The GreatBase Tennis Podcast

On the 254th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Jeff Lewis, and Dave Anderson share odds and ends. As always, the effort is to enlighten tennis enthusiasts. In this episode, there was also an attempt to entertain our listeners.

Tennis TalkOn the 253rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Jeff Lewis, and Dave Anderson talk tennis.Their conversation focuses primarily on competitive junior tennis in the US.The trio have history. Steve has known Dave for forty years and Jeff for nearly thirty. Hopefully, their time in developmental tennis translates into an interesting number of various perspectives that will help our listeners.One highlight of this episode is being informed on how to connect with Jeff and Dave’s online instruction. Thanks for listening.

On the 252nd episode of GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets discuss tennis doubles. The trio is confident that their conversation will help listeners improve their overall understanding of doubles.Thank you for listening, and please consider sharing our website: www.greatbasetennis.com.GreatBase Tennis Education is a non-profit organization that shares free educational tennis content.

On the 251st episode of the GreatBase tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson talk with Sam Garcia. Sam is currently the director of tennis at the prestigious Quail Valley River Club in Vero Beach, Florida. Sam is an award-winning pro who works at an award-winning club.Steve, Dave, and Sam reminisce. The three have known each other since the 80s. Laughs and lessons are assured for the listeners. Thanks for tuning in.

On the 250th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets share more technical input for those running summer tennis camps. The content will also serve as an intro for first-time listeners and a refresher for those long-time followers.

On the 249th episode of the GreatBase tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson share information, ideas, and insights directed to those involved with summer tennis camps. Their discussion certainly applies to anyone and everyone connected to tennis instruction.The main focus of this session is ground strokes.With confidence, we are sure that our listeners will find a golden nugget or two within this episode to add to their tennis teaching treasure chest.Thanks for listening.

On the 248th episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson discuss technical information for teaching stroke production.Today's segment is one of three that were produced with the idea of helping summer tennis camp directors and their staff.

On the 247th episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson discuss summer tennis camps. Their conversation coincides with their efforts to produce an instructional tape for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Almost all college coaches direct summer tennis camps.(The tape will soon be shared on the GreatBase Tennis Facebook page)The next few episodes will review input for teaching volleys, groundstrokes, overheads, and serves. Our listeners continually request that we review information, ideas, and insights on teaching basic fundamentals.Our position, summer tennis camps should be a fantastic experience that creates lifetime memories, plus children should be taught extremely well. In previous generations, summer tennis camps were the gateway to tennis teaching careers. To make an understatement, the success of summer tennis camps is of utmost importance for the future success of our sport.

On the 246th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Dave Anderson have a tennis conversation with Frank Butera. Their guest is a tennis teaching professional based in Boston, Massachusetts. The veteran pro teaches adults and juniors at MIT and the Marcus Lewis Indoor Center. He was born in Boston and then raised in Italy until the age of fourteen. He began school in the US without speaking a word of English. Yet he became an outstanding student and completed a degree at Boston College (BC).Prior to BC, he found his way to study tennis with Steve Smith at Tyler Junior College (TJC).  That connection initially took place thirty-seven years ago. The two have continued to work together to help people improve. Frank's passion for the game is second to none. He has a charming personality and an impressive command of teaching solid fundamentals, as Steve says. "It's always fun to see Frank, he's fun and he makes tennis fun." More importantly, Frank knows that if his players are always trying to improve through obtaining solid fundamentals, they will have more fun.From this episode, there are many golden nuggets to add to one's tennis treasure chest. Here are three:* Frank's number one rule: always try.* Frank tells his students to be players, not just payers.* Frank touches upon pickleball and states that one thing tennis players can learn from pickleball players is that sometimes you have to shovel snow off the courts to play.

On the 245th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets have a tennis conversation with Petrus Koekemoer. Their guest is a long-time associate who lives and works in his native South Africa (SA).He currently leads a unique development program serving underprivileged children at the Rosemoor Tennis Centre near George in the Western Cape province of South Africa.Petrus has spent over ten years with the GreatBase tennis pathway. He has traveled to the US numerous times to work with Steve and Dave. Likewise, Steve has traveled to South Africa to work with him. Petrus has documented the improvement of his students through in-depth video work and skill testing. The progress of his players and coaches is extremely impressive. The historical and deep connections between GreatBase Tennis and South African tennis are discussed.  Other topics that are discussed: fact-based instruction for long-term development, the importance of a good beginning, and staying true to fundamentals through all stages of development.Another point of interest is connecting South Africans with South Africans to fundraise to help SA tennis players. In doing so, Petrus is making the effort to unite the SA tennis community. One Vic Braden theme that will surely help him with his efforts. "The dimensions of the court and physical laws dictate stroke production, not a coach's opinion or any unique theory.