There is no cookie cutter recipe to create the perfect player. Each player’s strokes are different, their style is different, their mentality is different, and even their movement is different. It is important for a coach to let the player develop along the lines of their own individual characteristics. If a coach can give a…
Almost everyone who plays the game of tennis has one baseline shot that they prefer. Most players favor their forehand, but as the level of the player increases, many develop stronger backhands. Regardless of which shot you would rather hit, you can use the other shot to help set up the point. The first step…
Often, we are worried that if we try to hit the same shot that was used in a winning point, our opponent will be ready for it. If you hit a great inside out forehand that wins the point, try to hit that same shot again. If you hit this same shot, you are likely to…
The ready position is extremely important when preparing to react to a shot. Keeping the racquet head up will allow you to use your upper body turn with shoulders and hips to get the racquet in the correct position to move to the ball. This technique helps keep your wrist firm on the backswing and…
Taking time away from your opponent can make it very difficult for them to hit their shots well and execute their strategy. Hitting the ball faster is the most common way that players try to take time away from their opponent. However, there are several other ways to do this. One is to adjust your…
There are a lot of tennis players who are able to hit the ball extremely well. This is especially the case with groundstrokes. Most practice time tends to be spent rallying and hitting from behind the baseline so many players are comfortable bashing balls back and forth. If most points are being played from the…
It is important to focus on the things you can control on the tennis court. This starts with your serve. The serve is the only shot you hit that is not affected by your opponent. Find a serve that you feel good about, can hit consistently, and helps you get control of the point. Direct…
The trend these days is to stand further back to return serve. A large number of professional players are using this strategy to give themselves more time to take a big swing at the serve even if it is hit with a lot of pace. If the server hits the serve and recovers back to,…
This could be the most obvious tip I have ever written. If you want to be a good player and understand what competition is, you have to try your best on every point. This means going through your basic routine, preparing to play the point, running after every ball, and then doing it again regardless…
In tennis you can miss a shot in the net, wide, or long. This is assuming you make some contact with the ball and don’t just tip it or miss it completely (which I have seen happen several times at this year’s U.S. Open). Missing the ball in the net is the least preferable of…