Tennis 40 Best Tips

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FROM THE NATION’S TOP INSTRUCTORS 40 BEST TIPS MAGAZINE’S

Transcript of Tennis 40 Best Tips

Page 1: Tennis 40 Best Tips

FROM THE NATION’S TOP INSTRUCTORS

40BEST TIPS

MAGAZINE’S

Page 2: Tennis 40 Best Tips

3. SWING WITH NO STRING Racquet acceleration, or swing speed, is the key to hitting harder shots. One way to get the racquet around faster is to relax your hitting hand and arm enough to swing freely. Here’s a trick that will help you learn to do it. Bring two racquets to the court, one strung, one unstrung. Hit three balls with your strung racquet and then “hit” three with the unstrung one. When done correctly the ball will simply pass through the open racquet face. Keep alternating between the strung and unstrung racquets until your swing speed with both frames is the same.—JOE DINOFFER, USPTA & PTR, DALLAS

2. POINT IT OUT On the forehand, point your nonplaying hand at the ball while it’s on the way to your side of the net and track it with your hand toward your desired contact point. This will promote a good shoulder turn while you bring your racquet back and coil your upper body.—ANNI MILLER, USPTA & PTR, LAKE OSWEGO, ORE.

1. MAINTAIN THE ANGLE Instructors always tell you to keep your racquet head above your wrist when you volley. It’s good advice, but when misunderstood it can lead to awkward, ineffective volleys on low balls. Rather than worrying so much about your racquet head, concentrate on maintaining the same angle between your racquet and forearm—in the correct position, it’s about 120 degrees—for all volleys, no matter how high or low.—PETE COLLINS, PTR, AUGUSTA, GA.

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5. GET HIP To learn where to make contact with the ball on an open-stance forehand, place your dominant wrist at your hip on that side and have someone bounce a ball to you. Catch the ball at hip level without moving your hand—you’ll have to get your back foot behind the ball. Next, add the racquet and hit the ball, keeping your wrist near your hip. This forces your stroke to be out in front, producing more power and enabling you to push off your back foot for a quicker recovery.—JOSEPH THOMPSON, USPTA MASTER PRO, ROLLING HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, GOLDEN, COLO.

4. DRAW THE LINE Changing the direction of the ball and going down the line at an inopportune moment in a rally is an elementary mistake. You should only choose to go down the line if three conditions are met: Your opponent hits a short ball; you reach the shot in a balanced position with the ball in your hitting zone; and you feel you can hit an outright winner or put your opponent in serious trouble.—JACK THOMPSON, PTR, WILLIAMSBURG, VA.

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6. DON’T SPIN OUT It’s a common mistake on the one-handed backhand to open your hips as you hit the ball. This causes you to swing across the ball and produce an unreliable stroke. Here’s a quick fi x: Hold a hopper full of balls with your off hand and have a partner feed balls to your backhand. The weight of the basket will keep your hips from fl ying open and force you to use your shoulders to drive through the ball. If you don’t have a basket of balls, use a heavy tennis bag.—DR. LOUIE CAP, PTR, HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C.

8. GO THROUGH THE WINDOW One key to winning more matches is to minimize your unforced errors. The net is your fi rst obstacle to overcome, and the easiest way to beat it is to imagine a window that’s 2 or 3 feet above the net. Aim every shot into that space for a greater margin of error. Take a similar approach when dealing with your other obstacle, the lines. Again, imagine a zone 2 or 3 feet inside the lines and keep your shots in that area.—JORGE ANDREW, USPTA & PTR, LEXINGTON, S.C.

7. DIVIDE AND CONQUER I like to divide a set into thirds. In the beginning, I hit crosscourt, following the natural hip and shoulder rotation of my body to get a rhythm, and feel out my opponent. In the middle, I try to play my strength to my opponent’s weakness. At the end of the set, when it’s time to close it out, I think “aggression with discretion” and play aggressively but under control.—RICK VETTER, USPTA, MEQUON, WIS.

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10. GO LEFTY FOR A BETTER BACKHAND Assuming you’re right-handed, your left hand should drive the stroke when you hit a two-handed backhand. To get used to this feeling, practice hitting left-handed forehands (right-handed forehands for lefties).—ROBERT LANSDORP, FORMER COACH OF FOUR WORLD NO. 1 PLAYERS

9. OVERHEAD BREEZE You have a strong breeze at your back, but you just hit an overhead into the net. Surprised? Don’t be. Wind at your back can cause your opponent’s lob to hang up in the air and throw off your timing. You end up hitting the ball too far out in front and dumping it into the net. The next time the wind is at your back, concentrate on hitting your overheads deep into the court. You’ll be less likely to hit into the net and give your opponent free points.—DR. LOUIE CAP, PTR MASTER PRO, VAN DER MEER TENNIS CENTER, HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C.

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11. POUR IT ON To learn how to follow through on a topspin forehand, imagine that you have a cup of water in your dominant hand and a cup perched on your opposite shoulder. Your goal is to swing all the way around until you could pour the water from one cup into the other.—JEFF HAWES, USPTA, BURLINGTON, N.C.

13. VOLLEY SOFT AND DEEP When you come forward and your opponent hits a low passing shot, try to hit a high, lofty ball without much pace. This will achieve three things: First, the higher the ball goes over the net, the deeper it will land in the court, driving your opponent back. Second, most players dislike returning a soft ball because they have to generate the pace. Third, if your opponent lobs from far back in the court, you’ll have time to reach the ball and put it into the open court.—JIMMY PITKANEN, USPTA & PTR, KNOXVILLE, TENN.

12. REACH FOR THE STARS When your serve isn’t working, you may become tentative and let your toss drop below the proper contact point. This will only make things worse. Whenever your serve goes astray, force your tossing arm to extend upward completely before releasing the ball. Then reach for the stars and strike the ball before it drops.—WILL HOAG, USPTA, FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.

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14. INCREASE YOUR RACQUET-HEAD SPEED Perhaps you’ve seen those colorful foam balls that many instructors use with kids and beginners. They are often called transition balls because their purpose is to help novices improve at rallying. But they can also help more experienced players of any age increase their racquet-head speed, which is critical to generating power. The idea is simple: Because the foam balls are larger than regular tennis balls, they travel more slowly and cover less distance. This allows you to swing faster without the fear of hitting the ball long. When you go back to regular balls following a session of using foam balls, you should fi nd you’re hitting deeper ground strokes with more pace.—JEFF HAWES, USPTA MASTER PRO, ALAMANCE COUNTRY CLUB, BURLINGTON, N.C.

15. SERVE TO THE RHYTHM Get better timing on your serve by counting to three. Say “one” with the backswing; pause a beat and say “two” at contact; then say “three” as you follow through.—KEN DEHART, USPTA & PTR, SAN JOSE, CALIF.

16. TWIST YOUR WRIST To produce underspin for a deadly drop shot, you need to open your racquet face beneath the ball. Here’s how you practice it: Place your racquet head across the top of the net, with the bottom edge of the racquet head resting on the net. Keep the same grip and allow your wrist to turn with the racquet as you drag it along the net. Move the racquet toward the net post until both sides of the racquet head touch the net and the racquet face is fl at. This is the proper technique for the forehand drop shot. To practice the backhand drop shot, turn your palm down until the racquet head is on top of the net.—GENE HOLLAND, PTR, WHEATON, ILL.

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18. KEEP A LOOSE GRIP Many players strangle their racquets when they serve. How tight is tight enough? On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being loose and 5 being a death grip, a 2 is about right. Another way to think about it: Pretend you have a little bird in your hand. You want to hold it fi rmly enough so that it won’t fl y away, but not so tight that you begin to squeeze it.—ANGEL LOPEZ, USPTA, SAN DIEGO

17. AIM YOUR PALM One reason players make errors on the forehand volley is that their wrists don’t stay fi rm during contact, resulting in misdirected shots. To cure this problem, point the palm of your hitting hand in the direction you want the ball to go and freeze it there.—WILL HOAG, USPTA, FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.

20. POINT TO THE SPOT Successful volleying requires solid control of the racquet face before and after contact. As the ball comes in, you need to line up the racquet face with the ball’s fl ight path using minimal backswing. To gauge your success in controlling your racquet face, check to see where it’s pointing after contact. The strings should be directed at your target.—PAULA SCHEB, USPTA, BONITA SPRINGS, FLA.

19. TURN SIDEWAYS FOR OVERHEADS To put away lobs, you have to move backward quickly. The best way to do that is to immediately turn sideways, point your off hand upward as the ball goes up, and move back using crossover steps. Turning sideways helps you rotate your hips and shoulders into the shot for more power.—MIKE VAN ZUTPHEN, USPTA, MESA, ARIZ.

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21. PRACTICE YOUR DISTANCE CONTROL When nerves strike or it’s windy out, players often have trouble controlling the depth on their serves. You can practice your service depth by hitting from different locations. Try serving from a few feet inside the baseline and behind the baseline to master hitting to various depths.—JOHN RAKER, PTR, HARRISONBURG, VA.

23. LOB ANDAPPROACH In doubles, if you play against a team that plays with the server back and the other player at net, you can take control by lobbing your return to the server and moving in. Even though the server can easily return your lob, he probably won’t hurt you with his reply, and your side can take over the net.—JORGE CAPESTANY, USPTA, HOLLAND, MICH.

22. GO TO THE FENCE Hitting a topspin serve requires you to swing up and out. Here’s a good way to learn how: Walk outside the court, stand 5 feet behind the back fence, and practice hitting your serve over it by brushing up on the ball.—BILLY STEARNS, HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C., FORMER COACH OF 21 ALL-AMERICAN PLAYERS

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27. VARY YOUR STANCE You can add variety to your serve by altering your position on the baseline to create different angles. The same serve delivered from near the center hash mark looks different to the receiver when delivered 3 or 5 feet toward the sideline.—PAULA SCHEB, USPTA, BONITA SPRINGS, FLA.

24. CATCH THE OVERHEAD To learn to get into the proper position for an overhead, practice by catching the ball in your nondominant hand with your arm extended. This forces you to get underneath the ball, critical to hitting a smash.—PAULA SCHEB, USPTA, BONITA SPRINGS, FLA.

25. TAKE IT EARLY High-bouncing topspin shots at the baseline are trouble. The next time someone sends a high, looping ball to your forehand, try this: Load up early and launch yourself forward and upward to play the ball in your power zone. At contact, both feet will be off the ground, and you’ll land on your front foot while your other foot swings backward. This advanced play will keep you on the offensive. —TODD MILLER, PTR, BUFFALO, N.Y.

26. WORK WITH WHAT YOU GET Recognizing the high-percentage play is key to performing well at net. If someone hits down the line with pace, that’s an opportunity to volley fi rmly crosscourt. If someone hits down the line softly, go for a sharper angle.—NICK SAVIANO, SAVIANO HIGH PERFORMANCE TENNIS ACADEMY, SUNRISE, FLA.

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28. POLE POSITION It’s an axiom in tennis that good doubles begins with good service returns—they need to be more precise than in singles. To improve your returns, stick a pole through the net next to the center strap so you’ll have a tall target. If you don’t have a pole handy, use a squeegee, broomstick, or anything else that will extend the center strap into the air. Then work on hitting your returns crosscourt to the opposite side of the pole. When the serve is hit down the middle, hit the ball away from the pole toward the server’s doubles alley. When the serve is hit out wide, try to dip the return into the opposite service box so the net man can’t gobble it up. With a pole and a little practice, you’ll be hitting great returns in no time.—JOSEPH THOMPSON, USPTA MASTER PRO, ROLLING HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, GOLDEN, COLO.

30. TALK IT OUT Great doubles teams communicate all the time, not only with words but also with positive body language and gestures. After a point is over, move toward your partner to offer encouragement and show unity as a team. If your partner misses a shot, don’t show frustration. Instead, tell him something that will keep him positive and get him ready to play the next point.—JORGE ANDREW, USPTA & PTR, LEXINGTON, S.C.

29. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR If you prefer your forehand volley over your backhand volley, increase the likelihood of hitting it when you serve and volley by standing in the middle of the court when you serve from the deuce side (ad side for lefties). Two-thirds of your opponents’ returns will likely go to your forehand side. In the ad court (deuce for lefties), stand out wide to give yourself more forehand volleys. When you do get backhand volleys, hit them crosscourt, which is easier than going down the line.—LYNNE ROLLEY, FORMER COACH OF GRAND SLAM AND OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS

31. SPIKE IT Many players have trouble getting depth and power on their volleys without overswinging. The key is to keep your racquet traveling along the path of the shot. To do this, imagine you have a spike in the center of your string bed and you want to stab the ball. This will encourage a fi rm wrist and stabbing motion, which will add punch to your volleys.—PAT WHITWORTH, USPTA, HAMILTON MILL, GA. LE

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32. GO FROM THUMB TO KNUCKLES Forearm rotation is key to adding power to your serve and overhead. To learn this motion, set up in the classic overhead position, with your racquet hand holding the frame up and back. From this position you should see the thumb of your playing hand. After you rotate your forearm properly, you’ll see your knuckles. The faster the rotation from thumb to knuckles, the more power you’ll generate.—BUTCH STAPLES, PTR, CHICAGO

34. FIND THE IDEAL CONTACT POINT You’ve probably been told to hit the ball “out in front” on a volley. That’s misleading. You should make contact between your shoulders. If you make contact at this point, your arm acts as a lever and pushes through the ball for more power. —PAULA SCHEB, USPTA, BONITA SPRINGS, FLA.

33. LOB ON A CLEAR DAY The lob is always an effective shot, but on clear days it’s a killer. Why? Because there’s no reference point in the background that your opponent can use to judge distance. When there are clouds, most players fi nd it easier to perceive depth and hit overheads.—DR. JACK GROPPEL, USPTA & PTR, ALGONQUIN, ILL.

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35. PINPOINT YOUR STANCE You have a smooth service motion, a good toss, and decent accuracy, but you can’t generate enough power. Sound familiar? You may not shift your weight forward enough. Adding a step to your serve might help. To master the technique, which is called the “pinpoint” stance, put thin rubber targets, or poly spots (available at tennistrainer.com), at the baseline where you normally put your feet to serve. Stand on the targets, toss the ball, and move your back foot onto the front target alongside your front foot. The forward movement will shift more of your weight into the stroke.—MIKE O’CONNELL, HEAD TENNIS PRO, INDIANA UNIVERSITY TENNIS CENTER, BLOOMINGTON, IND.

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37. ALWAYS LOOK AHEAD In doubles, inexperienced players often make the mistake of looking back if their partner is at the baseline hitting the ball. Don’t do that. Instead, keep your eyes on your opponents. But which one should you focus on? Imagine two mean dogs live on your street. One is in the house at the end of the block and the other is in the house next door. When you walk down the street, which dog do you pay attention to fi rst? The one next door. Always keep your eyes on the dog who’s most likely to bite you—the opposing net player.—PAULA SCHEB, USPTA, BONITA SPRINGS, FLA.

36. STEP ASIDE One of the toughest shots in the game is the high one-handed backhand. Although it’s diffi cult to make an offensive play, you can avoid needing to go on the defensive by putting more distance between your body and the ball and using a fl at swing that’s parallel to the court. Moving laterally away from the ball puts you in a stronger ball-striking position.—JOHN RAKER, PTR, HARRISONBURG, VA.

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40. CATCH THE BALL IN A CAN How many times have you missed a forehand volley because your backswing was too big? Here’s an easy fi x. Hold an empty ball can with your dominant hand, have your partner toss a ball to you, and catch it in the can. This will force you to keep your hand steady and use your feet to get to the ball.—DR. LOUIE CAP, PTR, HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C.

38. HIT ’EM HIGH, HIT ’EM HARD To slow down an attacking doubles team, hit one down-the-line lob return and one hard return right at the net player during your fi rst return game. You’ll give your opponents something to think about and you may even earn an early break. —DAVE HAGLER, USPTA MASTER PRO, PTR, LOS ANGELES

39. ORDER THE COMBO Think of your drop shot as a two-shot combo, not as an outright winner. Use the drop shot to bring your opponent to the net, then lob or pass him on the second shot. Always assume your opponents will get to your drop shots. If they don’t, consider it a bonus.—CHAN BEARCE, USPTA & PTR, GORHAM, MAINE(

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