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Doug E., Cambridge, MA Tennis Coach

Doug E.

Tennis

SILVER

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One of 14 persons to hold a USPTA Master & PTR International Master Professional. I received the US Olympic Committee Doc Counsilman Award (wiki: USOC Coach of the Year). View all coaching experience

This coach is unavailable to take clients at this time.

Training Locations
  • Tufts University (MA)

  • 30 years

  • Qualified Private Coach
    Passed Coach Course

  • Adults, Kids, Teenagers

  • Point Strategy, Backhand, Drop Shot, Forehand, Lob, Serve, Slice, Topspin, Volley, Footwork

Credentials

  • Tufts University (MA)

  • 30 years

  • Qualified Private Coach
    Passed Coach Course

Services

  • Adults, Kids, Teenagers

  • Point Strategy, Backhand, Drop Shot, Forehand, Lob, Serve, Slice, Topspin, Volley, Footwork

More About Coach Doug

I am one of 12 persons worldwide to hold a USPTA Master and PTR International Master Professional. I also have a PTR Master of Tennis in Performance and am a USTA High Performance Coach. I won the US Olympic Committee Doc Counsilman Award in 2012 for all Olympic sports. I am passionate about: 1) player development at all levels, 2) tennis training and 3) coaching education.

Regarding player development, I have coached college for 20 years with over 300 wins. In tennis, I worked with some 300 ranked players including one NCAA singles champion, a two-time national high school champion finalist, the youngest Davis Cup player in history, and several All-Americans. I worked with about 15 junior tennis players who were ranked top 10 in their countries including a couple who were #1 (including USA). I directed four junior academies. I work with many beginners and ordinary players and adapt easily to student needs and culture.

I have a doctorate in sport psychology and coaching theory and academically taught sport psychology, science and management. I specialize in advanced mental and physical training for athletes and training coaches.

I am a certified mental performance consultant (CMPC) with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology which is the sole certifying mental performance organization in North America. I am also listed in the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Sport Psychology and Mental Training Registry (2022-2024). I am also a member of the society for Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology (or division 47 of the American Psychological Association).

In physical training, I am part of the first group in 2022 of certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS, NSCA) and I also have strength and conditioning and tennis fitness training certifications: CSCS (NSCA), MTPS=Master of Tennis Performance Specialist (iTPA), CES (CES=corrective exercise, NASM), CSSII (advanced speed training, NASE), Etcheberry Experience and Academia Sanchez Casal. I also write on sport science and coaching education (about 100 articles, books/manuals). The MTPS is an elite certification for training advanced players. I have spoken at major conferences: 2015 PTR Italia Forum (outside Milano), 2014 Tennis Australia Coaches Conference (at Australian Open), ITA Coaches Convention (for intercollegiate tennis coaches), PTR International Symposium, USPTA World Conference, USTA Tennis Teachers Conference, and others. I have trained or certified over 1600 coaches with Professional Tennis Registry, US Professional Tennis Association and USTA. I was an 8-year member of the US Tennis Association Sport Science Committee. I was President of both PTR and USPTA in New England.

I do use video analysis, high speed cameras, radar guns, and sensors. Whatever you want. And if that's not you, I always have fun with anyone and have worked with ages 3 to 93.

I played USTA Circuit and Open Division in tennis for about 12 years.
I also formerly played squash at national/open level.
I ran several marathons (fairly good times).
I am (PADI) scuba divemaster
and...I did a few more things

Some awards:
2012 US Olympic Committee Coach of the Year - Doc Counsilman Science Award
2010 Best of Boston Tennis Coach (Boston Magazine)
2 USPTA New England Regional Pro of the Year Awards
2 PTR New England Pro of the Year Awards
2001 Champions of Tennis (Tennis Industry Magazine)
2001 PTR National Tester of the Year

2014 2016- President, USPTA New England
1994-2001 President, PTR New England

Before the lesson, let me know what you'd like to work on. Some people are fine with me taking the lead but others like to really be involved in planning. It's up to you. Definitely plan on being active and having fun hitting! Arrive early and always have a warm-up to start and cool-down to end (I will assign you exercises if you want). Your warm-up has purpose and variety. In the first lesson, there will be 15 minutes of hitting/playing assessment. I like to be creative and have fun but constructive games. If exercise is your thing, definitely mention you want a workout. Expect the first few minutes to be mini-tennis and inside the baseline working on all offense and transitional phases of the game (feel, hands, offensive techniques, movement), then baseline. All hitting and drills have a purpose for your game. I integrate your playing style and future game (your vision and goals) into the drills and games. We might spend time working basic techniques, playing or drills/exercises integrate technique, tactics and footwork. We usually spend 5-10 minutes on serves. I might use fitness equipment, targets, radar gun, or slow motion video analysis. The last 15-20 minutes in an hour are typically rally games or playing points/games. Homework may include on-court and off court exercises, as well as mental training (goals, self-assessment, tournament or training planning).

Action Photos

Client Reviews

Doug is great! He is extremely experienced and insightful. In one session he was able to correct aspects of every part of my game and set me up for success. Could not recommend him more and I will be returning for more lessons with him.

Doug made a careful assessment of my strokes, listened to my concerns and then fit the lesson to the strokes most in need of adjustment. He was able to see features of my strokes and modify them in very effective way.

Coach Doug is a great coach! He is definitely a top level coach. He is very professional for all the tennis skills and he really know how to teach people, explain profound concepts/skills in simple way… He is amazing

Coach Doug isn't just a tennis instructor; he's a master of "why." After one session with my 10-year-old daughter, he unlocked a deeper understanding of posture's connection to ball control. Unlike other coaches who focus solely on mechanics, Coach Doug illuminated the "why" behind each movement, transforming practice from rote repetition to a interesting exploration.

I had an excellent time working with Coach Doug! He has so much knowledge to offer, and does a great job breaking down complex skill chains into simple, easy to grasp, units. I would definitely recommend him to anyone trying to improve their game.

Coach Doug was great! I hadn't played in a long time--I was rusty and wanted advice on my groundstrokes and serves. Coach Doug was incredibly observant and able to give detailed technical feedback that made sense and immediately helped me improve my shots. He helped me see what I needed to improve for my serve with the help of video, and his suggestions made sense and helped me make quick little fixes that made a big difference.

Coach Doug was awesome! He is extremely knowledgeable about tennis and quickly identified the areas of my game that required work. I feel more confident with my form after working with him. Highly recommend!

Coach Doug is awesome, he has an impressive wealth of tennis knowledge, patience, and swiftly identify and address my tennis weaknesses. I had a wonderful time taking lessons from coach Doug and I highly recommend Coach Doug to anyone seeking to elevate their tennis game.

Coach Doug is an awesome Coach - he did a great job of getting my 3-year-old and 5-year-old's engaged and excited to learn and play. They left saying they love tennis and they want to play more, what else could a parent want!

Very good coaching

It’s always great to work with Doug.

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Coach Doug is really professional at coaching. He explained and taught me so many great techniques. It would take me years to figure those things out! I really recommend Coach Doug. Not to mention the outdoor courts at MIT are top-notch!

Doug is an amazing tennis instructor. I liked how he begins and progresses the session each time, focusing on the strokes and grip techniques and correcting me on actions. After the second lesson, I immediately felt a great improvement in my forehand and backhand. Most importantly, I felt the passion and attention Doug puts in his lessons to make one likes tennis, and I liked how he tells stories about tennis players and associates certain common moves to them - It made the lesson more interesting and makes me go home and watch their clips/games. I will continue booking with Doug for as long as I am in Boston - You cannot miss this guy

He has been instrumental in helping our thirteen year old son handle highly competitive situations. If you want to achieve the next level in national competitions, a mental conditioning coach as good as Doug is a critical element to that success.

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I really enjoyed my lesson with Doug! He was able to identify my strengths and weaknesses quickly! He was very professional and organized in his approach. Helped me improve and gain some confidence in one session.

I've tried a couple coaches, Doug is by far the most all-around coach in terms of tennis skills and knowledge. His drills are smart and interesting. My serving is immediately improved after the first class with him. Most of my previous coach only focus on the "style" and told me "just mind the movement and don't worry about whether you balls going". That defeats the purpose of playing tennis. Doug is the only one that brings me back to the tennis ball and try to make me learn the movement based how i would like the ball to go.

Great Coach!

I had a great session with Doug. After not playing for some time, he was able to make some adjustments to my strokes that really helped, and I really enjoyed working with him on the different aspects of my game. I look forward to fine tuning things more in future sessions, and would certainly recommend Doug to anyone looking for good instruction with a positive energy about the whole experience.

Great Coach!

Great coach! Very sharp in discovering my weaknesses and providing suggestions. Doug is very knowledgeable about tennis and the session is super helpful. The drills are interesting. It actually went slightly over an hour.

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Very accomplished coach and really took the time to customize his tips for my needs!

Great exercises and strategies to help me focus

I am new to tennis. It was a really fabulous session, where Doug customized it to what I needed so time was completely optimized. I really felt like I benefited and I am very much looking forward to our next session. I thought the session went so well that I have asked Doug to coach my kids also.

My first lesson with Doug was great! Doug provides a video analysis of one’s serve and that differentiated him from other instructors. He was very patient throughout my lesson and reminded me of moves/techniques I would forget or needed to emphasize. Doug also (without me needing to remind him) addressed every goal I wanted to accomplish during my lesson. I learned a lot from just that first lesson and look forward to more lessons with Doug. I highly recommend him.

Coach Doug was great! My son had a tennis lesson with him. He was able to quickly assess and recognize areas of improvement. Even with the first lesson, I was able to see noticeable improvement. I was also impressed with insight he provided about strategy on playing tennis - more than I have seen with any of the other coaches. My son enjoyed the lesson and is asking for more lessons from Doug. We will be booking more soon!

Coach Doug, thank you for the lesson ! Renzo was happy to learn more techniques on how to improve his backhand, thanks of being so patient and yet , fun ! You made it fun for him and we will definitely look forward to booking tennis lessons with you in the future

Mr Eng is awesome. Extremely knowledgeable and professional. Very patient coach

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Doug is great- he is great at assessing your game and then helping you improve your overall game with a specific focus on the most weak aspects.

Doug is a great coach! I took an introductory tennis lesson with him, and I saw immediate improvement even after one hour of playing. Coach Doug was patient and explained the proper form really well. Highly recommended!

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Doug is an excellent coach with kids. Very knowledgeable!

Doug was great. Right away, he was friendly and asked what I wanted to get out of our sessions. I immediately saw improvement from his feedback. Definitely booking more sessions with Doug!

Doug was great, he really helped explain the gaps in my gap and the necessary foundations I needed in certain aspects that was looking for, specifically, ground strokes. Would definitely recommend to all ages and levels, has a patient approach with appropriate repetition.

The session arrangements were exactly what was needed. Location was perfect, solid hitting partner, and great tips on technique and point construction!

Coach Doug is definitely top notch. His training and techniques are absolutely awesome. Highly recommended.

It was great. Very focused. Very helpful

Coach Doug was great and very thorough in details of each techniques. I enjoyed his lessons very much.

Great lesson

Coach Doug is a great Coach! My son is so much happier and stronger as a player since working with Coach Doug. He has learned so much in a short time and is so eager to play! He looks forward to his lessons and learning more. Thank you!

It's amazing how much my son learned in just the first session with Coach Doug. Equally great that he presented everything in a way that was motivating and easy to understand. His expertise and experience are obviously at the very top, but you can also be assured that he is thoughtful, thorough, and kind. It is clear that he is dedicated to really helping kids (and adults too I'm sure) reach their potential as players while also building their love of the game.

Doug was an awesome coach and really took the time to explain all the fine details. Would work with again!

Coach Doug's training and technique were first rate. He immediately suggested a variety of subtle adjustments that made a huge difference. His quick and subtle assessment of form and extensive knowledge of the game and players' circuit as well as his dedication make him a great coach. Highly recommended.

Great coach! Very supportive and encouraging. Taught valuable techniques in very short time.

I haven't played in at least a year but after our session, I definitely felt more confident and my swing got a lot better, more fluid and controlled. Doug's advice really works!

Great Coach, super technical. Spotted my problems and gave valuble advices and drills to improve it. Also gave me a few very useful tips in match plays.

Wow! Super impressed with Coach Doug! With his level of expertise and experience, he was able to zero right in on what my child needed to improve on to reach the next level. I really appreciate the special individual attention to the my child's unique game of tennis and he went the extra mile to make suggestions and put in place a program that will get results fast. Coach Doug is everything and more in terms of what I was looking for in a tennis coach for my son. His holistic approach and superb and thorough evaluation was spot on. I'm excited for my son and know that he will reach the next level in his tennis game.

Even after just a few sessions, it was very clear that Coach Doug had helped me reach my goals. I started with Coach Doug shortly before my high school tennis season, and within the first few sessions I was not meeting my goals with remarkable pace but also learned strategies/tactics that I would not have otherwise discovered. Coach Doug tailored each session to fit my needs/goals, and he was always able to keep me motivated and on track to play better tennis. I would recommend Coach Doug ten times out of ten to anyone who's looking to improve their tennis game.

My hour with Doug helped reinforce my confidence on playing out of. T comfort zone and left me with some valuable tips.

Doug was a great coach. Doug got me to do some basic exercises that had immediate impact on my game.
Already looking forward to the next session!

Coach Doug is fantastic! After an initial evaluation he has worked on a few areas of my game that have allowed me to quickly return to a high level that I haven't seen for years. Looking forward to continuing to fine tune and get ready for tournament play.

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Too many positive things to say about Coach Doug, his techniques, and his overall energy as a human being. From day one we had already hit the ground running with him not requiring more than 5-20 minutes to clearly analyze my game. This does not mean that this analysis was set in stone. As we progress into further training sessions and Doug notices more things about my performance, he also continuously looks for various methods to modify the drills and enhance my skills.
It is clear that Doug enjoys what he does with a passion and doesn't only do it as a job. He will make sure you understand and perform to the best of your ability the new strategies that he tries to integrate into your game on the given training day, even if it takes well over an hour. Of course, you are free to go, but I personally like taking advantage of his invaluable experience and analysis. You will feel like there is never a limit to how good you can become.
He possesses many tools to pinpoint exactly what aspects of my form, technique, and game strategy needs work in. For example, when I was serving, he had his Ipad set up on a Tripod stand and showed me the video later in slow motion. He has an interesting app that he used to be able to mark exactly which areas of my serving stance were holding my momentum back, or making me overshoot my serve etc... If you listen to him, and really try to use his strategies in your game you will notice that there is a scientific study behind what he describes to you. As you may know, he does possess different kinds of certificates in Professional Sports Science. So far, in my 3 weeks of training with him 1-2 times a week, my USTA New England Men's Open Singles ranking has risen from #15 to #5.
Out of everything though, I would have to say that my favorite thing about my sessions with Doug is that he is able to compare your style to that of players on the ATP tour to give you an idea of what kind of player you are whether you are more of an explosive baseline player, serve-and-volley tactician, counter-puncher, chip&charger and so on. This is most probably due to the fact that he has had a lot of exposure to players on the ATP, and WTA tours in terms of coaching and consulting. Just last week he was in Connecticut for a coaching conference with WTA players to provide his input on the ways of the modern game.
It is definitely worth it to improve your game with him. He is very patient, and has a way of telling you what you are doing wrong while highlighting many of your positives as well. As a result, a player can take it with the lightest grain of salt and have a clear mind when self-improving their game to the highest of their potential.

Coach Doug was one of the best I've ever met in my life! Thank you Doug :)

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I really enjoyed working with Doug. We worked on several different things - forehand, backhand, serve and at the net volleys. I think what was helpful was that Doug broke down each swing into discreet parts which helped me understand what I needed to focus on and what needed improvement. I also participated in a group clinic with Doug, and I liked the different games that he had us play in order to practice certain skills. I would recommend Doug to other tennis players looking to improve their game.

Doug was phenomenal! After 15 minutes of hitting, Doug was able to identify where on the court my strokes most needed improvement. We worked on strategy, ball placement, spins, and positioning. I was very very impressed and pleased with my session. I look forward to working with Doug more in the future!

Hey Doug,

I though I just left a review-- but will do so again.
The coaching session with my son was exceptional and we can't wait to work with you again.

Thanks so much,

Catherine

Doug has been a leader in sports science for tennis. Although he is brilliant beyond our comprehension, he shares his knowledge with all his collegues in a way that is readily understandable. He is funny, engaging and a super motivator for those trying to improve their tennis coaching skills.
Doug has been a robust contributor to the committee’s work and he has unique ability to take research information and technical information and apply it in a meaningful way to both coaches and players. The fact that not only is he a very good tennis player, an excellent coach and a high level sport scientist, allows him to transition the information and make it very meaningful for all persons.
Doug is an outgoing instructor I hired to improve my tennis game. He is pleasant, dynamic, a great instructor who cares that you "get" what he is teaching you that day, and will not let you go before you have it wired into you. I've heard people say he is the best tennis instructor they have had. My game improved quite a lot under his tutelage. He is master of technical tennis and is often requested to speak at sports workshops/conferences on topics of sports psychology and technique. He is a very qualified professional.
Doug is the best! Taking lessons with Doug has really improved my game; he explains things really well and is really nice to work with.
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