Commitment Profile
Fall Signing Week '15: Madison Tedford Joins the Frogs
by Granger Huntress, 10 November 2015
| Share: |  |
|  | |
|
|
Last Fall, Madison Tedford was a mess. Her shins were hurting and her forehand was breaking down.
"I used to have a really bad forehand grip," explains Tedford, who plans to join the
Texas Christian University program next fall. "It was too far under and would break down. I couldn't rely on it. I was so miserable because I worked on it so much."
Like many athletes, Tedford thought it was nothing that couldn't be worked out with a little more hard work. She also tried to convince herself the pain was 'only shin splints' and she would eventually feel better.
After several months of increasing pain and collapsing fundamentals, it all came to a head this past February at the National Selection Tournament in Arlington. The pain was too much and she immediately broke down and went to see a doctor.
"I thought I was going to collapse", she says. "It was scary."
The prognosis: a fractured shin.
Tedford was placed in a boot and her tennis put on hold.
"It was a good break from tennis," describes Tedford. "Before I was out, I was having issues with my strokes. I was really able to work on my technique while in the boot."
She credits TBarM's John Nallon, a former collegiate player at Texas A&M, with cleaning up your strokes.
"He was convinced we could fix everything", says Tedford. "Even in the boot. He did wonders with my forehand. It was so ugly."
The journey back was a long one. Tedford had to wear the boot at all times for the first three months and really wasn't allowed to put any pressure on her leg. Afterwards, she was allowed to hit, but not move too much.
"They let me swim a little and ride the bike when I was a few months in," says Tedford. "I wasn't allowed to walk around without my boot. They were so strict about it."
