Pure Drive Purist is a tennis blog for players, parents, coaches, and gear junkies who care less about hype and more about what actually works on court. Built from years inside the lines—as a competitive player and full-time coach—this site dives into racquets, strings, equipment, training habits, and player development with a practical, no-nonsense lens. The focus is simple: cut through marketing noise and share honest insights that help players improve, compete, and enjoy the game longer. Whether it’s breaking down why certain gear fits certain playing styles, implementing effective strategies, or sharing coaching lessons learned the hard way, Pure Drive Purist exists for people who love tennis and want real answers—not feel-good fluff. If you’re a junior or parent of a junior chasing improvement, a coach building better players, or an adult competitor who still cares deeply about their setup, you’re in the right place. Play smarter. Choose better. Boost your game.
If you're serious about taking your game to the next level and want to win more matches, this is for you. "Playing to win" can look different for various styles of play, and there are common themes that you can implement. In my experience coaching high-level juniors and college players, the strong majority of points result in unforced errors. Very few points end in winners. I think that winners happen, but should never be intended. What I mean by that is a winner should be a normal, controlled shot that is hit after creating an opening on the shot before. Knowing these stats help define a strategy for junior players. I tell players that I work with to try to force errors out of their opponents instead of hitting winners by them. When we do this, it changes the mindset and mentality from "I don't want my opponent to touch this shot" to "I want to make my opponent miss." This is a massive advantage in junior tennis where unforced errors abound. Wh...