This episode is a little different. I'm diving into tennis gear, everything except the racquet and shoes, with the founder of one of my favorite brands, ADV. I use their bags, dampeners, and even sweat bands.

Lavie Sak has a tech background, plays tennis, and used to coach as well. We explore how his company lets players lead the design of its products. From dampeners to grips to their popular bags, ADV innovates as well as any company in tennis. Lavie shares the messy first prototype, the tough cuts, and why ADV chose quality over mass pricing while partnering with pros who give real feedback.

• How ADV got started
• Dampener testing across 27 racquets and sound profiles
• Tennis grips - how to choose between dry and tacky
• Designing the ADV Pro bag and prioritizing features
• How they develop an idea into a finished product
• Feedback loops that shaped V2 and V3 of the bag
• Why ADV makes two backpacks
• Curated training kit components and use cases
• Pricing tradeoffs, materials, and longevity
• Doubles tips on serve variety and aiming middle
• Partnerships with Sem Verbeek, JP Smith, and Zus Tennis

I use the ADV Pro for travel and the Flex bag locally around Fort Worth.

Links:

• Shop ADV Tennis

Learn more about ADV & follow:

• ADV Tennis - Instagram
• ADV Tennis - YouTube
• ADV Tennis - Facebook

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**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course

We preview the Nexo Dallas Open’s second year as an ATP 500 with tournament director Peter Lebedevs. Peter and I discuss court speed and ball consistency on tour. We also dive into what he learned in year one at the new Dallas Open facility and what changes fans can expect in 2026.

Peter is an excellent coach as well, so I asked him how he would help a club player improve their game this year.

• How court speed is measured and targeted for fairness
• Why balls feel different despite standardization
• Venue upgrades that fans and players asked for
• How to predict the Dallas Open doubles champs 😉
• Peter is implementing a new, never-before-done, college doubles wildcard at this year's tournament
• Early singles and doubles field highlights
• Format experiments like US Open mixed and one-point slam
• Actionable advice for club players on consistency and shot selection

Go to DallasOpen.com to get your tickets.

Learn more about Peter & follow:

• Peter on X/Twitter
• Dallas Open on X/Twitter
• Dallas Open on Instagram
• Buy tickets, volunteer, or find more information about the tournament at DallasOpen.com

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**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course

Jonathan Stokke is a former D1 player at Duke who played doubles in the US Open in 2001 & 2002. He has over 100k Instagram followers, a growing YouTube channel, and a podcast. My episode with him from 2024 is still one of the most downloaded episodes of all time.

In this conversation, we share six lessons we learned in 2025 that will help you win more in 2026. We focus on poaching, timing, balance, smarter formations, technique, and more.

• Timing for an effective poach
• Net play as the highest ROI for club players
• Poaching technique - balance and centered head position
• When to poach based on score and patterns
• Reps, discomfort, and burning through bad attempts
• Australian and I-formation to force favorable matchups
• Tennis coaching as a restaurant menu
• The one thing Jonathan wants you to NOT do in 2026

I highly recommend checking out Jonathan's content as well as his doubles camps below.

Links:

• Previous Episode: Jonathan on the Stokke 6 Errors
• Video Lesson: The Two Doubles Habits That Are KILLING Your Net Game
• Stokke Tennis Coaching & Camps

Learn more about Jonathan & follow:

• Wikipedia
• Instagram
• YouTube

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**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course