The Swinging Volley is a Cheat Code
There’s one shot in tennis that changes the geometry of the court in a way unlike any other: The swinging volley. This shot allows a player to attack in ways that are physically impossible...
“I Just Started Missing.”
Ever wonder why sports books try really, really hard to get you to place parlay wagers? It’s because the parlay bet, a bet type where you bet on multiple events, and ALL of them...
The Power of Patience
If you can keep the ball heavy, deep, and, most importantly in the court, for more shots in a row than your opponent can, you’re almost always going to win. Occasionally, one player can...
Abandon Anger
Anger wastes mental energy and clouds judgement, two clear detriments in any competitive setting, so while anger certainly has its uses, “useful emotion in the game of tennis” isn’t one of them. To better...
Accelerate Late, Like Jannik Sinner
Velocity is a measure of speed and direction. The sentence “my racket was moving fast when I struck the ball” is referencing the racket’s high velocity. Acceleration, on the other hand, is a measure...
1 Trick to Stop Missing Forehands Out
Almost every tour player prepares for their waist height forehand with their strings down, often with their palm down as well. Some even begin with the hitting face of their racket pointing behind them....
Why Sprint to Net?
Sprinting to net changes the geometry of the court, in a way that allows you to be aggressive without increasing your miss rate. There are certain shots your opponent can hit that will force...
Certainty is a Feeling (and Cheat Code)
Certainty as an epistemic state is a lie. A human being can never truly be certain about something, and most people have far higher confidence in their predictions than is warranted. That said, certainty...
Serve is Out = Great Return, Explained
Your opponent hits their serve long. “Out,” you say, as you swing at the ball anyway. Lo and behold, the shot you produce on this return, a return that, by all accounts, should be...
1 Trick to Eliminate 90% of Net Misses
Tour level players hit surprisingly high over the net. The amount of net clearance they’re getting is pretty difficult to see from the typical broadcast view: the bird’s eye camera, and as such, I...