The rating categories are generalizations about skill levels. You may find that you actually play above or below the category which best describes your skill level, depending on your competitive ability. The category you choose is not meant to be permanent, but may be adjusted as your skills change or as your match play demonstrates the need for reclassification. Ultimately your rating is based upon match results.
1.5 
This player has limited experience and is still working primarily on getting the ball into play.
2.0 
This player needs on-court experience. This player has obvious stroke weaknesses but is familiar with basic positions for singles and doubles play.
2.5
This player is learning to judge where the ball is going although court coverage is weak. Can sustain a short rally of slow pace with other players of the same ability.
3.0
This player is fairly consistent when hitting medium paced shots, but is not comfortable with all strokes and lacks execution when trying for directional control, depth, or power. Most common doubles formation is one-up, one-back.
3.5
This player has achieved improved stroke dependability with directional control on moderate shots, but still lacks depth and variety. This player exhibits more aggressive net play, has improved court coverage, and is developing teamwork in doubles.
4.0
This player has dependable strokes, including directional control and depth on both forehand and backhand sides on moderate shots, plus the ability to use lobs, overheads, approach shots and volleys with some success. This player occasionally forces errors when serving. Rallies may be lost due to impatience. Teamwork in doubles is evident.
4.5
This player has begun to master the use of power and spins and is beginning to handle pace, has sound footwork, can control depth of shots, and is beginning to vary game plan according to opponents. This player can hit first serves with power and accuracy and place the second serve. This player tends to over hit on difficult shots. Aggressive net play is common in doubles.
5.0
This player has good shot anticipation and frequently has an outstanding shot or attribute around which a game may be structured. This player can regularly hit winners or force errors off of short balls and can put away volleys, can successfully execute lobs, drop shots, half volleys, overhead smashes, and has good depth and spin on most 2nd serves.
5.5
This player has developed power and/or consistency as a major weapon. This player can vary strategies and styles of play in a competitive situation and hits dependable shots in a stress situation.
6.0 to 7.0
The 6.0 player typically has had intensive training for national tournament competition at the junior and collegiate levels and has obtained a sectional and/or national ranking. The 7.0 is a world class player.

1. Adult tennis, active recreation, club players, beginners and kids
2. junior competition ages from 10 – 18

WHY PEOPLE DON’T CONTINUE MEMBERSHIP (when money issue is not the case)?

FOR LOSING MEMBERS (i.e. and money) IT IS THE MANAGEMENT’S FAULT!

The psychological studies I was involved in with 2 universities, in 5 years took 500 people in 8 clubs in 6 countries.

One of the things we learned, (as I suspected), was that the interest in tennis participation depends on self esteem’s
“quantity”, and to have this – you have tofeel improvement. If you are not good and you are not getting any
better – you will be bored, unhappy, fed up, disappointed, people will invite you less *everybody likes better players)
and you will not be eager to open your valet to pay next membership fee. If you stagnate with your teacher – the same story, even worse!

It is like you always wear the same clothes. After a while you will feel discomfort and some kind of small embarrassment.
We all feel that it is not natural – not to improve in time. IT IS IN HUMAN NATURE TO SHOW OFF! And to show off on the
tennis court – you need to improve and to surprise your tennis friends : )

What clubs do for it’s members? Make tournaments. What happens when the
club organize tournament for it’s members?
Count – after the 1st round, how many people loose?
Yes, 50% will NOT BE VERY HAPPY! Next round? and next: ) etc

That’s why, instead of it, the club./ association/ management has to invest
in members’ game, to organize sometimes really high quality courses, pick up the quality
Yes, the management should pay for it, but – that’s one of the moves that works.

As we know : ) tennis is the most beautiful of all other activities. When we
play better – the enjoyment is enhanced. That’s why the real tennis lovers want to be better!

While I was finishing sport studies ( university Belgrade) – i discovered that
tennis is the best, or one of few best sports and recreations in the world.
Also the prettiest sport, and one of the healthiest : )
Sounds of ball bounces and hits brake the silence like some “mantra” and we can achieve to be almost in a state of – meditation.
That’s why tennis in quiet acquirement
works wonders on our mental health.
Dynamic meditation : )

In all clubs we conducted courses with the management – they increased the members numbers!!

And how can a reasonable person give up on that club? : )

Patience is the companion of wisdom.

Impatience and hostility are two hallmarks of the “type A” behavior pattern. The notion that a ‘type A’ behavior pattern is ‘bad’ for your health has been around for many years and it has been proven to be valid, especially in these two hallmarks.
Definition of impatience – The inability to accept adversity without complaint and reduce the urge toward restlessness and anxiety when confronted with a delay in getting what we want. A greedy tendency to want things now and expect to get things fast.

Let me mention just a few recognizable technical principles that I teach:
Forehand – arms should be parallel at all times, left arm helps the trunk (shoulders) rotation. The stance is closed and it becomes semi-closed in the pre-competitive level. Open stance is reserved for the competitive level of play.
One-handed backhand – Free arm has the principal function in both the spin and slice. Transfer of our body weight from the rear leg onto the front leg must be highly emphasized.
Two-handed backhand – left arm performs its forehand motion while the right arm is deployed as the support and stabilization only. The moment of contact is achieved through a particular mechanism, which is produced by both arms.
Rear leg has the role to restrain, i.e., to slow down the hip rotation (F&B).

So, what happens, actually?
You know that racket strings when hit a ball make vibrations. Those vibrations are “micro traumas” to our body but they are too  small to hurt the (hitting) shoulder.
But in time, they are not too small  to hurt smaller joints like elbow and wrist.
And not any “kind” of elbow - mostly when we make backhand motion (supination) with the arm not STRAIGHT but bent!
When arm is straight – those vibrations are “passing by” and they diminish when they hit bigger – shoulder joint – and they just scatter. If the elbow is bent – micro-traumas will finish inside the elbow. Is there a cure?  Is it too late, once the pain doesn’t want to go away ? Changing sport for a while could be temporary solution, anyhow the pain management period, unfortunately, is probably not going to be short-lived. Similar problem can happen inside our wrist and metacarpal aria, where are tiny bones with even more tiny ligaments. They are even more fragile than elbow joint - the lateral connection ligament between Humerus and Radius (HR).
It’s not rare that some tennis lovers don’t want to make a brake or change,
instead of quilting  – they start playing with other hand !
Two years ago, a guy from my club Partizan (the same club that Novak and Ana are coming from), asked me to correct his Forehand and he took a racket in his left hand. Today, he is in love in his “lefty” playing and winning often, and he doesn’t want to come back to play with his right arm even the pain was gone since a year ago.

Anyhow, there is tennis “cure with the instruction” beside known medical therapies:
Learn proper (1-handed) Backhand technique and hit only with “locked” elbow!
What actually happens when we keep the elbow straight?
The vibrations are traveling from the racket (strings) toward the wrist, then  fore-arm, passing the elbow on their way to the “too strong shoulder joint”on the end.
It works as a thunder hitting the thunder stick that will “guide the danger” all away down to the ground/earth.
Remember: if you keep the elbow bent – vibrations will finish inside your fragile HR joint

Why one handed backhand for adults?
Tell me, how really comfortable and natural do you feel when you grab a racket with both hands and then you make good swing rotation? You can be comfortable only if you started as a kid. And if you are rubber man : )
How comfortably are you when you rotate more than 100 degrees  from your “closed stance” turned left toward your right with your follow through.. and arms together.
Ask your lower torso - lumbar area – how does it feel. No pinch, twist, cramp, spasm…?
Then you should do with two hands. Otherwise – not very healthy for your lower spine.

One handed backhand is fluid, free, elastic, elegant and much, much more comfortable – where with a right technique you won’t feel any impact on your body.

In modern competition tennis – there is big advantage for two-handed biomechanics,  it is steadier and wrists’ mechanism (lever) can easily make difficult angles and handle and attack strong balls in rising!

But still, … “One is … one!”  : )
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 Note: Be sure to stay within your scope of practice when working with clients who are injured or have special needs. Whenever it is appropriate, refer clients to a physical therapist or other allied health professional.

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