Jared Donaldson had recently turned 17 and his father, Courtney Donaldson, brought him to see Phil Dent and his son Taylor Dent. And Phil Dent, 66, is known as the “serve doctor.”“We walked out on the court,” Courtney said. They watched Jared serve twice and Phil goes, ‘Hmm.’ I go, ‘What does ‘hmm’ mean?’ I’m thinking Jared needs to add more spin to his serve. The story of his visit nearly three years ago to Phil Dent — the serve doctor — illustrated the Donaldsons’ distinctive approach to the sport, the twisting path of the Rhode Island-born-and-raised Jared. Taylor Dent, who is with the Donaldsons in New York, admired Jared’s ability to recognize long-term benefits versus short-term results.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 03, 2016 02:03 UTC