Steve Smith and Dave Anderson are joined by NC State women's tennis coach Dave Secker and Spanish visitor Paul O'Callaghan for a deep dive into the rapidly shifting landscape of college tennis. Secker walks through the transfer portal, NIL, revenue sharing, the new five-year eligibility rule, and what it all means for American players, foreign recruitment, and the survival of programs like Arkansas.

The conversation covers everything from agents signing high school juniors to the future of Lake Nona as a national championship site, with both Anderson and Secker offering their perspective on what college tennis means for junior players and why there is, despite all the chaos, plenty of reason for optimism.

Steve Smith and Dave Anderson are joined by AJ Chabria and Craig Bell, co-hosts of the At the Net podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation covering a lifetime of experiences across all facets of the racket sports industry. The four dig into the state of teaching organizations, the challenge of attracting new blood into the profession, the legacy of John Yandel and TennisPlayer.net, and where pickleball fits into the future of tennis.

Listeners will benefit from the stories, energy, and passion that AJ and Craig bring to the table, from their early days in the industry to their thoughts on elevating standards and growing the next generation of coaches.

This episode is a deep dive into the overhead, one of the most avoided and undercoached shots in tennis. Steve and Dave break down the mechanics, the mental barriers, and the drills needed to build confidence and competency at the net, making the case that without a reliable overhead, a player's entire net game is compromised.

The conversation covers everything from grip, swing path, and the quarterback position, to situational drills and the optical illusions that cause players to move too slowly on a lob. The message is clear: you have to love overheads, chart overheads, and practice them before and after every session if you want to be a complete player.

This episode is a deep dive into the volley, a shot Steve and Dave argue is quietly disappearing from the game. They break down grips, ready position, swing path, and the drills needed to build real net instincts, making the case that if players don't learn to volley early, they simply never will.

The conversation weaves through grips, stage development, situational training, and the mental barriers that keep players glued to the baseline, with plenty of references to the pros who got it right and the systemic reasons so many juniors never do. Going to the net is not a risk, it's an investment.

Also, the return of the GreatBase Tennis merchandise online store! Please visit the website or our social medias for the link if you are interested in purchasing any apparel.

Steve Smith and Dave Anderson are joined by three special guests for a Richmond Hill reunion on the latest episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast. Richard Hernandez, Miron Mann, and Patrick Jeffrion Amorin, three directors who have carried the GreatBase torch at Richmond Hill Country Club across three decades, share stories, laughs, and some sharp observations about the state of tennis development in Canada and beyond.

The conversation covers everything from the origins of each coach's journey into the game, to the challenges of building a culture when federations are circling and parents are overthinking, to the sorry state of junior tennis circuits on both sides of the border. Underneath the banter and the ribbing of Dave Anderson, there is a serious and consistent message: teach kids to hit the ball better, keep competition local, and trust the process.

Also, the return of the GreatBase Tennis merchandise online store! Please visit the website or our social medias for the link if you are interested in purchasing any apparel.

Steve Smith and Dave Anderson mark episode 300 of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast with a mix of shoutouts, reflection, and sharp commentary on the state of American college tennis. The episode opens with congratulations to Dave on his induction into the North Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame and a tribute to the late Dr. Jim Loehr, whose work on the mental side of tennis remains as relevant as ever.

The centerpiece is a reading of a spoof Steve wrote years ago, a fairy tale reimagining of Patrick McEnroe's time juggling three major roles in American tennis simultaneously, landing with humor but carrying a serious message about focus and accountability. The episode closes with a frank conversation about the University of Arkansas dropping its tennis program, the broader crisis facing college tennis, and why more Americans need to be both playing and teaching the sport they love.

Steve Smith and Dave Anderson dedicate the latest episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast to one of the most fundamental and overlooked topics in tennis teaching: grips. Responding to listener requests to go back to basics, Steve works through his notes on the subject while he and Dave dig into why so many players, even experienced ones, are holding the racket incorrectly and why so few coaches are doing enough about it.

The conversation covers everything from the math behind bevel changes and racket face angles, to the grip habits of all-time greats like Borg, Connors, McEnroe, and Graf. Steve and Dave make the case that getting grips right from the beginning is not just a technical detail but the foundation everything else is built on, and that slowing down to get it right early is one of the most important things a coach or parent can do for a young player.

Steve Smith and Dave Anderson dedicate the latest episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast to an exciting new chapter for the organization, a formal partnership with the Malagasy Tennis Federation in Madagascar. Steve walks through the backstory of how the partnership came together, tracing the connections between former University of Texas player Nomena and the GreatBase network that quietly shaped some of her tennis education years ago.

The conversation touches on what it takes for a federation-level initiative like this to actually work, from having committed leadership at the top to building a curriculum that reaches families and not just coaches. Steve and Dave also reflect on the legacy of Vic Braden and what the tennis world continues to miss without his voice, closing with a shared hope that Madagascar becomes a model that ripples outward.