Insider's Playbook: Smart Strategies for Competitive Senior Tennis Players Over 50

Mike Rogers - Founder of Senior Tennis Unpacked
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  • TENNIS

If you’re over 50 and still driven by competition, Insider’s Playbook is built for you. This podcast goes beyond generic tennis advice and into the strategic, physical, and mental edge senior players need to compete longer and win more matches. Hosted by senior tennis tournament competitor Mike Rogers, and founder os SeniorTennisUnpacked.com, each episode features elite coaches, national champions, and performance experts sharing real strategies to help you move smarter, train efficiently, stay injury-resistant, and out-think opponents who rely on youth alone. Subscribe now and step inside the playbook that top senior players use to keep raising their game.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Your Net Position Is Wrong — The Real Reason Your Doubles Poaches Fail I Jonathan Stokke

    📄 Episode Description Most doubles players think poaching is a gamble — a wing-and-a-prayer lunge you attempt when you "feel it." Jonathan Stokke says that's exactly backwards. In this episode of Insider's Playbook, Stokke breaks down why 99% of his poaches are pre-planned before the ball is struck, why standing near the singles sideline is quietly killing your net game, and why the real default at the net isn't "hold your position" — it's move. If you've ever gotten burned down the line and retreated to your corner, this conversation will rewire how you think about your entire role as a net player.   ✅ Key Takeaways ·       Poaching is a decision, not a reaction — Stokke commits to the cross-court before his opponent swings. If you're waiting to "read" the ball, you're already late. ·       The math is on your side — 75–90% of returns go cross-court at every level. You don't need to be a mind reader. You need to trust the percentage. ·       Your starting position is probably wrong — Standing close to the singles sideline forces you to run to the poach. Move your inside foot 5–6 feet from the center service line and suddenly it's a step and a half, not a sprint. ·       Flip the default — Poaching should be your go-to; staying is the mix-up. Most rec players have this exactly reversed, and it's why they never build real poaching confidence. ·       Getting burned is part of the deal — Every bad rep is a rep off your learning curve. Stokke's mindset: five missed poaches means five fewer standing between you and doing it well. ·       with the wrong pattern just grooves the wrong pattern 250 times.   Jonathan Stokke: www.stokketenniscoaching.com Stokke Doubles Academy: https://www.skool.com/stokke-doubles-academy/about #TennisTips #DoublesStrategy #SeniorTennis #TennisCoaching #USTATennis #TennisLife #NetPlay #RecreationalTennis ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Intro: Reactor or Decider 01:58 What a True Poach Actually Is 03:50 The 75-90% Rule: Why Math Favors You 07:06 Your Real Job at the Net 09:53 Where to Stand: The Position Most Players Get Wrong 12:45 When to Poach During a Live Rally 14:42 How to Start Adding This to Your Game 17:59  The 4.5 Move Any 3.5 Can Use 19:53 Find Stokke online 20:52 Show Wrap Up & Key Takeaways 🤝 JOIN THE COMMUNITY — FREE Senior Tennis Unpacked on Skool is where serious 50+ players break down matches, swap strategies, and get better together. Post a match story. Ask a hard question. Find your people. 👉 https://www.skool.com/senior-tennis-unpacked-8081/about 🎾 ABOUT SENIOR TENNIS UNPACKED The go-to resource for competitive tennis players over 50 who want to win smarter and compete longer. 🌐 Explore everything: https://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com

    22 min

  2. 28 APR

    Why Your Serve Is Getting Worse — And It Has Nothing to Do With Your Arm I John Craig

    If your serve has quietly gotten shorter, slower, and less reliable over the last few years, you've probably blamed your shoulder, your elbow, or just "getting older." John Craig has coached hundreds of senior players over 40 years and says the real culprit is almost never what you think — and the fixes most players are chasing are making it worse. In this episode, we get into what breaks down first as we age, why stability beats jumping every time, how grip tension is silently killing your racket head speed, and why hunting serve tips on YouTube is basically building a jalopy out of junkyard parts.   Key Takeaways: Stability over jumping — You lose almost no power by keeping your feet on the ground. What you lose is control when you don't.Tension is the silent killer — The death grip doesn't just hurt your speed, it masks every other problem in your serve. Fix this first.The racket drop isn't a move — it's a byproduct — Stop trying to manufacture it. Relax, sequence correctly, and it happens on its own.The frying pan grip has a ceiling — If you're still serving Eastern forehand, John explains exactly why your serve will never get where you want it — and how to test whether your mobility even allows the transition.Quality over buckets — Shadow your serve before you touch a ball, and separate technical work from target practice. Hitting 250 balls with the wrong pattern just grooves the wrong pattern 250 times.  Contact John Craig: https://performanceplustennis.com/john-craig-director/ http://www.youtube.com/@PerformancePlusTennis   #tennistips #tennistrategy #seniortennis #tennisserve #tennisover50  ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:17 What Actually Breaks Down as We Age 03:14 Control Over Power: The Senior Serve Mindset 05:49 Grip Tension: The Silent Serve Killer 07:12 Trophy Position, Racket Drop & Toss Mechanics 11:27 How to Practice Your Serve the Right Way 13:14 The Frying Pan Grip: Can You Actually Make the Switch? 17:20 Fitness, Patience & Stop Building a Jalopy 19:13 What John Is Working On + How to Find Him 21:21 Show Wrap up & Key Takeaways 🤝 JOIN THE COMMUNITY — FREE Senior Tennis Unpacked on Skool is where serious 50+ players break down matches, swap strategies, and get better together. Post a match story. Ask a hard question. JOIN FREE 👉 https://www.skool.com/senior-tennis-unpacked-8081/about 🎾 ABOUT SENIOR TENNIS UNPACKED The go-to resource for competitive tennis players over 50 who want to win smarter and compete longer. 🌐 Explore everything: https://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com

    23 min

  3. 21 APR

    Before You Let Them Cut: Protecting Your Tennis Career After 50 I Dr. William Kang

    Every competitive tennis player over 50 will eventually sit in a surgeon's office. Most walk in completely unprepared. In this episode, orthopedic surgeon Dr. William Kang — who plays and treats tennis players — gives you the exact questions to ask before agreeing to surgery, the truth about PRP and whether it's worth your money, and the recovery timeline reality that most players get completely wrong. What you'll learn: The 3 questions to ask any surgeon before going under the knifeWhy PRP beats steroid injections for tennis injuriesThe "year after the year" recovery truth no one tells youHow to read your body's signals before things get serious Dr. Will Kang is an orthopedic surgeon and founder of Black Tie Orthopedics, a practice specializing in non-operative treatment of tennis injuries. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blacktieortho/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@BlackTieOrthopedics   #SeniorTennis #TennisInjuries #TennisFitness #Over50Tennis #TennisHealth #OrthopedicSurgeon #TennisRecovery #CompetitiveTennis #USTA #SeniorAthletes   ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Before You Let Them Cut (Intro) 01:18 Why 50 is Young in an Orthopedic Office 03:05 The 3 Questions to Ask Before Any Surgery 07:26  Mike's Toe Surgery — What He Wish He'd Known 08:08 PRP vs. Steroid Injections — What's Actually Worth Your Money 12:13 Where Most Players Go Wrong in Recovery 14:29 What Your Surgeon Wishes You Knew Before Walking In 15:59 Recap + How to Find Dr. William Kang   🤝 JOIN THE COMMUNITY — FREE Senior Tennis Unpacked on Skool is where serious 50+ players break down matches, swap strategies, and get better together. Post a match story. Ask a hard question. Find your people. 👉 https://www.skool.com/senior-tennis-unpacked-8081/about 🎾 ABOUT SENIOR TENNIS UNPACKED The go-to resource for competitive tennis players over 50 who want to win smarter and compete longer. 🌐 Explore everything: https://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com

    18 min

  4. 14 APR

    Stop Ignoring These Injuries Before They End Your Tennis Career I Dr. William Kang

    What ends senior tennis careers isn't one big injury — it's the slow accumulation of small ones you kept playing through. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Will Kang explains exactly what to watch for before it's too late. In this episode, Dr. Kang breaks down the three most career-threatening injuries for players over 50 — tennis elbow, rotator cuff tears, and knee degeneration — and delivers some hard truths your regular doctor probably hasn't told you. What you'll learn: → Why your tennis elbow brace is making things WORSE (and the simple band exercise that fixes it) → The truth about rotator cuff pain — why it's often a "red herring" and what it's really telling you → The meniscus surgery warning every senior player needs to hear before going under the knife → How injury patterns change as your game improves — and what that means for protecting your knees → Why replacing one joint sets off a cascade of problems in nearby joints The Copenhagen Heart Study says tennis adds 10 years to your life. But only if you're still playing. Dr. Will Kang is an orthopedic surgeon and founder of Black Tie Orthopedics, a practice specializing in non-operative treatment of tennis injuries. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blacktieortho/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@BlackTieOrthopedics   #TennisElbowTreatment #TennisElbowExercises #TennisElbow #RotatorCuffTennis #TennisInjuries #KneePain #SportsInjuries #TennisInjuryPreventionOver50 #SeniorTennisTips #SeniorTennis #TennisTips #OrthopedicSurgeonTennis #MeniscusSurgeryRecovery ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Intro - How Senior Tennis Careers Really End 01:17 The Injury Cascade: Why It's Never Just One Thing 03:04 Does Playing Sports Your Whole Life Help or Hurt? 03:55 Tennis Elbow: Catch It Early or Pay the Price 07:05 Rotator Cuff: The Injury You Don't See Coming 10:15 Why Better Players Get the Knee Problems 11:34 Knees - Meniscus, Arthritis, and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You 15:18 Tennis Adds 10 Years to Your Life — If You Stay on the Court 16:45 Show Wrap Up     🌐 Explore everything: https://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com 🎁 FREE RESOURCE: Get Fit, Get Strong A performance guide built specifically for senior tennis players who want to move better and last longer on court. 👉 https://subscribe.seniortennisunpacked.com/GFGS1   🔑 THE MATCH INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM™ A complete framework for early opponent reads and in-match adjustments — built for senior tennis doubles and singles players who want to play smarter, not harder. 👉 http://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com/match-system

    18 min

  5. 7 APR

    Top 10 Reasons Most Seniors Never Reach 4.0 (And Stay Stuck at 3.5) Part 2 I Peter Freeman

    Attention 50+ tennis players, we're picking up right where we left off — no small talk, no warm-up, straight into Reason 6. In Part 2 of this conversation with Peter Freeman, we finish the list: serve clarity, the hunter vs. hunted trap, second serve domination, the difference between Dr. Feel Good and Dr. Feel Bad practices, and the one doubles mindset shift that most senior players never make. If Part 1 was about what's going on in your head, Part 2 is about what's going on in your matches — and why the same things keep going wrong no matter how much you practice. Key Takeaways: Most seniors don't have a real second serve — and at the 3.5 level, that's the single biggest line of demarcation between where you are and where you want to be.You think you're attacking when you come to the net on a short ball. Your counter-punching opponent thinks you're walking into a trap. There's a difference between being the hunter and being the hunted — and most players don't know which one they are.There are only three returns you need to master to dominate on second serves in doubles — and most players practice none of them.Dr. Feel Good practices build rhythm and confidence. Dr. Feel Bad practices build match toughness. Most senior players only do one of them.Winning doubles isn't about how good you feel on the court — it's about how good you make your partner feel. That's not soft advice. It's the actual strategy.  Peter Freeman’s Slice Serve MD https://crunchtimecoaching.com/tennis-thrive/slice-md-op/   Chapter Timeline: 00:00 Episode 27 Introduction 01:09 #6 Seniors Have Not Serve Clarity 08:59 #7 Most Seniors Unknowingly Become the Hunted, Not the Hunter 15:06 #8 Seniors Don't Practice Second Serve Domination 20:16 #9 Only Have Dr. Feelgood Practices! 26:01 #10 Focus on How You Feel About Your Game & Your Experience 31:13 Slice Serve MD 33:17 Episode Wrap Up & Key Takeaways   🌐 Explore everything: https://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com 🎁 FREE RESOURCE: Get Fit, Get Strong A performance guide built specifically for senior tennis players who want to move better and last longer on court. 👉 https://subscribe.seniortennisunpacked.com/GFGS1   🔑 THE MATCH INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM™ A complete framework for early opponent reads and in-match adjustments — built for senior tennis doubles and singles players who want to play smarter, not harder. 👉 http://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com/match-system

    35 min

  6. 31 MAR

    Top 10 Reasons Most Seniors Never Reach 4.0 (And Stay Stuck at 3.5) Part 1 I Peter Freeman

    Peter Freeman has coached players at every level — and after years of watching obsessed adult players hit a wall at 3.5, he built a list of exactly why they stay stuck. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Peter breaks down the first five reasons most senior players never make the jump to 4.0 — and none of them are about your strokes. We're talking limiting beliefs that were wired into you before you ever picked up a racket, the patience trap that's quietly killing your development, the Tin Cup problem that's costing you matches you should be winning, why your footwork is broken in a way you can't see, and the singles obsession that's sabotaging your doubles game.   Key Takeaways: The "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" belief isn't just discouraging — it's the #1 reason players stop developing, and most seniors don't even realize they're carrying it into every match.Five minutes of focused shadow strokes daily will outperform hours of unfocused ball-hitting — and most players will quit before they see it working.The Tin Cup trap: having beautiful strokes means nothing if you're using them at the wrong moment. Knowing when to go for it versus when to put it in play is the real skill.Footwork and foot speed are not the same thing — and seniors who confuse them are leaving the single biggest competitive edge on the table.If you mostly watch singles to get better at doubles, you're studying the wrong game entirely.  Peter Freeman’s Slice Serve MD https://crunchtimecoaching.com/tennis-thrive/slice-md-op/   Chapter Timeline: 00:00 Episode 27 Introduction 01:38 Introduction and Background 06:35 #1 Limiting Beliefs 11:10 #2 No Patience for Real Change 14:32 #3 Not Realistic On How to Use Advanced Technique You Developed 20:14 #4 Seniors confuse Footwork with Footspeed 29:08 #5 Most Seniors Study Singles but Play Doubles 32:11 #6 Seniors Have Not Serve Clarity 32:12 Slice Serve MD 34:16 Show Wrap Up   🌐 Explore everything: https://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com 🎁 FREE RESOURCE: Get Fit, Get Strong A performance guide built specifically for senior tennis players who want to move better and last longer on court. 👉 https://subscribe.seniortennisunpacked.com/GFGS1   🔑 THE MATCH INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM™ A complete framework for early opponent reads and in-match adjustments — built for senior tennis doubles and singles players who want to play smarter, not harder. 👉 http://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com/match-system

    36 min

  7. 24 MAR

    Stop Beating Yourself Up: The Mental Shift for 50+ Tennis I Tommy Rounds

    Most senior players walk off the court replaying every missed shot like a personal failure — but pro poker player Tommy Rounds says that's exactly the thinking that's costing you matches before you even pick up your racquet. In this episode, Tommy breaks down the concept of expected value and how thinking like a poker pro — evaluating the quality of your decisions rather than the outcome of any single shot — can flatten your emotional swings, sharpen your shot selection under pressure, and finally get you out of that post-match spiral where every error feels like proof your game is falling apart. Key Takeaways A missed shot isn't automatically a bad decision — outcomes and decision quality are not the same thingChasing "safe" results on big points often costs you more in the long run than playing your gameYou can't control whether the ball goes in, but you can control whether you made the right callEmotional steadiness isn't a personality trait — it's a byproduct of trusting a processYou bring what you bring into a match that day — train it, trust it, and stop prosecuting yourself for the rest  Contact Tommy Rounds 📧 email: tommy@gamesetmatchanalytics.com 🖥️ Website: https://www.gamesetmatchanalytics.com   Chapter Timeline: 00:00 Insider's Playbook Intro 01:01 Understanding Expected Value (EV) 01:49 Managing Emotions in the Heat of the Moment 02:21 The Long Game vs. Single Outcomes 03:21 Applying Poker Logic to Tennis Break Points 04:46 Psychological Costs of Results-Oriented Thinking 06:07 Evaluating Decision Quality in Real-Time 08:01 Building Trust in Strategy During Slumps 09:19 Emotional Control and Staying in the Moment 10:37 Shot Selection and Risk Management 11:23 Mindset Shift: Process Over Results 12:17 Trusting Your Skill Level on Match Day 13:59 Episode Wrap Up   🌐 Explore everything: https://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com 🎁 FREE RESOURCE: Get Fit, Get Strong A performance guide built specifically for senior tennis players who want to move better and last longer on court. 👉 https://subscribe.seniortennisunpacked.com/GFGS1   🔑 THE MATCH INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM™ A complete framework for early opponent reads and in-match adjustments — built for senior tennis doubles and singles players who want to play smarter, not harder. 👉 http://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com/match-system

    15 min

  8. 17 MAR

    They Know Your Next Shot Before You Hit It I Tommy Rounds

    What does poker strategy have to do with your tennis game? More than you think.   In this episode of Insider's Playbook, Mike Rogers sits down with Tommy Rounds — professional poker player and tennis strategy analyst — to explore one of the most overlooked problems in competitive senior tennis: predictability. Most players over 50 spend their match prep time studying opponents. Tommy argues you're missing half the equation. The best poker players in the world spend 80 to 90 percent of their preparation analyzing their own tendencies — and the strongest tennis players do the same thing.   In this episode you'll discover: Why predictable players are essentially competing with their cards face up — and how opponents use that against youThe "scout yourself" exercise: how to build your own scouting report before your opponent does it for youHow Alcaraz uses the drop shot as a strategic bluff — and what that means for your game at any levelThe critical difference between pattern-based weaknesses and structural weaknesses, and why it changes how aggressively you should exploit each oneOne simple serve adjustment that makes you significantly harder to read starting in your very next matchWhy always going to the backhand on big points can quietly make you the most predictable player on the court  Whether you're competing in USTA League play, senior tournaments, or just trying to finally beat that one guy at your club who seems to read everything you do — this conversation will change how you think about match preparation.   Contact Tommy Rounds 📧 email: tommy@gamesetmatchanalytics.com 🖥️ Website: https://www.gamesetmatchanalytics.com     Chapter Timeline: 0:00 – Intro: Are You an Open Book on the Court? 1:31 – Meet Tommy Rounds 1:42 – What Does "Exploitable" Mean in Poker? 2:27 – How Pro Poker Players Balance Their Game 3:30 – What Happens When You're Too Predictable? 4:19 – How Predictability Shows Up in Tennis 5:40 – The Scout Yourself Exercise 7:21 – Scouting vs. Beating Yourself Up 8:03 – Even the Pros Have Tells 8:42 – Why We Keep Repeating What's Comfortable 0:09 – How to Bluff in Tennis (The Alcaraz Drop Shot) 12:08 – The Serve Variation Nobody Uses Enough 12:28 – Why Always Going to the Backhand Can Backfire 13:19 – Pattern Weaknesses vs. Structural Weaknesses 14:47 – One Simple Adjustment for Your Next Match 16:38 – Tommy's Final Advice 17:27 – Key Takeaways + Outro   🌐 Explore everything: https://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com 🎁 FREE RESOURCE: Get Fit, Get Strong A performance guide built specifically for senior tennis players who want to move better and last longer on court. 👉 https://subscribe.seniortennisunpacked.com/GFGS1  🔑 THE MATCH INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM™ A complete framework for early opponent reads and in-match adjustments — built for senior tennis doubles and singles players who want to play smarter, not harder. 👉 http://SeniorTennisUnpacked.com/match-system

    19 min
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If you’re over 50 and still driven by competition, Insider’s Playbook is built for you. This podcast goes beyond generic tennis advice and into the strategic, physical, and mental edge senior players need to compete longer and win more matches. Hosted by senior tennis tournament competitor Mike Rogers, and founder os SeniorTennisUnpacked.com, each episode features elite coaches, national champions, and performance experts sharing real strategies to help you move smarter, train efficiently, stay injury-resistant, and out-think opponents who rely on youth alone. Subscribe now and step inside the playbook that top senior players use to keep raising their game.

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