Tennis Strategy

Fore(hand) Play

Ever wonder how you can improve your forehand hits? Well, I’m here to tell you today!

For the most part, your forehand hits rely heavily on the sort of grip that you use. However, by heading into the ball’s direction, with your weight shifted into the spot in which you hit the ball, you extinguish your body rotation. Thus, your forehand will not only look better, but it’ll also improve in feeling, in spite of whatever stroke you do. Focus, and pull your arm back for a longer wind-up, thus giving you more time to accelerate your racket into a better speed and forehand. Also, what about incorporating a topsin to your forehand? This will make the ball dip as it lowers back to the ground, allowing you to get a harder hit.

Finally and most especially, have confidence! Be strong with your hits, and focus. Keep your eyes on that ball!

Tennis Strategy

Redefine Your Limits: Start Preparing for the 2011 Tennis Season Today

Tennis Strategy

Jump-Start Your Slow-Start Matches

Fighting back after a slow-start is never where you want to find yourself in a match. A new client recently expressed this very concern: “I never start my matches in a groove. I’m slow on my feet, missing my first serves, hitting my groundstrokes long and my overheads into the net. It’s only once I’m down a few games that my groove kicks in, and I try to fight my way back, but by then it’s sometimes too late, or I exhaust myself in the process.”

Few can shrug off a slow-start like Federer did against Falla earlier this year. More often than not, a low energy start will lead to a low energy finish. The more you jump-start your slow-start matches through mental and physical preparation, the better chance you have to play at your peak level. Win or lose, that’s all you can hope for. Every match is an opportunity for you to play better than you have ever played before, starting with the very first point. …

Let’s face it: How are you going to play the best match of your life without being prepared?

How to prepare yourself…

-Get enough rest (See my article “Sleep More, Do More”)

-Eat a proper pre-match meal (See my article “Give Your Body What It Wants: Competition Nutrition”)

-Make sure your equipment is in order

-Arrive early

-Warm up (ideally with enough time to cool-down before the match)

-If you have time, change into fresh attire for the match

-Mental match preparating (focus on the positive feeling of knowing you are going to play your best, starting with the first point, because you know you have prepared … you should feel refreshed, energized, and light on your feet before walking onto the court and meeting your opponent …)

-Study your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and develop a game plan

-Be conscious of repeating your most common unforced errors

-Remember to stay light on your feet (See my article “Top Priority Footwork”)

-Remember the goal is to play at your peak level, if not exceed it (every point should be fought for, every hit should be deliberate and focused… In short, be true to your game, your limitations, do what you know works, and start every match with confidence. With a bit of luck, the scoreboard will start to reflect all your hard work …)

Tennis Strategy

There Are No Easy Matches

Andy Roddick is hands down one of the best tennis players in the world (no. 5 seeded, to be exact), and he probably knows better than anyone never to take victory for granted. You never know when your opponent is posed to play the match of his life, as unseeded Yen-Hsun Lu did at Wimbledon on Monday, beating Roddick in a five set quarterfinal upset.

If you’re not on your game, anyone can beat anyone

One of the most exhilarating things about sports is that upsets happen all the time. In singles, all bets are off. When you’re all alone on the court, every player becomes a team of one. When things aren’t working, you have to coach yourself back to being the better player on the court, or else you’ll lose.

Even the best players lose focus

Wimbledon is the home of many upsets. In 1965, Manuel Santana became the first defending champion to lose in the first round. And then there was no. 1 ranked John McEnroe’s loss to Kevin Curren in ’85. Defending champion Steffi Graf’s first-round upset to Lori McNeil in ’94. Andre Agassi’s first-round loss in ’96. Pete Sampras’s second-round loss in ’02. Maria Sharpova’s second-round loss in ’08. The list goes on and on. … And on Monday, Roddick fell short on his returns, and he knew it. “I don’t view what happens today as an impossibility,” he said in a post-game interview. “It wasn’t my serve. It wasn’t my service games. It was my returning. That was crap. It was really bad.”

There are no easy matches

At the end of the day, seeded or unseeded, world renown or unknown, the player with the most fight and focus usually wins. Speaking about his state of mind going into the 5th set, Lu said to the journalists, “I don’t believe I can win, because he’s a better server than me. I mean, for chance, I don’t believe. But I just tell myself, ‘Even if I don’t believe, I have to fight….’”

Tennis Strategy

Give Your Adrenal Glands a Boost

Tennis Strategy

Be A Tennis Strategy Master

When beginning players first jump into competitive tennis, they are often shocked to find that many of their well-trained techniques are no match for their opponents. This is all about strategy. An experienced competitor is able to read your weaknesses within the first five minutes of play, and will use this to their advantage. This may include awkward shots with lots of spin-shots that throw off your rhythm, work against your preferred style, and expose your weaknesses. Well-trained technique will ensure you hit the ball correctly once you get there, but only a developed instinct for strategy will help you predict your opponent’s likely choice of shot.

To become a tennis strategy master means to have the competitive experience to know how and when to adapt your game so that more and more the odds work in your favor. The truth of the matter is that successful strategies outplay technically “better” opponents all the time. The more adaptable your game evolves with experience, the harder it will be to hide behind an “off-day” excuse. If you’re having trouble with a first serve, for example, try to view that as a weakness to conceal from your opponent, rather than a white flag.

Keys to becoming a tennis strategy master:

-Know your own preferred style, strengths, weaknesses, and how to adapt and make the most of all three.

-Watch your opponent during warm-up, notice their preferred style, get a feel for their overall knowledge of the game, pay attention to any weaknesses in technique, reaction time and agility.

-Note your opponent’s state of mind, whether he/she gets upset easily, seems nervous, respectful, overconfident.

-Have an overall plan in place before the start of the match, taking into consideration an honest assessment of your own game and everything you have learned about your opponent.

-Adapt your plan when needed.

-Remember that win or lose, every day on the court is an opportunity to expand your strategic potential for the future.

Becoming a tennis strategy master doesn’t happen overnight, but when matched with personal technique training, optimum fitness, competition nutrition and a strong mental game, you will start to see a difference faster than you ever thought possible.

Tennis Strategy

The Challenges Of Overhitting

Overhitting is when a player hits the ball harder than they are capable of controlling. This is common in all age groups, and is often a reoccurring problem as a player’s technique progresses. In overcoming the challenge of overhitting there are a few basic adjustments that can be made which will help you to find a balance between your level of power and level of control.

1. Shorten your backswing. This will help to regain control in both your groundstroke and volley.

2. Prepare your groundstrokes early, but not too early. When swinging, there should not be much pause between the completion of your backswing and the beginning of your forward swing. One swing should lead into the next. When you bring your racket back, the muscles in your arm stretch-out, effectively storing up energy that will help to propel your forward swing. When you pause too long, the energy in your muscles begins to decline.

3. Be aware of your ideal strike zone. For optimum control of your shot, you want to position yourself so that you hit the ball when it is approaching between your chest and your knees, at about an arm’s length away from your body. Keep this in mind when you are strategizing on the court. For example, a ball with a high bounce is bound to pass through the ideal strike zone twice, once on its way up and once more on its way down. If you can return the ball on its way up, your opponent will have less time to react.

Every player is different and faces a unique combination of challenges. Many of these challenges are nearly impossible to overcome without professional training. An experienced tennis coach can diagnose and address each player’s concerns in all their unique complexities. With regards to overhitting, a balance is needed between the level of power and the level of control. This way both abilities can be given an opportunity to progress in tandem.

Tennis Strategy

What Is Open Stance?

The open stance forehand has changed the modern game of tennis. Nowadays, most all top professionals are using style as opposed to the traditional closed stance forehand. Players find this stance more comfortable and easier to generate power.

So what exactly is the open stance?  The open stance forehand can be described as loading the outside leg; (right leg for right-handers and left leg for left-handers) to the side, which will have both legs parallel to the baseline. Once the outside leg is loaded it will be easier to utilize the increased power reserve in your trunk as you turn into the shot.  Players are using this stance for a variety of reasons, which include:

Ø      more power

Ø      faster recovery

Ø      easier to reach wide balls

Ø      can incorporate your body into the shot

Players are finding the open stance necessary due to the changes in the game over the last ten years.  In years past, people were only using the closed stance of stepping into the ball with your front foot.  In today’s game, players are using a combination of both open and closed stance, which will depend upon where they are in the court.

Tennis Strategy

Is Your Racket Right For You?

There are several factors to consider when choosing a tennis racket, including head size, thickness of the frame, overall weight, and string tension. Depending on where an individual is at in the progression of their game, each factor must be carefully considered in order to optimize the player’s level of performance and potential.
 
Head size means power. The bigger the racket’s head, the bigger the sweet spot, and the faster the ball will project off the racket. For players who need help hitting the ball, or have a short swing, a bigger head might be essential. Other power-boosting factors include a thicker frame, a lighter racket, and lower tension strings (between 55 and 58 pounds). With a lower tension, the ball actually stays on the strings longer, increasing the power of the hit.  If a player is having a difficult time making a clean connection between the racket and ball, a power racket is probably the best fit, at least until the player’s techniques are further brought under control.
 
It is common, however, for beginners to strike the ball with more power than they have control. In other words, they overhit the ball. In such cases, adjusting the power-boosting factors of the racket is one way to help such players accomplish their goals. One simple solution may be to increase the tension of the strings (between 58 and 65 pounds). Higher tension strings can not only offer more control, but also better spin. Overall, a powerful and effective swing varies depending on the bounce of the ball, whether or not the player is running or ready in stance, and whether or not the racket is an appropriate fit for the player. Beginners who struggle with overhitting should ask themselves the following:
 
Is the head of my racket (the sweet spot) too big for my own good?
Is the frame of my racket too thick?
Is my racket too light?
Are my strings too loose?
 
Deciding on a racket which best compliments the goals you have for yourself is essential if you want to reach your potential. With the help of a tennis coach, you can make sure you are playing with a racket that will accelerate, rather than hold back, the progression of your game.