Tournament Performance Development Program

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Douglas

MEDIA RELEASE –VINTAGE TENNIS – TOURNAMENT PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT   PROGRAM SUCCESS

Vintage Tennis Tournament Performance Development Program had enormous success in a variety of junior tennis tournaments throughout Victoria and South Australia, as players travelled far and wide over the school holiday period.

Doug Hill, the Director of Vintage Tennis, remarked “that the athletes performed above previous levels to enhance their learning and reflected great pride for their Academies.

Players in the ‘program’ representing the Gippsland Sports Academy, South West Academy of Sport and Kooyong Tennis Academy in the 12’s,14’s, 16’s age group of these Optus Junior Tour (OJT) events, delivering the type of tennis that will see them reach the goals, aims and desires that they have set themselves in 2012.

Like in the Olympics, currently taking the world’s attention, success is about ‘racing’ not just PB’s, the tennis athletes focussed on ‘playing’ not just hitting skills and enjoyed the reward for their diligence.

Hill stated “that the program will stand these juniors in good stead for their development and lay the foundation for when they join Vintage Tennis’s Pro Tour program once their schooling has finished and they pursue a career into the professional ranks”.

The Pro Tour Preparation and Training ‘engine tennis’ program is conducted in Melbourne and educates young athletes about professionalism and ‘getting the job done’. It is unique to Australia and is recognised internationally, for further details visit www.vintagetennis.com.au

Result Summary:  25 x players involved with 9 x winners; 6 x runners up; 7 x semi-finals and 12 x Q/Finalists.

A significant impact from one ‘program’ and Vintage Tennis would like to acknowledge the support of the Academies and the players parents and private coaches.

 

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Grass is ‘greener’ !

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Douglas

Professional Tennis is played on a variety of surfaces, adding to the immense athletic ability and technical skill set required, for this great game, by the players.

Good pro’s know to adjust and prepare for these changes and show the discipline to stick to their preparation, even in lead up tournaments. Recent ‘upset’ results indicate that the top players are looking at a unique period, where not just one major tournament is approaching  Wimbledon, but two on ‘grass’ at the same venue, the Olympics.

The All England Tennis and Croquet Club ground crew are preparing their immaculate grass courts to handle the dual events. With this in mind the grass has to be a little tougher and stronger – thus a little quicker than in past years. This situation, identified by professional players and coaches, understand the need to adjust / abbreviate  swing patterns; movements; balance; serve types and most importantly, more volleys and baseline time.

Volleys, world wide, are being looked at and a new method of execution being taught to up and coming players, through ‘rookie’ programs. Players copy and experiment for an edge, leading up to this, maybe once in a lifetime experience, Grand Slam / Grand Stage dual event in London 2012.

This all makes for an interesting and exciting tennis time ! Vintage Tennis, proponents of the ‘new’ volley, is looking forward to those pro’s that approach these unique circumstances  or those that just prepare as normal for a major event.

Players to succeed – look to Federer, Williams, Berdych, Kvitova, Tsonga, Wosniacki, Murray, and if she volleys Stosur ……. of course, not to mention the World’s No. 1 & 2.

The grass will be greener with the tennis richer and vintage – one to savior !

 

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Reality ‘hits’ players

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Douglas

Australia’s tennis ‘hangover’ of summer is coming to an end, with the last of the ‘Pro Tour’ tournaments about to commence and players looking at stints on the road – chasing their dreams.

Reality of the professional and those aspiring pro’s is that any success and momentum is now put to the test of day to day play, travel, play, train, travel, play. Some have lost financial assistance from Academy set ups, some suffer close losses that dents confidence, some regress back to former habits and drop back to lower tournaments to hang on to precious points and ranking.

Those players that have planned, have courage and vision, their reality is one of progress, one of faith and belief, one of knowing that their success can continue but does have ups and downs – this reality comes from within, with motivation, desire and real goals.

Reality is be professional, act professional, live professional – at Vintage Tennis we encourage all to pursue the ‘tennis’ reality in a sober and measured manner.

Australian tennis has a little resurgence going on, get real, get working, get thinking, get stuck in to your dreams !

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Grand Slam Glory !

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Douglas

As I sit and watch a ‘fortress’ of past combat, get ready for the AAMI Classic, Kooyong transforms from an empty shell and you can hear the role of champions and picture the players dreams in pursuit of Grand Slam success.

Melbourne is putting on the ‘heat’ with players arriving, for what they hope is a long stay in Australia. Packing, unpacking, checking equipment, checking travel schedules, accomodation, arranging practice partners, ticking the checklist to ensure everything is ready to play their best.

Be it a warm up tournament in the middle east or one of the numerous events around Australia and New Zealand, players have in the back of their mind, what if, yes I can, all I have to do…. ok, just play and you never know?

During next week the Qualifying rounds for the Australian Open commence with an intensity only rivalled by a final of an event. Players young, on the way up, players coming back from injury or a form slump and players who are there abouts every year,hoping that maybe this year !

Whatever the situation or circumstances to these players to see their names on the large tournament draw board for all the world to see ….. this is their Grand Slam Glory !

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R & R … R & R … R & R !

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Douglas

R & R stands for rest and relaxation. With tournaments done for the year (mostly), players look at their R & R’s.   In the world of the ‘good’ tennis pro it stands for readiness to go …

rest & recover … rest mentally and recover from a year of ups and downs, disappointments and highs, changes and goals.

review & renew … have there been improvements in skill and play, physically ‘up to it ?’, now is the time to adjust the training and prepare for ‘down under’

refresh & reset … the training court is a great place to regain confidence or take it further with the ‘reset’ button ready to push green.

The good pro’s allow themselves time to climatise and feel the way forward for the next Grand Slam and beyond, all with the bigger picture in mind but focussed on the immediate.

2012 … another big  and ‘golden’ year ahead.

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Picture past the ‘points’.

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Douglas

The ‘new’ Grand Slam champions have been crowned and celebrated.

Evaluations are conducted by the ‘rest’ and the ‘tour’ continues – players following pathways set out pre US Open, some chasing points to secure ‘end of year’ championships position (masters) others chasing points to secure a seeding for the Australian Open (Jan. 2012) others chasing points to secure a main draw entry to the Grand Slam down under …….. others chasing points to secure a place in the WTA and ATP world tours.

A good ‘professional’ whilst chasing the ‘points’ will have the bigger picture in sight and continue to develop their game and body and mind to the ‘dream’ that has been with them from the start………hang on to it………and whatever the outcome of the pursuit of ‘points’ the motivation and pathway will remain.

The Oz summer of tennis has commenced and Vintage Tennis will note and wish for the Aussie players to picture past the ‘points’ and achieve enhanced performances from their game, their body, their mind and their history.

 

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Only the fittest

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Douglas

US Open is traditionally the toughest of the Grand Slams to win.  Why is this?  Heat, humidity, hardcourt, high noise, heck …… !

These factors point to the player that is fit of body, fit of mind, fit of discipline, fit of concentration, fit of maturity, fit to win !

Experience tells us that with the multitude of ‘unplanned’ happenings (not to mention hurricanes) anything can and will happen and the player and mentors that show the greatest level of flexibility will endure to give the best chance of securing the title.

Be it a veteran, an up and coming or a #1 … the fortnight, as usual, will host plenty of drama….. can not wait!

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Coaches assess

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Douglas

Wimbledon, once again,  the showpiece, clay court season – lessons learnt, hard court season ahead !

During this time on the ‘Pro Tour’ new outfits are about to be launched, new racquets tested, new contracts are forged ready to be released at the US Open.  Management and Tournament Directors are negotiating for events and securing player deals.

It is also the time, whilst players are getting in valuable hardcourt surface practice and lead up tournaments, coaches are evaluating player strengths and weaknesses, along with the direction they are taking their ‘charges’ – what has been on ‘show’ and what has been successful in the first half of the year.

In many cases the ‘players’ are on a pre determined plan and growth of their existing game ………… however, a good coach will identify the subtle changes, and sometimes major adjustments in ‘tennis philosophy’.  A good coach will react quickly to the requirements needed to keep their player abreast and moving forward.

It will be an interesting second half of the year to note the performers that can make this assessment and take their ‘game’ up a level.

Here’s hoping Australian’s are among these performances.  I know Vintage Tennis will be up to date !

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National pride

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Douglas

Since world rankings have been a part of tennis I cannot recall Australia not having a men’s player in the top 100. Well, it is about to happen and the questions about the state of our ‘game’ will surely surface.

Nations throughout the world and in other sports work on a numbers game – ie. the more you have in the top 200, 300, 400 etc. the higher the chance of a player being in the top 100, top50, top10.

Australia has one of the finest Junior Development pathways in the world ! Unfortunately we seem to lack a substantial ‘post junior’ program – that will engage ‘numbers’ to achieve our desires, goals and reflect our rich history and culture in world tennis.

It is acknowledged that we, as tennis players, are at times late developers. This being the case, then there is merit in a ‘tertiary tennis’ program to develop and mentor our juniors about the rigours of ‘Open’ tennis – professionalism … getting the job done.

Vintage Tennis is about to launch an International program that addresses just this !

Set to commence in Melbourne, Australia on the 15th, 16th, 17th June with a free session (10.00am start) at Dendy Park Tennis Club, Brighton. Enquiries and contact to Doug Hill 0412 540 687.

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Professional Tennis

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Douglas

Professional Tennis ….. how to play the game ! 

Andre Agassi, prior to the French Open, predicted that young Australian, Bernard Tomic, could be a ‘top ten’ tennis player,  “when ….. he learns to play our game” (Sunday Herald Sun 21st May 2011).

Vintage Tennis is launching it’s Pro Tour Preparation and Training program in Melbourne, Australia that does exactly what Agassi meant by his comment.

The program is ‘engine tennis’ and addresses  professionalism ….. getting the job done.   It is for young Australian players, when they leave the ‘juniors’ and enter the ‘open’ world of pro tennis, requiring a different set of ingredients and attitudes.

More information can be found on this website. The introduction of this  program commences the 15th, 16th, 17th June (1st session FREE) at the Dendy Park Tennis Club, Brighton, Victoria.

Further information and bookings contact Doug Hill on Tel: 0412 540 687

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