The GreatBase Tennis Podcast

In this episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith and Dave Anderson announce a three-day workshop set for December at Ave Maria University. Open to all, the event aims to spotlight tennis's "golden growth opportunity" by focusing on the eight core pillars of the GreatBase curriculum and beyond.

They discuss the need to improve tennis coaching at all levels, not just through better technique but through deeper lessons in character, discipline, and education. From grip fundamentals to life skills, episode 271 reinforces that developing great players starts with developing better teachers.

Steve Smith and Dave Anderson introduce a “Sunrise to Sunset” tennis fundraiser planned for Ave Maria University. Inspired by a past event in Texas, the goal is to raise support for junior players through a fun, community-driven day of tennis.

They outline a 10-hour schedule with training, contests, and food, encouraging players to collect small sponsorships. The 270th episode reinforces GreatBase values: affordable, inclusive, and education-first tennis.

In this episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith is joined by co-host Dave Anderson, Tim Ross, and special guest Max Fomine. Max is a Moldovan-born coach whose path to tennis is as unique as it is inspiring.

Max shares his family's immigration story, landing in Canada with no papers and few resources, and how hard work, persistence, and a deep love for tennis carried him from junior tournaments in Toronto to the courts of Mississippi State. He discusses the pivotal role his father played, his coaching roots with Billy Stearns and Stan Smith, and how...

In this episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith is joined by Dave Anderson and Ryan Fleming for a reflective and forward-looking conversation about the launch of a new tennis program at Ave Maria University in Southwest Florida. Steve shares the personal and professional journey behind accepting the position as men’s and women’s tennis coach, while diving into his vision for reshaping player development at the college level.

The discussion covers everything from NCAA structure and NAIA opportunities to the cultural values of the university and how they align with long-term tennis development. Steve, Dave...

In this episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith sits down with longtime friend and coach Ryan Fleming for a reflective and practical conversation about tennis, coaching, and leadership. Fleming shares his journey from hitting on a cinder block wall in North Carolina to playing college tennis for Chuck Kriese at Clemson, and eventually finding the GreatBase system, which reshaped his technique, mindset, and career.

They discuss the frustrations of not being taught the fundamentals earlier, how hitting left-handed changed Ryan’s perspective, and the transformative power of clear, fact-based instruction. Ryan also shares insights from hi...

In this episode of the Great Base Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith is joined by Dave Anderson, Andy Fitzell, and Tim Ross for a wide-ranging discussion centered on doubles development and the 2025 US Open. The team reflects on the standout performance of Robert Cash and James Trotter Tracy, a former Ohio State duo, analyzing how their college training, chemistry, and aggressive net play translated to the tour level.

The conversation expands into the broader state of doubles, highlighting common gaps in how the game is taught and why many juniors lack the foundational skills to succeed in two-on-two...

In this episode of the Great Base Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith and Dave Anderson explore lessons from the 2025 US Open, breaking down key storylines from Carlos Alcaraz’s win over Jannik Sinner to Amanda Anisimova’s stunning turnaround. They reflect on the leadership journey of figures like Stacey Allaster, and the legacy of tennis education programs across the U.S. 

The conversation expands to include doubles development, court surfaces, the evolution of coaching, and what legends like Connors, Federer, and Djokovic reveal about the modern game. With firsthand observations from on-site practice sessions and reflections on technique, minds...

In this episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith is joined by returning guest Dave Anderson and visiting coach Kervin Ramos. Together, the trio unpacks key storylines from the 2025 US Open — including matches involving Carlos Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe, Coco Gauff, Alexander Bublik, and Taylor Fritz — while weaving in lessons for players, parents, and coaches at all levels.

Beyond match results, the conversation dives into the mental game, player habits, and the gap between athleticism and discipline. The hosts reflect on the culture of American tennis, the value of fundamental skills like proper court positioning and swing tech...

Steve Smith and Dave Anderson sit down to tackle issues shaping today’s tennis, from the growing trend of withdrawals at tournaments like Kalamazoo to the impact of DNFs in college play. They share candid stories—from Connor Smith’s days at Ohio State to the traditions of junior tennis—to underline why competing fully matters more than ever. The conversation highlights how playing matches, regardless of the outcome, builds resilience and experience that no shortcut can replace.

The discussion then shifts to creative scoring, situational drills, and charting as essential tools for player development. From handicapped scoring...

Steve Smith hosts a wide-ranging conversation with Ilya Semyonov, Andy Fitzell, and Dave Anderson, diving into common cures for problems in tennis. The discussion kicks off with mixed doubles and its controversial format changes, before branching into broader reflections on the state of the sport. From professional events and scheduling decisions to the lessons coaches can draw from doubles specialists, podcast 262 emphasizes how tennis needs both innovation and tradition to thrive.

The coaches then shift to core player-development issues—covering lost arts like the underspin backhand, net play, and approach shots, as well as technical pitfalls such as...

Steve Smith, Costas Alevizopoulos, Dave Anderson, and Andy Fitzell join forces to share coaching wisdom drawn from decades of experience. Together, they explore the systems, habits, and mindsets that form the foundation of great player development. The 261st podcast conversation blends humor, storytelling, and practical guidance, offering value to players, parents, and coaches at every stage.

They also highlight the role of mentorship, community, and adaptability in a player’s journey, showing how clear communication and structured training accelerate progress. Drawing from personal anecdotes and timeless coaching principles, the hosts provide a roadmap for building better players—both...

Celebrating five years, the GreatBase Tennis Podcast brings together Steve Smith, Costas Alevizopoulos, and Dave Anderson for stories from the Kalamazoo Nationals, colorful memories of coach T.J. Tisdale, and reflections on building strong player programs. Anecdotes from decades of coaching are blended with insights on training habits, competitive mindsets, and the importance of creating ambassadors within a tennis community. 

A central theme of episode 260 is documenting development through video and charting—whether analyzing strokes, reviewing match play, or tracking push-up form. The hosts outline practical systems to measure errors, strategy, and self-management, while drawing on lessons fro...

Perhaps the most talked about program in US tennis is the USTA's player development program. During the episode at hand, number 259, Steve Smith and Dave Anderson discuss the popular topic and the challenge of improving tennis in America.

Points from previous podcasts are repeated and reinforced. Perhaps no people in a position to make major changes will hear this podcast. On the other hand, anyone and everyone who listens will hear numerous ways to improve the growth and welfare of our game.

On the 258th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Constantinos Alevizopoulos round up their Wimbledon chat with Dave Anderson. For the third week, the conversation is about Wimbledon 2025. A few questions are also answered. 

If one were to listen to this episode, number 258, they may say, "Shut up, go by a hot dog and sit in section F." Or possibly they may say, "On this podcast you hear a different perspective because many comments revolve around fact-based instruction for long-term development." 

On the 257th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Constantinos Alevizopoulos are once again at the table, and Dave Anderson is on the phone. There will be a quiz on how to spell the full name of our friend from Greece. Just printing out "Good Guy" will be accepted and understood.

Now that everybody and their brother has a podcast, we appreciate you taking the time to listen to ours. Based on the core information provided by the primary pillars of our curriculum, we are confident that our listeners will find a different perspective...

On the 256th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Constantinos Alevizopoulos are at the table and Dave Anderson is on the phone.  Constantinos is coaching with Steve at the Wintergreen Resort; the beautiful mountainside facility is in Virginia. Dave leads one of the most productive junior development programs in the US at the prestigious Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas, Texas.

The three cover a few topics pertaining to Wimbledon 2025. Additionally, Dave asks Steve a few questions.

Thanks for listening to our podcast. For more free educational tennis content, please spend time on o...

On the 255th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ilja Semjonovs, and Dave Anderson ask Dr. Tracey King questions. Currently, Tracey leads mental training skills for the Brookhaven program in Dallas, Texas.

As a player, she was a top junior player who earned a Division I scholarship. She also played at the professional level and represented her native New Zealand in Fed Cup.

She has a PhD in psychology. 

She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Nevada, where she is in the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. She com...

On the 254th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Jeff Lewis, and Dave Anderson share odds and ends. As always, the effort is to enlighten tennis enthusiasts. In this episode, there was also an attempt to entertain our listeners.

Thank you for listening and sharing.

On the 253rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Jeff Lewis, and Dave Anderson talk tennis.

Their conversation focuses primarily on competitive junior tennis in the US.

The trio have history. Steve has known Dave for forty years and Jeff for nearly thirty. Hopefully, their time in developmental tennis translates into an interesting number of various perspectives that will help our listeners.

One highlight of this episode is being informed on how to connect with Jeff and Dave’s online instruction. 

Thanks for listening.

On the 252nd episode of GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets discuss tennis doubles. The trio is confident that their conversation will help listeners improve their overall understanding of doubles.

Thank you for listening, and please consider sharing our website: www.greatbasetennis.com.

GreatBase Tennis Education is a non-profit organization that shares free educational tennis content.

On the 251st episode of the GreatBase tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson talk with Sam Garcia. Sam is currently the director of tennis at the prestigious Quail Valley River Club in Vero Beach, Florida. Sam is an award-winning pro who works at an award-winning club.

Steve, Dave, and Sam reminisce. The three have known each other since the 80s. Laughs and lessons are assured for the listeners. Thanks for tuning in.

On the 250th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets share more technical input for those running summer tennis camps. 

The content will also serve as an intro for first-time listeners and a refresher for those long-time followers.

On the 249th episode of the GreatBase tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson share information, ideas, and insights directed to those involved with summer tennis camps. Their discussion certainly applies to anyone and everyone connected to tennis instruction.

The main focus of this session is ground strokes.

With confidence, we are sure that our listeners will find a golden nugget or two within this episode to add to their tennis teaching treasure chest.

Thanks for listening.

On the 248th episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson discuss technical information for teaching stroke production.

Today's segment is one of three that were produced with the idea of helping summer tennis camp directors and their staff.

On the 247th episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson discuss summer tennis camps. Their conversation coincides with their efforts to produce an instructional tape for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Almost all college coaches direct summer tennis camps.

(The tape will soon be shared on the GreatBase Tennis Facebook page)

The next few episodes will review input for teaching volleys, groundstrokes, overheads, and serves. Our listeners continually request that we review information, ideas, and insights on teaching basic fundamentals.

Our position, summer tennis camps should be...

On the 246th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Dave Anderson have a tennis conversation with Frank Butera. Their guest is a tennis teaching professional based in Boston, Massachusetts. The veteran pro teaches adults and juniors at MIT and the Marcus Lewis Indoor Center. 

He was born in Boston and then raised in Italy until the age of fourteen. He began school in the US without speaking a word of English. Yet he became an outstanding student and completed a degree at Boston College (BC).

Prior to BC, he found his way t...

On the 245th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets have a tennis conversation with Petrus Koekemoer. Their guest is a long-time associate who lives and works in his native South Africa (SA).

He currently leads a unique development program serving underprivileged children at the Rosemoor Tennis Centre near George in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Petrus has spent over ten years with the GreatBase tennis pathway. He has traveled to the US numerous times to work with Steve and Dave. Likewise, Steve has traveled to South...

On the 244th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets interview Dave Sivertson. On the podcast previous to this edition, Dave shared information, ideas, and insights related to on-court success. The USTA national title holder and ITF international team champion has been equally as successful off the court as on. 

He is in his fifth decade working as a tennis director.  Dave has served as a tennis director for some of the most prestigious tennis clubs in the United States.

Dave has written a 400-page business program for club ma...

On the 243rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets interview an amazing tennis mind. Dave Sivertson knows games within the game of tennis. The ultimate competitor keeps getting better. He has won multiple national championships and multiple international team championships representing the US.

Not everyday does one get the chance to listen to someone who has represented their country. On this episode, there is an abundance of tennis wisdom shared. To make an understatement, his story is inspirational.

Dave Anderson's last question leads to a powerful answer. At...

Dave Anderson joins Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets on the 242nd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast. Dave leads a highly successful player development program at the Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas, Texas. He has been in his current position for over 30 years and their program has developed 400 plus college tennis players.

Dave shares his thoughts on having recently attended this year's Easter Bowl. The information and insights should be beneficial to all connected to junior players with competitive goals. 

Congratulations to all the participants of this year's event. To make an understatement, being accepted i...

On the 241st episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith's guest is Patrick Geoffrion-Amorim. 

Patrick, a native of Montreal, currently coaches and works in Toronto. He accompanied a dozen or more kids to the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Virginia, for a two-week immersion camp with Steve. One of the highlights of their trip was traveling to the University of Virginia (UVA) for two doubleheaders. The UVA men's and women's tennis teams played Cal Berkeley on Friday and Stanford on Sunday. 

Patrick's passion for tennis shines through in this episode. Listeners are assured of learning. Co...

On the 240th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Dave Anderson are joined by Patrick Geoffrion-Amorim. Patrick, a native of Montreal, lives with his wife in Toronto.

Patrick was thrilled to converse with Dave Anderson for the first time. Patrick is a young passionate coach who understands the benefits of circulating around veteran coaches. 

In addition to working with Steve, Patrick has also spent a great deal of time with Danny Cooper, Frank Hornig, Richard Hernandez and Miron Mann. Like Dave, these four individuals thoroughly understand the depth and educational merit behind t...

On the 239th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets and Dave Anderson interview David Geatz. What a delight for our listeners to listen to Coach Geatz! Simply put, the native of North Dakota is a delightful man. 

We promise to have Coach Geatz on our podcast again. Based on his humility, he requested to flip the script and ask us questions. Despite his request, we were fortunate to ask him a number of questions. Next time, we will ask more.  

It's not an everyday situation for 99% of the tennis world to si...

On the 238th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets interview Brandon Fallon. Their guest lives in SoCal (San Juan Capistrano, California) with his wife and two daughters. He currently is the assistant director of the Laguna Nigel Racquet Club.

From a tennis point of view, you name it and Brandon Fallon has done it. The following list might serve as an outline to cover parts of his journey: Starting out with no connections in tennis, being a top five junior in arguably the US's toughest section, playing division I college...

On the 237th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets have a conversation with Andres Barbosa. Our long-time associate, Andres, played college tennis around the same time the University of Illinois won the NCAA national championship in men's tennis.

A former Illinois tennis player, Michael Kosta, has gone on to become a famous comedian. He is probably best known for being a regular on The Daily Show. Another indicator of his fame would be the fact that he was a guest on the Joe Rogan podcast.

Recently on the...

On the 236th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Doug Cash is interviewed by Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets. Wow! In regard to this episode, "wow" stands for "words of wisdom."

Doug Cash is 75 years young. He is known as one of the best in the world in his area of expertise. Simply put, Doug knows the business of tennis. He was the Chief Operating Officer of Tennis Corporation of American (TCA) for over 30 years. To give you fairly accurate numbers,  he managed over 50 clubs,  over 2500 employees, and over 250 million in annual revenue.

He...

On the 235th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Andy Fitzell, and Dave Anderson reflect upon the 2025 Australian Open. A wide range of topics were touched upon.

GreatBase Tennis Education (GBTE) shares free educational content. Please consider checking out our website (www.greatbasetennis.com). One will find five courses with optional certification exams. Additional information can be found on other platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

On the 234th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Dave Secker talk tennis with Mat Cloer. Mat holds a senior position with the USTA's  Player Development Department. Their conversation is centered around tennis analytics.

The saga of the GreatBase Tennis Education (GBTE) continues. Our non-profit organization shares free educational tennis content. 225+ podcasts, 5 educational courses, 15+ years of daily Facebook posts, 1000+ Instagram posts and much, much more.

In the 233rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis Education (GBTE) podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, Dave Secker, and Ivan Ozerets share their thoughts regarding tennis academies. Their conversation covers a wide spectrum of points and should serve the purpose of helping to educate the tennis consumer.

Thanks for listening and thanks for caring about the growth and welfare of the game of tennis.

The 232nd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast is based on a question Steve Smith asked Dave Anderson.  Steve asked David, "What should be a theme to help US tennis?" David answered, "Back to the future."

In basing a podcast episode on Dave's answer, Steve stated that there would be no one better to address the topic than the legendary Chuck Kriese. To make an understatement, the words of the veteran coach should be heard.

Richard Hernandez joined Steve and Dave. The three asked Chuck questions but unfortunately, Richard's reception was lost halfway through the d...

On the 231st episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ilja Semjonovs re-visit thoughts and principles shared by the late Don Meyer. Mr. Meyer was a basketball coach who touched the lives of thousands of people. His contributions should not be forgotten. He mentored legends of his sport.

To take in his humor, simply YouTube: Don Meyer at the ESPY's.

To read more about his story, read the book "How Lucky Can You Be" by Buster Olney.

On the 230th episode of the GreatBase Tennis Education (GBTE)  podcast, Steve Smith, Ilja Semjonovs, Richard Hernandez, and Dave Anderson discuss mentoring and its significance. Listeners are assured of a few laughs and a few nuggets for their tennis treasure chest.

Please note that one can find more free educational tennis content on GBTE's website (www.greatbasetennis.com). Five courses with optional certification exams are available. Additionally, there are books, articles, and much more.

On the 229th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Andy Fitzell, and Dave Anderson discuss the ins and outs of making resolutions for the new year. As always, we hope our listeners find value in listening and occasionally can chuckle at our attempt at humor.

We wish everyone all the best for 2025.

Happy New Year

Merry Christmas 

On the 228th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve, Ivan, and Andy interview Peter Kobelt. To make an understatement, Peter's journey in tennis is remarkable. As a first-year student at Ohio State University (OSU), Peter red-shirted. Then as a red-shirt freshman, he only played doubles. 

By the end of his collegiate career, he held the OSU record for most doubles matches won and tied the record for most matches won in a single season. Furthermore, he earned the #1 singles ranking in doubles and the #2 national ranking in doubles.

He was ho...

On the 227th episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith and Andy Fitzell talk about some tennis books from the GreatBase Tennis library.

The GreatBase Tennis library now includes all the tennis books from Vic Braden’s library. Overall, the GBTE has over 1500 tennis books.

Andy Fitzell being with Steve Smith when the last shipment of Vic’s books arrived was quite appropriate. The two spent decades under Vic’s tutelage.

On the 226th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast Steve Smith and Andy Fitzell interview Dave Secker. Their guest is the Associate Head Coach of the North Carolina State women’s tennis team. 

Dave, who has previously donated his time to support our efforts to inform the tennis public, addresses numerous issues pertaining to college tennis in the US. To make an understatement, the Englishmen is well-informed.

On the 225th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets interview Jeff Moore. To make an understatement, their humble and honest guest has oodles of wisdom to share. We are confident that the session should be classified as a master class for anyone and everyone hungry for improvement; no matter what the endeavor.

As an athlete, he played college tennis for the incomparable Jim Verdieck. As a coach, he led the University of Texas women's tennis team to two national championships. As a consultant, he has successfully impacted a wide assortment of teams...

On the 224th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets are joined by Andreas Barbosa. The tennis teaching professional based in Miami has been a frequent guest.  He serves the GreatBase podcast as a contributor, fact-checker, and coach. 

The main topic of this week's conversation is podcasts; in particular tennis podcasts. Andreas ranks his top three tennis podcasts and Steve mentions approximately fifteen podcasts for fellow tennis enthusiasts to check out. 

On the 223rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Dave Anderson, and Andy Fitzell talk tennis. With player development as their purpose, the foursome look backwards with the goal of helping fellow tennis enthusiasts. 

Listeners are given points to ponder. The panel's insights and perspectives should prove to be of value. Everyone has heard that hindsight is 20-20.  No one has a crystal ball. No one knows for sure what will unfold in the future. Yet foresight to avoid certain tennis pitfalls is of great importance.

On the 222nd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Dave Anderson, and Andy Fitzel discuss a rather simple concept. With reflective thought, a tennis teaching professional should strive to deliver enjoyment, exercise, and education each and everyday.

Hopefully by listening tennis enthusiasts and experts will find a golden nugget or two to add to their tennis treasure chest.

Thanks for supporting our non-profit organization (Great Base Tennis Education).

On the 221st episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Dave Anderson, and Andy Fitzell pay tribute to Rafael Nadal. The over-used cliche, there will never be another, applies. 

We all have heard the phrase, never say never. Yet in the history of tennis, there is one situation that comes to mind where the word never can be used. Never again, will one tennis player win 14 French Opens.

The commentary of our foursome is certainly more of a review of Rafa's character than his tennis. With total humility, Rafa displayed the absolute b...

On the 220th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets discuss tennis with Mike Custer. To make an understatement, Mike has put a lifetime of thought into the whys and why-nots of the tennis industry.

He is an accomplished player and veteran tennis teacher with more than 40 years of diversified experience. He started his professional pathway by studying tennis with Steve and then he worked for the legendary Dennis Van der Meer. He has worked with all levels of players but has primarily worked with adult players throughout his career.

Mike's...

On the 219th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozererts interview Jodie Johnson. 

Jodie had the ambition to be a major athlete but his dreams were side-tracked with childhood health problems and injury after injury. 

His journey kept him connected to sport through attempted comebacks and tutoring. Even during his work as an engineer and entrepreneur, he kept a career in sport in the forefront of his mind.

We are confident that our listeners will learn to respect Jodie's intellectual curiosity and 25 plus years in the fitness industry.  For a 1...

On the 218th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets discuss tennis information pertaining to basic stroke-production with Andy Fitzell. Andy is the founder of the GreatBase Tennis podcast and, like Steve, spent decades working with the late Vic Braden.

Vic passed away ten years ago on October 6th, 2014.  The goal of the GreatBase is to continue to shine a bright light on the wonderful contributions Mr. Braden made to the game of tennis. His work will always be relevant because his findings were all based on scientific principles. 

The episode wi...

On the 217 episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Richard Hernandez, and Dave Anderson ask Clayton Stanley questions. The four were part of a unique tennis culture in the 1980s. Clayton started his tennis journey with Steve as his instructor when he was 6 and Steve was 26. 

Steve and Clayton's father, David, were basically partners in raising a tennis kid.

When Richard first observed a young Clayton's ball striking skills, he left his job as a tennis teacher at a nearby club to join David and others from around the world to study tennis. All t...

Robert Lansdorp
1938 - 2024

On the 216th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets pay tribute to the late Robert Lansdorp. To make an understatement, he was an American tennis treasure. 

The common sense, toughness, drive and gut-wrenching honesty of Robert Lansdorp should not be forgotten. Everyone connected to the development of players and coaches would be wise to study the purity and simplicity of Robert's principles. 
 
Excerpts from Ken Thomas' (Radio Tennis) interview with Robert highlight Steve and Ivan's discussion. To listen to the entire interview please follow thi...

Joey Scrivano, Baylor Bears

On the 215th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets have a conversation with Joey Scrivano. He is currently leading Baylor University's women's tennis team. 

He has served the university for 23 years. Steve lists off a long, long list of accomplishments that highlight the careers of Joey, his coaches, and his players.

Parents of college tennis hopefuls would be wise to listen, as would, players, coaches, and everyone connected to the pursuit of tennis excellence. The session is filled with inspiration, insight, ideas, and information. Duration: 02:34:52

By listening to Jeff, one will quickly discover he understands the nuts and bolts and X's and 0's of tennis to the nth degree. The development of a tennis mind takes time, lots and lots of time. Simply put, one needs to study tennis to truly be a student of the game. 

Jeff was first introduced to Steve and his body of work at the age of fourteen and he has been working the information ever since. Thirty years later, Jeff easily has acquired a level of tennis teaching expertise that very few possess.

For m...

Jeff Lewis recently spent a week with Steve Smith at the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Virginia. The two, who have known each other for thirty years, recorded two conversations for the listeners of the GreatBase Tennis podcast.

To make an understatement, Jeff knows tennis. He was introduced to a wealth of tennis information as a teenager and through decades of deep thought and diversified experiences is now easily one of the best tennis teachers in the US.
   
Please connect with Jeff by following him at jefflewistennis.com and victorytennisprograms.com. Also, visit his YouTube channel an...

On the 212th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Richard Bodian.

In 1981, Steve designed and directed (Tennis Tech) the first comprehensive curriculum and college degree program for students seeking occupational competency as tennis-teaching pro-managers. Richard enrolled, graduated, and entered the tennis industry with an education that only a small percentage of the worldwide tennis community truly understands.

In addition to working at various tennis facilities on the east and west coast of the US, Richard also worked for Steve and the late Vic Braden. By listening one will discover...

On the 211th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Mike Valentine and Mike McLaughlin. The three old men all worked for the late Vic Braden. 

Mike and Mike recently made the journey to the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Virginia to observe and contribute to Steve's students. They left assured that Steve and his students are still honoring the work of the late Vic Braden. 

The trio reminisce and reflect upon the genius of Braden. By listening, one is assured of laughing and learning.

The life story of Arnaud Guillemard is definitely different. Be ready to go from island living to Paris, college tennis to the oil fields, education to being a young parent, and directing junior and high school tennis tournaments.

Arnaud is Steve Smith's guest on the 210th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast. Ironically 210 is the area code of San Antonio, Texas, the place where Arnaud resides with his wife and two children. 

By listening one will collect more golden nuggets for their tennis treasure chest. Just as important as the pearls of wisdom learned from l...

Melanie Zampardo is Steve Smith's guest on the 209th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast. She spent nine weeks this summer, 2024, serving as an intern.  She survived. 

Decades ago, Steve was told by an experienced tennis-lifer that if one could complete the challenges of a 24/7 boarding tennis camp that he or she would have proven that they could successfully make their way within the tennis industry.

By listening to the episode at hand, one will discover more of an insider's understanding of the GreatBase Tennis pathway. More importantly, one will find Melanie's approach to learning an...

On the 208th podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Spencer Johnson. The two have known each other for just over 10 years. Spencer is now 21 and last year, while playing for UCLA, he was named the PAC 12 Freshman of the Year.

Most GreatBase students are trying to get to college tennis. Spencer, like many college players, now hopes to get to the level where he is playing for a living. By listening one will discover he still is working on the same basics he was taught on his first day under Steve's tutelage. 

As always, t...

On the 207th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets host Scott Perelmen. Their guest recently joined the men's coaching staff at TCU. He brings a ton of experience and a ton of wisdom to the table.

Scott and Steve worked together over forty years ago. They were staff members at the famous Vic Braden Tennis College headquartered at Coto de Caza in Southern California.

Building a winning college program from scratch to being part of a national championship team to watching Ben Shelton grow up highlight the conversation. If one...

On the 206th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets host Matt Knoll. Matt built a championship culture at Baylor University that was highlighted by winning the 2004 NCAA team championship.

Listeners will discover his formula for success. Common sense, grit, and hard work ruled the day. Every parent, player and coach will benefit from the pearls of wisdom and golden nuggets he shares. 

Today Matt helps student-athletes with college placement. Get in contact by visiting https://www.americancollegeplacement.com/contact.

On that 205th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Dave Anderson joins Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets to talk tennis. They shared thoughts that mostly pertained to the 2024  Wimbledon.

Dave has been based at the Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas for more than 30 years. To make an understatement,  Dave and his staff have made a major impact on the lives of hundreds and hundreds of tennis players. 

We would like to thank Dave for being a regular guest on our podcast. Our supporters have expressed that they have thoroughly enjoyed listening to Dave. 

On the 204th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast Cris Valverde, a teaching pro from Portland, Oregon, asks Steve Smith questions. Cris recently spent a week with Steve at the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Virginia. He traveled across the US with his two sons for an immersion camp.

To make an understatement, Cris's passion for our sport is second to none. Cris's dedication to improving his craft is truly inspirational. Cris has completed an in-depth study of our curriculum and asked Steve to discuss a wide range of topics.

On the 203rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets and Andres Barbosa talk about tennis from the service line in. The whys and why-nots of going forward in singles and doubles are discussed. 

The statement that one only goes to the net to pick up balls and shake hands used to only apply to little kids at the grass root level. Now the statement applies to all levels of play. 

The disappearance of wooden racquets, the players not wearing spikes on the grass at Wimbledon, and the two-handed backhand becoming commonplace ar...

Sir Hamlin is our guest on episode 202.

Our podcast's fact checker, Andres Barbosa, and several others requested another opportunity to listen to Mark Hamlin. Great choice! 

Steve Smith and Mark have known each other for 60 years this year. Mark, 71, worked directly with Vic Braden and has spent the last 45 years applying fact-based instruction to literally hundreds and hundreds of recreational players. Along the way, the American has also developed national junior champions in Germany.

By listening one will discover that fundamentals stand the test of time and most definitely apply to the best p...

Tribute to Jim Poling
1949-2024

Our condolences to Jim's wife, Marianne, and their children, Matthew, Lilian, and Karl. Our thoughts also go out to their family members and their close friends.

On the 201st episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith discusses his connection with Jim.

On the 200th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith talks with Adam Borr. Steve's guest has a lifetime in tennis. His family built an indoor tennis club when he was just 5 years old. He played junior, high school, and college tennis. The family of his first wife also owned a tennis club. Along with his wife, he raised three daughters. One child became a nationally-ranked junior and played for a Power Five conference.

To make an understatement, Adam has been surrounded by all facets of tennis throughout his life but he has always been an...

On the 199th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets have a tennis conversation with Miron Mann. He had a successful career as both a junior and college tennis player.  He also has had a great deal of success as a coach. Miron currently leads one of the best junior development programs in Canada.

Steve and Miron collectively have 80 years of diversified experience with learning, teaching and coaching tennis. Although, the highlight of this episode is listening to Ivan. He has "lived" our free educational content for the last 18 months. 

By li...

On the 198th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast,  Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets have a tennis conversation with Jackson Bowen. Their guest has been instrumental in the development of TennisBloc, a company that has over 100 instructors who operate at over 100 facilities.

Jackson's passion quotient for the growth and welfare of tennis is sky-high. To make an understatement, the vision and mission of TennisBloc needs to be adopted and implemented throughout the world. Jackson and his associates are simply making tennis more accessible and more affordable.

We are quite sure that our listeners will be b...

On the 197th episode of the GreatBase podcast, Steve Smith speaks with Nomena Raharinosy. To make an understatement, her tennis story is well worth listening to. Her journey with our sport covers three continents. (Africa, Europe, North America)

She started in a humble, low-key, no-hype tennis environment in her native Madagascar. From there, she was fortunate to spend several of her formative years in Paris, France. Her next adventure was spending the last two years of her high school days at a Florida-based academy. She was awarded a (US) college scholarship at the end of her junior...

On the 196th episode of the GreatBase Tennis, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets talk tennis with Greg Moran. Their guest is a veteran tennis teaching professional, an award-winning writer, and a longtime club owner.

Greg's third book, "The Truth About Tennis", was recently released. Like his long career, his latest book is complete. The read will certainly help further educate anyone and everyone connected to the great game of tennis.

Our listeners will be inspired by Greg's passion and commitment to our game. Plus by listening, one will be enlightened and entertained.

On the 195th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a tennis discussion with Ainsley Catalano. His guest makes his living as an analyst in commercial real estate. Ainsley also has tennis experience as a player, teacher, and parent. Topping off his A to Z connection to our game, he owns his own red clay court.

Steve and Ainsley touch upon many topics related to tennis. One being, the financial challenges facing the future of tennis. Solutions are suggested and, hopefully, some of the ideas shared will be heard by people who can unite to...

On the 194th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets talk tennis with Dave Anderson. Dave, a frequent guest, is a veteran coach with an outstanding track record.  He has worked at the Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas for over 30 years. 

Their discussion is the fourth of four Dave's Do's & Don'ts. The first three lists were centered on parents, players and coaches. The last focus on the work of tennis administrators.

Owners, operators, and directors surely will benefit by listening to David's input. To create a healthy and productive tennis culture pa...

On the 193rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets interview Javier Palenque. Their guest has an unstoppable passion for the improvement of tennis. He is totally committed to researching how tennis is governed around the world. 

To make an understatement, he knows the problems. More importantly, he has solutions.

In addition to our podcast, we have attached a forty-page booklet by Javier. The content is critical. Although, honesty is needed for the overall welfare and growth of OUR game.

Furthermore to read over 500 articles on improving our governing b...

On the 192nd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets and Dave Anderson address the USTA Player Development (USTA PD) program. 

The following are attached:

1) A letter written by Jose Higueras on American tennis
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m8rnoacjivjOMt3sc5lRDo9Nccub9wgQ/view?usp=sharing

2) A letter written by Wayne Bryan on American tennis
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wIEoZk1rEZKlP3M_g9uZCEyCCVeB9I88/view?usp=sharing

3a) Patrick McEnroe holding three significant tennis positions - spoof by Steve Smith Duration: 02:26:24

On the 191st episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Lawrence Hyde. The Englishman recently spent 350-plus hours studying with Steve. The primary topics covered were: tennis, tennis teaching, coaching, character development, player development, and the ins and outs of the tennis industry. Also, a healthy percentage of Lawrence's time was assisting with the production of personalized technical and tactical videos.

Lawrence's impressive work ethic earned him the compliment that he was not just another intern. Steve said Lawrence's approach reminded him of some of his tennis-teaching students from the 80's. The...

On the 190th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Ilja Semjonovs. The theme of the session was based on the title of a hockey podcast called 32 Thoughts with Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek.

Ilja, who has spent nearly 10 years working with Steve, formulated a list of 32 talking points. The information, ideas, and insights shared will help anyone and everyone connected to player development.

On the 189th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ilja Semjonovs interview Andy Durham.

Andy has a lifetime of diversified experiences in tennis. The veteran tennis educator has a deep connection with match analysis. He was mentored by Bill Jacobson, the father of electronic charting and the founder of Compu-Tennis.

Andy is leading a campaign to have Bill inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Bill is one of the best tennis minds the game has ever known. His intellect and innovative thinking reached millions of fans watching televised tennis from...

On the 188th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Lawrence Hyde talk tennis and life with Mark Bey. The discussion starts with Mark's beginning days in junior tennis. He also shares his experience playing college tennis under the legendary George Lott at DePaul University.

Since graduating, Mark has logged over 30 years acquiring diversified skills and earning numerous awards. Mark was inducted into the MidWest USPTA Hall of Fame and, most recently, he was honored by traveling with the US Davis Team as an assistant coach. Mark has completed educational courses for the USPTA and...

On the 187th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Dave Anderson shares Do's and Don'ts for Players. 

Dave previously shared a similar list for parents and coaches. His next list will be for tennis administrators.

Dave joined Steve in 1985 as a student. Steve revised a general recreation curriculum into a comprehensive curriculum for students seeking occupational competency as tennis-teaching pro-managers. Dave spent a third year in the two-year program working as a lab instructor. Then he had autonomy directing one then two tennis clubs in a nearby town. In the second five years of the t...

Tribute to Andy Brandi
1952-2024

Our condolences to Andy's wife, Nancy, and their son, Chris. Our thoughts also go out to their family members and their close friends.

On the 186th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith discusses his connection to Andy. He worked for Andy in the late 1970's. At the start, Andy was 24 and Steve was 22.

Steve states that Andy's highly successful career should earn him a place in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Andy impacted the lives of many professional players and his record as a...

On the 185th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets have a conversation with Lisa Pugliese LaCroix. To make an understatement, she has a story to tell. From hitting a backboard in her family's garage that her father painted with Wimbledon colors to becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist to establishing a non-profit organization called Love Serving Autism.

As a junior player, she held numerous number-one rankings. As a college player, she was a member of an NCAA championship team while playing for the University of Florida. Unfortunately, her pro career was cut short by...

On the 184th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets have a conversation with Luis Perez. Their guest is a tennis teaching professional who is based in London, England.

Luis stumbled upon the free educational tennis content provided on the Internet by GBT.  From there, his intellectual curiosity and thirst for knowledge compelled him to travel across the Atlantic to spend a week at the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Virginia. 

Luis, who traveled with one of his students, was grateful to be treated as both a player and coach. Even though th...

On the 183rd episode, a young Ivan Ozerets, an old Andres Barbosa, and a real old Steve Smith are a dollar late and a day short. The threesome randomly chat three weeks after the 2024 Australian Open. New listeners may quickly agree with their comment about putting them in section F to eat a hot dog but insiders to the GreatBase Tennis Podcast will likely think otherwise.

The session has some information, ideas, and insights that one will not find on the typical tennis podcast. Tennis enthusiasts listening to all of our podcasts will start to make sense...

University of North Carolina
2023 NCAA Women's Tennis Championship
The Power Suggestion

On the 182nd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith reconnects with Sophia Patel. She shares many golden nuggets for one to add to their tennis treasure chest. To make an understatement, she possesses deep and insightful wisdom.

Sophia was an integral part of the UNC 2023 national championship team. She was the lone captain and MVP of the team. By listening to the story, one will discover in this case that MVP stands for the most valuable person.

As...

On the 181st episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets talk tennis. Their topic centers around Alex Michelsen, the young player from southern California. They discuss and speculate as to why and how Alex reached a top 100 ATP ranking as a teenager.

Perhaps Steve and Ivan should just go sit in section F and eat some popcorn. On the other hand, those who listen to their conversation may find a few pearls of wisdom. One thing is for sure, Alex's story is nothing short of refreshing and uplifting.

Great person, great family, great competitor. 

On the 180th episode of the GreatBase Tennis, Steve Smith's guest is Rachel Rohrabacher. She talks about her background in junior tennis and college tennis as well as her current life as a pickleball professional. During their conversation, Rachel shares golden nugget after golden nugget. Their dialogue will help parents, athletes, and coaches. 

Check our GreatBase Tennis Facebook account. In the upcoming days, old videos showing her tennis development, an excerpt from 'Journey to the Truth' (featuring Rachel), and clips of her pickleball play will be posted.  The followers of...

On the 179th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with John Valenti.

To make an understatement, John Valenti has a story to tell. He claims to be the only person to have always made money from playing tournament tennis at the professional level. For over ten years, he followed the circuit living out of his van.

The native of Rochester, New York played hundreds of Futures events and strung thousands of tennis racquets. Along his journey, he met and played numerous opponents who climbed their way to the top of...

On the 178th episode, Steve Smith has a tennis conversation with Cris Valverde. Steve's guest is a veteran tennis teaching professional who resides with his wife and their two boys in Portland, Oregon. He has worked at the Irvington Club for the last 21 years.

Insiders of the GreatBase will quickly discover by listening that Cris has done his tennis homework. We are confident that Cris's knowledge and command of the material will inspire newcomers to zone in on our free educational tennis content. 

One bonus of the podcast is Cris' comments about Gundaris Tilmanis. The n...

On the 177th episode of the GreatBase Tennis (GBTE) podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Tomas Placatka. Steve's guest was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (1972), and grew up in nearby Kladno. 

Tomas's primary sport was ice hockey. He played at the professional level in his homeland and in Denmark. Like many of his fellow Czechs, tennis was his sport in the off-season. 

Since retiring from hockey, he has worked in the healthcare industry. Yet tennis is his true passion. Tomas has coached part-time for ten years and is a dedicated student of our educational content. Duration: 02:01:52

On the 176th episode of GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a tennis conversation with Domantas Sadauskas. Domi recently joined Steve to be trained to teach and coach a couple of young tennis hopefuls that Steve and his associates have coached for the last two years.

To make an understatement, the Lithuanian is passionate about the game of tennis. Domi studied in Ireland, France, and the US and has worked in Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Senegal. Among the highlights of his young career is serving on the staff of the Rafael Tennis Academy.

A wide...

On the 175th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Dave Anderson presents the Do's and Don'ts for Tennis Coaches. Anderson, who literally has developed hundreds of college tennis players, previously shared a similar list for tennis parents. In the future, he will present a list for players and administrators.

Thank you for listening to our tennis podcast. The goal is for our audience to add golden nuggets to their tennis treasure chest. Please note, one can find additional free educational content on our website (www.greatbasetennis.com).

On the 174th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson review a document pertaining to GBTE (GreatBase Tennis Education). Their discussion should help listeners obtain a more in-depth understanding of the comprehensive curriculum that has been assembled over decades.

Based on the contributions of our eight pillars and numerous others, we are confident that one would find the free educational content found on our website (www.greatbasetennis.com) to be rich in value.

Thank you for listening and thank you for your support.

On the 173rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Sujay Lama. Steve's guest was formally educated in his native Nepal, India, and the US. His education in tennis is also very diverse and complete.

By listening one will learn of his father's passion for tennis and the influence of his siblings, especially his brother Raj.  Sujay's journey in tennis has taken him all over the world and one will find out that he is equally excited about running a tennis camp for kids as he was with traveling and coaching top p...

On the 172nd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Mark Hamlin. The two are just a few months shy of having known each other for sixty years. They initially talk sports and life but then focus primarily on tennis.

Mark was a member of Vic Braden's staff at Coto de Caza in California and at multiple sites in Germany; where he has lived the last forty-two years. In addition to being a true Bradenite, he has a diversified background that ranges from club ownership to representing the Professional Tennis Registry in...