Coach Mike Larscheid, USPTA/PTR
A BIT ABOUT ME
Coach Mike Larscheid, USPTA/PTR, has been progressively teaching tennis for 40 years. Michael has been trained and mentored by some great coaches such as Vic Braden, Dennis Van der Meer, and most notably, Steve Smith (Greatbasetennis.com). Michael has kept at the forefront of teaching methodology, whilst maintaining the GreatBase Tennis pathway, which is rock solid and not based on guesswork, myths or opinions. In his career Michael has trained and worked with junior players at the District, Sectional and National levels. His students have gone on to play Division I college tennis as well as play the pro tour with rankings as high as Number 1 in the world and tournament play in all four Grand Slams. Coach Mike has worked with 10 time Grand Slam Doubles winner and Olympic Gold medalist Bethanie Mattek-Sands and 2023 French Open Men's Doubles Champion and world number one, Austin Krajichek. Mike achieved the highest tested rating in the USPTA & USPTR. He has a passion for Junior Development as well as a love of teaching the game to all! He is now certified by the PPR and the IPTPA for Pickleball Instruction.
Teaching Tennis
"Any Teacher can play the game, but not many Players can teach the game."
I have been fortunate to surround myself with some of the best trainers and advisors in the game of tennis. Some of these are pictured below. They have made a great impression on my coaching style. I spent many years with Steve Smith, at TennisSmith (now GreatBase Tennis), both in New York and Tampa, FL. Our students are easily recognized by their solid strokes and beautiful games. I love developing players. I love coaching kids to become the best they can be. I am a passionate student of the game and this is the only occupation I have ever had. I have taught tennis since I was 19 year old, skipping a couple of years when I played college tennis at a junior college in Greenville, SC, and then was recruited by Coe College in Iowa to continue play, where, unfortunately, an injury halted my collegiate career. I met Steve Smith in the early 80's and we continue to be close friends and share many of our students with each other. He introduced me to Vic Braden, who made a lasting impression on the way I teach.
I've also had the opportunity to have worked with and trained young players who have gone on to win Grand Slams or play Division 1 NCAA tennis, as well as juniors who just want to play successfully on their high school team. I attrribute this to the solid foundational base that I insist my students learn. To read more about my methodology, see the Junior Tennis page.
Coach Mike & Steve Smith
Great Base Tennis
Steve Smith is recognized as a leading educator among tennis insiders. He has assembled a system of instruction based on information, ideas, and insights that he has gathered over his five decades in tennis His work can be measured by the tremendous successes of his students, both on the court and off. Steve's mission is to help people play and teach tennis better through his "GreatBase Tennis" pathway.
Coach Mike & Jim Loehr
Director of Sport Science for USTA
Jim has worked with more than 80 world class players including Monica Seles & Jim Courier. He has published a wide variety of training manuals and books on human performance, mental toughness & human character. Jim was the first person to be awarded the Master Professional by both PTR & USPTA and received the International Tennis Hall of Fame's Educational Merit Award.
Coach Mike & Frank Giampaolo
Author of The Tennis Parent's Bible
30 year sports education veteran who founded the Tennis Parents Workshops, Frank is a world-wide leader in athlete-parent education. He is Vice Chair of the USTA/SCTA Coaches Commission. Frank's commitment to coaching excellence helped develop over 100 National champions, hundreds of NCAA athletes, numerous All Americans and several professional tennis players.
Testimonials from Industry Peers
"I was introduced to Mike Larscheid by a mutual friend and master teacher Steve Smith, the founder of the Great Base Tennis, to collaborate on a project with a purpose of making a tennis teaching community more knowledgeable and efficient. Ever since, Coach Mike has been generous with his time, effort and ideas.
We connected several times, some of which happened while I was driving to or from work. In the future I need to be smarter: pull off the road, take a notepad and start writing, because 20 minutes later I may not remember all the golden nuggets!
Our first meeting lasted for over two hours (we mainly discussed player development and use of technology) and I soon recognized that Steve connected me with someone who is head and shoulders above what is considered a tennis teaching/coaching standard. Not only when it comes to teaching technique and tactics, but life and parenting skills. My
only regret is that I haven’t met Coach Mike earlier in my career, both as a tennis and mental performance educator. However, it is never too late if one is willing to learn."
Dr. Dom Lausic, co-founder of Hourglass Performance Institute
"Without hesitation, I would wholeheartedly recommend Mike Larscheid as a total package tennis coach. I have known him for nearly thirty years. His skill set far exceeds the industry norm. Mike is one of the rare individuals who can take players through all phases of player development. During his long career, he has a proven background of taking numerous players from a beginner's level to a highly resectable national level."
Steve Smith, GreatBase Tennis, Founder and Director
"I met coach Mike in 2016 at the international PTR symposium in Hilton Head Island, SC.
I was at a point in my tennis coaching career where I knew I had to enhance my skills and separate myself from the industry norm and right at that moment coach Mike literally changed my life with a single question:
“Do you really want to know something about tennis?” Then you should follow me.
Those words are still redundant in my head.
I trusted Coach Mike at first sight. We spent the next few days together at the symposium and with quite of a surprise he and his lovely wife Pam invited me to their home in Jasper, GA. I was surprised because he didn’t even know me, I just felt he truly believed in me and in my willingness to learn. So I followed as he said.
We spent time together at his place and the Bent Tree Tennis Center, he showed me his work, made me part of his team and I was amazed by the most unique coaching method I have ever experienced in my life.
Mike it is not only a tennis coach, he teaches character, discipline, life and tennis like no other. He has a deep understanding of the sport inside-out. He grows young athletes into men, making them ready for a professional career.
After a week of learning, we paid a visit to one of the most well known coaches in the world, Steve Smith, founder of the GreatBase system, the method that Coach Mike strictly follows when managing his programs and staff. The one he told me about and really wanted me to comprehend as well.
I have now had the privilege to work with big names such as Rafa Nadal, Patrick Mouratoglou and various prestigious academy worldwide, since that experience, I also became a student and coach of the GreatBase, helping students all around the world becoming the best version of themselves, on and off a tennis court.
I own my tennis academy in Dubai, it was a long journey from where I began and I can say with confidence that Coach Mike was the one who changed my belief, in order to allow me to achieved what I have done so far."
Davide Spadoni, Owner of Spadoni Tennis Academy, Dubai
Next Steps...
Send an email to Coach Mike!