Archive for July, 2008

Posted on July 30, 2008 - by Michael

Managing Anxiety and Nerves

Ok, firstly anxiety and nerves are slightly different things.
Anxiety is where you are looking forward to achieving a particular outcome in the future. The frustrating part about anxiety is that you are basically waiting for a ‘time’ to achieve it. For example a match on the weekend, in a few hours etc. Usually anxiety goes away once the match has started and you are able to do something about the outcome.
During a match or just before anxiety is usually replaced by nerves. So, what are these nerves? A definition of nerves is: ‘the gap between what needs to be done and what you believe you can do’.

Nerves are good - it mean that you care about the outcome !
Again, ‘what needs to be done’ - beat this opponent, play strong, volley well, work out how to beat someone.
The next part - ‘what you believe you can do’ - can you beat this opponent, play well etc. The closer your ‘belief’ on your ability to ‘achieve’ what needs to be done the less nerves you should have…. Never thought about it that way? The nerves are proportional to the size of the gap! Examples
If you are confident you can beat someone you might be slightly anxious to do it - but not nervous.
If you think you are going to loose, and are sure you can achieve loosing well you wont be nervous. (being negative - but proving a point)
If you are playing a good player of similar standard however you are feeling a little rusty, well you might feel nervous about how you will perform on the day.
How do you reduce nervousness?? Increase confidence. How do you increase confidence? Be confident in your preparation leading into the match. Your fitness, technique, routines etc.
If you are well prepared, confident with what you have done before the match you should be less nervous.
Preparation is something you can work on to reduce anxiety ! It makes you already in control of the outcome - preparing yourself. Now do you see how they fit together?? Interesting…
There also other tips for confidence like strategy and mental rehersal - that is going to be in another article!!
Have a great day !! Michael

Posted on July 28, 2008 - by Michael

Want more power? Loosen your grip

Firstly, welcome back to the week! I hope everyone had a nice weekend and played some tennis.

Yes, sounds weird. Most peoples first reaction is, “Shouldnt I hold the racquet tighter if I am going to hit it harder?”

Do a little experiment for me. While you are reading this squeese your hand tight. With a tight hand, try and flap your arm, elbow and wrist around loosely. Hard isnt it ?!!?! Now, loosen your hand and try it again, much easier.

Having a loose grip does a few things. With a looser grip your wrist, elbow and shoulder will be 10 times more relaxed - as you just noticed. In addition with a relaxed shoulder you can rotate your upper body, leading to your hips etc.

Upon impact with the ball just give your hand a little extra squeese then relax it again after impact to have a loose follow through.

The forehand today is much different to the old traditional style forehand. Hitting the ball harder must be accompanied by more topspin, to keep the ball in the court. The current racquet head size allows us to apply heavy top spin, not possible with older racquets.

By focussing on your hand your whole arm will loosen. Experiment with lifting your little finger off the racquet. See how lightly you can hold the racquet.

Another tip - change your overgrip regularly - keep it sticky and moisture free..

Remember to subscribe for the free daily tip.

Thanks to everyone who have contacted us with thanks and suggestions. Keep them coming !!

Michael

Posted on July 27, 2008 - by Michael

Hit Your Volley As Early As Possible

As Early As Possible. Yes, go out after your volley. Do not wait for it to come to you.

This does a few things.

Firstly it gets you moving forward to the volley. With your body momentum going forward you will use your body weight as the main power in the volley. Most people who stand very flat footed tens to swip and slap at their volleys in an attempt to generate power.

Secondly, it forces you to take an attacking approach to the volley which really threatens the opponent.

Thirdly, the earlier you hit the ball the higher over the net the ball is at contact. The longer you let the ball come to you, the lower your volley will be hit. So, with a lower volley you will then need to hit up on the ball to clear the net and are forced to play a softer shot.

Forth, with your momentum going forward you will continue to get closer to the net on the next volley - therefore closing out the point at the net.

Fifth, you will naturally hit the ball out in front of your body which is essential for good volleys.

Wow - all these results just by thinking about hitting it as early as possible !

Volley positive, go forward and close the point out.

Michael

Posted on July 26, 2008 - by Michael

Winners Don’t Hit Winners

Well the title is not entirely true. However, the point is that winning tennis matches is not about hitting winners. Yes, hitting a winner feels great ! I think it is one of the most exhilarating feelings. The more difficult the shot, the greater the feeling when you make it. Personally, being pulled wide on my backhand, then executing a winner down the line feels fantastic ! You have such a small thin slice of court in which to land the ball - high risk and high reward. Anyone watching loves it and the opponent will be impressed.

However, does that win matches? Unfortunately the answer most of the time is no. The chances of hitting winners all match is very low. The risk of these attempted winners becoming unforced errors is very high. Some players, sometimes will hit winners shot after shot, however usually that will only last a few points or games. Maybe they can keep it up for a set, but not likely for a whole match.

I am considering a winner to be one where you have executed a shot at about 95%, it would need to be close to the lines and unreachable by your opponent.

So when is the best time to go for a winner? Hmmm, tough question..

Some would think - when you have a decent lead on the opponent. However you should never change a winning game. You should be closing the match out not handing points back to them.

Maybe, if you have little or no chance of winning the point so it is ‘do or die’. Clean winner or loose the point. However if you dont go for a winner and give the opponent another shot - they might make an error on their shot or play a weak shot so you can recover. So really you MAY still win the point.

If you have a short ball and maneuvered your opponent out of court, a high percentage winner is a good shot selection !

Maybe the secret is Winners in Moderation..

Let me know your thoughts… Winners feel great, they get the crowd excited but do they win matches?

Something to think about !! Sign up to ensure you do not miss the Daily Tennis Tips. Please contact us with comments, suggestions, topics etc.

Until Tomorrow !! Michael

Posted on July 25, 2008 - by Michael

Develop a Consistent Ball Toss

One of the most challenging parts of tennis is that nearly every ball is going to come to you differently. In most other sports there are not as many variables. This is one of the great parts about tennis, the challenge!

Ok having said that, the shot with the LEAST number of variables is our serve. We can PLACE that ball anywhere in the air, we can decide WHEN to toss the ball up. Two big variables !!

So why do people server inconsistently, or continually chasing their ball toss? The answer, an incosistent ball toss ! Sure a bit of wind might alter it slightly but really not that much.

What can you do? Practice your ball toss. Practice placing the ball in the air in the same spot over and over. Dont hit the ball practice the toss only.

Your ball toss - if you dont hit it - should land in the same place on the court. When I was young we used to place the racquet flat on the ground. Racquet handle butt against our front toe, strings toward the net. When we tossed the ball up it should land on the strings. We would practice landing our ball toss over and over, landing it on the same spot on the ground.

Only with a consistent ball toss, can build a consistent serve. Many people grip the ball too hard on the ball toss, ‘chuck’ it up then worry about it afterwards.

The ball toss should be a very gentle, gracefull placement. Start by holding the ball gently with your fingers. Nearly with your finger tips. Turn your hand so your palm faces your body. Gently release the ball with the tips of your finger, place it up there. Are you thinking about your ball toss differently now?

Work out where your toss should be for your different servers and practice placing them up there. Get the height right and how far forward or behind your head etc.

Enjoy ! Michael

Posted on July 24, 2008 - by Michael

Respect Your First Serve

It happens all too often. Before we know it we are about to serve a second serve. What happened to the first one? Did we just throw it away? Is it because we have a second chance that we treat the first serve with less respect? We might just have a slap at it, go for a big hard flat serve and not really think about it. Then, if it goes in, well that is a bonus.

If you look at the statistics of elite level matches usually the winner has a higher first server percentage. Is this just a coincidence OR are we looking at something obvious here?

Lets think about it. In theory, when you are service your first serve you are in a stronger position than the returner. They do not know how conservative you are going to be, in actual fact they expect you to be attacking your first serve. Therefore most of the time the receiver in defensive mode, just trying to hit a decent return to neutralise your server - then you both can fight for the point.

Now the interesting thing, on the second server the attitude changes. As the server, you must get this one in. You are more conservative. The returner is more attacking than what they were on the first serve.

The receiver steps up into the court and is ready to attack your potentially weaker second serve. The receiver is more positive and more prepared, which you do not want.

The point is that you have so much more advantage on the first serve than the second serve. Treat it with respect. How?

Work hard to increase your first serve percentage by really thinking about it before you hit it. Treat the first serve like you do not have a second serve. Maybe back the pace off a bit from 95% to 85% and add a little spin to increase the margin for error.

The first server already has ‘natural pressure’ associated with it. Let the natural pressure of the first serve work in your favor!

A great way to practice this is play a set only using a single server per point. Pretend second serves do not exist. Sounds scary doesnt it !! Yep, miss the first serve, its the oppontnets point. As I write this t makes me nervous !!

Look forward to your serve !! Until tomorrow !

Michael

Posted on July 23, 2008 - by Michael

Wear a Wristband

Wristbands, they sometimes are a little forgotten. Well here is an insight, they are not a fashion accessory - they are a performance enhancing tool !! Ok, why?

They are used to do a few things. Firstly, to wipe your forehead to stop sweat dripping into your eyes and secondly to stop sweat running down your arm, hand and onto your grip.

Remember in a previous article I talked about keeping a loose grip for more power?. I also talked about keeping your grips fresh and moisture free to keep the grip sticky.

Getting the picture? Yep, wristbands increase the life of your grips, keep moisture away from your hand and grip, therefore allowing you to continue to grip the racquet lightly!

Most people would never think of wristbands having an effect on their strokes - but indirectly they do !!

Having said all that - some top players dont wear them. See the articles pictures. You can now make up your own mind if they will help you!!

Exciting news readers !! All I will say is check out The Tennis Times. http://thetennistimes.com

More on that tomorrow !!!

Michael

Posted on July 23, 2008 - by The Insider

Winners Have Strict Routines - Like Nadal

Everyone who watched the Wimbledon Final between Federer and Nadal were treated to a sensational moment in history! What a great match. The first thing that struck me was the routines that Nadal goes through especially before the match.

Routines give you, as the player a feeling of ‘control’ over some of variables around you. Control leads to confidence in a situation and confidence makes you feel relaxed.

For example, Nadal starts controlling what he can even before the match starts. He has strict pre-match routines. Nadal walks out onto court with a racquet - like a with a weapon in his hand. He places his bag, bottles, towels around his chair in a very specific way. He is basically owning a part of the court, somewhere he can feel comfortable.

Perhaps, the most obvious routine is how he sprints to the back of the court after the coin toss. This routine every match is the mental cue for ‘lets get ready to fight’.

Other obvious routines that you will see other players do are things like: Never stepping on a line when not in a point, bouncing the ball x number of times before a serve, straightening your hat before serving or tucking your hair behind your ears before a serve.

Some pre match routines are: The night before a match check your strings, grips and clothes are ready. One hour before check your towels, water bottles, food for the match. If you need to travel ensure you know the destination and allow much more time than required. You don’t want to be rushing.

With each routine comes a sence of familiarity. Building routines will bring confidence, reduce the chance of things going wrong and improve your results.

Stay tuned on this site - We will go into more detail in the future and give some great examples of players routines and some that you can try yourself.

So, keep an eye out for other peoples routines ..

Michael

Posted on July 22, 2008 - by The Insider

Marat Safin and Sister Dinara Safina Committed to Hopman Cup in 2009

With Lleyton Hewitt and Casey Dellacqua already confirmed starters, tournament director Paul McNamee announced the Russian siblings Marat Safin and Dinara Safina would team up for the first time to form the second team in the tournament. McNamee also admitted he is chasing Djokovic to play the tournament, but there will be no Roger Federer or Raphael Nadal in Perth because they have already committed to other tournaments. Im really looking forward to seeing some new faces in the Perth teams event this year, instead of having most of the top players finding a few up and comers has to be on McNamee’s list.

Posted on July 22, 2008 - by The Insider

Dan Evans Gets Punished by LTA for Partying. But Im Sure He Isnt Too Worried!

This is a story has been blown totally out of proportion. I was reading on the Mail website today about one of Britains top junior tennis players and how he has been hit by a ban from the LTA. Dan Evans was the player in question has has been stripped of all funding and support from the LTA for four months because he went out on the piss during Wimbledon. Evans was seen with his doubles partner Smethurst leaving a Wimbledon town nightclub at 3am. I think this is just a little over the top!

Most tennis players on tour especially juniors really enjoy to go out and party. I know he picked the wrong time to do it, while playing at Wimbledon and of course he should be punished for this. However, you have to expect these to players to unwind somehow and with him still being in juniors most of the top players will see their funding stop when they move into Adults anyways. I do think that British tennis is getting it wrong with funding anyways, but that’s another article. Evans only has another year or two of funding left before they will just remove him from the system, so he might was well enjoy his time at the top of juniors while he has it, because the next few years will be the hardest of his life, if he wants to make a career out of tennis.