Waterville Valley - Great Tennis since 1884

Since 1884, Waterville Valley has been a tennis mecca in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, entertaining thousands of tennis players through the years. From the early vacationers of the 1800's to two-time Grand Slam champion Rod Laver, players from all walks of life have enjoyed the beautiful red clay courts.

In 1884, there was only one court, today we have 18 of the finest courts in the country and the scenery to match. In fact, many players complain it is difficult to watch the ball with so many beautiful mountains staring down at them.

The Waterville Valley tennis staff is headed up by USPTA professional Tom Gross, Jr., who has a tennis professional was trained by and worked for Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Lew Hoad, Mal Anderson and Jack Kenney.

As a former Director of Tennis for Rod Laver Tennis Holidays, Tom has written over 30 tennis instructional articles for World Tennis Magazine and Tennis Magazine in Europe. But it's Tom's teaching philosophy that makes a big difference on the court with your game.

"Every player can improve their game by improving their preparation, focusing on a solid contact point and finishing with a strong follow through," says Tom. "We like to take your strokes and make them better by improving these three movements. Throw in improved shot selection and you will see an immediate change in your game."

Preparation is getting your racquet back early and getting your body in the proper position. Many players do not have the time to relearn a motion, so the worst thing you can do is change grips and strokes.

"Every situation is different" states Tom. "With children and adults that are new to the game they have no bad habits so we can teach their muscle system the correct way to hit a tennis ball. This also applies to those players who devote plenty of time to practice. They too can relearn the proper motions. Our objective is to teach each person individually and for those players who do not have the time to go off to some far away court and practice new strokes for three years, we will improve you enough so you can go from the teaching court right onto the competitive court and feel good about your game, and what you have just learned."