Hi there guys,

Thanks for joining me on the 6-0tennis blog. Here I’ll be regularly posting information on how best to improve your game, from technique and tactics to fitness and the mental side. This blog is written in response to the growing number of people who have asked me to comment on their games and help them improve - many of whom asked if I would put up some tips on the internet for them to refer back to whenever they wanted.

Well, as this is my first post I guess I should give a little bit of background about who I am!

My name is Darren Emery, I’m 27 years old and retired from playing professional tennis at the end of 2005. I reached a career high British ranking of 15 in 2002 and my highest ATP world ranking was 1014. I travelled all over the world playing Satellite, Futures and Challenger tournaments in search of fame and fortune.

Unfortunately I found neither…but heck I had a blast! I trained and played against some of the most famous names in the game and was priviledged enough to be on court at some of the greatest stadia in the world!

Since finishing competitive playing I took my PTR (Professional Tennis Registry) qualification - gaining Professional certification. I then began coaching at a junior performance centre over here in the UK. After approximately a year of this (among other coaching adventures abroad!) I became somewhat disillusioned with the way tennis, and sport in general, was being organised, promoted and developed.

I applied for a number of coaching positions in the States and was offered a very lucrative position at an up and coming junior performance academy in New York. I accepted and was all but on the plane over there when I had some kind of an epiphany that my real goal was to transform British tennis and that by leaving the country and accepting this job I would be moving away from that vision.

I immediately enrolled in an expensive collection of courses on NLP, hypnosis and psychology with the goal of writing a book about the mental fortitude shown by the top pro’s. Having now completed those courses I have started this blog as a first step on the path to changing attitudes, values and beliefs in British sport. (and anyone else who needs a shift in the right direction!)

This website is intended for anyone and everyone to comment, discuss and seek answers regarding tennis or indeed any other aspect of sport! I will be posting advice, lessons, my experiences and just about anything else I can think of up here! I encourage you all to participate, together we can make this place a hub of hope!

Much Love,

Darren