When I first started playing, I can remember getting advice pertaining to keeping a firm grip on the racquet. What I have learned over the years is that if you start with a firm grip in the ready position or prior to the backswing on your shots, you end up with a “death grip”…
Coaches and players often put a lot of emphasis on scouting their next opponent. This can be helpful, but it can sometimes lead to over-thinking your strategy based on the opponent’s strength and weakness. It is much better to focus on your own strengths and weaknesses, and design a game plan accordingly. Going along…
It is a natural tendency to hit balls away from wherever your opponent is on the court. A great plan for the direction of your shot is to use the center strap as an intermediary target, especially at the beginning of the point. Many pro golfers use this idea when putting. They pick a…
Most players and many coaches focus entirely on what you should do technically, strategically, and mentally during the point. There are many things a player can do in between points that can make the difference in the match. First, assess what just happened on the last point. Focus on the process rather than the outcome and figure out…
I am sure those of you who have played a lot of tennis matches have experienced losing to a lesser player, as well as winning against a better player. Tennis is like that–if you play enough matches you will have bad days and good days, and your results often reflect these different levels of…
Most players try to hit the ball away from their opponent. This is a great way to make them hit the ball on the run and draw some errors. However, playing the ball more down the center of the court at the beginning of the point will help you establish the consistency of your…
When facing a player with an extremely strong forehand or backhand, our instincts are to try to direct all of our shots to the weaker side. The problem is that most of these players are very good at covering up their weaker side and eventually hit more balls with their weapon or stronger shot….
The server can hit the first serve in any direction, with varying amounts of spin, and at any speed they want, on any given serve. Too often, a player hits the first serve very hard and flat and either out wide or down the “T”. This tends to produce a low percentage of first…
If you watch and listen to professional tennis on television you will often hear “serve plus one or return of serve plus one” mentioned. Today’s best players focus on and try to execute a good serve or a good return of serve as well as a good first shot following the serve or…
Almost every player has been told by their coach or tennis professional to “watch the ball”. This sounds like such a basic and easy instruction to follow, yet many of us still struggle to execute it. One of the problems is that seeing the ball actually make contact with the racquet is not likely,…