About Me
I'm Mark Douglas Foti, founder and head coach of Eye on the Ball Tennis, based in Woodside and serving Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, and nearby Mid-Peninsula communities. I began playing tennis around age five and have coached professionally since 2015. I grew up competing in Northern California junior tournaments, then served as manager and hitting partner for USC's Division I men's tennis team during its 2014 NCAA National Championship season. I coached professional player Dennis Novikov at the 2017 US Open. Since 2019, I have served as a lead coach at Stanford's Cardinal Clinic under Stanford Men's Tennis assistant coach Brandon Coupe and have helped at Stanford's Nike Summer Tennis Camp under head coach Paul Goldstein. Long-term private clients have included Dr. Phil, Tennis Channel President Ken Solomon, and former Fox Television President Greg Meidel. My lessons are energetic, practical, and tailored to each player's natural tendencies, goals, and learning style. I enjoy working with children, adults, beginners, recreational players, and advanced competitors.
Teaching Style
My coaching is direct, encouraging, and highly individualized. We identify the smallest technical or tactical change that can create the biggest improvement, then reinforce it with clear demonstrations, focused drills, purposeful repetition, movement patterns, and live-ball situations. I explain both what to change and why it works, adapting my communication to each player's age, goals, and learning style. Lessons balance fundamentals, point construction, decision-making, confidence, and enjoyment.
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Latest Reviews
“I’ve been playing competitive tennis for over 40 years, and Mark has truly been a game changer! He works with your natural tendencies to maximize your game in the shortest time possible—whether you’re a beginner or an ‘old dog’ like me. Most importantly, we have fun every minute of every lesson. He’s great with kids as well. I recommend him without reservation. He was on an NCAA Division I championship team for a reason!” – TV Talk Show Host, Dr. Phil
Mark is a very experienced coach. I am so glad that i took lessons with him. In just a few lessons, my groundstrokes and my first serve improved considerably. He is very good at spotting all the little things i am doing with my strokes and gave really specifc advices. I highly recommend him!
Mark is a perfectionist and will really help you improve any and every aspect of your game. It's a lot of fun to have him as a coach because he's really passionate
Super patient plus he has the talent. Excellent!
FAQ's
Yes! I often work with groups of families or friends with 2-4 people.
Nope! All fees are already included in the price. (tennis court fees, taxes, etc)
Yes, I can travel up to 20 miles to a tennis court in your area.
There is a 6 hour minimum commitment, but if you are not happy after the first lesson, I offer a 100% money back guarantee.
I will contact you shortly after signup. You will NOT be charged until we have spoken about your schedule and other important details.
MTL Satisfaction Guarantee
If you are not satisfied after the first lesson, we will set you up with another coach or refund your remaining lesson credits.