ISSUE #12| July 17th, 2025
At the Baseline Tennis Center, we’re fortunate to have high-tech radar guns installed on all six front courts. These are fantastic tools for tracking improvements in a player’s serve speed over time.
Naturally, the students love the radars, and they’re constantly trying to claim the top speed in the building.
While these serving exhibitions are always fun, I’m often left questioning the effectiveness of these efforts.
It’s not that developing speed isn’t important—it clearly is. But speed is only one aspect of what makes a serve truly outstanding.
More to the point—and beyond the debate of whether these students’ energy might be better spent elsewhere—it’s the idea that this pursuit of speed reflects a larger issue in the development of high-level performers:
The challenge lies in the overwhelming desire to go fast.
When we value speed above all else, we often overlook foundational skills, nuances, and essential elements of the game that are critical to reaching our full potential on the court.
Ironically, I learned the power of going slow at an early age—not on a tennis court, but in a music conservatory.
What’s the hurry? Let’s take some time to turn this fault into an ace.
“One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from a horse master. He told me to go slow to go fast.”
—Viggo Mortensen
📖 Story of the Week
Most of my students are surprised to learn that before I ever held a tennis racquet, I held a classical guitar.
Music has been a central part of my life, and I was fortunate to have a single extraordinary guitar teacher from elementary through high school—Anthony Titus (who occasionally reads these essays!).
When we meet for our now-traditional Pancake House breakfasts, I often tell Anthony that his lessons extended well beyond the concert hall. His wisdom and teaching style continue to shape my approach on the tennis court today.
One of those powerful lessons: You need to go slow in order to go fast.
I still remember the capital letters sprawled across the top of my sheet music for Bach’s Prelude: SSMFMSS.
Slow, Slow, Medium, Fast, Medium, Slow, Slow.
This wasn’t just a musical instruction. It was a methodical training pattern.
I was to begin by playing the piece as slowly as possible, as if it were a scorching 100-degree summer day—so hot it was impossible to move quickly.
By going slow, I could capture every detail: accidentals, dynamic changes, fingerings, rhythmic shifts.
Slow helped me notice the most difficult measures and correct mistakes. Slow was still musical—the instruction was to make the music sing.
Only once I could perform the piece accurately, consistently, and musically at a slow tempo was I allowed to increase the metronome.
And then, before the session ended, I was to return to the slow tempo once more.
Go Slow to Go Fast
These practices were deeply effective for me as a musician, and I use them every day in my tennis coaching.
At Colossal, when we’re working on technical skills, you’ll often find me on my student’s side of the net, monitoring every detail: grip, swing path, footwork.
When correction is needed, I often ask the student to demonstrate the motion through a shadow swing—moving as slowly as possible, like Tai Chi with a racquet.
When a student slows down, kinesthetic awareness increases dramatically. They begin to feel the sequencing and the interconnectedness of the movement.
Going too fast leads to sloppy ball-striking and inconsistency.
Going slow builds awareness, efficiency, and mastery.
During match play, you’ll often see me call a player aside between points. These mini timeouts are used to ask questions, reflect on decision-making, and steer them toward better solutions.
They also serve to regulate emotion—reminding the player to use the space between points with structure and clarity.
And after the match, I guide players through a post-match review, identifying what worked and what needs improvement.
By slowing down and reflecting with intention, players develop a deeper, more honest understanding of their strengths and weaknesses—fueling tremendous growth.
🧐 Final Thoughts
As my guitar recital approached, I knew I had done the work—learned the composition, made it musical, played it at full tempo.
But right before I walked onstage, Anthony gave me one last gentle reminder: “Take your top speed and back it off a few notches.”
That way, I could perform with control, clarity, and confidence.
Performing within yourself is a core tenet at Colossal Tennis. It’s a skill that comes from doing the hard work to make your normal, controlled skills so sharp and reliable that even at 90%, your opponent still can’t handle what you bring to the court.
So the next time you’re facing a challenge, ask yourself:
“What could going slower unlock for me?”
And as always, if you enjoyed this issue, please share our free Aces & Faults newsletter with a tennis friend who could benefit:
Thanks for reading—and see you on the court! 🎾