Lansdorp worked with many more ATP and WTA pros. By his estimation, at least 20 of the players he taught reached the Top 50. Notable Lansdorp students include Brian Teacher, Eliot Teltscher, Robert Van’t Hof, John Austin, Michael Joyce, Jeff Tarango, Derrick Rostagno, Justin Gimelstob, Eric Amend, Anastasia Myskina, Kimberly Po, Stephanie Rehe, Alexandra Stevenson, Anna Marie Fernandez and Melissa Gurney.
Always willing to speak his mind, Lansdorp crusaded for years against what he called “the Academy ball.” As he once explained, this high-arcing shot might well earn a player a college scholarship, but “it won’t make you a champion.” To Lansdorp, the greats struck the shots he taught in Southern California for more than 50 years: exceptionally forceful groundstrokes—hard, flat drives that penetrated the court with sustained depth and pace.
“Robert was a big part of my success,” said Austin. “You know he’s going to make you tougher, to make you stronger, to make you mentally tough.”
I think he’s the best coach to teach ground strokes in the history of the game. Tracy Austin
