Many of us are geared towards hitting the ball through our opponent with power and depth. Using the drop shot in addition to this idea can make the court seem very big and difficult for your opponent to cover. The key to the drop shot is aligning the head of the racket with the ball,…
Watch the ball come off of your opponent's racquet, turn your shoulders for a forehand or a backhand, and get your feet moving to the ball. Try to make contact just out in front of your body and once you finish the shot, get ready for the ball to come back. There are several reasons…
Roger Federer won the BNP Paribas Open last week after a recent six-month injury layoff. At the ripe age of 35, he is rewriting the record books, seemingly defying the laws of physics and human biology. With both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray struggling, it's reasonable to pencil Roger in as an early Wimbledon favorite…
I’m writing from the terrace of the players’ lounge at the Indian Wells event, where the view is incredible, and the desert mountains in the background resemble a postcard. Fernando Verdasco just finished his match, as the hot temperature reached its peak around 120 degrees Fahrenheit. It was a tough loss; Fernando couldn’t handle adversity…
The serve and return of serve are the two most important shots in tennis. These shots usually determine who will take control of the point. A high percentage of first serves hit three-quarters speed will produce better results than a low percentage of first serves hit at maximum speed. In doubles, serving directly towards your opponent is…
It is so important to walk onto the court with a plan. A game plan may be as simple as hitting two or three crosscourt (or diagonal in doubles) groundstrokes and being patient at the baseline. Another basic plan can be to serve and volley on all first serves and work your way into the…
If you are playing a match and you thought you had a great plan and strategy for success, but you find yourself struggling, go back to the basics. All points start with the serve and the return of serve. If you are not getting enough first serves in, make sure your idea is to hit…
I watched a highly ranked student compete in a national tournament the other day and behave emotionally, talking to herself, throwing her arms up in the air and displaying anger at her performance. Her opponent responded with a few "questionable" line calls and yes, I believe it was a response to my student's behavior. Not…
This basically means that every single point that is played contributes to the outcome of the match. A player should not try to play better if they are in a situation that they feel is crucial. The goal should be to play every point the best that you can and give yourself a chance to…
A great way to improve your results during a singles point (once you get past the serve) is to follow this idea: draw a circle five feet in all directions from the "T" (where the center service line and the service line meet) and you will define the "circle of death". If you hit a…