Increase Racquet Speed

You have probably seen foam balls that many tennis instructors use with kids and beginners. These are often called “transition balls” because their purpose is to help novices quickly become better at rallying. But they can help better players of any age increase their racquet-head speed, which is critical to generating power. This is  because the foam balls are larger than regular tennis balls, travel slowly and cover less distance. This allows you to swing faster and with more abandon without fear of hitting the ball long. After going back to regular balls following a session of using foam balls, you should find your ground strokes landing deeper and with more pace.

Follow the Ball

When going to the net after either a serve or an approach shot, follow the path of your shot so you cover more of the court in a shorter time. For example, if you hit an inside-out approach and need to prepare for a down-the-line return from your opponent, it’s better to run diagonally in a straight line rather than toward the middle of the net and then to the right. By following the ball, you cut off your opponent’s angles, making it more difficult for him to pass you

Loosen Up When Playing

Between each shot, release the tension in your hitting hand by learning to capture your racquet in your other hand. This keeps the hitting hand from becoming fatigued during a point. It also prevents you from squeezing the racquet tighter with each strike of the ball. Between points in a rally, open your fingers on the hitting hand to release tension so you can change grips easily and react quickly to the next shot.
 
You’ll notice that pros hold the racquet in the non-hitting hand between points, and they usually hold it by the throat so it is balanced and does not hang down. A racquet that hangs pulls the shoulders down and decreases body energy. This creates a negative body position. Between points, keep the racquet head up as a sign that you are still up.

Don’t Overdo Things while playing.

• Think about spin and depth, not power: Players too often think they have to hit the ball harder against a quality opponent. You’re probably better off working your opponent with softer, topspin strokes that clear the net by a safer margin and land deeper in the court. If your opponent has less to work with — fewer short balls and fewer obvious angles — you’ll find more chances coming your way.
• Don’t be afraid to use the middle of the court: You don’t always have to put your opponent on the run; It’s difficult to create angles, and hit winners, off deep shots in the center of the court. If you jam your opponent, you might get that short ball you’ve been waiting for.
• Use your second serve as a first serve: Unless you are an ace machine, keep that first-serve percentage high, even if it means a little less pace and a little more spin. Concentrate on placement.
• Repetition is your friend: If you find something your opponent doesn’t like, keep going after it.  You don’t need to look better than your opponent. Winning will do just fine.

You want perfection? Keep practicing.

Everyone likes to play matches. It’s how you measure yourself against the competition. But it doesn’t necessarily improve your tennis ability. The best way to accomplish that is to pinpoint deficiencies in your game and practice them until they become reliable.

Playing matches puts the emphasis on winning, not improving. By removing the pressure of winning, you allow yourself the freedom of making mistakes and exploring parts of your game you’re not comfortable with. Here are some things to remember when practicing:

—You can still make a game out of it: Some players complain that practicing is boring. You can play points out, just don’t keep traditional score. Play a tiebreaker or to 21 and start points without serving. The less you make it feel like a real match, the more you will experiment and try different shots.

—Expose yourself: Whatever part of your game you’re not happy with is what you should be practicing. When playing a match, you want to win so you try to play to your strengths and conceal your weaknesses. You’ll never be a complete player that way. If it’s volleys – get to net. If it’s a slice backhand – start chipping. And there has to be something you can work on, because even the pros practice.

—Remember, you do it in other sports: Tennis is one of the few sports that don’t emphasize practice. Golfers hit the range to work on their drives. Baseball players get in the batting cage to improve their swing. Practicing your weaknesses just makes sense. If you don’t have anyone to practice with, don’t be embarrassed to take a bucket of balls and just serve.

Skip the match and hit the practice courts. It’s the only way you’ll really improve.

Wrist Power

Do you wonder why you hit the ball late, lack control, and struggle with placement? Maybe you need to adjust your wrist. When you lay your wrist back as you prepare your strokes, you are able to align the strings so they meet the ball sooner. This will enable you to hit the ball much earlier; the contact point will be out in front of your body. Laying the wrist back will also stabilize the racquet, so when the ball meets the strings you’ll have better control and disguise.

Tips for a Good Strategy

Whether you’re just beginning to play matches or you’re already a seasoned veteran, there’s one play that works no matter what your level is. What is this magic formula, you ask? The answer: hit to your opponent’s weaker side. Sure, this is really basic advice, but the truth is that many players who should know better ignore it. That’s too bad because directing ball after ball to your opponent’s inferior wing is often the surest way to  win.

Try this: identify early on which  of your opponent’s ground strokes—his forehand or backhand—produces the most errors or, if you come to the net, gives you the ball you can volley successfully. Once you know, pound that side ruthlessly. Don’t change because you think they will catch on. Don’t worry they will improve their weakness because you’re hitting there so much. Don’t worry that they know you’re going to hit there. Just hammer that side without mercy. It takes longer than just a few strokes at their weak side to make them improve. If their weak side gives you an advantage, you’ll have it for the rest of the match.

Don’t Rush your serves.

Do you suffer from second-serve yips? Three important elements to remember on the second serve are time, imagination, and relaxation.

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• Time: Don’t rush a second serve; bounce the ball a few times and make sure you’re comfortable and balanced.
• Imagination: Take a second to visualize the path of the ball. In your mind’s eye, it should travel 3 or 4 feet above the net and land comfortably in the box.
• Relaxation: Finally, relax your serving hand and exhale as you swing.

If you stick with this three-part plan, your confidence and serving percentage will increase.

Foot speed improvements.

Tennis players spend a great amount of time working on their strokes. They will take lots of lessons or practice for hours looking to hone their shots. But a sure way to improve your game without even stepping on a tennis court is to increase your speed and agility. It’s not as glamorous as learning to hit a big forehand or serve, but gaining more foot speed can win you just as many points. 

Here are some numbers for you:

• Average seconds per point: Clay – 10   Hard – 5   Grass – 2.8
• A player averages 4.2 directional changes per point.
• Average distance covered per stroke is 4 meters.
• The ratio of time playing tennis and time walking around the court is 35:65.

By looking at this data, it’s easy to see that tennis is a fast game full of explosive movements. You should train your body accordingly. Jogging will give you endurance, which is good for long matches. But when do you ever jog to a ball to hit a shot? You need speed. Practice sprinting short distances in all different directions (just like you would on a tennis court) and then rest. Do a series of sprints where you run for 15 seconds, then rest for 45 more. Simulate the action of a real point. Try to incorporate sets of hops or jumps, or any movement that will increase your quickness and explosion. You want to train your body to be able to run hundreds of short races – not one long one.

How to Manage Spin Serves

You probably have vivid memories of the first time you played someone with a nasty spin serve. If you’re like most players, words that can’t be repeated here fell from your mouth as you struggled to handle those wicked slice or topspin deliveries. And the feeling you had was almost certainly that you were out of control and that the ball was taking you away from your comfort zone. But there are a few simple adjustments you can make that will minimize the effects of a heavily spun serve. First, step in and take the ball early—try not to let it get above your waist if you can help it. By taking the ball sooner than normal you prevent the server from pulling you out of position, thus surrendering a lot of territory on the other side of the court. Second, use a short, compact backswing but make sure you still follow through. If you simply poke at the ball you will lose control.

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