The GreatBase Tennis Podcast

Епизоде

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  Records, Rivalries and Respect 19.08.2026 1ч 39мин

  Steve Smith and Dave Anderson dedicate the latest episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast to the Chrissie and Martina documentary, taking listeners on a deep and detailed walk through the records, rivalries, and history behind two of the greatest careers in tennis. Steve runs through an exhaustive list of Chris Evert's win loss records against nearly every rival of her era, while both hosts reflect on what made the rivalry so enduring and why the mutual respect between the two players pushed ...
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  Fear of Losing Is the Enemy 12.08.2026 1ч 45мин

  Steve Smith welcomes Pol Otin O'Callaghan back to the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, a highly ranked Spanish junior and former Campbell University standout who holds a master's in Data Analytics and will begin his first season as Head Coach of Ave Maria's Men's and Women's Tennis Teams for 2026-27. Pol will be mentored by Steve, who is serving the Ave Maria Athletic Department as Director of Tennis, and the two dig into everything from culture-building and recruiting philosophy to the technical an...
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  The Wall Was My Babysitter 05.08.2026 1ч 43мин

  Steve Smith and Dave Anderson welcome Egor Shestakov to the latest episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, a 24-year-old teaching pro originally from Kaliningrad, Russia, now based in Dallas and coaching on staff at Brookhaven Tennis Academy. Egor shares his journey from hitting balls on hardwood and carpet courts as a kid, to becoming team captain at the University of Texas at Tyler, to working alongside Dave Anderson and Mark Vos, both trained by Steve. The conversation ranges from growing...
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  Arvind Aravindhan: A Life in Tennis 29.07.2026 2ч 2мин

  Steve Smith and Dave Anderson welcome Arvind Aravindhan to the latest episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, a high performance coach, CEO of Gulph Mills Tennis Club, and Executive Director of the Julian Krinsky School of Tennis. Arvind brings a remarkable resume to the conversation, having competed as the number two junior in India and a top 75 ITF junior, coached at all four majors, and served as a board member of USTA Middle States. The conversation covers Arvind's journey from India to ...
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  Wimbledon Wrap-Up & Dying Doubles 22.07.2026 1ч 29мин

  Steve Smith and Dave Anderson dig into the latest from Wimbledon, breaking down the singles and doubles action with their usual mix of sharp observation and strong opinions. The two discuss standout performances, emerging patterns of play, and what the results say about the state of the modern game on grass. The conversation drifts into a broader discussion about the lost art of doubles and what the best teams at Wimbledon still do that recreational and junior players simply never learn. Stev...
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  Back to Basics: The Serve 15.07.2026 2ч 3мин

  This episode is a deep dive into the serve, one of the most technically demanding and consequential shots in tennis. Steve and Dave break down the mechanics from grip and trophy position to pronation and ball toss, making the case that most players are leaving significant free points on the table simply because they were never taught to serve correctly from the start. The conversation covers everything from the kinetic chain and the role of the legs, to common faults Steve sees repeatedly on ...
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  Brookside Basics 08.07.2026 1ч 40мин

  Steve Smith and Dave Anderson are joined by Brookside teaching pros Aoife Wilson and Brendan Moore for a wide-ranging conversation about coaching culture, player development, and the GreatBase system in action at the Brookside training program. Aoife shares her journey from Ireland to Tyler Junior College and later Alabama, while Brendan traces his path from junior tennis into coaching and eventually to Brookside, where both have built their careers around Steve Roberts and the GreatBase meth...
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  Mason Vaughan: On The Rise 01.07.2026 1ч

  Steve Smith and Dave Anderson welcome 16-year-old junior player Mason Vaughan to the podcast for a candid conversation about his tennis journey. From his first trip to Memphis at age eight, to living away from home and training full-time at Brookhaven, Mason shares the struggles, the growth, and the routines that have shaped him into the player he is today. The conversation covers everything from mental training with Tracy King and situational drills to tournament strategy, tennis parenting, ...
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  A Thousand Little Jobs 24.06.2026 1ч 36мин

  This episode is a practical, on-the-ground conversation about what it actually takes to run a college tennis program. With Johann Frühling reflecting on his experience as a first-time graduate assistant coach at St. Leo, and Pol O'Callaghan preparing to step into a coaching role at Ave Maria University, Steve walks through the thousand tasks a young coach must master, from scheduling and uniforms to fundraising, record keeping, academic compliance, and building relationships with support staf...
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  The State of College Tennis 17.06.2026 1ч 46мин

  Steve Smith and Dave Anderson are joined by NC State women's tennis coach Dave Secker and Spanish visitor Pol 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 Lak...
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  Two Lifers Talk Tennis 10.06.2026 1ч 31мин

  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 passio...
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  Back To Basics: The Overhead 03.06.2026 48мин

  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 s...
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  Back to Basics: The Volley 27.05.2026 59мин

  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 righ...
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  The Richmond Hill Reunion 20.05.2026 1ч 16мин

  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 jou...
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  Hatrick Mistakeikno 13.05.2026 36мин

  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 McEn...
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  Back To Basics: Grips 06.05.2026 43мин

  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 an...
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  The Madagascar Connection 29.04.2026 34мин

  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 federat...
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  Bridge Sports and Blind Spots 22.04.2026 57мин

  Steve Smith and Dave Anderson cover a wide range of topics on the latest episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, from submarine parenting and the three phases of truth in tennis teaching, to shoutouts for Dave Fish, the Bryan brothers, and the coaching tree that continues to grow through the GreatBase network. The centerpiece of the episode is a look at the surge of new racket sports, with a particular focus on Steve Bellamy's new game Type T and whether sports like pickleball can serve as g...
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  The Rebuttal and the Reality 15.04.2026 1ч 7мин

  Steve Smith and Dave Anderson pick up where they left off on the latest episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, turning their attention to Patrick McEnroe's official rebuttal to Wayne Bryan's open letter. Written during McEnroe's tenure as general manager of USTA Player Development, the response is polished and well-argued, but Steve and Dave feel it sidesteps too many of the hard questions Bryan raised. The conversation ranges from the structure of sectional play and the family versus feder...
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  Wayne Bryan's Wake Up Call 08.04.2026 1ч 38мин

  Steve Smith and Dave Anderson dedicate the latest episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast to a deep dive into Wayne Bryan's now-famous open letter to the USTA, a document that was written over a decade ago but reads as urgently relevant today. Dave reads the letter in full while the two hosts pause to reflect on each point, drawing on their own decades of experience in the trenches of American tennis development. The letter pulls no punches, taking aim at the under-10 mandate, the glut of for...