Archive for the ‘Technique’ Category

Posted on October 4, 2008 - by Michael

The Timing of the Backswing Is Just As Important

Every stroke has 3 basic - and obvious - parts. The Backswing, the acceleration, the follow-through.

When you watch the top tennis players they look like they hit the ball effortlessly. They hit the ball so clean and crisp, might have large and smooth strokes. In this article I am going to talk about the backswing in particular.

The backswing plays a major part in how would you hit the ball, and most importantly how consistently you the ball.

The transition between the backswing and the acceleration phase is extremely critical. There should be no pause between the backswing and the acceleration forward. The racquet head should not stop moving.

If you take your racquet back to early, and you pause the two long, you will find that you have a very jerky swing. You will also find that you try use your body to accelerate the racquet. This usually results in ’spinning out’ of the shot. The ball will usually have an ‘inside out’ flight path.

Decades ago the technique was to prepare yourself early, take your racquet back, plant yourself for the shot, then accelerate through the shot. In today’s game, the technique is more like one single action.

To achieve an effortless swing, focus on the delaying the backswing to ensure there is no pause at the back of you stroke. You will find your body can stay in position for longer, your stroke will become smoother, and you’ll gain more power.

This is applicable to forehands, backhands and the serve. On the serve, the acceleration phase starts when your racquet is down the middle of your back. Your backswing and the height of your ball toss are important in having a smoother serve.

Try these few tips and let me know how it goes.

Michael

Posted on October 3, 2008 - by Michael

Coming To The Net

To learn when to come to the net, imagine that the court is divided into three colors, like a traffic light. The zone that the ball lands in should determine your response. The back court is the red zone. Do not move in when the ball lands in this area. The middle part is the yellow zone. If you get a ball there, proceed only if our opponent is out of position or you can hurt them with your approach. The front third of the court is the green zone. When the ball bounces here, get in as quick as possible.

Glenn Irwin - Noosa Springs Tennis Centre

Posted on October 2, 2008 - by Michael

You Are Only As Good As Your Second Serve

Okay, firstly, the strength to winning matches is the ability to hold your serve. Usually, a set is won by holding every service game, then breaking your opponent serve. When this is the case  wind the set 6-4.

If you serve the first game, you must to break at 5-4. If you serve the setting game you must break at 4-4.

Therefore, holding serve is the most important thing in a match. If you do loose your serve work VERY hard to break them straight back. You must put in 120% effort to break them immediately otherwise the whole match can change around in a few games.

Therefore your second serve is the anchor for the match. Potentially the second serve will be one of the major influences in the outcome of your matches. You need to work hard to develop a solid second serve you can rely on in ANY situation.

We often ignore serving practice. However we are guarenteed to need to hit that shot and hit it well !

Enjoy ! Michael

Posted on September 23, 2008 - by Michael

Go Forward After Every Volley

Here is a challenge to everyone. The next time you are out on the tennis court try to take a step forward after you hit every volley.

Why? There are two reasons. The first reason is that it gets you going forward while you are hitting your volley. It forces you to go out after the ball rather than waiting for the ball to come to you. The second reason, is that your opponent will feel you getting closer to the net. Therefore, every single volley will put more and more pressure on your opponent. You will also gain volley angle options to finish the point from the net.

This both applies to singles as well as doubles. When you are watching the elite level doubles watch how each player moves closer and closer to the net.

Try this technique and let me know how it goes!

Michael

Posted on September 19, 2008 - by Michael

Do not think during a match.

Ok, the title is not entirely true - however the point is DO NOT think TOO much during the match.

During the match is the time to EXECUTE everything that you have thought about before the match.

What am I talking about?? Ok. Before a match you would have trained and practiced. You would have worked on your technique across all your shots. You would have found great rythm on your serve and ground strokes. You also should have developed a clear plan / strategy on how you are going to play this match. Plan A and Plan B.

Do you see what I refer to when I say THINKING? During a match is the time to EXECUTE all these things. Forget about technique, you can not change that in a match. Forget about rhythm - it is your opponents objective to ensure you get no rhythm! Also forget about strategy.. it is pretty tough to work out a solid plan when you are in the middle of a match. Before the match is the time for that.

So, during the match you are relaxed and free to only think about executing your PLAN to beat this opponent. Focus on your plan, have confidence in your plan and most importantly STICK TO IT. Give your plan time to work.

So many people come into a match with a plan and then get discouraged because they are down in the first set. They go to plan B, which also fails.. What happens then? Then they are totally lost. When you are totally lost you are hitting balls aimlessly and points have less meaning. Then what do you start to think of? …. Technique, or creating plan C. During that time, game after game is slipping away and ultimately the match.

IF you PREPARE your plan well, be confident to EXECUTE it. Sometimes your plan may take a few games or set to take effect.

THINK before a match EXECUTE during the match..

Michael

Posted on August 4, 2008 - by Michael

Hit The Ball On The Rise

Make life easy for yourself and hit the ball on the rise. One of the challenges with tennis is that every ball we hit will come to us differently. Different height, speed, spin, distance from our body etc. Our challenge it to try and move ourselves into position to execute as close to the same shat as possible each time.
Let me give you a tip that will make a massive difference to your groundstrokes. Hit every ball on the rise OR at the top of the bounce.

As soon as that ball starts to drop your whole stroke needs to change to get the ball up and over the net. The stroke becomes much more difficult and you will hit the frame of your racquet more especially if you are trying to apply topspin.

The first picture shows how closed the racquet face can be if you hit the ball on the rise. The key is that you can hit the ball very hard and it will stay in the court. You are changing the direction of the ball. In the picture the ball changes direction by about 90 degrees. Lets see what happens with a dropping ball.

With a dropping ball you need to open the face of the racquet, and hit up to get exactly same ball direction. However in this case the harder you hit the ball the further over the fence the ball will go. In which case most people then back off the power and they let gravity bring the ball down onto the court.

Now you can picture in your minds 2 different pictures. High level players strike across a rising ball and other players tap a dropping ball back up and over the net.

High level players use mainly the wind resistance of a heavily spinning ball to make it land in the court, while other players rely on gravity for it to land in the court.

To see another compact explanation of this look at or think of people playing ping pong. The ball is hit with a closed bat, as the ball is coming off the table. They can generate massive power and still keep it in that little area.

Anyway I hope that has got you thinking. Move those feet, move forward, hit the ball on the rise and WATCH YOUR GAME IMPROVE !!.

Enjoy your tennis !

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 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 21, 2008 - by Michael

Serves Going Into The Net?

During a match we tend to tighten up in pressure situations. Serving is where these pressures can mount up. Why? Well, we are expected to win our serve AND we are in control of when the point starts. (Here also lies the opportunity to become a very sold server - more about that another time) If you find yourself pulling your serves into the net it is usually due to you dropping your ball toss shoulder too early. Right handers - your left shoulder. Left handers - your right shoulder. (if ball toss shoulder wasnt clear enough )

This is definitely the case IF you find you are looking at the ground after serving. Some people are hunched over after the serve with little forward momentum.

So what to do? A very easy cue to remember in the match - is ‘keep your front shoulder up high’. I mean, really keep it up high for as long as you can. In actual fact it will be forced down eventually as you make impact and follow through the serve.

See the example of the picture in this article. Federer has his left hand and shoulder reaching high. His front shoulder is much higher than the back shoulder.

‘Keep your shoulder high’ is the simple cue in the match to get your serves back on track.

By forcing this action you will stay very tall during the serve and it will force you to go ‘up’ and ‘out’ to the ball.

Stay tall, feel strong, and build a solid serve you can rely on in any situation.

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Signup - until tomorrow !!

Posted on July 10, 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 !