May:

TENNIS TIPS – FOREHAND STANCE…OPEN OR CLOSED

Of course, there’s a very good reason for this; namely, there is no, single, “perfect” way to hit any tennis stroke. Sure, there are fundamentals that need to be in place, but what may be very effective and natural for you may feel totally awkward and foreign to the next player. When teaching the forehand to beginners, it’s a matter of what comes naturally for each individual. It’s then the job of the coach to address and correct flaws in the stroke, while ensuring that the fundamentals are sound. Initially, keeping things as simple as possible is the way to go. Then let the stroke evolve. Teaching a sophisticated, multi-segmented forehand from day one is like trying to teach algebra before the student has a grasp of simple mathematics.

However, when it comes to more advanced players, I must admit to having a personal preference for a semi-open stance, semi-Western grip, small to medium loop, fluent backswing, significant hip and shoulder rotation into the ball, and a laid-back wrist that explodes the racquet head from under the the ball for topspin or comes in directly behind the ball for a flatter shot.

My all-time favorite player’s forehand is Andre Agassi’s.Once again, though, I can’t stress enough that there is a wide range of options with the forehand stroke. To help you become familiar with the options, below is a list of relevant terms as they apply to the forehand. Closed Stance Set up position is side on to the net with the left foot stepping forward and into the ball. This is not the preferred footwork for today’s tennis players as it severely limits hip and shoulder rotation, which equates to reduced power. A closed stance is effective on low mid-court balls, where an approach is played with a left foot to left foot forward “hop”, which makes for a very effective transition to the net. This involves a highly advanced footwork technique that is very difficult for beginning and intermediate players. Neutral Stance Set up position is with the left and right foot directly in line with one another in a side on position to the net.Semi-Open StanceSet up position is with the right foot behind and outside the front left foot with the hips and shoulders rotated so that your opponent has a good view of the back of your left shoulder. Your feet should be approximately at a 45 degree angle to the net. Fully Open Stance Set up position is similar to the semi-open stance; however both feet are in line with one another standing square on to the net. Hips and shoulders are rotated as in the semi-open set up position. It needs to be said that in the case of the semi-open and open stances, the rotation of the body means that the momentum of the right hip will necessitate that the right foot will come off the ground and swing around the body in the direction you’ve hit the ball, ending up in front of the left foot (which also has a tendency to come off the ground as well).During the rotation, keep your shoulders level and make sure your head stays stable.

April:

Tennis Excuses. We all seem to have our favorites. Each time we deliver a less-than-perfect performance, most of us seem to reach into the list below and get one or two of our favorite excuses in an attempt to maintain our tennis ego. This is normal. When excuses become an obsession for a player however, little progress can be made toward improvement. An excuse is simply a message to all that there is a shortcoming in our game. An excuse is also the player’s first clue on where to begin investing improvement efforts. The better players have spent considerable time listening to their excuses and addressing the cause. Most often, the dedicated player will eventually turn those excuse-producing situations into their strengths.

Listed below are a few of the more common excuses used in tennis. If you can relate to one or more of them, then you have opportunity for fundamental improvement. Fortunately, each one of them can be corrected with simple changes in attitude and/or technique. Once the excuses are mastered, then the player is ready for “World Class” skills development, and a lifetime of enjoyable tennis.

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It can’t be me… (The “Let’s Blame Something Else” Syndrome)

Let’s blame the playing conditions…
The lights are bad
The sun got into my eyes
It’s too hot
It’s too windy
Balls from the other court are too annoying
Sweat keeps getting in my eyes
My partner let me down
My opponent isn’t any good
My opponent is too good
My opponent got me mad by making too many bad calls
My opponent got lucky
There’s too many distractions

Let’s blame the court…
There’s no windscreens
The court is bad
The court is too slow
The court is too fast

Let’s blame the balls…
The balls are too slow
The balls are too fast
The balls are worn
The balls are dead

Let’s blame the equipment…
I can’t get used to this racket
I can’t control my racket
I got a bad string job
I keep breaking strings
My grip keeps slipping

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It’s me… I’m just falling apart out there…
I’ too slow
I’m too old
I’m too weak
I’m too short
I’m too fat
I’m not good enough
I’ve got tennis elbow
I’ve got a muscle cramp
My feet hurt
My muscles ache
My back hurtsOther Common Performance Complaints…
I can’t concentrate
I have too many bad days
I keep making too many mistakes
I can’t hold on to my racket
I’m not serving well
I can’t see the ball
I ate too much before the match
I drank too much (last night)

Past Tennis tips:

January:

1. All neutral groundstroke are directed toward one of three backcourt target points.
2. Each and every neutral groundstroke is hit with a minimum 6 to 10 ft of net clearance.
3. All neutral groundstroke are hit with consistent pace; do not vary the pace of your neutral groundstroke.

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TECHNIQUES FOR HITTING NEUTRAL GROUNDSTROKES

1. Allow every ball to “fall into your strings”; i.e. the ball is moving from high to low (descending with gravity) before you hit it.
2. Stroke the ball at an angle equal to the angle of the ball’s decent; i.e. your stroke and follow-through should moving through space at the same angle that the ball had as it fell into your strings. Take special note here… this fundamental concept is the standard on which most strokes in tennis are built.
3. Use low to high strokes (always) when hitting neutral groundstroke. This is also the most efficient and effective way to hit most shots in tennis. Low to high strokes usually result in…

A. Maximum depth while using minimum energy
B. Maximum accuracy during ball-to-racket contact
C. Minimum likelihood of mis-hit errors

1. The racket head should be perpendicular to the flight of the ball at impact. This teaches you to hit neutral groundstroke flat and without spin. Hitting the ball flat and without spin will also help you learn how to hit the ball straight.
2. Use full strokes when hitting neutral groundstrokes. As a general rule, the racket head should be higher than your head and your arm(s) should be fully extended as you complete your follow-through.
3. When hitting neutral groundstroke, your forehand and backhand should be mirror images of each other as your racket moves through space. This is because all the fundamentals discussed above apply equally to forehand and backhand. Also, mirror image strokes require that you learn a concept or skill only once since it can be applied to both forehand and backhand in an equal and “mirror-like” fashion.
4. There is usually plenty of time to prepare for your shots when hitting neutral groundstroke with your opponent. BEGIN NOW to learn to prepare early for the shot; this means GET YOUR RACKET BACK AND WAIT for the ball with your racket back. We have an entire lesson dedicated to early preparation since it is essential for early preparation to eventually become a part of your game at the more advanced levels of tennis.

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RECAP OF NEUTRAL GROUNDSTROKE TECHNIQUES

1. Let each and every ball “fall into your strings”
2. The angle of the stroke is equal to angle of the ball’s descent
3. Low to high strokes only
4. The racket head is perpendicular to the flight of the ball at impact
5. Use full strokes with complete arm extension
6. Mirror image forehand and backhand
7. Prepare early; get your racket back and WAIT

February:

FOOTWORK BASICS

When several steps are required in chasing down a ball, two general rules can be applied.

1. When moving toward the ball: The first step is made with the leg closest to the ball. That is, if you are about to move toward a forehand, move the right leg first.
2. When moving away from the ball: The first step is made with the leg closest to the ball but this is where sideways and backward stepping is commonly required. Since this is more difficult than moving toward the ball, react quickly and move SLOWLY to maintain your sense of balance. If you balance is lost, not only do you loose control of your shot, but you also risk personal injury due to a fall and/or a twisted ankle.

When not having to move at all to chase down a ball, that is, when only a TM2 sideways rotation is required, only two steps are necessary. Step one is to move the leg on the same side of the hitting side first. Specifically, move this leg (and foot) behind the other foot when beginning the body rotation. Step two is to move the other leg so that it’s knee is facing four o’clock on forehands (or eight o’clock on backhands). In this position, both knees should be slightly bent. This concept is the TM2 compliment for the two-step stroke technique of TM1. In summary, step backward first, then step to the side. NEVER step forward into your shots unless more than two steps are necessary.

March:

SERVICE ABUSES

1. Using an inappropriate serve relative to your ability or experience level.
2. Hitting a second serve as a direct shot.
3. Rushing to put the ball in play.
4. Relying too heavily on the serve.
5. Charging the net before the service motion is complete.
6. Serve-and-volleying on a weak serve.
7. Rushing the service motion.
8. Hitting down on the serve.
9. Serving with an incompletely extended hitting arm at impact.
10. Tossing the ball with a parabolic flight.
11. Tossing with two balls in hand.
12. Hitting an ascending toss.
13. Hitting a descending toss.
14. Foot faulting.