We will once again hold our Annual New Year’s Eve Party on…you guessed it Wed. Jan 31 8pm - ?. Festivities include unlimited tennis, good eats, a New Year’s decor and champagne. Cost is $50/couple and limited to 12 sign ups. Call 722-3491 to reserve your spot!

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Aravapalli beats Lowenstein in a great match to win the boys Jr. Ladder. The last weekend of the ladder ended with two very close battles, one in the semifinal and one in the final. On the bottom half of the draw, Lowenstein came from behind to beat Yousuf in a tie-breaker to earn his spot in the final. On the top half of the draw, Aravapalli earned his spot in the final by defeating Amin 9-4.

Amin had a great season this year. He placed fourth in the final weekend and only lost one regular season match, putting his final record at 8-3. Yousuf captured third after defeating Amin in the battle for third and fourth place. In the semis, Yousuf was three points away from returning to the final for the third straight year.

In the final, Lowenstein tried for another comeback as he did in the semis, but fell just short as Aravapalli won 9-8, 5-2 in the tiebreaker. On match point after a long rally, Scottie went for the big forehand and missed it long. Aravapalli held tough to finish off his season in first place with a 9-1 record.

Congratulations and thank you to all players who participated on the Jr. Ladder this year. Also, thank you again to the parents for their support as well. We look forward to doing it again next year.

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We would like to congratulate Libby & Brian McGovern for the birth of a healthy baby boy, Kevin Paul. Kevin arrived November 29 at precisely 5:19 pm, weighing 8 lbs 40z and measuing 21 1/2 inches. We did not get the girth. Kevin has a full compliment of jet black hair and is adorable. Mom is doing wonderful and graciously declined all offers of a mother son photo session.

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I just got back from a visit to the Tri Cities tennis operation in Albany, NY. They have purchased their own World Team Tennis League (WTT) and run a large scale WTT league in the winter months.

The WTT format is the same one followed by the professional WTT leagues run by Bille Jean King every summer. Matches consist of Mens & Womens singles, Mens & Womens doubles and Mixed Doubles. Competition includes abbreviated sets, substitutions and potential overtime. A minimum of 4 players per team are needed each match. Often, team members show up to substitute or simply cheer their team on.

Highlights of the league include: fewer people needed per team and a looser commitment level than USTA; mixing genders and levels on the same team; a unique scoring format and increased social interaction. A simple playoff format makes it easier for a team to advance to national competition. As WTT members, players receive various discounts including one free ticket to a summer WTT match. The OTB Buzz are located in Albany.

I am thinking of offering WTT instead of Mixed Doubles and would like to get some feedback from our members. To learn more, visit their website at http://www.worldteamtennis.com/ Feel free to jot a note in our comment box on the site or talk to yours truly or a staff member when you see us. WTT seems like something different and refreshing, and has caught my attention. I would like to know how you feel about offering WTT at BTC.

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Many of you have heard about the open stanced forehand. If you watch pro tennis live or on TV, you will see virtually all the pros hitting open stance fore hands. They utilize this technique every chance they get. Some of you have tried this technique, without supervision, and found your forehand sailing out of control! Back to the old forehand in a heartbeat. Most teaching pros still teach the traditional cross-step forehand, (stepping into the shot with your front leg) at least to adults. Yet the open stance has taken over the junior, college and pro game. A few tips on how to attempt this new-wave shot.

….First and foremost, turn your shoulders sideways. Do this before you run to the ball. Most people make the mistake of thinking open stance means to hit completely open. The phrase “open stance” refers to your legs (your stance), not your upper body

….Take your racquet back a bit higher. Shoulder height is good.

…..Your last running step should be taken with your back leg. If you are right handed, this would be your right leg. Try to allign this leg up close to the tennis ball.

…..Once you plant this leg, bend your knee (sound familiar?) and put your weight on this leg. Do not move your back leg. Keep it still. If all your weight is on this leg, you can’t move it! That is good.

……Begin your swing by dropping your racquet underneath the ball to create a low to high trajectory. At the same time, your weight should begin to transfer off your back leg into the shot. As you meet the ball you can really rotate your right hip into the ball for explosive power. Because the left side of your body (assuming you are right handed) is not in your way, you should be able to generate lots of racquet speed and power. Explode into the ball as they say. Your contact point will be further back than the traditional step forehand, giving you more time to set up for your shot.

This is a fun shot once you get a feel for the ball. If you try the above and are still hitting the curtain, call your local tennis pro. We will be posting monthly tips on our site the 1st week of each month. We will also field any questions you might have. Simply write your question in the comment column. We will post it and then answer it as next month’s pro tip.

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