SMTC NewsletterJan-Feb 2015

IN THIS ISSUE:

Open Play dates

Hello Tournament – coming up February 8th

Friday night socials resume 2/20 - *Special discounted price ($5) through April! (Regsiter online at http://www.holtons.org/tennis)

New Members Welcome

Players on Call info

Important News – Membership Renewals are PAST DUE!

Tips to Improve Your Game - *New feature*

SMTC Results

Member Spotlights:

Dodo Cheney Leonard S. Strelzin

PLAY DATES:

Open Play dates (9a – 2p, Reed Park):

February 1 February 15 February 22 March 1 March 8 March 15

Sunday, February 8: HELLO TOURNAMENT

Join us at the annual Hello mixed doubles on Sunday, February 8. Each team will play at least two matches for the day. You may sign up with a partner, or solo and one will be assigned to you. Cost is $15 for everyone. The grand prize is two loge tickets to the PNB Paribas Open at Indian Wells for Tuesday, March 17th. Prizes will also be awarded to the second place and the winners of the loser’s bracket. If

you do not have partner ready to go, we can provide you with one. It will be a great tournament to start the year for the club, so sign up now at: http://www.holtons.org/tennis/tournament

FRIDAY NIGHT SOCIALS resume February 20th from 7 – 8:30pm at Reed Park. Challenge yourself against new opponents in the first of our monthly social evening matches. Format is round-robin, and pre-registration is mandatory. For a limited time, Friday Night Socials will only cost $5. Go to http://www.holtons.org/tennis to register. See you there!

MEMBERS PAGE:

The SMTC is starting the New Year 142-members strong. WELCOME to our newest members:

Jason Saculles - M 4.0/ 310-339-9903 Marco Zuniga –M. 4.0/ 714-454-3982 John Nave – M. 4.0 – phone withheld per request Miriam Billington – F. 3.0/ 310-386-1295

PLAYERS ON CALL LISTING

Rose Cohen has agreed to manage the Players on Call listing. This listing connects you with numerous players who want to play on days outside of regularly scheduled SMTC play dates. If you need to update your information, contact Rose at shherlock@yahoo.com Remember if you have not paid your dues, your name will be removed from the list on 2/1/2015.

IMPORTANT NEWS!

Membership renewals are due no later than January 31. If you haven’t yet renewed, do so now! Your membership gives you access to great tennis and the Players on Call list. Don’t delay; renew today!

UPDATES FROM AROUND THE CLUB….

*NEW FEATURE* Tennis Tips to Improve Your Game

Offensive & Defensive Tactics for the Deep, Sharp Cross-Court shot

Tennis is, among other things, a game of angles, especially when playing doubles. Finding and exploiting the angles depends on court positioning. One of the most common strokes in doubles is the deep, sharp cross-court shot. It is also the shot that tends to pull teams out of position the most. Let’s look at how to best position yourself to use this shot both offensively and defensively to gain advantage on the court.

Beginning in a 1-up/1-back formation, Team #1 sends a hard angle ground stroke to the opposing baseliner, drawing Team #2 off the court. But this is actually an opportunity for Team #2 because two distinct seams have been created through which it can hit – often with great success because Team #1 isout of position, as seen in Diagram B.

Diagram B shows that the net player from Team #1 moved into the center of the court early to poach.Simultaneously, the Team #1 baseliner recovered allthe way back to center mark to cover the middle. Theirpositioning has made this an easy put-away for Team#2, with two seams down wide-open court.

Team #1 could turn this situation around with more strategic positioning andthat all depends on one rule: FOLLOW THE BALL! The net player must always,always follow the ball.

When the shot goes out wide to Team #2, the netplayer from Team #1 needs to shift towards the side line, NOT themiddle, to cover the alley. They should also drop backa step to cut down the line angle past them as well asincrease reaction time, as seen in Diagram C.

The baseliner from Team #1 should recover to just inside the singles side line, while simultaneously moving forward (a confident player should charge the net) tocut down the extreme cross court angle that has been created, also seen in Diagram C.

Now Team #1 has the line covered with the net player; thebaseliner covers the middle and the hard cross court return,being placed in the middle of the two angles. Any shotattempted by Team #2 through the middle will either be cut offby the Team #1 net player as the ball travels across his body, orwill be scooped up by the baseliner as the angle of the shot ismoving towards her, as seen in Diagram D.

Defensively speaking, when Team #2 received the initial cross court shot, they should have returned the ball with another extreme angle and charged in behind it, as seen in Diagram E.

If the Team #2 net player follows the ball towards the side lineto cover the alley, the baseliner can cut all the cross court angles down by moving to the net and putting away the next volley through the open court down the middle

Understanding these angles is the key to controlling the point that starts with a deep cross-court angle, so practice making these adjustments in court positioning and see your strategy pay off in points won. Good luck and remember: It’s a great day to play!

Submitted by Pete Fox, a USPTA Certified Teaching Professional based in Santa Monica. Fox runs group classes through the SM Community Classes Office and offers private

classes, lessons and leagues via PeteFoxTennis. Visit his website at: www.petefoxtennis.com.

SMTC PLAYERS DOMINATE AT THE LA FLIGHT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LEAGUE

Congratulations to our SMTC members who participated in the USTA Fall '14 men's doubles. They ended their season with a 7-0 record, going undefeated in the Los Angeles Flight of Southern California league.

Jim Castagnola, Kevin Dwan, Sandy Gallardo, David King, Simon Lim, Sean Passan, and Eric Rabinowitz are now on their way to the Sectionals, which start on February 6 in in Laguna Niguel, where they’ll face opponents from all over Southern California.

Good job, gentleman, and good luck! You make SMTC proud!

SMTC Trips

Eight members enjoyed a weekend of tennis and fun at Shadow Mountain resort in Palm Desert January 17 – 19 where they brushed up on their strokes in a pro-sponsored clinic. Thanks to Dina Crump playing with us on Saturday afternoon so we had eight tennis players! The quality of tennis was superb. Attending the group was Kim Smither, her friend Susan Jolley (nice addition), Carmel Valencia, Rose Cohen, David King, Andy Hasan, and my friend, Ralph Downing. Winner of the “King of the Hill” was Kim and Andy. All of the matches were very close.

Off the courts, the group wined and dined under clear desert skies. Dates of future trips coming soon. Stay tuned!

TOURNAMENT UPDATES:

We had a great turn-out for the Turkey Shoot Tournament, with 24 members competing in two teams - the Pilgrims and the Natives. Thanks to all who participated and especially to those who donated cannedgoods. Your generosity added up to SMTC donating 50lbs of food and $130 in gift certificates to the Westside Food Bank. The Natives won this round, with each member receiving a $10 grocery certificate, but generously donated them back to the food bank. Congratulations to everyone who participated in making this a fun day of tennis and service:

o Patricia Ades o Samantha Barnetto Frank Burtono Jim Castagnolao Rose M Coheno Jane DuBovyo Brian Geddeso Carrie Goldo Anvar (Andy) Hasano Bill Henryo Thomas Holtono Bruce Jangero Carol Katzo David Kingo Moshi Lavio Jacqline Leeo Jeff Margulieso Meg Newlando Eric Rabinowitzo Ian Robertso Mike Schmidto Kim Smithero Stanley Weinbergo Harry Weisso Linda Penceo Marc Weisenfeldo Lisa Weisenfeld

INTERCLUB PLAY RESULTS

Mountain Gate Interclub – December 5, 2014.

Well, we went up the hill to the beautiful Mountain Gate facilities with twelve strong SMTC members and met twelve strong Mountain Gate members. After some years, we were invited by Carlos, the interclub

director, to come back and play. Just plain tennis, two straight sets, with a 10 pt. tiebreaker, no frills but excellent tennis. Mike Schmidt, with Kim Smither, won handily; Joel and Carrel Hoffman also won easily; Jim Castagnola and Kathy Reilly won, not easily, but enough. Tom Holton and Carol Katz lost in a close tie breaker. Andy Hasan and Jackie Lee also lost in a squeaker of a tie breaker and David King and Meg Newland had very tough competition, but also lost. Strangely enough, with the tie-breakers counting as one game, we came out even. Looking forward to playing the Mountain Gate team again soon!

Member Spotlight in memoriam: Dodo Cheney –

On November 23, 2014, Dorothy “Dodo” Cheney, one of the first honorary members of SMTC and daughter of one of the founders of Santa Monica Tennis Club, passed away. She was 98 years old.

The daughter of International Tennis Hall of Famer May Sutton Bundy, Dodo truly made tennis a lifetime sport, playing from the time she was a child into her 90s. Ten times between 1937 and 1946, she was ranked inside the U.S. Top 10. In 1938, she became the first American woman to win the Australian Championships. Dodo also reached the semifinals of the French and Wimbledon, and was a four-time semifinalist at the U.S. Championships. An outstanding doubles player, Dodo was a three-time runner-up in women’s doubles at the majors, and four-time finalist in mixed doubles.

But it was outside of the majors where Dodo made a major impact on our sport, winning a remarkable 391 gold balls—emblematic of USTA National titles—in an extraordinary career that saw her playing for titles in her 90s. In 2004, Dodo received the same recognition earlier awarded her mother, as she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Throughout her life, Dodo personified all that is great about our sport; her great grace, singular class, and competitive spirit defining her as a true champion. She was an indomitable presence in our sport, a presence that will be sorely missed. But her legacy as a champion and as an inspiration to us all will long endure. Our sincere sympathies go out to Dodo’s many friends, as well as her daughters, May and Christie, her son, Brian; and her eight grandchildren.

Provided by Dave Haggerty | Chairman, CEO and President |USTA

From Mark Winter of the Southern California Tennis Association also wrote a complete look at the careerof Dodo, including several beautiful photos. Check it out at: http://www.scta.usta.com/tennis_news/the_grande_dame_dodo_cheney_departs/

In Memoriam 2:

Leonard S. Strelzin, 76, passed away peacefully on December 16th, 2014. Len or "Lenny" to his friends, was born on July 1, 1938 to Jean and Mannie Strelzin in New York City but spent most of his childhood and all of his adult life in Los Angeles. He was a long-time volunteer, a passionate tennis player and longtime member of the SMTC. He was also a devout fan of the LA sports teams, especially the Lakers. Strelzin is survived by two adult children, Mark and Audrey and four grandchildren. Any donations in his memory can be made to The City of Hope.

Published in the Los Angeles Times on Dec. 21, 2014

SMTC members enjoy the views off and on the courts at Shadow Mountain

Between sets, a little air guitar keeps Ralph Downing's spirits high