This blog is all about changing your game for the better, old bad habits die hard and sometimes players fall back into apathy that what they are doing is correct.
You can never stop improving on your game, the changes do not have to be drastic but a tweak here or there could really affect your game for the better.
At Tennis World North Sydney our professional coaches can help you with all aspects of what is to follow.
Fitness, Tactics and Equipment
- Fitness
Obviously the fitter you are then the more effective you will be around the court and performing the shots.
- Tactics
Streamline your game by altering strategy and court positioning, Look for combinations in match play, and consider that soft players go even safer on game points, and that big hitters hate to rally when the game is close.
Tactical moves may be subtle in nature but can recharge your game.
- Equipment
Don’t overlook changes to your equipment, don’t buy a new racket without first having tried new strings. The biggest change in tennis in the last ten years is spin, so upgrade your tension to accommodate this.
Whilst you are at it, check the racket grip also so that your handle is not rotating before you have finished your stroke.
Make small changes, a general overhaul is never really advised and can be dangerous to your overall game.
The Common Shots
- Serve
There are many things to consider when making a serve, keeping your elbow up higher, bending your legs, making an accurate ball toss and pronating the racket arm rather than muscling it.
- Forehand
Do you loop your back swing or just drop the racket and flick? Do you play the forehand with knuckles underneath the handle, or is it more standard.
Is your stroke all power and no spin, or all spin and no power? Are you bringing the off hand into play for body torque and extra rotation.
- Half Volley
Practise when you warm up, hitting complete strokes softly. This will help to get your eye in and help you to gain a feeling for the ball on the strings and what it does when you return it.
- High Volley
Any volley above shoulder height leaves many people perplexed. Is it a smash, is it a volley or is it something to run away from and get back to the safety of the baseline.
All in all everybody needs to look at their game from time to time, it is really easy to drift into stupid mistakes as the alternative would take more effort and would be harder to execute.
It is a good idea to have a coaching session now and again at your local club to help iron out any bad habits you grow into. An observer can often spot a problem which you are not even aware of.