I love the video instruction on John Frausto's topspintennis.com and on his 53 Drills for Better Tennis DVD (co-produced with noted tennis coach Oscar Wegner) because it makes learning the strokes so easy. To begin with, the lessons are all very short, just a minute or two long, so you don't need to invest much time, You can watch a tip or two and then go practice. The tips are great because there is hardly anything that you need to think about. Instead, the drills help to give you a feel for the various strokes. It is as though your natural athleticism takes over, rather than your intellectual ability. (The last thing you want is the instructor to give you a laundry list of things to remember!)
John and Oscar talk a lot about stroking the ball as though you are playing with your hands, Indeed, one of my favorites on the website is the one-handed backhand progression, which takes you through four quick exercises. You actually start out by returning a foam ball with the back of your hand -- no racquet yet! After years of trying to master the one-handed backhand, this little drill helped me immeasurably. It gave me a feel for how relaxed my hand needs to be and how much I need to turn sideways to the ball in order to simply get it over the net. I was able to translate this effortlessly into stroking the ball using a racquet.
John's enthusiasm and his unpretentious manner are endearing. His eyeglasses look like something an actuary would wear. They're great. Also, he and his brother Jason, who is on the website videos, have beautiful strokes.
Michael Krupa, Indian Mills, New Jersey
Having studied tennis theory for 25 years, I've witnessed Oscar Wegner's crusade to modernize coaching and train teachers how best to teach Modern Tennis finally bear fruit in the USA. Some of us "got it" faster than others.
And then there is the top class of elite teachers to which I believe John Frausto belongs. To watch him integrate Modern Tennis Methodology and the concepts of "topspin tennis" into his teaching and into his club has been a beautiful thing to see.
Tennis needs more teachers like John who are not only passionate about passing on the best techniques they can find, but who truly understand how to make the sport grow and make tennis one of the simplest sports to play well. Not only Wisconsin but anyone who joins his website or his club will find world class tennis coaching.
You don't have to go anywhere else to play like the pros, just look up John Frausto. He'll get you there quickly.
John Carpenter, Modern Tennis Methodology Certification Director, MTM Pro, PTR Pro, Irvine-California
As an educator, I am here to tell you the world of tennis does not need another coach; it needs more teachers like John Frausto. This man's ingenuity to partner with one of the world's premier tennis teachers, Oscar Wegner, and revolutionize tennis instruction by creating a 24/7 on demand video library of tennis resources is a testament to his commitment to teaching and the game of tennis.
Beginner or advanced, this tennis resource is a must have for players, coaches, and parents.
Bradley Kayden, MHR, Youth Sports Instructor--Chicago