Questions for Stephen Bauer

TCB: Stephen, tell us how you grew up with tennis.
SB: I was 8 years old when my dad enabled me to take lessons at Larchmont Yacht Club in New York, a club that had 6 Har-Tru courts. In High School I took track, didn't play tennis. At Hartwick College I took track and played on their DII tennis team. Graduated in 1981.

TCB: What did you do after College?
SB: I took a year off and modeled in Milan, Italy before moving to Antigua, West Indies. For the next 8 months I worked at the Galleon Beach Resort and found out I loved dealing with people. I moved back to the States and took a job as a tennis pro at Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas, Texas. I stayed there for 5 years and worked with players of the Mavericks and the Cowboys. Then I moved to Los Angeles where I trained wesley Whitehouse for 5-6 years, traveled with Michael Joyce as part of Robert Landsdorp's team. I also became Conchita Martinez's physical/footwork/drilling coach for 6 years and Australian doubles player Louise Pleming for 4 years on the WTA tour.

TCB: What club do you teach at currently?
SB: I've had a private court in Beverly Hills for the last 15 years and also teach on celebrities' own courts.

TCB: How busy are you?
SB: I am booked 7 days a week. during the week I work 7 hours per day, on the weekends it's 3-4 hours.

TCB: How come you've worked with all those celebrities?
SB: It's like a snowball effect. If you are a kind giver, not an asshole, they love you. Word spreads and actors, singers, studios, they want to work with you.

TCB: What is the secret to your success?
SB: I realized early on that I can coach better than I can play. I coach to what people know in life, what their personality is and also found a niche: breaking down their stroke and tweaking little things at a time. Communication on the court is important for me. I work with someone's personality but I'm not their nanny. I teach them strokes and don't waste their parent's money.

TCB: How did you end up being on the HEAD Advisory Staff?
SB: I met the local sales professional Carrie Cimino at the ATP tournament in Los Angeles. She put a HEAD Speed racquet in my hand and said, "Try it out. See if you like it." Well, I liked it. I sell a lot of HEAD racquets each year. My record is 186.

TCB: How do you do it?
SB: I put racquets in people's hands. I ask them, "Does it feel good? Does it make you play better?"

TCB: Are you Bryan Kulikov's full-time coach?
SB: Yes. I work with him 4 hours a day, 7 days a week. He's 17 and he's a huge talent.

TCB: We heard you got married last year?
SB: Yes, Thanksgiving weekend. Randy is from Manhattan Beach and we've met 4 years ago at a charity event. Proposed to her under the Eiffel Tower. We got married at the Bel Air Bay Club.

TCB: Thank you, Stephen Bauer.