RACQUETS | LIEZEL HUBER, DIRECTOR OF RACQUETS AND SPORTS
Dear friends,
Every day is a great day at Wilmington Country Club! We wish you good health and lots of happiness in 2025. Here’s to another year of fun, both on and off the court at WCC!
This year has been marked by the continued growth of our Pickleball program – no surprises there! We’re excited to welcome Ethan Leon as the new head pro at Paddle. Ethan is truly enjoying his role, and we are grateful for all the support you’ve shown him.
On a personal note, I’ve been especially excited about the growth of our racquet programs. It’s been a joy to see the development of our Red Ball Tennis Munchkin group and the 2.5/3.0 Ladies classes.
Our ball machine, "The Playmate," has been in constant use every day – and, as of now, it remains undefeated! As someone who tends to focus on what’s ahead, I’m already looking forward to a busy and exciting year. I encourage you (and myself) to find a healthier balance in 2025. Let’s play more racquet sports, and let’s make time to check out the fitness center during "Open Gyms," where a trainer will be helping you at no charge! Be sure to check out the chef's healthy options on the daily menu. Let us know how we can help you feel healthier and get a flying start to the new year! A few important dates to mark on your calendar: The University of Delaware Tennis Team is returning to Wilmington Country Club. GO HENS!!! Save the date for Friday, February 21st and Saturday, February 22nd. Another one to save: the Morrow Paddle Tournament! Come cheer on our pros and enjoy the Morrow atmosphere on Saturday, January 25th and Sunday, January 26th. Don’t miss the newly remodeled Paddle Hut, which will be the place to be! I want to thank you and our team for your continued support. You’ve truly become part of our family. Joshua and Benjamin are growing up beautifully, and I’m so proud of them. While I’m not wishing time away, I can’t wait for summer—and I’m praying that the winter is much milder than it’s been so far. I look forward to another amazing year here in Wilmington and at WCC! Happy New Year from our family to yours. Stay safe and let’s commit to getting healthier by playing more racquet sports!
MONTHLY RACQUET TIPS FROM THE PROS Tennis
Singles Squash Serve Strategy The best squash serve is a chip/placement serve that hits the side wall behind the service box and drops into the corner. This will force your opponent to volley the return of serve after it breaks, hits the side wall. This is not an easy ball to return and limits the choice of where to hit the return, forcing your opponent to attempt to return the ball straight down the wall or boast out of the back corner. This serve allows time to set up in the ready position on the T and hunt down the next shot! Singles Squash Serve Tips & Tactics Take a moment before every serve to collect yourself and think about the exact spot on the front wall that you’re aiming for Toss ensure good spacing and positioning with your ball toss to make sure you can swing correctly to hit your target on the front wall Get to the T after you serve so that you establish yourself in a dominant position in the middle to hunt and attack a lose return Mix up your serves by occasionally aiming straight at your opponent’s feet, or hitting an overhead power serve into their body
Once you know where the ball is going to bounce, move yourself into a position where you feel comfortable playing the shot. The higher you make your backswing, the more power you will likely generate. Finding the right balance between the swing and the force is key. Pickleball You might need to practice this type of thinking for it to come naturally, but hitting with intention goes a long way towards getting the ball where you want it to go and helps identify shots to practice. Think about the following:
Which player am I trying to target? What is their weakness (e.g. backhand dink)? How can I move the players around the court? What is my highest-percentage shot?
Warmly,
Liezel Huber
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Paddle Close range net positioning: Your team is at the net and you have accidentally hit a short ball to the deuce court. Your team must cover the two- thirds of the court to which the ball has been hit. Your reaction time is limited when the ball is hit to you at the net from close range. All tournament players and almost all veterans play the net as they do in tennis, in thirds. The benefits to playing the court in thirds are: It enables you to stay out of each other’s way. You will avoid making unexpected guest appearances in each other’s air space. It eliminates second-guessing (“Is it yours or mine?”). When you hesitate, your opponents will find holes in high percentage areas.
TENNIS
PICKLEBALL
JUNIORS
SQUASH
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