To celebrate the end of 2024, I'm re-releasing the three most popular episodes of the year. This is #3...

Styrling Strother is an innovative tennis coach who trains junior players and adults to transform the way they practice and think about the match court. He is a Tennis Performance Trainer (TPT) with the International Tennis Performance Association (ITPA), a PTR Professional Coach, a best-selling author, and the founder of Styrling Strother Tennis, a player development program located in Cary, North Carolina.

This episode will totally shift your practice habits, and inject fun into your doubles matches. Styrling shares some transformational ideas with me in this episode.

• Why you should NOT look at the ball after you hit.
• A new way to think about the game score that helps you maintain focus and concentration (Momentum Scoring System).
• Innovative doubles drills that will better help you win matches.
• What you should be thinking when you make an error.
• Why opponent-based thinking is the #1 thing to learn for tennis players (and why it's so hard).

We also discuss his new book, The Art of Winning Tennis, which offers strategies that change the way you see the court. I'm about halfway done with the book and it's already got me thinking about adjustments for my next match.

As we dissect the traditional practice court paradigm, you'll discover why it's critical to move beyond technique to the strategic 'where, when, and why' of each shot. You'll learn to embrace the pressure of in-match scenarios through our in-depth analysis of scoring and drill modifications that mimic match conditions.

See the show notes for this episode here: https://www.thetennistribe.com/styrling-strother-interview

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Harri Heliovaara is the 2024 Wimbledon gentlemen's doubles champion and the 2023 US Open mixed doubles champion. He's currently ranked #16 on the ATP doubles tour. Heliovaara is also one of my favorite players to watch because of his entertaining celebrations and on-court demeanor.

This interview with Harri covers his Wimbledon run, doubles changes, his story, and more.

• Why he quit professional tennis in 2013 before returning in 2017.
• How he mentally overcame being down multiple match points in the Wimbledon final.
• Serve struggles and how he's improved his 2nd serve, including specific drills.
• His experience being mic'd up in DC (video below), and what other changes he'd like to see to help make doubles more popular.
• Offseason training.
• The process of changing partners and new teams for 2025.

Learn more about Harri:

• ATP Tour Profile
• Wikipedia

Harri's Favorites:

• Tennis Book: The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
• Non-Tennis Book: The Unknown Soldier by Vaino Linna
• Tournament: Wimbledon
• Dream Mixed Doubles Partner: Anna Danilina
• Singles Player You Want to Play Doubles With: Alexander Bublik
• Off Season Hobbies: Hang out with children (1 & 3 years old); Aviation- he likes to take his daughter to the airport to watch planes landing and taking off.
• Harri's advice: Watch more doubles!

More from this episode:

• Follow Harri on Instagram
• Harri mic'd up at the DC Open: https://youtu.be/zGmBgVPTQk8?si=z0pBm5MzD08KWNl-
• Harri's Blog: https://www.harriheliovaara.fi/

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**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet

Are you using the right tennis racquet? What about strings? Jonas from Tennisnerd is one of the world's leading experts in tennis racquets and strings, having reviewed 1000s of racquets and consulted for ATP & WTA tour pros.

I first met Jonas in Austria at the Head headquarters on a trip with Tennis Warehouse to test out the new Gravity. Recently, we went to SLO California to test more gear with the TW team. I've learned a ton from Jonas and wanted to have him on so you can too. In this conversation, Jonas and I discuss the following.

• Some of the best tennis racquets on the market today for certain player types.
• The head size most club-level doubles players should be looking for.
• What gives a racquet more power, control, spin, etc.
• Why you and the professionals do not (and should not) use the same racquets - even though they look the same.
• How to start experimenting with your strings, including specific recommendations.
• and more...

Follow Tennisnerd on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Get a racquet or string consultation from Jonas here.

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**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course