Dear Harvey,
How can tennis help your golf?
That is the question I will attempt to answer. I look forward to your perspective as well. I assure you that my commitment to reaching a single-digit handicap remains strong. Soon, I’ll be back on the fairways in England, mainly focusing on improving my greenside pitches and chips.
Today, I’d like to share an update on some recent travels Cathy and I enjoyed in Switzerland and Austria. I will also show you a few videos from my tennis workouts, so we can discuss how tennis helps your golf.
Returning to tennis
Cathy and I have revitalised our tennis games. We were committed club players during the first 15 years of our marriage before I ‘cold-turkey’ switched to golf at the age of 42. Cathy continued practising and competing in ladies’ leagues in Austin until life became busy.
Looking back, I wonder why we ceased playing a game we loved. It feels good to be back on the tennis court and to realise our ‘tennis’ bodies can still move, even if not quite as swiftly as before. It is rewarding to play on new surfaces, such as the summer grass in England and the red clay across Europe.
I recently wrote about our trip to Poland for a tournament on red clay: The Power of Sports (in Pobiedziska, Poland). Jack Durski, the founder of the Pobiedziska Tennis Club, is part of that story and someone I find remarkable. I’m planning to return to Poland to interview Jac, and add him to my case-studies for my RELEVANCE: From Beginning to End book project.
How can tennis help your golf?
- Tennis, like golf, is played from the ground up. Footwork, preparation, and using the ground to move your body correctly are what produce a proper tennis shot. Your arms stay soft and whippy. Like golf, the arms are somewhat just ‘along for the ride’.
- Less is more. Both sports share ‘feels’ where less is more. Golfers know how a well-struck shot feels effortless. The same applies in tennis. A perfectly struck volley is a lovely feeling that comes from being relaxed and keeping things simple.
- There is a mental approach to playing effective tennis that is similar to golf. In tennis, you will lose points, games, and sets. Rodger Federer recently said this:
In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won almost 80% of those matches. What percentage of points do you think I won in those matches? Only 54%!
In other words, even one of the greatest of all time, barely won more than half the points he played.
In golf, you will hit shots that go astray, and you will miss putts you thought you had made. The best players seem to know how to put those moments behind them quickly and immediately focus on the next shot, often referred to as ‘the most important shot in golf’. Right, Harvey?
The below video is a summary of our trip plus some tennis footage. It is a bit long, especially by today’s standards of quick hitting blips. But please take a look at the tennis to get a sense of what I have outlined above. Also, at the 8:40 mark, I have layered in a short clip of one of the top senior players in the history of the sport – Keith Wooldridge, who lives not too far from us in England. Keith is remarkable, now at 77 years of age, so eleven years my senior. I would love to be moving and playing like Keith, even at my age now!
Our travels
With an Autodesk mid-year meeting scheduled in Switzerland in early July, we decided to frame the occasion with visits to two cities we had never explored before: Zurich and Salzburg. Neither city disappointed!
Zurich
Zurich effortlessly blends old-world charm with sleek, modern elegance. We stayed at a boutique-style hotel, The Engimatt, which features one lovely red clay tennis court. We booked the ‘Tennis Package’, offering two days of hitting with a local professional. There’s nothing better than red clay and the sound of a rhythmic tennis hit beneath Alpine skies, followed by the familiar ache in arms and legs!
Off the court, Zurich revealed itself as a city of winding alleys, sun-dappled squares, and stories etched into every stone. Our walking tour took us along the cobbled streets of the Altstadt, past medieval guild houses and beneath the spire of Grossmünster, whose twin towers gaze out over the Limmat.
We wandered through Lindenhof, where Roman history lingers among the chestnut trees, and followed Bahnhofstrasse’s parade of elegant shopfronts. Down by the lake, sailboats bobbed in the afternoon sun, and the distant shimmer of the Alps reminded us that nature’s grandeur is never far away here. We capped the day at the FIFA Museum, a treasure trove for any sports lover, where the world’s game is celebrated with interactive exhibits and a dazzling array of memorabilia.
I have added Zurich to my top ten ‘international’ cities list. My criteria are that I have spent at least a weekend in the city centre, and it must be large enough to have a major international airport. Others on my list, in alphabetical order: Austin, Barcelona, Chicago (in summer), London, Paris, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, and Zurich. What would your list be, Harvey? I know it also starts with Austin!
Lütisburg Team Meeting
From Zurich, business called me to our team sales meeting in a small Alpine village—Lütisburg. When not working on how customers can take advantage of Autodesk software and services, we enjoyed visiting the technology centre at Bühler, a remarkable family-owned business founded in 1860. We also visited a cheese factory one evening – the Appenzeller Cheese Factory – for a beer and cheese tasting experience.
From Lutisburg, after the meetings concluded, we returned to Zurich where we boarded ÖBB (Austrian Railways) to Salzburg. The 5-hour, 20-minute journey offers a scenic and comfortable trip through the heart of the Alps, combining modern travel with breathtaking natural scenery.
- pass through Lake Zurich, the Arlberg Pass, and parts of Tyrol
- stops in Innsbruck, Sargans, and Wörgl
- breathtaking alpine vistas
- rolling green hills
- mountain villages and rivers
- occasional views of castles and vineyards
- arrive at Salzburg Hbf (Main Station), close to the historic city center
Salzburg
Salzburg is a city that sings, quite literally, and we couldn’t resist joining a “Sound of Music” bike tour. It exceeded all expectations—gliding on two wheels through the city’s Baroque heart.
- We traced the footsteps (and pedal strokes) of the von Trapp family.
- Mirabell Gardens, where Maria and the children famously danced around the Pegasus fountain
- along tree-lined lanes to Schloss Leopoldskron, the lakeside palace that doubled as the family home.
- We cycled past Nonnberg Abbey’s ancient walls.
- crossed the picturesque Mozartsteg
- and found ourselves singing “Do-Re-Mi” as we coasted by pristine meadows and under the shadow of Hohensalzburg Fortress.
- Along the way, anecdotes from the film, musical interludes, and the sheer beauty of the Salzburg countryside made the tour utterly unforgettable.
Cathy was often in tears when I would ride beside her and catch her on video!
The city itself radiates a refined yet vibrant energy—a fusion of old-world elegance and youthful innovation. Salzburg’s streets are lined with pastel facades, busy cafés, and the constant sound of Mozart drifting from open windows. The riverside is bustling with cyclists and families out for walks, and as evening approaches, golden light bathes the cobbles, casting a magical, almost theatrical glow over the city. We were particularly captivated by the many public parks, all of which are designed to promote movement and fitness.
The Salzburg Tennis Club
We struck gold when we found the Salzburg Tennis Club. It features eight outdoor and three indoor red clay courts located in the centre of the city by the river. We managed a couple of training sessions with Gerald Mandel, the head coach and a former top-100 player worldwide.
We left with a renewed understanding of how to improve our games and returned to Richmond, eager to train again with our top coach, Vedran Mihok, and reconnect with new friends at The Richmond Lawn Tennis Club.
Harvey, the clubs and courts of Europe are a world apart from Texas fairways, but the lessons of rhythm, patience, and joy in the game are universal. These travels have left me inspired, and I look forward to bringing all that energy back to the golf course—and to your wise words and gentle encouragement.
Until then, with gratitude and warmest regards,
gPage
“Millions of people were charmed by the homespun golf advice dispensed in Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book, a sports classic that became the best-selling sports book of all time. Yet, beyond the Texas golf courses where Penick happily toiled for the better part of eight decades, few people knew the self-made golf pro who coaxed the best out of countless greats — Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Betsy Rawls, Mickey Wright — all champions who considered Penick their coach and lifelong friend.” – Kevin Robbins, author of Harvey Penick: The Life and Wisdom of the Man Who Wrote the Book on Golf.
