We would like to welcome Michael M. from Mesa, AZ, to the MyTennisLessons team. We pride ourselves on bringing on not only quality instructors, but quality people as well, which is why we are so excited to have Michael on board. If you live in Mesa, AZ, review Michael’s qualifications, teaching experience and hobbies below to see if he would be the right pro for you. Again, we are happy to expand our tennis lesson services in Mesa, AZ, with the addition of Michael. Sign up with Michael M. today!
About Michael
I have been teaching tennis for 15 years now; and currently serve as director of tennis for both the Kyrene School District after school enrichment and the Kiwanis Tennis Center Junior Tennis Academy programs. These programs offered tennis instruction to more than 600 players in 2013 and our numbers are about 20 percent higher in 2014. For the past few years, I have worked as a senior writer and part-time videographer for TennisOne.com, the first tennis instructional website on the internet. Over this period I have traveled to many of the top ATP and WTA tournaments throughout the country to observe and videotape elite professional players to see how they train and play. Currently, I have a library of several thousand slow motion video clips of these players, which are great for illustrating important technical/tactical issues as well as for comparison with videos we shoot of our players.
Teaching Experience: 15 years
Teaching Style
Hey, I wish I could truthfully say: “Do these four things and you’ll be an accomplished tennis player by Friday. But the world doesn’t work this way, and tennis most assuredly isn’t mastered by means of such magic bullets of wisdom. Instead, I have found a plan based upon sound instruction and quality repetitions to be more effective at accomplishing the necessary deprogramming and reprogramming essential to replacing bad habits with better ones. I am dedicated to assisting serious tennis players of all levels maximize their potential. We collaborate to hone your tennis skills, to promote mental toughness and to encourage self reliance through the ability to problem solve under pressure. My technical/tactical teaching approach incorporates proprioception exercises, dropped ball practice, fed ball and ball machine drills, live ball drills, point play and competition. The more advanced the player, the more the process moves toward monitored and videoed live ball, point play and competition. In addition to traditional on court technical and tactical training, you can incorporate: 1. Tennis specific fitness training. Etcheberry Experience — Elite Certification (http://etcheberryexperience.com/). 2. High speed (super slow motion) video analysis. This allows a player to see just what he or she is doing on a particular stoke in super slow motion and compare this performance with that of an elite player to correct technical flaws. 3. Sports psychology strategies for improving focus, concentration and discipline while managing anxiety. 4. A personalized periodization plan to organize and individualize the player’s training to fit your goals and schedule. In my opinion, whether you want to become a proficient recreational player or an elite performer, it is possible to develop a plan that fits your goals, budget and schedule.
Hobbies
I played basketball and baseball in high school and college; and still enjoy watching these sports (Suns and Astros) as well as the Arizona Cardinals and ASU sports teams. Reading and writing are among my favorite downtime activities — although these often tend to be centered around tennis as well. Personal fitness training and nutrition have of necessity become interests — at least partially because I greatly enjoy my incredible girlfriend’s considerable culinary skills. Finally, when not on the courts in Phoenix, I enjoy playing and teaching in beautiful parts of the world (especially during the summer). Over the past ten years, I have either taught or played in such places as Gstaad, Jamaica multiple times, Tahoe and Taos.
