You would think it would be accomplishment enough to
recover from a broken back. But Phillip Aurbach did that and more. The native Nevadan, who was injured in a motorcycle mishap as a teen, overcame his injuries to earn tennis scholarships at Mesa Community College and Western Kentucky University, and later became an active senior competitor. Aurbach has also found success on the instructional side of tennis with AceBuilder Service Target, a portable training device that helps beginning, intermediate and advanced players perfect their serve by providing instant feedback.
A bright yellow 18×18-inch target that easily fits into any tennis bag, AceBuilder utilizes raised bumps to let you know when you’re on the mark. Just place the device in any position within the service box and fire away. In a matter of weeks, you’ll begin to build muscle memory, thus training your body to hit with more power through less effort.
“One day during our warm-up drills, my wife was focusing on her serve, and I decided to practice my returns,” said Aurbach. “I wanted to give her a target to aim her serves, so I placed a nine-inch plastic spot in the corner of the service court as a target…[But] how could I tell my wife that her serve hit the mark while I was concentrating on watching the ball? I started thinking, ‘How can we both practice this drill? Perhaps if the plastic spot made noise when she hit it, I could practice my return?'”
The invaluable yellow square can now found on court with the likes of top-100 WTA pro Varvara Lepchenko, who’s has been using the AceBuilder during practice sessions. And her work is paying off. The Uzbeki-born lefthander pushed world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki to a second-set tiebreaker in Brussels before upsetting 19th-ranked Flavia Pennetta in the first round at Roland Garros. For info, visit www.acebuilder.com.
