Courtside Ep. 2: The 40-Hour Tennis Revolution: How Julius Gavin Is Changing the Game

Courtside Ep. 2: The 40-Hour Tennis Revolution: How Julius Gavin Is Changing the Game

Julius Gavin (@tennis.god) has almost 90,000 followers on Instagram, charges $1,000 for six hours of coaching, and claims he can build a complete tennis game in 40 hours. Some call him the most honest coach in tennis. Others call him a fraud. The truth is more interesting than either take. Julius grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. Navy dad, Filipino mom, started hitting tennis balls at seven years old because a boss fight in The Legend of Zelda looked like a rally. He walked on at Norfolk State, lasted one semester against a roster full of guys from Argentina, Romania, and Brazil, and eventually built a coaching business entirely through Instagram with zero ad spend and no agency behind it. In this conversation, we get into the parts that the comment section argues about: • What "mastered in one to three months" actually means and where the 40-hour number comes from • Why he treats coaching like a math curriculum instead of a basket of tips • The real economics of driving thousands of miles to clients with a trunk full of balls • How short-form content converts a viewer into a $1,000 booking • The fraud accusations from other coaches and how he handles it • Why certifications exist to reduce liability, not prove competence • His plan to scale beyond one-on-one through books, courses, and online coaching • What he tells a young coach who wants to go independent If you coach tennis, run programs, or think about going out on your own, this one's for you. Want to be a guest? Book your spot: topspindigital.co/courtside/book Email: evan@topspindigital.co Show notes: topspindigital.co/courtside

CourtSide Ep. 1: The Business of Running Racquets at a Private Club, with Andy Zodin

Most people in racquet sports know Andy Zodin's voice from the radio. Fewer know what he actually does for a living. For the last 15 years, Andy has been Director of Racquet Sports at Columbine Country Club in Denver, one of the top private clubs in the Intermountain region. He's been a teaching pro since 1984, an RSPA Elite Pro, and served five years as USPTA Intermountain President. He also hosts KickServeRadio.com on the Tennis Channel Podcast Network with Mats Wilander and Jonny Levine. In this conversation, we get into the parts of the job nobody puts on a podcast: how a director of racquets actually spends a Tuesday, the conversations with ownership that happen on repeat, staffing teaching pros in 2026, how private clubs are handling the pickleball question, and what he'd do differently building a program from zero today. If you run a facility, lead a program, or coach for a living, this one's for you. Guest: Andy Zodin, Director of Racquet Sports, Columbine Country Club. Host of KickServeRadio.com. CourtSide is hosted by Evan Dechtman, founder of TopSpin Digital. New episodes every 2-3 weeks. Show notes: https://topspindigital.co/courtside Be a guest: https://topspindigital.co/courtside/book

CourtSide Ep. 0: What This Show Is, Who It's For, and Why I'm Making It

Evan Dechtman, the founder of Top Spin Digital, shares his journey from musician to marketer and the insights that led him to create a show focused on racquet sports. The show aims to capture real conversations about the business side of racquet sports and is targeted at industry professionals. It features one guest per episode and is distributed on various platforms. Guests with real experience and insights are encouraged to become part of the show. Takeaways * Racquet sports marketing * Industry insights Chapters * 00:00 From Musician to Marketer * 05:26 Becoming a Guest