huge selection to choose from at towpathtennisshop.com. 
• Be patient! The pace is considerably slower than playing on hard courts and it's quite tempting to rush your shots. To help counter that urge, go back to the basics and as the ball approaches tell yourself, "bounce, hit." It may sound mundane and tedious, but it helps you focus and maintain a proper rhythm.
• Use topspin. Why you may ask? It makes the ball bounce that much higher! Higher bounce=more difficult to return, not to mention tiresome!
• Learn to slide. Har-Tru is not as slippery as red clay, but it sure is slicker than a hard court. 
• Buckle in for longer rallies. Guess what? Those winners you make on hard courts will be easier for your opponent to get to on clay, so be ready to tire your opponent out by mixing up the shots and moving them around the court. 
• Practice ahead of time. Even if you've played on clay before, it helps to warm-up ahead of time to get a feel of the court since most clay surfaces don't play the same. 
• Check a bad call. Don't you always wish to have video replay on those points your opponent called out but looked clearly in? On clay you can! It may not be a video replay, but the ball may leave a distinctive mark that you can double check for yourself. Cheaters beware! 
• Prepare to get dirty! Playing on clay can be downright filthy, so if you're fussing about keeping those sparkling white tennis shoes clean then clay is not your game. And unless you want to be coated green from head to toe, watch out for sliding into those lines that like to bubble up!

So there you have it, all the tips you need to be the next King/Queen of Clay-Nadal you've been warned!

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Newest tennis racquets of 2015 (& why they're so awesome)

Kristianne Bontempo | Towpath Tennis Employee | Online Store Manager

The winter season has always been a busy time for racquet purchases-why you ask? It's the perfect opportunity between the busy high school, summer and USTA seasons to demo a racquet and get comfortable handling it before matches start up again. Also, there's something about the new year that always gets players in the mood for a racquet makeover-new racquet, new game? Well racquet vendors sure seem to think so too as we are now fully stocked with some of the most buzzed about racquets on the market. Here are a few we'd like to highlight which are all available to demo in-house or to purchase at www.towpathtennisshop.com!

Head Graphene XT Instinct Rev Pro Tennis Racquet 

Specs

Headsize: 100 sq. in.

Length: 26.8"

Beam Width: 27/22.5/21mm

Weight Strung: 270g/(9.5 oz.)
Racquet/Player Type: Beginner-Intermediate

Color(s): Blue/Navy/Coral

Composition/Construction: Graphite/Graphene XT

String Pattern(Mains X Crosses): 16 x 19(standard) or 16 x 16

Recommended String Tension: 48-57 lbs.

Balance: 34.5cm/(13.6 in.)

Grommet Technology: ASP (Adaptive Stringing Pattern)-Racquet comes with 16 x 16 grommets installed.

Frame Technology: Graphene XT

Grip Type: Hydrosorb Pro

Towpath Recommended String: Head Hawk Touch

What's so special about it?
The Graphene XT technology. It increases the weight in the top of the frame to the handle in order to provide better energy transfer, increased swing weight and a higher sweet spot for more power. It also features your choice of string pattern. 16x16 grommets provide more spin and power, or if you want more control and feel pop in the 16x19 grommets.

Why do we like it?
Versatility! The Head Graphene XT Instinct Rev Pro is not only lightweight with a uniquely smaller length to increase stroke speed, but this tennis racquet accommodates to your playing style by providing TWO string patterns! Its selling features make this racquet very maneuverable for beginners, intermediates and up-and-coming juniors. Try the series! Head Graphene XT Instinct S is slightly heavier with a standard length and string pattern, but is still a great option for beginner-intermediate players. The Head Graphene XT Instinct MP is slightly heavier than the Instinct S and was built with the intermediate-advanced player in mind. Did we mention it's Maria Sharapova's racquet of choice! 

Babolat Pure Drive Tennis Racquet 

Specs

Headsize: 100 sq. in

Length: 27"

Beam Width: 23.5/26/23mm

Weight Strung: 317.5 g/(11.2 oz)
Racquet/Player Type: Intermediate-Advanced

Color(s): Black/White/Blue

Composition/Construction: Graphite 

String Pattern(Mains X Crosses): 16x19

Recommended String Tension: 50-59 lbs.

Balance: 32.89cm/(12.95 in)/4 points HL

Grommet Technology: Woofer

Frame Technology: GT Technology, Cortex Technology, Elliptic Geometry, FSI Technology, EVO BEAM

Grip Type: Syntec Pro

Towpath Recommended String: Babolat RPM Blast 

What's so special about it?
The higher sweet spot! Interesting fact, the Babolat Pure Drive was built based off the data racquet engineers gathered from the Babolat Play racquet, which uniquely tracks your strokes, shot power and impact location of the ball. They began to see a trend where players were hitting much higher on the sweet spot, so what did they do? Duh, raise it! They do this with FSI technology, which also gives players a more responsive contact zone.

Why do we like it?

User-friendly! The Babolat Pure Drive is one of the game's most popular tennis racquets for a reason. It's the perfect balance of power and feel for recreational and competitive players alike who want to improve consistency and depth on all shots. For a lighter more manageable feel, try the series! The Babolat Pure Drive Team and Babolat Pure Drive Lite are great for players looking for pace and spin in a lightweight package. 

Wilson Burn 100S Tennis Racquet

Specs

Headsize: 100 sq. in
Length: 27"

Beam Width: 25mm Dual Beam Width

Weight Strung: 303 g/(10.7 oz)

Racquet/Player Type: Intermediate-Advanced

Color(s): Black/Orange/Lime

Composition/Construction: Carbon Fiber, Spin Effect, X2 Shaft

String Pattern(Mains X Crosses): 18x16

Recommended String Tension: 51-61 lbs.

Balance: 33 cm/(13 in)/4 points HL

Grommet Technology: Parallel Drilling
Frame Technology: Carbon Fiber
Grip Type: Wilson Sublime

Towpath Recommended String: Wilson Revolve 

What's so special about it?
Power! Launched at the Australian Open by tennis professionals Kei Nishikori and Simona Halep, this new line of Wilson racquets is built with explosive power in mind. The Wilson Burn contains a high performance carbon fiber frame, which increases stiffness giving players immense power in their ground-strokes. It also offers a longer handle for more leverage for two-handed backhanders and those with extreme grip changes. 

Why do we like it?

Power! The Wilson Burn was designed to make an impression with base-liners in mind. Built with a bigger, more forgiving sweet spot, this racquet allows players with fast swing types to be aggressive with their shots. The Burn Spin series (100S, 100LS and 100ULS) is equipped with Spin Effect technology which allows players of all levels to produce significantly more spin without changing their swing. The Wilson Burn line will be available to demo or purchase by mid-February. 

These may be the newest racquets of 2015, but don't forget we have over 90 racquet demos for you to try here at the club ranging from Wilson, Babolat, Head, Dunlop, Gamma, Prince, Asics and Yonex. When it comes to racquet selection, speak with our knowledgeable staff about what racquet will suit your playing style best or check us out online to see what we have in stock. Happy playing!

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Top 10 biggest pet peeves from our local high school tennis coaches

Kristianne Bontempo | Contributor

Our tennis pros biggest pet peeve post was so popular we couldn't resist doing it again, but this time we spoke with our local high school tennis coaches! With their spring season beginning, we asked a number of HS boys coaches what their biggest pet peeves were when it came to coaching high school tennis. Bottom line--players have no idea what high school coaches go through.

1. Making pre-season indoor court time and having your team not show up/pay 
2. Sending a detailed text message about practice then receiving a text asking "When's practice coach?"
3. It could be hurricane conditions yet they still don't wear coats!
4. Not bringing water again and again and again
5. Have no prior tennis experience whatsoever but wanting to be in the starting lineup
6. Throwing tennis balls at each other during practice
7. Playing spring tennis in a winter wonderland
8. Scheduling around conflicts between school activities and match/practice times
9. Arriving to a match with no racquet, one shoe, and a pair of swim trunks
10. Parents input-sometimes it's best just to trust the coach to do their job!

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