Keep that Core Hard!

Keeping a strong core (pelvis, hips, torso, lower back) is a smart way to perform better and resist injury, especially of the lower-back sort (the most common tennis injury). USTA posted a great article to its website with tips on exercises to target these important areas (via Tennis 15 30).

"Is your brain hard-wired to hit a tennis ball incorrectly?"

Interesting food for thought: Coach Keith Coleman discusses how our wrists naturally over flex when hitting a forehand stroke. I see this over and over in my lessons-- my clients will excessively snap instead of keeping the wrist static while pushing through he ball. The result is inconsistent, ineffective shots. Read more here.

Think men are faster tennis servers than women? 

Think again. This interesting article by Slate explains how women consistently serve at speeds comparable to their male counterparts.

Sabine Lisicki (picture above), broke Venus Williams record for fastest female serve this past summer at the Bank of the West Classic, clocking in at 131 mph. That serve was faster than any serve Roger Federer produced during 2014. It's barely slower than world #1 Novak Djokovic best serve this year and "equal to or better than the fastest serves of at least 29 men, including" many seeded players. 

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2014/09/sabine_lisicki_record_serve_science_explains_why_female_tennis_players_can.html?wpsrc=fol_fb