Hitting the return of serve and following it to the net puts immediate pressure on the server. If you are returning a second serve, especially against someone who tries to simply get the second serve in play, coming in behind the return can make their next second serve weaker, take away time on the…
Players who hit a two-handed backhand have to get in a more precise position than players with a one hander. This would seem to make it more difficult to execute but, in most cases, it actually helps the player use the correct footwork which can make this shot a weapon. If your opponent hits…
Tennis is a complex sport. If I were to simplify how to teach a beginner how to hit the ball from the baseline, this is where I would start: First, practice watching the ball from the opponent’s point of contact all the way past your own point of contact. Determine whether it is a…
As a high school tennis player in a public school throughout New York State, the ultimate goal is to make the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) State Championships. It’s played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. Sound familiar? Yes, it’s the same place where Bianca Andreescu…
Most high level players go into a match with a strategy. Sometimes it’s based on their own game and what they know has worked in the past. Other times it is designed based on the type of player they will be facing. There are also strategies used that apply to both of these. Even…
Players tend to focus on hitting drop shots just over the net and overheads fast and deep, especially when trying to win the point with these shots. It is very helpful to use some angle on both the drop shot and overhead since this will make the shot effective even if you don’t have…
All of us remember the great shot we hit that landed right on the line. The pros seem to be able to do this more often than we can. However, I have always believed that many, if not all, of the shots the pros hit that land on the line, are actually by mistake….
With the speed and power game prominent in a modern tennis match, players are often caught off guard when the ball is hit short. A couple of basic ideas will help you handle this type of situation: Turn your shoulders prior to running in and remind yourself to use a short backswing on this…
Most professional matches have points that follow certain patterns. After the serve and return of serve, many players use a few cross court groundstrokes to get the opponent moving and open up the court. Very often the point ends before any other strategy is implemented. If the point lasts past the first few hits,…
The ATP tour took a trip to Washington D.C. this past week for the first major event of the US Open Series. Under the new ownership of Mark Ein, the Citi Open hosted the most successful week in tournament history, shattering every attendance record in the fifty years of tournament play. Ein attracted fans…