Here is a question from a tennis player who is getting ready for his first knee replacement surgery in one month …

Stem Cells Help?

Today was semi finals day for the CAT II tournament at Sanchez/Casal (Naples Bath and Tennis); and for the second week in a row, Noble and I faced #1 seeded Hugh Thomson (former world #1 singles) and his partner Jerry Thomas (World 75 doubles runner up).

Last Week…

Many years ago, a long-haired, dungaree-clad Andre Agassi was criticized by his fellow pros for overtly complimenting his opponent on nice shots.  Is there something wrong with doing that?

Times They Are a Changin’

Yesterday ended a full week of tennis at the World Tennis Club and their superbly well run second tournament of the Florida season.  Many of the top senior tennis players in the country participated, with these results…

Playing in Good Company

It is bad enough you have to go through surgery to replace a knee, hip or shoulder … but what happens if you end up having to replace the replacement?

Reader Question …

“George, I have an upcoming replacement of the original knee replacement…I would be interested in what others who have been thru it have to say about success or not success.”

You may have seen the AT&T commercial where the patient asks the nurse about his surgeon and she says, “Oh, he’s OK.”  And the punch line is “OK is not good enough.”  That was the story of our semi-finals doubles match on Friday.

OK was not good enough …

This week is the first of EIGHT CONSECUTIVE weeks of senior tournaments in SW Florida.  It is the National Senior Men’s Tennis Association’s (NSMTA) Cat III doubles only event, held at the Sanchez/Casal (Naples Bath and Tennis) facility in Naples.

Doubles Round Robin

A new reader from Europe asks an interesting question: How does one best prepare for a lifetime of playing tennis?

His Question …

If you play tennis long enough, you will eventually get a pain on the outside of your elbow.  What causes it and what can you do about it?

The Mayo Clinic says …

More tournaments are now adopting the new (NSMTA recommended) round robin format for doubles.  Is it better for tournament play or is the old, single-elimination better?

Travel Planning

This one boggles my mind … why do women tennis pros hit forehands from a deep squatting position and men leaping into the air?  What could be the possible benefit?

Body Weight Forward

There are some doubles partners (me) who like to suggest things to do on the court DURING THE MATCH.  Is this an OK, and legal, thing to do or not?

Strategy vs. Strokes

We have all seen it on TV or in our own matches … one player/team gets way behind in the match and, all of a sudden, they relax and start hitting out on the ball.  And then what happens?  They start to win points and games.

Why not play that way ALL the time?

Another chilly 50 degree morning on the key (being a “Florida weather wimp,” any temperature that starts with a 5 is cold to me!) and we played our final round robin match vs the #2 seeds of Steve Lunsford and Jim Lazenby, with the winners moving onto the semi’s in the afternoon. 

Today was the last day of doubles round robin play… with Noble and me having two challenging matches scheduled (one in the morning and one in the afternoon—- and he had singles quarters in between!)