Saturday with Gully
By Liza Horan
Photo courtesy The Player's Edge
New York—As the sun started sagging toward the horizon a couple of Saturdays ago, I found myself in a most unusual place: Shooting the breeze with Tom Gullikson at the Old Saybrook Racquet Club in Connecticut.
Being in Old Saybrook, where the Connecticut River joins the Long Island Sound, is not unusual because my parents live there. But hanging out on the patio with the former coach of the Olympic and Davis Cup teams—among his other roles—was. We weren't at some monster hotel in between seminar sessions or in a press conference. We were sitting in deck chairs overlooking the red clay courts where tennis day campers were working on their serves and approach shots.
Gully (in black shirt at right during a recent event) was relaxed as he updated me on the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation's events that provide support for brain tumor patients and their families—by the way, 95% of collected monies go directly to those affected and research. He listened to a sophomore describe her high school team's ranking, and egged her on to move the team into the top spot. He bantered with an adult camper on what Jimmy Connors is bringing to Andy Roddick's game.
"I had a 45-minute hit with Jimmy at the Open," said Gully, explaining that he like Connors' approach with Roddick to focus on such fundamentals of the game as the volley and footwork. "He's starting to play big-boy tennis now."
Gullikson was in the shoreline town as the host of the Tournament Training Workshop presented by The Player's Edge Tennis Association, which organizes such for-hire events with pros like Gullikson, Tim Mayotte, Mikael Pernfors and Mats Wilander. Campers paid $75 for two-hour session with lunch, or double to play all day. However, the later session went long, providing players with even more on-court time with the pros.
Three local friends, who have been to several such events by The Player's Edge, said this was the fourth time they've been on court with Gullickson. His advice is never stale, they said, as he consistently presents a fresh angle on how to better a stroke and always has a sense of humor.
"I always have fun when I'm teaching," said Gullikson, who competes in senior Grand Slams and does corporate events. "As a player myself and as a coach I constantly keep learning things. I'm just watching all the Federers, Roddicks, Blake, Mauresmos and Sharapovas."
Did you know that Gullikson is a certified stock broker? Yes, Gullikson said he harbored an interest in the financial world and decided to become licensed as a stock broker a few years ago.
"I passed the Series 7, Series 3 and 63. That was pretty hard—going back to school at 50," said Gullikson, who signed with a close friend's firm, Patterson Capital Marketing. "He sold out last year to Goldman Sachs. I found out a lot of these hedge fund managers played college tennis.
"I figure I could do it part-time—my first love is really tennis."
Photo courtesy The Player's Edge
New York—As the sun started sagging toward the horizon a couple of Saturdays ago, I found myself in a most unusual place: Shooting the breeze with Tom Gullikson at the Old Saybrook Racquet Club in Connecticut.
Being in Old Saybrook, where the Connecticut River joins the Long Island Sound, is not unusual because my parents live there. But hanging out on the patio with the former coach of the Olympic and Davis Cup teams—among his other roles—was. We weren't at some monster hotel in between seminar sessions or in a press conference. We were sitting in deck chairs overlooking the red clay courts where tennis day campers were working on their serves and approach shots.
Gully (in black shirt at right during a recent event) was relaxed as he updated me on the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation's events that provide support for brain tumor patients and their families—by the way, 95% of collected monies go directly to those affected and research. He listened to a sophomore describe her high school team's ranking, and egged her on to move the team into the top spot. He bantered with an adult camper on what Jimmy Connors is bringing to Andy Roddick's game."I had a 45-minute hit with Jimmy at the Open," said Gully, explaining that he like Connors' approach with Roddick to focus on such fundamentals of the game as the volley and footwork. "He's starting to play big-boy tennis now."
Gullikson was in the shoreline town as the host of the Tournament Training Workshop presented by The Player's Edge Tennis Association, which organizes such for-hire events with pros like Gullikson, Tim Mayotte, Mikael Pernfors and Mats Wilander. Campers paid $75 for two-hour session with lunch, or double to play all day. However, the later session went long, providing players with even more on-court time with the pros.
Three local friends, who have been to several such events by The Player's Edge, said this was the fourth time they've been on court with Gullickson. His advice is never stale, they said, as he consistently presents a fresh angle on how to better a stroke and always has a sense of humor.
"I always have fun when I'm teaching," said Gullikson, who competes in senior Grand Slams and does corporate events. "As a player myself and as a coach I constantly keep learning things. I'm just watching all the Federers, Roddicks, Blake, Mauresmos and Sharapovas."
Did you know that Gullikson is a certified stock broker? Yes, Gullikson said he harbored an interest in the financial world and decided to become licensed as a stock broker a few years ago.
"I passed the Series 7, Series 3 and 63. That was pretty hard—going back to school at 50," said Gullikson, who signed with a close friend's firm, Patterson Capital Marketing. "He sold out last year to Goldman Sachs. I found out a lot of these hedge fund managers played college tennis.
"I figure I could do it part-time—my first love is really tennis."
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