Instructional Tips of the Day

With forehands, aim lower. If the ball is sailing high on you, it means that your racquet face is open at impact. Instead, “square” the face of your racquet behind the ball.

May 27th - Backhands, Part III:

For a one-handed backhand, a key element is to always use your other hand on the racquet throat to help you turn. Your first move should be to step onto your left foot (assuming your are a righty) as you start to turn your shoulders - don't think of it as taking the racquet back with your right arm - turn as a unit and your hips will follow.

May 26th - Backhands, Part II:

With backhands, aim higher. If you are going to miss a shot, be sure to miss long or wide, but never into the net. I have read research indicating that, believe it or not, 75% of all mistakes come from balls that are hit into the net. Take the net out of play and you will improve immediately.

May 25th - Backhands:  

For a more penetrating slice backhand, try to hit a “flatter” ball. Emphasize the forward acceleration in your swing, and not the high-to-low motion. This is a common mistake. If you hit a “flatter” slice, then it will skid through the court; if you contact the ball with an open racquet face and a slower swing, then your ball will not penetrate though the court. (By the way, there is a time and place for either of these options).

May 24th - Serve-and-Volley: 

The best time to approach net is when you have hurt, or know that you are about to hurt, your opponent. When your opponent hits a short ball that you are confident that you can handle aggressively, then you should take advantage of this opportunity by following your shot to the net.

May 23rd - Footwork:
 
The singles court is 27 feet wide -- play balls that land in the outer thirds (the nine feet closest to the sidelines) with an open stance on their groundstrokes. This technique enables players to comfortably rotate their hips through the shot and to assure a faster recovery after the hit. On return of fast serves, players rarely ever have time to “get sideways.”

May 22nd - Approach Shots:

Play the approach or transition shots more conservatively until you can harness your power. If you have played well enough to force a short ball from your opponent, then you will want to capitalize by making them hit a difficult passing shot. Naturally when you miss these mid-court balls it takes all of the pressure off of your opponent.

May 21th - Play Style:

Play today the way you will want to play some day. In other words, if you want to become a serve-and-volleyer or an attacking baseliner, then play that way in practice even if this is not yet showing the results that you expect. Keep playing and your efforts will produce positive results.

May 20th - Net Play:

When you recognize that a ball will be landing short, move forward immediately and set up to hit the shot quickly. Often this swift movement and preparation will “freeze” your opponent. In contrast, if you arrive late to the mid-court area and are not prepared to play the shot, then usually your response is telegraphed.

May 19th - Returns:

Play the ball near the peak of the bounce. When you allow the ball to descend after the bounce, then it gives your opponent additional time to get in position to scramble AND it forces you to play the shot from a lower perspective. Instead, play it early and from a high position so that you can pound the ball (down) into the court.

May 18th - Warming Up:

When you start to warm up, hit gently at first. Many players choose to begin with some short-court rallies and then slowly work back toward the baseline. Initially, hit balls gently and down the middle. As you gain some feel for the ball, then gradually add more pace and spin to the ball. Be sure to hit some volley and overheads, lastly, hit plenty of practice serves to both the deuce- and ad-court sides before you begin playing.

May 17th - Solo Practice:

Practicing against a wall is an age-old tradition. It never misses. This activity forces you to quicken your reflexes, develop more strength (because the ball comes back as hard as you hit it in the first place), and to become accurate. If you hit the ball four feet to the left of your intended target, then it will angle away from you in a hurry.

May 16th - Shot Accuracy:

For a good drill to help players keep shots inbounds, warm up while using only ONE ball. If you miss, then you need to go fetch the ball. That forces the players to learn how to value each shot.

May 15th - Drop Shots, Part II:

The key to hitting a drop shot successfully is to hit it so that your opponent can’t get to the ball on one bounce. It is far more a matter of WHEN you hit the shot than HOW you hit it. For example, if your opponent seems poised and on balance and is a step inside the baseline, you would need to hit a perfect drop shot to win the point outright. However, if they are way behind the baseline and recovering awkwardly from your last shot, then most any short ball you play with some backspin will be effective.

May 14th - Drop Shots:

The easiest way to learn a drop shot is to play short-court or “dink ‘em” games. This is when all of your shots need to be hit softly, with some loft, and land inside the two service boxes. This game trains movement and tracking skills, and allows players to develop feel and touch around the net.

May 13th - Serving:

A good exercise to learn the wrist pronation on the serve is called the “spike drill.” Toss the ball well out in front of your body and snap it forcefully to the ground while using a full service motion. If you are hitting serves from your typical stance behind the baseline, the ball should strike the court between your baseline and your service line (within ten feet of your contact point). Try to get the ball to bounce as high as you can. To create a high bounce, you will notice that you have to “snap” down forcefully at the ball during this drill. This movement will train you to use the correct wrist action when you swing at the ball on your serve.

May 12th - Service Toss, Part II:

On service tosses, release the ball evenly from your four fingers and thumb. Do not “throw it” up there; instead simply release it into the incoming path of your racquet. Ideally, there should be little or no rotation on the ball as it leaves your hand. Realize that the ball needs to only travel about 30 inches (or less). Be slow and deliberate on your toss (during the first half of your motion), and then swing hard at the ball.

May 11th - Service Toss:

For a good ball toss when you are serving, consider your tossing arm to be like a pendulum. The tossing arm should go down and then up in a smooth, rhythmic manner. Pivot only from the shoulder, as complications come from involving any movement from the elbow or wrist. When you master this pendulum-like motion, then you simply need to find the correct release point each time to perfect your toss.

May 10th - Second Serve:

Most recreational players make the mistake of swinging really fast on their first serve and then just pushing their second serve into the box. Instead try to swing at least as fast, and maybe even faster, on your second serve. The trick is to hit around the edge of the ball to generate appropriate spin which will assure that you can hit the ball with decent clearance over the net and that the ball will land in the service box.

May 9th - Grips:

“Eastern Forehand,” for most, is an effective grip, since the mass of the hand is behind the racket. The contact point is more out in front (front being toward the net) and prevents hitting late, plus the grip puts less stress on the arms.

May 8th - Gripping During Serves:

To get a better wrist snap on your serve, be sure to remove all tension from your hitting hand/fingers. Also, grip the handle as far down as possible, so that the butt cap is in the meat of your hand and that your pinky finger is barely touching the handle. Too often players “choke up” on their grip, and thus are not able to properly pronate their wrists.

May 7th - Serving:

To get considerable rotation (spin) on the ball, which will create movement, you need to really swing fast. Understand that advanced players swing every bit as hard for second serves as they do for first serves. The difference is that most- but not all- first serves are flatter and most second serves are hit with more spin.

May 6th - Practice Makes Perfect:

Researchers have studied the long-term development of people who become masters of their craft. They have found that it typically takes a minimum of ten years and/or 10,000 hours of practice, training and (in the case of tennis) competition.

May 5th - Warming Up:

The five-minute warm-up with your opponent should serve to get you loose and prepared, but you can also get a glimpse of what shots they do and don’t like to play. If you see that your opponent is less consistent on one side during warm-up, when there is no pressure, then it stands to reason that under duress the stroke might really break down.

May 4th - Movement:

Studies reveal that the average distance moved per stroke during a tennis match is only about three yards. So, you don’t need the speed of a 100-meter sprinter. You need to develop speed over a short distance with the ability to change direction quickly. If you can react with an explosive first step and recover quickly as well, you should be quick on the court.

May 3rd - Focus:

The most elusive “trick” of all when it comes to maintaining your concentration: Learn to focus all of his energy on how to win the very next point. This method helps players quickly regain focus after an error (or interruption), helps them to define the most immediate task, and- ultimately- to play the best tennis.

May 2nd - Attitude:

The next time you are ahead 5-3 and serving for the match, imagine that you are instead down 3-5 and serving to stay alive. You might play with a greater sense of urgency- like there is much to be gained and little to lose.

May 1st - Concentrataion:

If you get nervous or tight during a match, rely on the rituals you develop in practice. For example, take a deep breath, bounce the ball twice, and then cock your racquet before serving. Do it every time that you serve. Be sure to slow down when you are feeling anxious. Most players tend to rush when they are nervous, so do the opposite.