I Need More Power, Coach By Mike Puc

By Luke Jensen

Jensen Zone fans, we are ALL in this together! We are one big global team getting back up from the latest hit that knocked us down. I am so enthusiastic about the ability to move forward and come out of this even greater as a society. I feel that the greatest learning tool, in anything you do in life, is to listen and watch what is going on in the world around you, both locally and globally. Through hard work, tennis gave me the gift to see the world and meet very interesting and smart people from cultures that some only read about.

The quarantine also let me reassess where I am in my own journey, and I feel I made significant progress in finding more time to do things that I deeply value, like spending time with family and friends.

I also was able to reconnect with friends that normally I didn’t have enough time for. Many of my tennis friends were finding new ways to work out and stay connected with improving their games. I worked a ton of online classes with my studentathletes on mental toughness exercises as well as tactical sessions that help them use more tools to win. YouTube was a great way to dig into classic matches and spend productive time learning from some of our tennis heroes. I also expanded on the practice swings that I’m a big fan of for total body coordination and tempo. The practice swings always improves footwork and balance.

Even without fans, just watching the pro game during the various live events and exhibitions that took place with the tours suspended has been exciting. But watching live tennis at any level is AWESOME! But I needed to watch a sporting event with pressure, so I even tuned into the National Corn Hole Championships!

The tournaments, players and fans will all be slowly coming back, and all with a new appreciation of the game we love. When you do take the court again, be patient. Allow your game to come back to you and don’t force it.

Enjoy the impact of a solidly hit forehand and the creativity of a drop shot…

Raised in Ludington, Mich., Luke Jensen’s resume includes 10 ATP Tour doubles titles. He was also a member of the U.S. Davis Cup teams that reached the finals in 1991 and won in 1992. His ambidextrous play, including his ability to serve the ball with either hand at 130 mph, earned him the nickname “Dual Hand Luke.” Luke is currently director of racket sports at West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. He may be reached by phone at (315) 403-0752 or e-mail LukeJensen84@yahoo.com.

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