Geoff Williams grew up playing tennis in his hometown of Richmond, California, winning his first and only junior tournament at age 11. Over the years he went on to become a fixture on the Northern California NTRP tournament scene, winning numerous titles at both the 4.5 and 5.0 levels. He accomplished this with a self-taught style, shunning lessons. His recent return to glory was inspired in part by his intensive study of Tennisplayer.net. He claims with a straight face to have read literally every article on the site. An electrical contractor by profession, Geoff lives in the East Bay with his wife Ronda.
Want to swap stories with Geoff or talk Gear Head talk? Email him: bestelectrician@sbcglobal.net
Geoff Williams
Classic Lessons
Could I actually win a 4.5 tournament over age 50. Yes but that is only part of the story. After 20 years away from competitive tennis in Northern California, I returned to play tournaments with a goal. To win a...
Classic Lessons
Weaponizing your one-handed backhand: a physical and mental event. I did not hit any topspin back hands for my first 12 years of tennis. My father, who was just a hacker, never hit a single topspin back hand in his...
Classic Lessons
Click to see Geoff still grunting after 30 years. I was not a grunter for the first ten years of my tennis life. That was the period when none of the pro players were grunting at all. Then Johnny Mac...
Classic Lessons
My journey with string goes back as far as Maria Bueno, the Brazilian Grand Slam champion from the 1960s. For the last several years, there has been an explosion of new strings and new string combinations as part of the...
Strategy
Tennis is a Warrior sport. I believe that all of us have had other lives where there were no games, just hunting animals or your neighbor. Every match/point is a small hunt. It's in the DNA of all people. It's...
Classic Lessons
A diamond throat Kramer - the prize for my first tournament title. The first tournament I won, a city of Richmond California open tournament, I won at the age of 11 years, against an 18 year old named Brian Taylor....
Classic Lessons
An aggressive backhand overhead is a matter of technique. The backhand overhead is generally thought to be the most difficult shot in tennis. But, like any other shot, mastering it is only a matter of the right technique. I believe...