Setting the Stage for the 1994 Hawaii Open The 1994 Hawaii Open was the first tour event in Hawaii since the Seiko Super tournament in 1984. Destination: Oahu North Shore, famous for surfing Site: Turtle Bay Hilton Golf & Tennis Resort, popular vacation spot for visitors and Kama’aina The first IBM/ATP tournament of the year, the 1994 […]
USA vs. Argentina at Mauna Lani Resort Racquet Club Some of you probably remember the most recent 2020 Davis Cup Tie — USA vs. Uzbekistan, played on Oahu last year at the Blaisdell Center. Thankfully, it took place right before the pandemic! The tennis fans of Hawaii had the privilege of witnessing the Bryan brothers […]
AM Stringing Expands its Borders — Serving all Hawaiian Islands After 35 years of servicing the Oahu tennis community, AM Stringing expands its borders, bringing tennis services and sales to Kailua-Kona. You can find me at the AM Stringing Pro Shop located at the Royal Kona Resort Tennis Club. Currently, AM Stringing is the only […]
Royal Kona Resort, Director of Tennis Announcement I have an important announcement to make. My life is coming full circle! Getting back to my roots and heading into a new chapter of my life—as the Royal Kona Resort Director of Tennis in Kailua-Kona. I feel fortunate to have held the Director of Tennis position at […]
It’s Not Goodbye — It’s A Hui Hou! As many of you know, my wife, Heather, and I are moving to the Big Island to be closer to my parents and assist at the family homestead. Accepting the role of Director of Tennis at the Royal Kona Resort Tennis Club is the icing on the […]
Tennis Tournament History: Waialae Iki 5 — Home of the USTA Women’s Circuit of Hawaii The Gentry Companies, residential and commercial developers, sponsored the first official USTA Women’s Circuit of Hawaii tournament held September 30th to October 6th, 1985, at one of its newest developments, Waialae Iki 5. 32 women competed for a total of […]
This past summer, I designed a tennis serve drill lesson for an online summer camp and thought I would share this with you! This may SERVE as a quick tip to help improve your technique and a fun challenge for you to try. Back story . . . When I filmed this video, I was […]
Whether you’re looking for your first racquet, upgrading your current racquet model, or changing to something different, it can be an overwhelming process. But it doesn’t have to be. I’ve compiled these tips to help you properly demo a tennis racquet with customized stringing. Stringing is a key component! Test Driving a Demo Racquet — […]
Ever wonder why your racquet head is worn only on one side (usually at 10:00 for righties and 2:00 for lefties)? Low backhand volleys typically cause this, and you’re probably a one-sided player. Ever wonder why your strings seem to break more frequently than other players? It’s mainly attributed to excessive spin on forehands and […]
Hawaii Tennis History Memorabilia and Relics Want to join me for a walk down Memory Lane? Well, you’re in luck because YouTube channel, Tennis Ninja TV’s Shane Cashen, visited me this week. His goal? To film me while I share some of my experiences in tennis. In particular, the Hawaii tennis history memorabilia I’ve collected from various […]
Mysterious $800 Futuristic Tennis Racquet Would you pay $800 for a new state of the art futuristic tennis racquet? That’s how much this mysterious racquet would cost if you bought it today! I first laid eyes on this historic but then revolutionary coal-black racquet with yellow racing stripes in 1977. I had volunteered as a […]
My colleague and good friend Shane Cashen recently created a YouTube channel called Tennis Ninja TV. Shane is the media presenter dedicated to bringing the best and coolest content regarding the sport of tennis in the State of Hawaii! Interviews with tennis personalities Reviews on tennis products Various discussions of the sport Favorite on-court workouts Insights […]
Photo from Island Holidays Pro Tennis Classic 1978 Tournament Program Cover Backstory — Island Holidays Pro Tennis Classic The Island Holidays Pro Tennis Classic (aka Hawaii Open), was a $100,000 men’s tournament. Hosted by the Royal Lahaina Tennis Ranch — Kaanapali, Maui — it was part of the Grand Prix circuit from 1974-1984. The tournament […]
I find myself more and more reminiscing about my early days in tennis. I was 14 when I first started playing. At that age, I had no idea that tennis history was in the making in my home town of Kona. Right about then, Hawaii hosted the Avis Challenge Cup, showcasing the world’s top professional […]
Groundstroke Tennis Training Aid — The History of the TopspinPro About five years ago, I discovered the TopspinPro, one of the most innovative groundstroke tennis training aids I’ve seen in a long time. Since then, I’ve been using it every day on the courts. But recently, because I couldn’t get on the courts during the […]
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