Vic Braden

[don_budge]

Vic Braden…and my Aunt Gloria

I had the ultimate privilege of spending personal time with Mr. Braden. I picked him up at the airport to drive him to the Ferris State University campus. The ride normally lasts 50 minutes or so from Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids.

As Vic got in my car, a flood of information, stories, anecdotes and life advice was given to me. I was eating all of it up. I began seeing mile signs for our destination that was approaching. As each sign passed, the number began to shrink signaling we were getting closer to the end of our personal "drive time". So I took matters into my own hands and drove off the interstate onto a rural dirt road. A scenic route of sorts. The idea was not to show Mr. Braden the beauty of Western Michigan in the spring time, it was to prolong our time together. Every minute with Vic was more information for my brain to soak up and soak in. We finally arrived at our destination. After two hours! That decision to extend the drive, keep Mr. Braden hostage unbeknownst to him, and extract as much of his time and attention was truly a selfish move on my part. But it is one selfish maneuver I do not regret.

We kept in touch after his trip to Michigan. He offered me an opportunity to work with him and we exchanged numerous emails with one another offering advice and words of support for each other's latest projects.

I hope they get tennisplayer.net in heaven. I hope Vic reads this. I hope he enjoyed his time during that drive as much as I did. Tennis has lost a pioneer and a tennis fan.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Thanks for sharing klacr. Isn't it nice to have these experiences in life? Enriching us…touching our own lives. Hopefully…somehow we can reciprocate.

I remember Vic Braden early on in my tennis days that officially began in 1968 at the age of 14 or so. Vic used to have spots on tennis telecasts. He would do a one minute schtick in between the side changes. At my young age I never took him seriously. He was short and chubby and sort of came across as Mr. Chuckles. The message seemed to be not to take things too seriously but to go out and have a ton of fun. It's a great message looking back. It's a great way to approach your tennis…and your life.

He was born in 1929 which was the same year that my father was born. Vic was born in Monroe, Michigan so he might have realized that you were taking him on a prolonged ride for whatever reason or he was enjoying the view. Possibly reminicing and enjoying the ride at the same time. Vic turned professional in 1952 and retired in 1955. He lived for some years in Toledo, Ohio which is also my birthplace. He was an assistant basketball coach at the University of Toledo.

He used to teach tennis down at the Ottawa Park there in Toledo. It seems to me that a river runs through it. The Ottawa River perhaps. But it was down in that park that Vic began teaching tennis it seems. He actually gave tennis lessons to my father's sister…my Aunt Gloria and a couple of her girlfriends perhaps somewhere between 1941 to 1946. Vic was only 5' 6" tall and my Aunt Gloria is very short too. Maybe 5' 1". It's funny to think of that moment in time. War years.

But in 1946 he would have been 17 years old. It seems like I remember her saying that he had asked her out at some point or maybe he was just being Vic Braden. Young Vic Braden…chuckling, jolly and flirting his way through life with everyone that he met.

I never took him seriously all of these years. He just seemed to be some harmless engaging personality. bottle was the first that I was aware of someone taking him seriously as a tennis mind. The Toledo connection sort of drew him within six degrees of separation from me. It gave me an awareness of him. I will never forget him as "Mr. Chuckles" on those early professional tennis telecasts. He was a pioneer. It certainly is amusing to hear the takes on him from the forum from John…to you…to bottle. Now me. God bless him…good old Vic Braden.

[bottle]

He was unbelievable. I think I've heard some great persons hold forth: Buckminster Fuller, Dudley Fitts the poet and translator, Charlie Butt Sr. the boys' crew coach at Washington and Lee High School, Arlington, Virginia. Vic Braden was like that. He talked and you listened. And he never bored, not for one second.

Like klacr, I only knew him for one day, but what an impression he made. As he spoke for six hours (six hours exactly-- I looked at my watch) he kept hitting gorgeous one hand backhands from self feed.

But did he just talk? Not at all. He interviewed, wanted to know what kind of learners we all were. And presented other coaches and remarkable players along the way but always reverted to the self feed while talking some more.

[gzhpcu]

Sorry to hear that. I have Vic's book "Tennis 2000", and have seen lots of his videos. He always came across as a very nice guy. Hope he and Welby can go on discussing/playing tennis up there.

Here is a nice article on his demise: http://www.losangelesregister.com/ar...n-players.html

[johnyandell]

Stotty,
Vic had a tennis college in Orange County California which was a mecca for club players for years and years. He trained probably hundreds of teaching pros in his system. That system was very influential--for those who wholly accepted it and those that did not.
He gave Tracy Austin her first lesson. He helped Jimmy Connors lower his ball toss. He did a Lipton ice tea commercial! But his focus seemed more on research than long term individual player development. He was a tour coach type guy. (I can relate to that...)

[johnyandell]

This made me sad. Vic was a pioneer. The first 3D studies, the first spin studies, a lot of other first stuff.
I have to say that I did not agree with many of his conclusions. There was some tension I think over that for many years. Vic felt he had figured it out, and in a way he really had. Eventually we became friendly because we were both filming at Indian Wells every year. I used to tell him to stop eating all the donuts in the media room before we got there...
The last time I saw him was at Indian Wells last spring. He was walking out as we were coming in. "Johnny," he said, "You are doing good work. Keep it up." And I said thank you.

[stotty]

Subscribers and forum regulars,

I don't like to start threads close to when John Yandell publishes his new issues because I rather have the focus be on the great work of John and all the other contributors that make it possible, but I feel this thread is warranted.

I just received word that Vic Braden has passed away. First Welby Van Horn and now Vic Braden. One great tennis mind needed a companion up in heaven I guess. Vic's research, analysis and overall passion for teaching, learning and sharing the game was inspiring and infectious. I had the ultimate privilege of spending personal time with Mr. Braden. I picked him up at the airport to drive him to the Ferris State University campus. The ride normally lasts 50 minutes or so from Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids.

As Vic got in my car, a flood of information, stories, anecdotes and life advice was given to me. I was eating all of it up. I began seeing mile signs for our destination that was approaching. As each sign passed, the number began to shrink signaling we were getting closer to the end of our personal "drive time". So I took matters into my own hands and drove off the interstate onto a rural dirt road. A scenic route of sorts. The idea was not to show Mr. Braden the beauty of Western Michigan in the spring time, it was to prolong our time together. Every minute with Vic was more information for my brain to soak up and soak in. We finally arrived at our destination. After two hours! That decision to extend the drive, keep Mr. Braden hostage unbeknownst to him, and extract as much of his time and attention was truly a selfish move on my part. But it is one selfish maneuver I do not regret.

We kept in touch after his trip to Michigan. He offered me an opportunity to work with him and we exchanged numerous emails with one another offering advice and words of support for each other's latest projects.

I hope they get tennisplayer.net in heaven. I hope Vic reads this. I hope he enjoyed his time during that drive as much as I did. Tennis has lost a pioneer and a tennis fan.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Nice post. It's sad to hear Vic has passed away. I have heard of Vic over my side of the pond. He featured in a section of a book I bought when I was a kid called Tennis Strokes and Strategies.

Did he coach any tour players or have/run an academy? I know little about him in terms of his career as a coach.

[GeoffWilliams]

Sad. We all die. LIfe is a war, and you better wear a uniform.

[klacr]

Subscribers and forum regulars,

I don't like to start threads close to when John Yandell publishes his new issues because I rather have the focus be on the great work of John and all the other contributors that make it possible, but I feel this thread is warranted.

I just received word that Vic Braden has passed away. First Welby Van Horn and now Vic Braden. One great tennis mind needed a companion up in heaven I guess. Vic's research, analysis and overall passion for teaching, learning and sharing the game was inspiring and infectious. I had the ultimate privilege of spending personal time with Mr. Braden. I picked him up at the airport to drive him to the Ferris State University campus. The ride normally lasts 50 minutes or so from Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids.

As Vic got in my car, a flood of information, stories, anecdotes and life advice was given to me. I was eating all of it up. I began seeing mile signs for our destination that was approaching. As each sign passed, the number began to shrink signaling we were getting closer to the end of our personal "drive time". So I took matters into my own hands and drove off the interstate onto a rural dirt road. A scenic route of sorts. The idea was not to show Mr. Braden the beauty of Western Michigan in the spring time, it was to prolong our time together. Every minute with Vic was more information for my brain to soak up and soak in. We finally arrived at our destination. After two hours! That decision to extend the drive, keep Mr. Braden hostage unbeknownst to him, and extract as much of his time and attention was truly a selfish move on my part. But it is one selfish maneuver I do not regret.

We kept in touch after his trip to Michigan. He offered me an opportunity to work with him and we exchanged numerous emails with one another offering advice and words of support for each other's latest projects.

I hope they get tennisplayer.net in heaven. I hope Vic reads this. I hope he enjoyed his time during that drive as much as I did. Tennis has lost a pioneer and a tennis fan.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton