How do you learn to play with confidence in the Challenge Zone?
Consider how the tennis court is perceived in doubles by players of different levels and ages. The prevailing philosophy is to stay back or close in, but definitely stay out of the middle. Normal strategy in doubles is "the team that closes in has a better chance to win" and the baseline player should be trying to set up his partner for a winning net play.
I have a contrarian view. I believe that if you are an average club or a senior player your court perspective should be different than that of a world class professional or junior. You can dream of playing like professionals but if you want to maximize your results need to be practical on the court. You need to learn to play the Challenge Zone with confidence.
Ray Reppert has had a distinguished career in coaching at all levels. He stated as a high school coach, and then moved to the Port Washington Tennis Academy in New York under Harry Hopman. He was the director of the Rossingnol Tennis Academy located outside of Innsbruck, Austria and a technicial consultant to the Yugoslavian Tennis Federation. He was the head women’s coach at William and Mary for thirteen years and at Miami University in Ohio for nine. He was also Director/ Headmaster at the Harry Hopman Tennis Academy at Saddlebrook Resort and directed Nike Summer Tennis camps for 20 years. He is currently teaching privately at a country club in Cincinnati, Ohio. You can contact Ray at: rayreppert@gmail.com
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