|
Mastering The Fundamentals
Here
we focus on what we feel are some of the most common pitfalls
of the three player levels. Focus on improving these areas of
your game and trying to achieve the goals in the time allotted.
Don't worry if you fall a little short;
just keep plugging away and seek
the advice of your coach. As you achieve each goal,
concentrate on the next concept. We'll give you goals to keep
you motivated and help you chart your progress. Learning how to
play smart winning tennis makes the game way more fun.
Successful tennis performance requires a mix of player talent
and player development. This development requires a player to
understand those aspects of sport science pertinent to tennis
if he is to ever reach an optimal level of performance. In the
early stages of training, parents and coach can coax the individual
into developing some parts of his skills. Ultimately, the athlete
determines this development himself. Desire is the basis of motivation.
Knowing how to desire is a mystery that is rarely solved, but
in the end it is always up to the individual athlete.
| BEGINNER:
Build
a foundation
The
game of tennis requires that you understand the basic fundamentals.
When you learn the different grips and strokes you can become
a good tennis player. Ground Strokes are the meat and potatoes
of every players game.
|
|
|
TURN ON GROUND STROKES |
SWING AT YOUR SERVE |
VOLLEY WITHOUT SWINGING |
|
The challenge |
Many beginners simply face the net and swat at the ball. When
you hit a ground stroke, you must
make a 'unit turn,' that is, pivot your shoulders and hips
to coil your body. This provides power and helps to improve
control. |
Beginners usually push their serve, starting from a position
resembling that of a waitress holding
a platter, palm facing up and wrist bent back. Pushing the
ball limits power and spin. |
Swinging at volleys gives you an inconsistent contact point
and leads to hitting wild shots. If you hit too far behind
your body, the ball will fly off to your racquet side; too
far in front, the ball will fly crosscourt. |
|
How to improve |
As balls leave your opponent's or
practice partner's racquet, quickly make a 45-degree turn
with your shoulders and hips in the direction of the ball.
Saying 'turn' as your opponent hits will help you remember
to turn before every ground stroke. |
If you can't throw a ball from the
baseline into the service box across the net, start your
serve with your racquet hand near your head, your palm facing
just above your ear and the butt cap pointing toward the
net. As you move to hit the ball, turn your hand to get
the strings pointed toward your target. If you can throw
a ball into the court, a traditional service motion should
get you into this position. Turn your hand and wrist to
expose your strings to the ball and follow through. |
To feel how little swing you need, hold your racquet handle
between your thumb and index finger like a pen and have
someone gently toss you a ball. Hit it with the butt cap
of the racquet. Repeat this on the backhand side, making
sure you don't turn your fingers
toward the ground. You should notice that you take very
little swing and your wrist stays firm. Now, hit volleys
with the strings while holding your racquet in a normal
grip and use this new compact stroke. |
|
Your goal |
Within six weeks, you should start to instinctively turn on
all your ground strokes. |
In six weeks, using either method, you should be able to make
six out of 10 serves. |
In six weeks you should have a non-swinging
volley on both your forehand and backhand side. |
|
If you achieve
the goal |
Focus on getting your racquet back quickly as you turn and
on keeping the proper distance from the ball. |
Keep practicing until you can make eight out of 10 serves.
Start to focus on making the motion as smooth and rhythmic
as you can. |
Practice volleying while transferring your weight forward,
using good footwork to help you hit deeper and get power
without swinging. |
|
If you don't achieve
the goal |
Stand at the service line and have your practice partner rhythmically
feed you soft, alternating forehands and backhands. Feel
your body turning as you go from one side to the other.
As you gain confidence, keep hitting and slowly back up
to the baseline. |
Have your teaching pro or coach check your grip and ball toss.
Some of the most common problems beginners have can
be corrected by improving the ball toss and adjusting
the grip. Keep at it until you can make six out of 10. |
Hold your racquet at the throat, just below the strings, and
hit soft volleys. Choking up like this should give you more
control and reduce your swing. Slide down the handle as
you feel more confident. |
| INTERMEDIATE:
Develop
consistency, control, placement and power
Control
comes from a consistent, fluid motion of the racquet. Work
on the same starting point and finishing point with your
swing. Ideally, the racquet should move low to high, keeping
the head perpendicular to the ground,
and moving into position with poise, and balance, then smoothly
accelerating the head of the racquet and transferring your
weight at the right time to
execute the stroke.
|
|
|
FOCUS ON CONTACT POINT |
ROTATE ON THE SERVE |
GET DOWN FOR VOLLEYS |
|
The challenge |
Intermediates often hit the ball behind the optimal contact
point, robbing themselves of control and power. |
If you don't turn your hips and shoulders
on the serve, you can't generate power. Rotating your hips
and shoulders increases racquet-head speed, translating
into faster serves. |
Intermediates face better competition, and therefore play more
low volleys. You'll need to bend
your knees, not just step forward, to hit these shots. Avoid
bending from your waist. |
|
How to improve |
Make contact with the ball between your knees and chest and
as far out in front as your front knee. Have someone stand
behind you and toss a ball gently over your shoulder. Move
forward, hit it and feel how far in front you made contact. |
Hit a couple of serves using your normal grip, but with the
opposite side of the string bed. Turning your wrist and
arm in this way forces you to turn your shoulders and hips.
Don't worry if the ball lands out. |
Keep your upper body upright and practice hitting low volleys
by dropping your back knee. Don't bend from the waist. Keep your hands and racquet
in front of you at all times. |
|
Your goal |
In six weeks, hit from the ideal contact point more consistently. |
In six weeks, develop a larger, fuller shoulder and hip turn. |
In six weeks, step forward and bend your knees on all low volleys. |
|
If you achieve
your goal |
For added power, work on developing more racquet-head speed
while maintaining a high-quality stroke. |
With the help of your toss, focus on moving forward, into the
court, as you rotate hips and shoulders to generate even
more power. |
Don't rely on power to hit winning volleys.
Use angles to put the ball away and try to hit the ball
to awkward places for your opponent. |
|
If you don't achieve
your goal |
Have someone stand in front of you and slightly to your side.
When they drop a ball for you to hit, try to feel the difference
between the ideal contact point and where
you have been hitting. |
Talk to your pro and make sure your ball toss is in the proper
position. If your toss is too far to your racquet side,
you have overextended to reach the ball and won't
physically be able to rotate your body. |
Make sure you're balanced and your
footwork is sound. If you step with the wrong foot, it's
difficult to bend your knees and play a good shot. Also,
be sure you're watching the ball long enough. |
| ADVANCED:
Strengthen
your weaknesses
Co-ordination
Skills
- Eye - Body - Brain, is the way we want our co-ordination
skills. Unfortunately many of us see the ball, and our body
takes too long to react to it passing us.
This
area can be improved by developing what is called your tracking
technique, so that you see the ball, and your
body automatically positions itself in the correct place.
With a complete variety of situations you can be in for
a ball to pass you.
You
need to work on improving your total body, to react as one
fast efficient machine.
|
|
|
HOLD YOUR SHOULDER TURN |
SERVE WITH VARIETY |
HIT HALF VOLLEYS DEEP |
|
The challenge |
If you don't hold your turn on a one-handed
backhand, or if you rotate too quickly on a two-hander,
your shot will drift to the middle, making your passing
shots less effective. |
Advanced players sometimes depend too much on their best
type of serve. At this level, you can't
let your opponents get into a groove on the return, so mixing
up your serve is crucial. |
Even advanced players can get lazy on half volleys. A weak
half volley won't cut it against
a strong opponent. You need to be able to hit it deep. |
|
How to improve |
Practice moving from the center mark and hitting down-the-line
backhands at a cone or ball can placed
deep in the corner. Try to hide the front of your shirt
from the feeder as long as you can and step toward your
target as you swing. |
Set up targets in the corners of the service box and up the
lines. Practice hitting slice, kick and flat serves to the
different areas and feel how much spin, and what kinds,
you need for the various shots. |
Like on all low volleys, bend to the ball using your knees.
Be especially aware of keeping your racquet in front of
you throughout the stroke, and keep the racquet face open
only enough to get the ball to clear the net. Don't
hit the ball too high. |
|
Your goal |
In six weeks, develop a more consistent down-the-line backhand. |
In six weeks, feel more comfortable hitting
two new serves. |
In six weeks, you should be able to hit deeper and with more
control. |
|
If you achieve
your goal |
Increase your racquet-head speed and add power. Most passing
shots at the advanced level need to have zip. |
Practice the serves that are most challenging so eventually
you can hit various serves wide, down the middle or into
your opponent's body. |
Practice getting the ball not only deep but
into the corners. Try to put your opponents in weak tactical
positions to set up your next volley. |
|
If you don't achieve
your goal |
Be sure you are on balance. If you are moving or falling to
one side, the ball will pull in that direction. All of your
momentum needs to be moving toward your target. The better
your balance, the better you can hit. |
Have your pro check your grip and toss combinations. To hit different serves well, you may need to make some
subtle adjustments. Some serves may be harder for you than
others, so be patient and keep at it. |
Even though there is almost no backswing, be sure to make a
long follow-through to help you control the shot. Also,
be sure to get down to the ball with good balance. |
|
Practice
sessions must be approached with a sense of purpose. That
means asking yourself some very basic questions. How much
of an investment, in terms of both time and money, can you
afford to make in your tennis? If you want to get the most
out of your court time, knowing how many hours you can allot
to the game will allow you to plan appropriately.But there should always
be an end to the means. Too often, players take the court
and hit balls with no particular purpose in mind. Practice
should be about improving specific strokes, tactics, movement,
or conditioning. And when you get better, you put yourself
in a better position to win. And
everybody likes winning.
|
Footwork
| BEGINNER:A
newcomer to the game of tennis may be quick and athletic,
but there's absolutely no substitute
for learning the proper footwork skills right from the beginning.
A solid foundation and good habits are the keys to getting
on the fast track to success. Running
is excellent for the legs and lungs with distance for stamina
and sharp bursts of short sprints to keep a player conditioned
for the many short bursts of speed neccessary getting to
the net, moving across it, back to the backcourt for lobs
and for the many points a good player must scramble for
in top company. Weight training can help improve your serve
and overheads.
|
|
|
SPLIT-STEP BEFORE EVERY SHOT |
STEP FORWARD WITH THE PROPER FOOT |
|
The challenge |
One of the common errors beginners make is to stand flat-footed
and expect the ball to come to them. Then, when it doesn't, they end up reaching or lunging for it. Split-stepping will force you to get up on your toes
and prepare to move. |
There are lots of things to think
about when you're learning to play tennis. But
if you don't step forward with the proper foot, you'll be
robbing yourself of power and depth. Plus,
you'll be off-balance and unable to recover in time for
the next shot. |
|
How to improve |
As your practice partner starts to swing, hop a few inches
off the ground and raise your racquet into the ready position.
Land softly on the balls of your feet, with your legs spread
about shoulder width, your knees slightly bent, and your
weight forward. From this position, you should be able to
move in almost any direction. |
Hit 25 volleys, alternating between forehands and backhands.
(Right-handers step with the left foot
on the forehand volley and the right foot on the backhand
volley; lefties, vice versa.) Then hit 25 ground
strokes with the same footwork patterns. Concentrate
on keeping the correct foot moving forward before each stroke. |
|
Your goal |
Within three weeks, you should automatically split-step before
you hit every ground stroke, volley,
and overhead. |
Within three weeks, you should instinctively step forward with
the proper foot on all ground strokes
and volleys. |
|
If you achieve
the goal |
As you split-step, bend your knees and stay low so that you'll be able to change directions quickly. |
Stay focused, not only on stepping forward, but on timing the move to get maximum power and depth
on your shots. |
|
If you don't achieve
the goal |
Have your partner feed balls to you and say 'split' out loud. This verbal cue before every shot will remind
you to split-step, keep your weight forward, and get up
on your toes. Keep repeating it during all your drills until
the maneuver becomes automatic. |
Stand in front of a mirror and practice your strokes, continually
reinforcing the proper movements and footwork combinations.
Do 25 forehand ground strokes,
then 25 backhand ground strokes, 25 forehand volleys, and
finish with 25 backhand volleys. |
| INTERMEDIATE:
Now that your ground
strokes are improving, it's time to put yourself
in a position to use them. Power becomes a factor at this
level, especially with today's high-tech racquets. But
power without good movement won't get you very far. |
|
|
EXPLODE TO THE BALL |
DEVELOP
BETTER ANTICIPATION |
|
The challenge |
Some players' first steps are explosive; others need a runway
to get up to speed. Being efficient will help you get to
shots faster and change directions more quickly. It can
mean the difference between hitting a good shot and merely
getting the ball back. |
Power has never been a bigger factor than it is today. To handle
hard shots, you need to anticipate where the ball is going
and pick up subtle cues to give yourself a head start. If
you wait until your opponent hits before moving, you may
not get to the shot in time. |
|
How to improve |
Start in the ad court and have someone feed shots into the
deuce corner. Push off with your outside foot and cross
it in front of your inside leg. For balance, take lots
of little steps before you swing. |
Observe where your opponent's momentum is taking him (shots
will usually go in the same direction), as well as the height
of his contact point (e.g., low balls are easier to hit
crosscourt). |
|
Your goal |
Within three weeks, your first step along the baseline should instinctively be made with your outside foot. |
Within three weeks, you should be able to anticipate your opponents'
shots more often, and begin moving sooner. |
|
If you achieve
your goal |
Practice running the length of the baseline and hitting a down-the-line
passing shot, one of the toughest shots in the game. |
As you learn more about your opponents' tendencies, develop
game strategies to address each of them in match play. |
|
If you don't achieve
your goal |
Try jumping rope. Not only will this make you quicker, but
it will also improve your aerobic conditioning. And
in practice, think about which foot you should use as your
'push-off' foot. |
Hit crosscourt forehands with your partner and see what his
stroke looks like. Repeat the drill with down-the-line forehands.
Note how the swings differ. Repeat the exercise with backhands. |
| ADVANCED:
As hard as you hit and as well as you know the game, you
can't let faulty footwork turn
you into a sitting duck. Face it: No one hits right to you.
To get an edge, you have to master the various surfaces
and use your balance, athleticism, co-ordination and anticipatory
skills. |
|
|
LEARN TO SLIDE ON CLAY |
USE A SCISSORS KICK ON OVERHEADS |
|
The challenge |
Many advanced players prefer to play on clay. Har-Tru and clay
courts, however, have a granular top dressing or 'brick
dust,' so when you plant your foot and swing, you slide.
To be a demon on dirt, you need to control your slide --
then use it to your advantage. |
Just about every advanced player has a good overhead when he
has time to prepare. But when you're
playing someone who lobs well, you'll have to hit your overhead
while you're moving backward. A scissors kick will keep
you balanced on deep balls. |
|
How to improve |
On a clay court, run along the baseline and
stretch to hit a slice backhand. As you take your final step (with
your right foot for right-handers, left foot for left-handers),
let it glide over the court. Keeping your knees bent, time
your slide so that you'll stop just as you make contact. Repeat the exercise
on the forehand side. |
Have your partner feed you deep overheads. Turn and shuffle
back for the ball. Jump off your back foot (right foot for
right-handers, left foot for left-handers), rotate your
shoulders and hips, and then land on your non-dominant foot,
with the leg you jumped off of still in the air. This will complete the 'scissors'
action. |
|
Your goal |
On a clay court, run along the baseline and
stretch to hit a slice backhand. As you take your final step (with
your right foot for right-handers, left foot for left-handers),
let it glide over the court. Keeping your knees bent, time
your slide so that you'll stop just as you make contact. Repeat the exercise
on the forehand side. |
Within three weeks, to use your improved
movement to return deep overheads more consistently -- and
with greater authority. |
|
If you achieve
your goal |
Practice sliding forward to retrieve drop
shots? More of them are hit on clay than
on any other surface. |
Try to improve your anticipation skills and approach shots,
so that you won't have to hit tough
overheads too often. |
|
If you don't achieve
your goal |
Run along the baseline, extend your right leg, and slide. In
the beginning, pretend that you're
skateboarding. Then try sliding and mimicking
a stroke. This should boost your confidence. |
Starting from a service position, toss a ball slightly behind
your head. Jump, swing, and rotate your shoulders to face
the net, landing on your non-dominant foot. Then try it
with a real overhead. |
| The most damaging
phrase in the language is: 'It's always been done that way.'---Grace
Murray Hopper
|
The
Serve
| BEGINNER:
People who are just learning
to play tennis often want to hit aces right off the bat.
But understanding the fundamentals
of the serve, like a good throwing motion and a consistent
ball toss, has to come first. |
|
|
DEVELOP
A THROWING MOTION |
LEARN TO TOSS CORRECTLY |
|
The challenge |
If you're not a strong thrower or
don't have any background in a sport that requires throwing,
it's important that you learn. Baseball pitchers and football
quarterbacks often make good tennis players because a serve
is really a throwing of your racquet. |
Your serve can only be as good as your toss. If your toss is
poor, you'll have to bend your
body and swing your racquet awkwardly to hit the ball. Plus,
inconsistent tosses make it virtually impossible to develop
a steady, effective service rhythm. |
|
How to improve |
Stand on the baseline, your body turned sideways and your nondominant
shoulder pointing at the net. Using your dominant hand,
throw a ball into the service box. Rotate your shoulders
and allow your back leg to follow through. After 20 throws,
pick up a racquet and serve using that same throwing motion. |
Hold a ball with the tips of your non-dominant thumb, index
finger, and middle finger. Lift your arm, and when your
hand gets to eye level, release the ball. Toss the ball
to the racquet side of your body and slightly forward. Ideally,
your toss should only be as high as the tip of your racquet
reaches when you're fully extended. |
|
Your goal |
Within three weeks, you should develop a serve that's closer to a throwing motion than a pushing motion. |
Within three weeks, you should have a consistent ball toss
that allows you to make a natural, smooth service motion. |
|
If you achieve
the goal |
Extend your motion so that you're
hitting the ball at its highest point. The higher the contact
point, the more leverage you get. |
Keep practicing diligently until your toss becomes so automatic
that you can count on it even in a tight match. |
|
If you don't achieve
the goal |
You may need to develop more shoulder strength. To do this,
try throwing a football. Playing catch-and-throw in your
backyard or on the court should make you stronger. After
a week, both your throwing motion and your serve should
improve. |
From your service stance, place your racquet on the ground
with the handle touching your toes and the head pointed
toward the net post (right-handers should point it to the
right post; lefties, to the left post). Toss the ball so
that it bounces on the racquet strings. |
| INTERMEDIATE:
Once you're
at this level, you should be able to put the serve into
play more consistently. Intermediates can improve their
games by developing a second serve that isn't glaringly weak and by moving their first serve
around in the box. |
|
|
GET A DEPENDABLE SECOND SERVE |
MOVE YOUR SERVE AROUND IN THE BOX |
|
The challenge |
Too many intermediates have a second serve that's weak and prone to being attacked. Putting extra
spin on your second serve should give you a larger margin
for error, help you avoid double faults, and make it tougher
for your opponent to be aggressive on the return. |
The last thing a server can afford to do is to become predictable.
As your skill level rises, you'll
need to be able to hit to specific locations on the court
in order to keep the returner off balance and force him
into hitting his weakest returns more often. |
|
How to improve |
When practicing your second serve, brush
up the back of the ball to create topspin, which will help
bring it down into the court. Balls hit with topspin are
tougher to return aggressively than balls hit flat (without
any spin). Using a Continental grip and a loose wrist on
the serve will help you get more net clearance. |
Standing on your service line, your body
facing the outside of the box diagonally across the net,
hit 10 serves. Then hit 10 down
the middle. Step back two paces and serve again. Keep repeating
the drill until you reach the baseline. Feel the relationship
between where you're pointed and where the ball goes after you hit
it. |
|
Your goal |
Within three weeks, your second serve should have more topspin
and you should be serving fewer double faults. |
Within three weeks, you should be able to hit wide or down
the middle, depending on the game score and the situation. |
|
If you achieve
your goal |
Start hitting first serves with the topspin motion. This tactic
is very effective in doubles and in serve-and-volley situations |
Making accuracy and consistency your top priorities, begin
to increase the amount of pace on your serve. |
|
If you don't achieve
your goal |
Go to an outdoor facility and hit serves from behind the fence
and onto the court. This will help you learn to hit up on
the ball. Hit 15 over the fence, then
go back to practicing your serve on the court. |
Build pyramids of tennis balls in strategic spots and try hitting
them. Visual targets help you develop more accuracy on the
serve. Try one spot until you hit the target, then
go to another. |
| ADVANCED:
Most
players think of the serve as a power shot. But that’s shortsighted.
Sure, hitting aces and service winners are desirable results,
but it’s not realistic to rely on such shots. To be an effective
server, you need to learn to use your serve in an offensive
way to construct a point. It’s a different philosophy from
trying to serve your opponent off the court. To me, there’s
a subtle art to moving your serve around to different parts
of the box and mixing up your pace and spin so you can be
aggressive from your first shot. It’s using your serve as
a setup shot rather than a finisher. |
|
|
HIT GOOD SERVES UNDER PRESSURE |
ADD POWER TO MAKE YOUR SERVE A WEAPON |
|
The challenge |
The best players live for crunch time. And
to win big matches, you need to be able to hit your best
shots when the pressure is on. So
while you may hit your targets in practice, it doesn't mean
much until you can do it in a match. |
At this level, speed kills. But so
does great placement and the ability to load a ball up with
spin; hitting with power isn't the only way to make your
serve a weapon. Blending power, spin, and placement will
turn your serve into a consistently tough shot to handle. |
|
How to improve |
Pros have rituals they perform before each serve. So should
you. Bounce the ball a certain number of times. Take a specific
number of deep breaths. The idea is to make every serve
exactly the same. The repetition
will help you build consistency and develop confidence in
your ability to perform well under pressure. |
The key to hitting a big serve is in the legs. Bend your knees
as you toss, then explode up and
into the ball, trying to meet it at its highest point. As
your contact point gets higher, you will have more options
available to you: a powerful flat serve, a twisting kick
serve, or a hard slice serve. |
|
Your goal |
Within three weeks, you should instinctively repeat a pattern
or routine before every first serve and every second serve. |
Within three weeks, you should be blending power, spin, and
placement on your serve. |
|
If you achieve
your goal |
To get a feel for what playing under pressure is like, try
serving some games with the score starting out at 0-30. |
Practice hitting your flat, slice, and kick serves down the
middle, wide, and into your opponent's body. |
|
If you don't achieve
your goal |
Create a ritual and stick to it. Then, after going through
the routine, envision targets on the court and practice
serving to them. This will create the same situations that
exist in your matches. |
Players often pull their heads down while serving, reducing
their accuracy. Try keeping your eyes
up through the motion, practicing serves without looking
to see where they land. |
Serve Returns
| BEGINNER:
Most beginners never think about the return
serve, and that's a big mistake.
Every point in tennis involves someone trying to get a serve
back into play. If you don't understand the basics of the return, you'll start
off too many points on the defensive. |
|
|
THE IDEAL PLACE TO STAND |
SPLIT-STEP BEFORE YOU HIT |
|
The challenge |
Every server is different and every court plays differently,
but you still need to learn where to stand so that you don't
make life easy for the server. There won't
be too many booming deliveries at this level, but getting
into good habits now will help you later on. |
Beginning servers have little in the way of control, so the
ball is liable to go almost anywhere. Still, you can't
get away with standing flat-footed on the return; returning
serve is all about quickness, making the most of every step,
and being ready to move. |
|
How to improve |
Your first goal is to put the ball in play, so stand far enough
back so that you can make a compact stroke at waist level.
Position yourself so that an imaginary line between you
and the server splits the service box into two equal pieces
-- one to the left, one to the right. From here, you'll
be able to reach the most serves. |
As the server tosses the ball, hop an inch or so into the air
and land with your feet shoulder-width apart, your weight
a bit forward, and your heels slightly off the ground. This
is called the split-step, and it's
your cue to get ready to play the point. From this position,
you should be able to move in any direction. |
|
Your goal |
Within three weeks, you should be positioning yourself properly
to return serve against a variety of players in both singles
and doubles. |
Within three weeks, you should instinctively split-step before
every first and second serve. |
|
If you achieve
the goal |
Strive for consistency in your return game by exposing yourself
to as many types of servers and situations as you possibly
can. |
As you get more comfortable returning, be slightly more aggressive
by split-stepping a foot or two
farther inside the court. |
|
If you don't achieve
the goal |
Talk to your practice partner and see if you're
giving away too much of the court on the deuce side or the
ad side. If you're having trouble getting to serves on one side,
adjust accordingly: move back a step or two, or to your
left or right. |
Have your practice partner move up and serve from his service
line. Shortening the time you have to see and react to the
ball will force you to be up on your toes. Once you start
returning serves more consistently, have your partner move
back to his baseline. |
| INTERMEDIATE:
At this level, you should
be able to get most serves back into play; only the toughest
will remain a challenge. But you'd better get used to the hard ones: Opponents'
serves are only going to get faster and more-accurately
placed. |
|
|
WATCH THE TOSS CLOSELY |
PREDETERMINE YOUR RETURN |
|
The challenge |
Most intermediate players are pretty good
at moving their serves around the box. One way to cut down
on the amount of court you need to cover on the return is
by carefully watching each toss and then anticipating where
the serve is likely to land. |
A big server may force you to play defensively, but you can
seize the moment, and the momentum of the point, with a
strong return. As long as you play within your ability,
second serves and high-pressure situations are prime times
to turn up the heat. |
|
How to improve |
As the server makes a toss, look closely:
Is the ball way off to the player's racquet side (which
normally indicates a slice or hook serve) or back over his
head (a kicking, topspin serve)? At this level, tosses made in the traditional spot --
just slightly to the racquet side of the server -- usually
go toward the center of the box. |
Have your practice partner hit a series of second serves and
give yourself a target to hit before he even tosses the
ball (you can set different targets for forehands and backhands).
Once you make a decision, stick with it. Predetermining
your target will make you a more decisive returner -- and
a much stronger player. |
|
Your goal |
Within three weeks, you should be able to anticipate where
most serves are going and move quickly to make the returns. |
Within three weeks, you should be able to predetermine the
location of your returns and be increasingly consistent
with them. |
|
If you achieve
your goal |
Expose yourself to a variety of service types and speeds. Again,
the key is to gain consistency in the placement of the return. |
Move a few steps inside the baseline; this will give you more
angles to shoot for on the return. |
|
If you don't achieve
your goal |
Have your partner hit serves using exaggerated ball tosses.
Before he swings, have him tell you where he's
aiming; note the differences in each toss. Store this information
for later use. |
With your partner serving to your forehand side in the deuce
court, hit 15 returns crosscourt, then 15 down the line.
Repeat the drill with serves to your backhand, then
switch to the ad court. |
| ADVANCED:
Since the server has the
advantage here, you'll need to return even the heaviest bombs and make
your opponent play tough shots. To nullify a variety of
service velocities, spins, and placements, you must be quick
on your feet and fast with your hands. |
|
|
BLOCK THE SERVES OF BIG HITTERS |
RETURN LOW TO SERVE-AND-VOLLEYERS |
|
The challenge |
It's not uncommon for advanced club-level
servers to hit the ball close to 100 m.p.h. -- and speed
definitely kills. Even if you guess right and get to a cannonball
serve, the force of the impact may send your return flying. |
Most advanced players aren't afraid
to serve and volley. The serve itself may not beat you,
but if you float the return back, attacking players will
rush the net, hit their volley into the open court, and
force you into attempting a low-percentage passing shot. |
|
How to improve |
Turn the server's power against him. Let the biggest server
you know hit bullets to your forehand. Using almost no backswing,
block the ball back into play. After 20 forehands, repeat
the drill on your backhand side. Note: If you have a one-handed
backhand, slicing the return may be easier than hitting
with topspin. |
Tell your practice partner to serve and come into net. As you
hit your return, move forward and, with
a compact backswing, hit the shot and make a long
follow-through. Using topspin or slice, keep the ball low
and try to steer it on or near the convergence of his service
lines (his 'T'). This will force him to hit a tough volley. |
|
Your goal |
Within three weeks, you should be more consistent returning
serves that are hit with a lot
of pace. |
Within three weeks, you should be hitting a
lot of low returns and forcing serve-and-volleyers
to play more difficult first volleys. |
|
If you achieve
your goal |
Keep practicing against bigger and bigger servers; returning
is a skill you can always improve and refine. |
Turn up the heat by going for sharper angles on your service
returns. Warning: Avoid the temptation to hit the ball too
hard. |
|
If you don't achieve
your goal |
Have your partner at net hit ground strokes
to your immediate left and right. Don't
let the balls bounce; play them out of the air. This will
be terrific practice for facing powerful servers. |
Take a bit of pace off of your return.
Speed isn't what beats a skilled
serve-and-volleyer; placement and positioning do. Your goal
is to make volleys tough, not necessarily to hit a winner. |
Ball
Flights
| BEGINNER:
As a beginner, you may
have been told what spins do to the ball and how
they can affect its flight, but you may have thought that
topspin and slice were for more advanced players. Wrong!
Topspin and slice give you control, and that’s exactly what beginners need. |
|
|
GENERATING TOPSPIN |
GENERATING SLICE |
|
The challenge |
The essential thing to do when hitting ground strokes with
topspin, on both your forehand and backhand, is to keep
your racquet face straight up-and-down as you swing from
a level below the height of ball to above it. |
Slice (often called backspin or underspin) is great for beginners
because it slows the ball down and doesn’t
require a large swing. Beginners should only slice use on
their backhand, with a slightly-opened
racquet face -- the bottom edge of your racquet should lead
the top edge by about 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Turn sideways,
use a swing similar to a backhand volley and press through
the ball, allowing the openness of the racquet face to create
backspin. |
|
How to improve |
Drop and hit a few simple forehands and backhands and try to
make the ball rotate forward. Then have your practice partner
or coach feed you some soft backhands and do the same thing.
Try to feel the strings brushing up the back of the ball.
Ideally, the ball will rise over the net, then drop quickly
into the court. |
Drop a ball slightly in front of you and hit it as a slice
backhand. Don’t worry about power
-- watch the spin and be sure the rotation is towards you
as the ball goes over the net. After you’ve
hit a few and see the correct spin, have a practice partner
hit you some shots and try to make the same motion. |
|
Your goal |
After three weeks, be able to make six topspin forehands and
six topspin backhands out of 10. |
In three weeks, you should be able to hit six out of 10 slice
backhands into the court. |
|
If you achieve
the goal |
Practice hitting with topspin after moving to the ball. You
need to put yourself in a position where you can make a
good swing. |
Take a more aggressive step forward while making your flat
swing for more power and depth. |
|
If you don't achieve
the goal |
Try hitting some topspin ground strokes
from the service line. Concentrate on making a smooth, evenly-paced
swing. Be sure your racquet face is closed
at contact and that you watch the ball closely. |
Try hitting some underspin backhands from the service line.
Be sure to make contact with the ball in front of your body
and don’t allow your racquet face to get too open. Also be careful not to chop down on the ball as you swing. |
| INTERMEDIATE:
Topspin and slice are crucial
for intermediate players who are looking for consistency
from the baseline and the ability to stay in rallies. Once
you get a feel for hitting with different spins, you can
add more variety to your game. |
|
|
USING TOPSPIN TO HIT A RALLY BALL |
USING SLICE ON YOUR BACKHAND APPROACH |
|
The challenge |
Hitting a ball that lands deep in your opponent’s court and
forces them to play defensively should be your goal on all
ground strokes. Using topspin to get net clearance and
then to drive your opponent deep for an excellent, high-percentage
shot. |
When you come to the net, you want to make your opponent hit
a challenging shot to beat you. Slice backhands stay low,
give you more time to get into good volley position and
let you keep moving forward as you hit. Beat that! |
|
How to improve |
Try to hit your forehands and backhands at least 4 to 6 feet
above the net. The height will help get the ball deep, and
after it bounces in your opponent’s court, the topspin will
push it deeper still. |
Standing four feet inside the baseline, turn sideways and have
someone feed you backhands. Hit each shot down the line
and with underspin. Progress to moving
forward from the baseline and hitting the same shot.
Concentrate on hitting a high-quality shot, not racing into
the net as fast as you can. |
|
Your goal |
In three weeks, consistently hit high, deep ground strokes off both your forehand and backhand side. |
In three weeks, feel confident enough to hit down-the-line
slice approach shots in match play. |
|
If you achieve
your goal |
Develop a feel for adding more and less topspin to the ball,
and flattening the trajectory for a more powerful shot when
you need it. |
Focus on getting the ball deep and into the corner on every
approach shot you can. The deeper the
better. |
|
If you don't achieve
your goal |
Use your opponent’s service line a guide and try to hit all
your shots past it. Power isn’t
the concern, so don’t worry if your shots look like topspin
lobs. That fine as long as they land deep. |
Keep practicing and be sure you aren’t
swing down on the ball, which can make it float or pop up.
When you practice, be willing to miss trying the 'right'
shot. |
| ADVANCED:
The advanced player should use topspin and slice to open
up the court and create angles. Increased racquet-head speed
and extra power will allow you to
alter the tempo of a point --
and set up the rest of your game. coordination
Remember, they'll still be thinking that winners mean power
and will overplay many of their shots. If you would like
to increase your power and still stay in your control range,
here is a principle that can help: practice! In your practice
sessions, try hitting high ball after high ball for a winner
with minimum power, then increase that power as you see
your control improve. If you find yourself tightening up
again and trying to muscle the ball, back off a little and
practice relaxing until you can hit with the amount of power
that feels comfortable. I am constantly telling players
to relax on their winners and not to overplay. It's just
human nature to want to do more on your winners when that
magical moment occurs ... and you should! But that does
not mean you have to abandon control...
Why is this important to understand? Because most players
overplay their winners. Overplaying is one of the main reasons
players lose control of their put-aways. For some reason,
when they finally have the right opportunity to win the
point, they abandon control and go with power.
Advanced players understand that more shots are lost than
won. Understanding this enables them to avoid the high risk
shots while hitting strong and consistent with a purpose.
On a high level it is very difficult to have an open court
to hit into. What seems open is only there for an instance.
The more important strategy is being able to hit the right
shot at the right time and it does not matter if the opponent
is out of position or not. The shot itself will either produce
an error or lead to a short ball and thus an opportunity
to close out the point.
Power without control is meaningless. When most players
hit with power they inevitably go outside of their control
range. You must learn what your control range is with a
given amount of power. If you step outside this control
range, life on the tennis court becomes tough, not to mention
frustrating. .
|
|
|
USING TOPSPIN TO CREATE ANGLES |
HITTING SLICE BACKHANDS AGGRESSIVELY |
|
The challenge |
When players pull you off the court or rush the net against
you in high-level matches, you have to be able to hit extreme
angles and create openings. Because you can make a
topspin shot dip quickly after it clears the net,
it’s the spin of choice for these situations. |
Too often, advanced players regard slice backhands as defensive
shots. Tell that to Steffi Graf, who’s
made a career out of hitting exclusively with slice on her
backhand. Even if you stay at the baseline, you can dictate
play by pulling opponents out of position and making them
hit up when your slice stays low. |
|
How to improve |
Set up Targets along your practice partner’s service line,
about two feet from the singles sidelines. Starting from
the center mark, have someone feed you forehands
and backhands and hit them crosscourt to the targets.
Try to hit up and around the outside edge of the ball and
use topspin to bring the ball back down into the court. |
Set up targets three feet from the convergence of the baseline
and singles sidelines of your practice partner’s court.
Hit a series of deep slice backhands to each target, giving
the ball a flat trajectory to keep it low. Step forward
aggressively and lean into each shot. |
|
Your goal |
In three weeks, be able to mix in sharply-angled
balls with your down-the-line passing shots. |
In three weeks be able to hit slice
backhands aggressively and to set up your more powerful
ground strokes. |
|
If you achieve
your goal |
Start to experiment with using heavy-topspin shots in doubles
to keep the ball low against a team established at the net. |
Try to incorporate slice backhands into your passing shot attack.
A low, soft crosscourt slice backhands can force a net-rusher
to try very difficult volleys. |
|
If you don't achieve
your goal |
Keep your racquet head speed high. Try hitting higher and with
more Topspin -- the shot won't
be as powerful, but it's your shot’s trajectory is what
will beat your opponent. |
Be sure you are leaning forward enough at impact. If your weight
is not behind the shot, you may still get it in, but the
shot will lack the sting you want. |
| Work on core skills needs a great deal
of repetition, in the process of which the percentage of
inferior efforts gradually diminishes, before competence
is achieved. And without competence there is little hope
of pleasure, which is, after all, what sport is all about.
Such
comprehension permits you to play the proper shot, in the
most effective manner, at the right moment, almost automatically
or intuitively. - William Talbert
|
|