April Cat Tales Magazine

A P R I L

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SPRING ‘WHEEL OF FUN’ GOLF LEADS TO EARLY RETIREMENT THE TENNIS & FITNESS SHOP REVAMPED!

APRIL 2016

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we know you’re excited.

MEN’S GOLF OPENING DAY Saturday, April 16 | 8:30 a.m. Breakfast • 10:00 a.m. Shotgun

ABCD PAIRINGS • BEST-TWO-OF-FOUR NET • 100% HANDICAP Included in the Tournament Club or $100

Breakfast & Lunch included: Omelet Station | Fresh Fruit | Bagels | Scrambled Eggs | Country Sausage | Applewood Bacon Hash Browns | Sausage Hash Brown Casserole | Apple Streusel French Toast Bake Philly Cheesesteak Wraps | Chicken Breast | Turkey Reuben | Shrimp Salad | Chicken Salad Cookies & Brownies | Orzo Salad | Broccoli Slaw | BBQ Jerk Housemade Potato Chips

LEADERSHIP E X E C U T I V E

C O M M I T T E E

Howard Feldman, President | howard.feldman@cfmktg.com Seth Lee,Vice President | slee@summittalentgroup.com Scott Nicholson, Treasurer | snichlsn@gmail.com Steve Schrenk, Secretary | sschrenk@eqrworld.com Dick Lombardo, Past President | dlombardo@harkinsbuilders.com B O A R D

O F

D I R E C T O R S Jeff Martin Mike Jack Colton O’Donoghue Lurdes Abruscato Sean Battle Mike Malone Scott Segrist Eileen Dietz Ray Ignacio

C O M M I T T E E S Golf - Scott Segrist | ssegrist@apexhomeloans.com Junior Golf - Scott Allen | sallene3@verizon.net Green - Colton O’Donoghue | odonoghueclan@verizon.net Membership - Lurdes Abruscato | lurdesabruscato@aol.com Finance - Scott Nicholson | snichlsn@gmail.com House - Steve Schrenk | sschrenk@eqrworld.com Tennis - Eileen Dietz | eileendietz@verizon.net Swim Team - Lisa Noss | lap0811@yahoo.com Audit Committee - Ray Ignacio | raymond.ignacio@verizon.net Compensation Committee - Seth Lee | slee@summittalentgroup.com CCWGA Chair - Sondra Rappaport | sondrarappaport@verizon.net

M A N A G E M E N T Gregory Colombo General Manager greg.colombo@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 231 Kim Kordon Controller kim.kordon@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 232 Chris Harriman Golf Course Superintendent chris@cattailcreekcc.com 410.489.9178 Gabby Forte Membership Director gabby@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 233 Katie Thompson Communications Director katie.t@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 241 Bob Wampler Head Golf Professional bob@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 222 John Foelber Director of Fitness john@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 249 Alex Justiniani Director of Tennis alex@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 265 Tom Caswell Executive Chef tom.caswell@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 246 Jennifer Turowski Catering Director jennifer@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 234 Samantha Smith Dining Room Manager samantha.s@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 396 Jacob Ironside Food & Beverage Manager jacob.i@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 397 Rob Anderson Facilities Engineer rob.anderson@cattailcreekcc.com ext. 247 C L U B

P H O N E

N U M B E R S

Main Clubhouse 410.489.4653 Golf Shop 410.489.5224 Tennis & Fitness Pro Shop 410.989.3683 Green Department 410.489.9178

CCWTA President - Chari Mellner | chariandlee@aol.com

STAY CONNECTED

FACEBOOK cattailcreekcc cattailcreekcountryclub cattailcreektennis

INSTAGRAM cattailcreekcc

APRIL 2016

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MDH (

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Jennifer Turowski, Catering Director, has some great ideas when it comes to throwing awesome birthday parties at the Club. Check out some of her capabilities on page 7!

D E PA R T M E N T S :

5. GENERAL MANAGER NOTES Upcoming Room Closures Welcome, New Members!

6. MEMBERSHIP & CLUBHOUSE Birthday Parties Ricky Serrano, Director of Golf Instruction explains the benefit of practicing short irons shots in this month’s ‘Ricky’s Tip’ on page 13.

at Cattail SpringCreek ‘Wheel of Fun’ Joining Incentive

Upcoming Events Birthday Parties at Cattail Creek Delicious menus to appease even the pickiest of eaters (Allergy friendly food available)

F E AT U R E S :

6. SPRING ‘WHEEL OF FUN’ JOINING INCENTIVE

8. GOLF & GREEN

Fun themes to entertain kids of all ages

The Green Report (Think: Magicians, Clowns, Animal Shows, Tea Parties, Cooking Classes & More!)

2016 USGA Rule Changes

A hassle-free and mess-free day for you

13. GOLF LEADS TO EARLY RETIREMENT

Bunker todoBunker (We the setup & cleaning) Golf Shop News Contact

15. THE TENNIS & FITNESS PRO SHOP IS REVAMPED!

Jennifer

Turowski,

Catering

Director to begin planning your child's Golf Leads tonext Early Retirement party!

Ricky’sJennifer@cattailcreekcc.com Tip 410.489.4653 x234

14. TENNIS Be Willing to Lose Be Like the Best The Tennis & Fitness Pro Shop is Revamped!

On the Cover: The Greens are growing in and the trees are blossoming; overlooking the Lower Patio on a warm March afternoon.

CAT TALES 2016

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U P C O M I N G R O O M

N O T E S

C L O S U R E S

S AT U R D AY,

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Except for the 36 inches of snow in January, I am finally enjoying the milder winter temperatures and

Dinner – Clubhouse

climate I expected three years ago. It was wonderful to see the increased golf activity in March and a

(Comedy Night)

much earlier start to tennis this month than the previous two seasons. I think everyone is eager and S U N D AY,

anxious to get their respective seasons underway.

(Private Member Event)

managers and staff have been working diligently on many of the projects discussed at the meeting for the upcoming season. The country club world has changed over the last few years, and we can

T U E S D AY,

either embrace it or be left behind. We live in a technology driven society and I prefer to make advancements we will be utilizing: the new Golf Genius scoring system for live and digital scoring of

1 0

Lunch – Grille Room

Thank you to everyone that attended the Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 10. As promised, the

the advancements ‘my friend’ instead of ‘my foe’ and use them for good and not evil. Some of the

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Dinner – Cattail Room (Food, Nutrition & Your Body)

golf events, a 60 day trial period for GolfBoards beginning around April 15 and a Cattail Creek Country

S AT U R D AY,

Club app for your iPhone or Android device to make using your Club even easier, which is currently

M AY

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Dinner - Clubhouse

in development stages.

(Private Member Event)

We are all very excited to be one of the first Clubs in the country to implement some of these offerings and we continue to look for ways to improve your experience at Cattail. In the race for

S AT U R D AY,

M AY

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Dinner - Clubhouse

excellence there is no finish line, we intend to do what is best for the Club each and every day.

(Private Member Event)

Greg Colombo, CCM General Manager

WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS! HENGGELER FAMILY Franz, Amber, Conrad & Rowan

MR. THOMAS O’HAGAN AMATO FAMILY Anthony, Jill & Heather

C AT TA I L

C R E E K

WOMEN'S GOLF

FIPPS FAMILY Paul, Amy, Grace & Ruby

ROECKLEIN FAMILY Bryan, Leslie, Aaron & Isabella

MORTON FAMILY Michael, Kina, Gavin & Ethan

MELLON/WEISACOSKY FAMILY Michael, Heather & Ben

WELCOME BACK, JENKINS FAMILY! Rodney, Unjin, Shin Yeon, Shin Ji, Matthew & Ty

Opening Day

TUESDAY, APRIL 12 10:00 A.M. SHOT GUN LUNCH AFTER PLAY

COmplimentary golf event for FEBRUARY 2016

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C AT TA I L C R E E K ’ S 2 0 1 6

WHeel of fun!

New Social and Golf Members have the opportunity to spin the wheel for amazing prizes!

Prizes include: $1,000 off Initiation | Crazy for Cattail Baskets | Tournament Club Memberships | Fitness Packages | $750 off Initiation | Free Guest Passes | Claude’s Jungle Juice Baskets | Rounds of Golf | Boot Camp Classes | Kid Swim Lessons | Pro Shop Credits | Dinners for Four

and so much more!

Join earlier for a chance at the best prizes!

The most desirable prize ‘pie pieces’ will continuously be removed as the prime season approaches.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR, GABBY FORTE: gabby@cattailcreekcc.com | 410.489.4653 ext. 233 *Please note that prize options change with the Membership catagory.

FEBRUARY 2016

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A P R I L & M AY

UPCOMING EVENTS COMEDY NIGHT Saturday, April 9 FOOD, NUTRITION, YOUR BODY COOKING CLASS Tuesday, April 12 WOMEN’S GOLF OPENING DAY Tuesday, April 12 MEN’S GOLF OPENING DAY Saturday, April 16 PRIME RIB NIGHT Friday, April 22 ADULT TRIVIA NIGHT Saturday, April 23 KID’S ACTIVITY FAIR & CROCS SWIM SUIT FITTING Sunday, April 24 MEN’S GOLF GUEST DAY Wednesday, April 27 CCWTA SPRING KICK-OFF PARTY Thursday, April 28 DAVIS CUP CHALLENGE Saturday, April 30

Birthday Parties at Cattail Creek

GOLF DEMO DAY WEEKEND Saturday, April 30 - Sunday, May 1 OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT: KUNG FU PANDA 3 Friday, May 6 MEN’S TENNIS MEMBER-GUEST Saturday, May 7

INTERESTED IN THIS OFFER OR ANY

Delicious menus to appease even the pickiest of eaters (Allergy friendly food available) Fun themes to entertain kids of all ages (Think: Magicians, Clowns, Animal Shows, Tea Parties, Cooking Classes & More!)

A hassle-free and mess-free day for you (We do the setup & cleaning)

OTHER CATERING OPPORTUNITIES? Contact Jennifer Turowski, Catering Director She would love to help you out!

Jennifer@cattailcreekcc.com 410.489.4653 ext. 234

Contact Jennifer Turowski, Catering Director to begin planning your child's next party!

Jennifer@cattailcreekcc.com 410.489.4653 x234

FEBRUARY 2016

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THE GREEN REPORT CHRIS HARRIMAN [GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT]

The new approach area on #11 provides an inviting and more playable angle for this challenging hole.

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It has been an incredible start to the 2016 agronomic season. As I look back through the old newsletters and blog posts, we have never been completely finished with aeration by the end of March. The temperatures and absence of snow have been in our favor, so we are excited to have all of April to get the Course details quickly dialed-in.

As I eluded to, we are finished with Spring Aeration! The greens are making an effort to fill in and they should be putting nicely by the respective Opening Days. We will not be aerating the greens again with large tines until next spring. The tees and fairways which have been aerated, verticut and topdressed are also healing in. In total, we have put almost 500 tons of sand on our greens, tees and fairways. The sand topdressing helps water infiltrate the surface, protects the plant from mower, cart and golfer traffic and helps firm up the surface. Most importantly, the sand fills up aerification holes so that air and water can reach the roots of the turf thus promoting a deep, healthy root system. As the creeping bentgrass grows over the aerification holes, roots drive through the sand channels. Over the next few weeks our playing surfaces will be healed and playing beautifully.

In addition to completing all of our cultural practices for the spring in March, we also finished up our three major Golf Course Improvement Projects for the year. The renovated tees on #3, as well as the new approaches on #8 and #11 are actively growing, and we hope to open them for play in early April. These projects, which have been greatly detailed on the Blog, will go a long way in increasing playability, improving pace of play and improving the overall quality of the Golf Course. We are excited to have these projects completed and are looking forward to manicuring them for the season.

With the warmer temperatures we know more activity will pick up on the Golf Course. We would like to remind all golfers to be aware of and fix their own ball marks on the greens. The cart rules will remain the same as last year; no cart traffic is allowed on #5 and #6 along with the par 3 holes. Cart access rules are posted on the card in the roof of your cart. Cart traffic should be concentrated in the fairways and not in the rough or on the mounds. All carts should gently start to exit the fairways at or before the black and white recycled plastic posts that we place in the fairways. Most importantly, scatter your traffic to a fresh area; do not follow exactly where someone else has been. These simple rules will helpThese keep theshow Course images the newconsistent and beautiful.

Keepweup Green modifications will with be doingthe to #8 and Department Blog for updates ondark everything from how #11. The green area represents the fast the grass is growing to the

progress on the new project grow-ins. We are looking forwards to another great season!

extended first cut, and the light green

shows the new approach area.

What’s New for the 2016 Season Important USGA Rules Changes TYLER CHAPLIN [FIRST ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL]

There are three major rule changes for the 2016 season. The first change Adam Scott highlighted on the PGA Tour when he had to switch over to a non-anchored putting stroke, the second rule to change will be affecting a lot of golfers who like to sneak in a quick round by themselves, and the last rule change is a withdrawal of a rule. It has been changed for the better-especially on a windy day here at Cattail Creek. Check out the details below: 1. Prohibition on Anchoring the Club While Making a Stroke : (As announced in May 2013, the new Rule 14-1b Anchoring the Club) prohibits anchoring the club either “directly” or by use of an “anchor point” in making a stroke. The penalty is loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play.

2. Playing alone and necessary peer review: (To further support the key System premise of peer review, scores made while playing alone will no longer be acceptable for handicap purposes.) This change underscores the importance of providing full and accurate information regarding a player’s potential scoring ability, and the ability of other players to form a reasonable basis for supporting or disputing a posted score. (Section 5-1: Acceptability of Scores) 3. Withdrawal of Rule on Ball Moving after Address - Rule 18-2b (Ball Moving after Address) has been withdrawn. This means that if a ball at rest moves after the player addresses it, the player is no longer automatically deemed to have caused the ball to move. A one-stroke penalty under Rule 18-2 will be applied only when the facts show that the player has caused the ball to move.

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BUNKER to BUNKER

help to keep the tension and anxiety levels down.

4. Develop your ability to strike the golf ball with a full (or partial) swing - Practice with all of your clubs, in a wide variety of situations and conditions. Work on the feeling of

From Beginner to Expert – How to Lower your Scores in 2016 As we enter into prime golf season

and many years of experience to

here in Maryland, I would like to share

even come close to realizing one’s

with you some thoughts on how to

potential.

make 2016 your best golf year yet.

• Both require motivation to learn

Whether you are brand new to the

and

game or a scratch player, these tips

approach.

will help guide your development and

improve

your

chances

of

accomplishing your goals.

and

a

systematic

light and you swing in rhythm, you’ll be amazed how much further the and try to kill it.

5. Get out and play - After all, this game is supposed to be fun! Practice

• Both are assisted considerably by taking lessons from a professional, knowledgeable

and

reputable

When working with Members on

instructor.

the lesson tee, I often try to think

•

back to what it was like for me as

become more fun and ultimately

a complete beginner. Many of you

more rewarding.

skill

golf ball. When your grip pressure is

ball goes than when you over swing

improve,

As

solid contact and “compressing” the

is important, but playing the game is how you will truly develop your ability to make good decisions and improve your course management.

level

improves,

both

6. Above all else, you will have the best chance to improve if you: 1. Establish clear and realistic goals

may not know this, but playing the piano is my favorite hobby when

My piano instructor used a systematic

I am away from the Club.

2. Have a true desire to improve

I think

approach, with the mindset that you

there are some great comparisons

have to crawl before you can walk.

between learning how to play piano

Relating this back to golf, I think the

4. Focus (visual and mental)

and learning how to play better golf.

following steps will give you the best

5. Persevere

Here are a few:

chance to improve your golf game

• There are “hackers” (beginners)

Ricky Serrano, Director of Instruction,

in 2016:

and there are PGA Tour players

1. Learn to putt well – Try to get to

(professional concert pianists).

the point where you average two

• A concert or recital is analogous to a match or tournament (at whatever level).

• Playing songs is analogous to playing golf on the course, (and playing songs with someone else around watching is like playing golf with others watching), as opposed

putts per green.

Three putting a

green counts the same on your scorecard as whiffing a tee shot.

2.

CAT TALES 2016

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practice,

improvement in your golf game this year. We have a passion for coaching and sharing our love for this great excellent 2016 golf season at Cattail

Putting Green and Short Game Area

Creek. See you on the Golf Course

than you do hitting drivers on the

soon!

driving range.

pre-shot routine - Find a pre-shot

expertise,

to aid in the development and

game, and we are all excited for an

and exercises.

technical

would welcome the opportunity

pitching - Spend more time on the

3. Develop and stick to a consistent

of

and our other PGA Professionals

Work on your chipping and

to just practicing or working on drills

• Both endeavors require a lot

3. Maintain motivation

routine that you can adhere to and rely on when it is time to make the swing.

A good routine will really

Everything for golf,

MEN’S

GUEST DAY WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

11:00 a.m. - Lunch on the Lower Patio 12:30 p.m. - Shotgun Start Dinner after play concludes including: Carved Flat Iron Steak Pork Tenderloin Baby Marble Potatoes Roasted Asparagus Herb Encrusted Codfish Caesar Salad Seafood Alfredo Cookies Ice Cream Sundae Bar $125++ pp for golf, prizes, beverages & food | $145.25 inclusive

d included! Bring n bar & foo an im e p o m port u i r y o o u r r e n b t e r m s a t p ant buddy! ss e n P re i s u b FEBRUARY 2016

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PRO SHOP NEWS

GREETINGS

FROM

S PA R T I N A

449

LAUREN BURNS [MERCHANDISING COORDINATOR]

This year, Spartina 449 truly expanded their Greetings

treasures. This collection is more subdued, with a muted

From offerings.

Last year, they found great success

blue, white sands, and bright reds. The Northeastern

with the Sea Islands collection, so they expanded up the

Harbors Map includes Long Island, Cape Cod, and

Atlantic Coast with two more map collections. Offered

everything in between!

in the Greetings From Collection are: zip wristlets, beach

SEA ISLANDS

towels, two versions of greeting cards & lined envelopes,

Plot your dreamy day in St. Simons, hit the links on

ruled notebooks, and scarves.

Kiawah, plan a trip to Tybee, admire the palmettos on

BAY DREAMS

Amelia or enjoy the harbor lights of Hilton Head. This

Juxtaposed by picturesque Delaware Bay beaches,

collection is a bit more colorful, with brighter blues,

this beautiful region is brimming with venerated

pinks, and a lighter navy. The Sea Islands Map includes

sailing vessels, guiding lighthouses and steaming pots

Myrtle Beach, Jacksonville and everything in between.

of blue craps. This collection is a true light blue, with

These new map collections are only the beginning of the

lots of green and white surrounding the Bay. The Bay

new items Spartina 449 has to offer this season. They

Dreams Map includes Washington D.C, Atlantic City and

came out with four new linen patterns and a plethora of

everything in between (like Baltimore)! I currently have

accessories (especially jewelry)! For the Greetings From

the lined notebooks, scarf, and beach towels in stock.

collection, I did not stock any items from the Northeastern

NORTHEASTERN HARBORS

Harbors or Sea Islands collection, so please let me know

Be it bicycling on Martha’s Vineyard, celeb-spotting in

if you are interested, and we will put together an order!

the Hamptons or “bluffing” the Nantucket cliffs, these

I hope this helps to solve any questions about Mother’s

shores are rich with simple pleasures and historic

Day gifts, as well.

how to control one’s emotions or receive an invitation to play with the Chief Executive Officer, some things they will just have to trust us on!

So, we sign them up for PGA Junior League without

LEADS

TO

E A R LY

RETIREMENT K.J. MCCLAY [ASSISTANT GOLF PROFESSIONAL]

their discretion. We yearn for an inkling that golf could possibly come before the Xbox, Playstation4, or sleepover. For the more serious kids, we decide that this year we will sign up for Junior Academy to get that ‘one on one’ attention from Ricky, Bob, K.J. and Tyler. Yet again, not holding our breath waiting for that

As parents, we push, we encourage, we can be

‘thank you’ that tends to come a lot later down the

overbearing, perhaps even a little obnoxious, but

road. To make them feel better about all they have just

these things are all in an attempt to give our children

endured, we allow them to head into the Professional

the best advantage we can before it’s time for them to

Shop to see Lauren, so they can buy the newest

solely embark on this journey we call life. We lie awake,

trinket, the hottest driver, or the nicest jacket on the

pondering our approach to effectively communicate

rack. You see, getting your child involved in golf has

strategies for handling different situations they

its benefits in the long run, much like placing money

may encounter on a day-to-day basis. We seek

away toward a retirement fund. The earlier you start,

opportunities to sit down with them and explain the

the more rewarding it can prove to be down the line.

many ways to get ahead in life. We beat dead horses,

All of which supports the economy in more ways than

just to come to the conclusion that they will learn how

one has time to describe! Get them involved sooner

to carry them selves in a respectful manner, learn how

rather than later and prepare them for life through

to manage time, be sociable, like-able, and ultimately

experiencing a game that is no better representative

learn how to play the game of a lifetime - Golf. We have

for decision making. There is no such thing as failure,

been there and done that, and we truly understand

unless they accept that as the end result. Take dead

what this game can do for us all. Whether it is learning

aim, tee it high, and let it fly!

LEARN TO PLAY 3/4 SHOTS There’s

no

doubt

more

than

enough short iron practice will improve your scoring faster than most other training regimes, even if you include plenty of finesse shots in the sessions. In other words, hit half and three quarter shots to your target, instead of full swings.

Practice hitting 8 iron shots as far as you hit your full pitching wedge, and then practice your 7 iron as far as you hit your 9 iron and so on. If you do this kind of practice you’ll soon develop feel and touch faster,

R I C KY ’ S T I P

not only for regular shots, but also when you’re playing in windy conditions and hitting recovery shots.

FEBRUARY 2016

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BE LIKE THE

BEST

BOBBY COZZILLIO [ASSISTANT DIR. OF TENNIS]

Novak Djokovic is having one of the most dominant and historic winning streaks in tennis history. In the next few lines we will try to find ways to copy what has made him so dominant.

B E W I L L I N G TO LO S E . . .

CHRIS COZZILLIO [HEAD TENNIS PRO]

USTA season is quickly approaching, and our competitive juices are flowing.

Some of us played in leagues over the winter break, but for the most part, the winter season was spent honing skills and tinkering with the parts of our games that need improvement. I’ve witnessed firsthand how hard a lot of you have been working to try and get better—making necessary grip changes, changing mechanics, learning topspin, trying to be more aggressive, etc. But implementing all of that hard work can be overwhelmed by competition. We can fall into old habits out of comfortability. The best way to get better is to be willing to lose. To me, if you lose 6-0, but feel like you hit topspin the entire time, that’s the win. If you win, but win with the same old habits, that can hinder your growth more than losing. Here are some of the most common errors I see as a coach: CONTINENTAL DRIFT: A lot of my lessons have been focused on teaching the continental grip, or hammer grip, for the serve, slice, and volleys.

Being one of the toughest things to learn if we haven’t used it in the past, the continental grip can feel awkward and be frustrating.

Often, once

competition begins, we will abandon it and go back to the old serve or the old volleys.

ALLIGATOR ARMS: This is probably the most common among all ability levels. In lessons and clinics, we swing freely, not caring whether we miss a shot or make a shot. Often this means the strokes look better and your pro is undoubtedly impressed. Then your pro walks by during a USTA match and says, “Who is that?” We can become tentative and thus develop “Alligator arms.” This comes from the fear of missing, so we try to stop our swings in an effort to control the ball. Let it rip! Your tennis game will benefit from it.

2ND SERVES: This goes hand in hand with the two listed above. Often times I will see someone hit their first serve 130 miles per hour—then when that one misses, they hit the second serve…….4 miles per hour. Crush the first one, dink the second one. This can be dangerous when playing a tough player, because as soon as the first serve misses, you are immediately on defense after poking in that second serve. My recommendation is to find a middle ground—a solid serve, moderately paced, with some spin. Make that serve your 1st and 2nd serve…increasing your 1st serve percentage, making

CAT TALES 2016

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1. Play the percentages: Novak never plays too passively or too aggressively. He is the king of playing at a level “just right.” By playing at a controllable level without playing too tentative he is able to dictate play at a sustainable level.

2. Play with confidence: Novak is not afraid to hit the right shot at the right time. Many recreational players will find themselves playing “not to lose” instead of playing to win. When the score is close or when there is an important point, players will slip back into what is comfortable and not always trust their aggressive second serve or offensive lob. This kind of thinking leads to tense strokes and nervous errors. Copy that winning attitude. (Check out Chris’s article for what to be aware of!)

3. Have fun: Part of being able to relax and play well in pressure situations is having a mindset that tennis is only a game. If you are too stressed about the outcome of a match or particular shot, you will be less likely to win. Novak is a very competitive player and NEEDS to win as much as he WANTS to win, but he is always having fun. You can go online (which I encourage you to do) and see Novak goofing around with ball kids or fans. By not taking himself too seriously, Novak is able to stay relaxed even when he is competing for Grand Slam Titles or millions of dollars!

Try to copy these championship qualities and tactics, and you will find yourself playing like the best!

The Tennis & Fitness Shop REVAMPED! ALEX JUSTINIANI [DIRECTOR OF TENNIS]

This will be the fourth season that the Tennis & Fitness Pro Shop has been operating, and it continues to grow and evolve with each season. Our sales at the shop steadily increase each year, which has given us a great understanding as to what our Members are looking for with all of their Tennis and Fitness needs.

During the offseason, we made some enhancements once we identified what our best-selling brands and products are, determined what best practices to implement and tracked what it is that brings Members into our shop. Below you will find some new concepts that we know will bring you in more often, while you continue to enjoy great products at fantastic Mill-River pricing.

• MORE CONSISTENT HOURS - Tuesday thru Friday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. During our analysis, we found out that most of our sales were during these times.

• FOCUS ON SPECIAL ORDERS – A focal point for the Shop will be to increase special order sales. USTA team orders, Under Armour, specialty gifts, as well other products have really been successful in the past year. We are determined to offer and expose the benefits of special ordering through our shop to all Members that shop with us.

• RACQUET REPAIR DROP OFF/PICK UP – Two of our challenges have been to get more foot traffic thru the shop, as well as to have a consistent place to drop-off and/or pick-up your racquet to be restrung. Problem solved! Now you can drop-off and pick-up at the Shop with consistent operating hours. If you need advice for strings and tension, our Professionals will be available to discuss options, as well.

• MORE SHOE SELECTIONS – During our analysis, we found that tennis shoes have been our biggest seller for the shop. Therefor we increased the options available to you.

We now offer Asics, Wilson and Babolat shoes in stock and as always we can special order any shoe you want.

• MORE RACQUET SELECTIONS – We also increased our selections of racquets with the best three racquet manufacturers in the indusrty. We offer a great selection from Wilson, Babolat and Head racquets. All will be available through the Tennis & Fitness Pro Shop.

We hope you enjoy the enhancements we have made to the Tennis & Fitness Pro Shop, and we hope you choose to shop with us.

APRIL 2016

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Outdoor Summer MOVIE SERIES

Friday, May 6

6:30 P.M. DINNER • 9:00 P.M. MOVIE Lower Patio Bar Open for Concessions & Cocktails Optional Dinner Buffet • Movie Complimentary

Fridays during the summer!

CHECK OUT THE ADDITIONAL DATES AND MOVIES BELOW Friday, June 10 | Finding Nemo Friday, July 1 | Christmas in July (Member Choice - Vote on the June website poll!)

Friday, August 5 | Flashback Friday (Member Choice - Vote on the July website poll!)

Friday, September 2 | Zootopia CAT TALES 2016

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