Tennis Goes Tech

Tennis goes tech with Hamptons Fit and 27tennis, two new app-friendly companies that are serving the East End with a new way to book lessons. Whether you’re new to the game or trying to make your way to the U.S. Open (tennis, not golf), it’s time to hit the ground running.

Greg Meyer has been playing tennis his entire life. He began instructing as a teenager. Now in his 30s, he’s accumulated about 10,000 hours of instruction. His new company, Hamptons Fit, is a year-round “on-demand sports training,” bringing together the best trainers across numerous sports, and spas, directly to clients’ doors in Montauk, East Hampton, Southampton, and Westhampton. The best part? It’s all conveniently done on the Hamptons Fit app.

How did you come up with Hamptons Fit?

We wanted to make pricing, booking, and accessibility easy and transparent for our clients here in the Hamptons and beyond, and bring our customers the best professionals we could possibly recruit. We also wanted our clients to be able to buy packages that could be used with any professional or expertise: tennis, fitness, swimming, massage, diet, and team sports. Essentially, we wanted to create a viable, exciting career path for these top professionals, which encourages their entrepreneurial spirit and rewards excellence.

Who should use your services?

It’s really designed for the masses. Our pricing is competitive and encourages folks to use our services frequently. We sell packages of 10 and 25 hours, which amounts to significant savings. Also, our packages can be used toward multiple categories. Our typical customer may be a family where the spouses do yoga, tennis, and personal training, and the kids do lacrosse, basketball, tennis, and swim lessons. This family can buy one package, share it — even invite friends and family to use it.

What is the most common mistake you see a tennis player make?

Tennis players do not spend nearly enough time on footwork and serving. Typically, I see that the groundstrokes (forehands and backhands) are quite strong compared to the rest of their game. All this makes sense, since rallying from the baseline is the most fun aspect of the game, in my opinion. However, to improve match play and overall comfort on the court, more time needs to be allocated to footwork and serving. I think to improve on the tennis court, you need to play at least twice per week.

Visit http://www.hamptonsfit.com, or call 631-800-6201.

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Neal Feinberg took his 20-year tennis pro expertise with him when taking over the site of the former Napeague Tennis Club in Amagansett. Feinberg takes pride in his all-female staff at 27tennis. With five tennis courts, a basketball court, and clubhouse, all bookings can be make online or through its app.

What’re your price points?

Our private lessons are $150/hr. Open court time, $50/hr. Adidas Jr. Camp: $695 full-day, full-week. Adult clinics for Class Pass members are free up to three times per month.

Why an open facility and not members only?

Many visitors to the Hamptons come for only one weekend or sporadically during the summer, so for them, a summer-long membership makes no sense. Also, I want the spirit to be inclusive and open to all, not exclusive and stuffy. This is the relaxed club. Also, a Tennis Industry Association study states the biggest barriers to playing tennis are “too expensive and nobody to play with.” My mission is to solve both those problems.

Tell me about the adult sleepaway camps.

It’s a package combining a hotel stay at Atlantic Terrace in Montauk, a full day of tennis at our club, and yoga at BYoga in Montauk. I am testing this program’s success for a potential larger sleepaway camp next summer (for kids and adults) with Surf Club and/or Beach Plum. We are excited to be partnered with Dune Resorts for a potential joint venture, and BYoga. Instead of vacationing “a la carte” (just a hotel, or just tennis, or just yoga) the idea is a “prix fixe” that combines several Hamptons vacation aspects.

Make sure to look out for July and August summer camps. 27tennis is located at 2145 Montauk Highway in Amagansett. Visit www.27tennis.com, or call 631-260-1480.

@NikkiOnTheDaily
nicole@indyeastend.com