Roy Barth grew up in San Diego, California. He played in Southern California and went on to win three national junior tennis titles. At UCLA, Barth was a two-time All-American and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in economics.
Barth joined the professional tennis tour in 1968 and was a founding member of the ATP. He played in the US Open eight times, including a run to the fourth round in 1969. Beginning in 1976 — and for the next 42 years — Roy was the director of tennis at the Kiawah Island Resort, growing it into the No. 1 Tennis Resort in the World. He is also the past president of the USTA South Carolina and a member of both the South Carolina and Southern Tennis Halls of Fame.
Roy has written the Tips for Better Tennis Instructional Manual and produced the Tips for Better Tennis DVD and his latest book Point of Impact.
In his book, Point of Impact, and in his previous blog, Barth writes about how tennis teaches life lessons, and he emphasizes respecting your coaches, especially during your developmental years. What you learn from tennis in the early years can impact your entire career and life. The book describes how tennis gave Barth the tools to manage the challenges he faced on and off the court.
The following is an excerpt from his book, Point of Impact, which describes some of the most important tennis lessons he learned while in college.
