Monica Puig is an Olympic Gold Medalist and holds multiple WTA titles. You don't step on an Olympic podium without a lifetime of hard work, dedication and flawless technique. Now, Puig joins TopCourt to share the story of her professional tennis journey and the fundamentals behind her signature strokes and the drills she incorporated in her daily training.
Join her as she shares her story, from a young girl growing up in Miami to becoming the first Puerto Rican athlete in history to win Olympic Gold.
Here's what you can expect to learn from Puig's TopCourt class:
Instruction: Puig gives you tips and cues and teaches the fundamentals behind her best shot, her backhand. She also teaches you to build your backhand from the ground up with efficient movement. She shares firsthand how maximizing power and staying in the point by using your legs and perfect footwork is crucial.
Drills: Puig teaches you four personally chosen drills that have helped her take her game to the next level. In her "Side to Side" drill, she enables you to work on your endurance by building your legs and lungs. Add a twist to this drill with her "Side by Side Unknown" drill, where she helps you focus on your movement and balance when your opponent plays a ball behind you.
Focus on improving your forehand and maximizing your movement with her pattern drill "Two Ball FH." In her repetition drill, "2 Ball FH Approach," Puig shows you how to transition after hitting a big forehand.
Stories: Sit down with Puig for a series of six "Episodes," where she opens up about her journey through professional tennis. Starting with her mother's introduction to the sport, Puig shares how her journey began with a simple love for the game, and how her path required many sacrifices and dedication.
Puig goes in depth about her daily schedule, the drawbacks of online schooling and why staying motivated through the backdraw paid dividends.
She broke through as a top junior in the world and brought that confidence into her professional career. She also discusses her struggles with nerves in big matches and advises juniors from her own experiences.
One thing that was consistent for Puig was her resilience and confidence that her hard work would pay off in the long run. She opens up about her magical week in Rio and shares a fun story about her Gold medal match and falling asleep with her new hardware.
