George Stephen Wachtel, 77, of Naples Florida and Sunapee New Hampshire died May 20, 2021 at home.  George was born June 3, 1943 in Brooklyn, New York the son of Herman and Zelda (Fleisher) Wachtel.  He was the loving husband of Deirdre (Dane) Wachtel for 52 years.  George is also survived by his son Chris, his wife Ally and their two boys Lucas and Jayson of Enfield, Connecticut, as well as his son Jeremy, his wife Erin and their son Tyler of Savannah, Georgia.  Additionally survived by his brother William Wachtel and his wife Elaine, niece Beth and nephew Michael, his aunt Norma Mukai and many cousins.

George was a graduate of Valley Stream High School and Hofstra University where he received his bachelor’s degree in English.  He was a lieutenant in the US Army serving a tour of duty at Camp Casey in Korea.  His first civilian job was with Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company in Hartford, Connecticut and he raised his family in Ellington, Connecticut.  George was bitten by the tennis bug and built a tennis court in the backyard of each Connecticut home!

George’s strong belief in himself and his talents led him to partner with a fellow tennis player (William McMillen) to form WordCom, a target marketing company, in 1981.  When Bill passed away in 1988, George took that as a sign to enjoy life.  While continuing to own WordCom, George and Dede transitioned to living in Naples, Florida and Sunapee, New Hampshire.  He officially retired in 2016.

George’s passion was tennis!  He was very active in the Naples tennis community and he participated in many USTA tournaments in Florida and New England.  He was rated a 4.5 player and had reached a ranking of #3 in the country for doubles in his age group with his partner Noble Hendricks.  He was the author of the book “Senior Tennis and Fitness” and wrote a tennis blog of the same name for the last 18 years. The highlight of his year was attending the John Newcombe Tennis Fantasies camp (which he has attended since 2003) where he got to play with tennis legends and reunite with his tennis friends from around the country.  The friendships he developed through tennis meant the world to him and he truly cherished his tennis buddies.  Private arrangements will be held for the family with a memorial service at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, donations in George’s name can be made to the Shih Tzu Rescue (4474 Weston Road, #175, Davie, FL 33331 – shihtzurescue.org) or the Lake Sunapee Protective Association (PO Box 683, Sunapee, New Hampshire 03782 – lakesunapee.org)

We are extremely sad to let everyone know that dad unexpectantly passed away yesterday in his sleep. As you all know, it was a very trying few months from his heart surgery through the diagnosis of blood cancer / treatment… and we think it all finally got the better of him. A lot of you have already reached out to us and we are very grateful and comforted that he touched so many lives and was a positive force in the world.

We will be doing a small, private family remembrance this week and at some point in the future will be doing a larger memorial service and will keep you all informed as we figure things out. We will also send out information about donations to his favorite charity in lieu of gifts or flowers and his obituary.

With sadness,

Jeremy, Chris and DeDe.

“What can WE, schleppers and hackers, gain from watching the pro’s?  Is there anything we can take away from watching Roger serve?  From Nadal’s forehand (maybe even less likely)?” That question and comments below coming from fellow Newk Fantasy camp veteran, Marc Segan…

Out Classed?

This basic tennis maneuver to start every point seems simple; but there are a lot of moving parts to consider.  The action is dissected in great detail by former Dartmouth tennis coach, Chuck Kinyon.

Not One Size Fits All

You are working on your tennis game and trying to get better; and then a chance to team up with “one of the better players” comes up.  Do you take the opportunity or stick with your regular partner?

Two Sides to the Coin

The two major hindrances to my personal recovery process are the recurring fluid around my lungs and really bad insomnia.  According my son Chris, one of the contributing factors to my not being able to sleep could be Blue Light. But what is it and where does it come from?

According to WebMD,

We all know them… the players who always have a “reason” why they played poorly and lost.  The sun. The wind. Loose/tight strings. Bad back. The list goes on and on; but it is the smarter player who just accepts their loss and learns from it.

Look at Rafa

Like choosing what type of food to have for dinner, what beer brand to drink, or what kind of wine you like … most players have a favorite tennis ball they prefer to play with.

A Reader’s Question …

Are there some players you actually prefer to play with/against and others with whom you would rather avoid sharing court time?  Usually, it has less to do with their actual tennis skill and more how they ACT on the court.

Some Key Suggestions

Even the club player is comfortable poaching (cutting across the middle) after their partner serves and the returner hits their cross court shot.  But it is the special player who is comfortable (and effective) making that same move DURING the point.  When and how should you do it?

Surprise! Surprise!

Whatever happened to them stopping the women from screeching?  There are some matches that are just too annoying to listen to because the players are loudly vocalizing after hitting their shots.

Technically a Hindrance

While there have been some compelling 5-set comebacks at the AO, is that really the best length of a match – for both the players and the viewers?

Match Enders – first a recap of the major’s match enders:

If you have watched any of the just-started Australian Open, you may have noticed something different …. There are ZERO lines people on the court!  Every court is equipped with a HawkEye type system (maybe the actual brand) and it makes every line call.  Is that better or worse than the “traditional” system?

Covid or Inevitable?

If you are looking for a way to both get a great workout and improve your tennis skills, having a practice session that uses 2-on-1 Drills will do the trick.

Basic Principles

Yes, there is a such a thing that is frequently used as a practice session.  More on this topic, a Florida tennis event update, and a George update all follow.

Triple the Pleasure