Do we play full matches?

Sometimes. More often it is drills into short point sequences so we can reset and adjust quickly, then longer play once a pattern holds up.

Do I need a partner for this?

No. Sessions run one-on-one, and can also be arranged with two players if you would rather compete against someone at your level.

What level do I need?

You should be able to rally and get serves in consistently. Below that, the time is better spent on private lessons first.

Can you help with doubles specifically?

Yes. Doubles positioning, formations and partner communication are a common focus, and it works best when both partners come.

I get nervous in matches. Can coaching help with that?

Partly. Having two clear patterns to fall back on removes most of what people call nerves, because nerves usually come from not knowing what to do next.

Should I do this or regular private lessons?

If your strokes work but your results do not, come here. If a specific stroke is breaking down, start with private lessons and come back to strategy after.

Match Play & Strategy

Match play and strategy coaching

For players who hit the ball well and keep losing to people who do not.

Losing to someone with worse strokes is almost never a technique problem. It is shot selection, court position and decision making once the score starts to matter.

This format spends very little time on how your forehand looks and almost all of it on when you should be hitting that forehand, from where, and to which part of the court.

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02The session

How a match play session runs

Drill, then compete, then talk about what actually happened rather than what you meant to do.

01
First 10 minutes
Warm up like a match
The same warmup you should be doing before a real match, including serves and returns rather than only groundstrokes.
02
Next 20 minutes
Build the pattern
One sequence at a time, live ball, repeated until the shape of it is automatic. Serve plus one, return plus one, or the crosscourt exchange.
03
Next 20 minutes
Play points with a constraint
Scored points where the pattern is mandatory, or where you start at thirty forty down. Pressure gets added on purpose.
04
Last 10 minutes
Debrief
What you chose, what was available and what the score did to your decisions. This is the part that carries into your next match.

01In detail

Patterns beat shots

Points are won by sequences, not by single shots. Serve wide then hit to the open court. Deep crosscourt until the short ball appears, then change direction. Once a player has two or three reliable patterns, matches stop feeling random.

We build yours from what you already do well, not from what a professional does on television. A player with a heavy forehand and a flat backhand needs a different plan from a player with the reverse.

Margin is the whole game

Most recreational points end in an error, not a winner. Raising the net clearance by a foot and moving targets two feet inside the line removes more errors than any technical change available in a single session.

The hard part is doing it at four all. That is why sessions include scored points rather than only drills: a pattern that only survives in practice has not been learned yet.

Reading an opponent

There is a short list worth checking in the first two games of any match: which side they run around, what their second serve does, whether they can hit a backhand under pressure, and whether they are comfortable at the net. We practise finding those answers quickly and then playing to them.

03What this fixes

Practises well, competes badly: Usually a margin and target problem. The fix is playing scored points with clear targets until the safe ball feels normal.
League and social competitor: Serve patterns, return position, and a plan for the two or three opponent types you keep meeting.
Doubles player: Partner positioning, poaching decisions, serve and return formations and who covers what after the first two shots.

04Who it's for

Recreational players entering social leagues
Players who practice well and compete poorly
Doubles players working on partner positioning
Anyone who wants their practice to transfer

05What a session may focus on

Point construction
Court positioning
Shot selection
Serve plus one patterns
Return strategy
Playing under pressure
Consistency at the right margin
Identifying an opponent's patterns
Live-ball drills and practice points

06How these sessions are arranged

One-on-one works well because I can feed any situation on demand. Two players works equally well when you want a real opponent, at the semi-private rate.

If you have a league match or a tournament coming up, say when. The sessions before a match should look different from the sessions in the off weeks.

Format: Solo or two players
Level: Able to rally and serve consistently
Rate: $125 an hour private, $65 semi-private
Useful: Your next match date, if you have one

Pricing

$125 / hour (private)

Semi-private $65 per player, per hour. No travel fee inside the service area; any court or reservation fee is stated before the session is confirmed.

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07Questions

Match Play & Strategy FAQ

Match Play & Strategy in the neighborhoods that ask for it most.

Match Play & Strategy in Pasadena
Glendale & Pasadena
Match Play & Strategy in Glendale
Glendale & Pasadena
Match Play & Strategy in Monrovia
San Gabriel Valley

Not on the list? The full service area runs from Hollywood through the Valley to Glendora.

Pairs well with

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