Timing

What is timing? Timing is everything. With it you can counter the toughest shots, adjust to your opponent, conditions, develop new levels of the game, and play with confidence. Without it you miss-hit, lodge the ball in the middle of your racket, hack-nub winners, hack-nub errors, and eventually lose your confidence. Timing is the ability to stroke a ball over the net with your desired outcome consistently over time. It's effortless outcome management. It's how an eight year old can hold down a rally with an accomplished adult player and maintain equal shot quality despite strength differences.

Other terms that travel with timing include smoothness, consistency, easiness, and fluidity. They describe the qualities of good timing. Smoothness is the ability to have your body flow with a steady motion from the ready position,  the take away, loading, releasing, and finishing the shot. Consistency is the ability to repeat that motion over the course of a rally or point. Easiness and fluidity are required for good timing.

Many players have  basic swing patterns down but lack smoothness. The best way to fix that problem is hold the racket looser, like a bird--not so tight you kill it but don't let it go. In doing so you will allow your body to react in a kinetic chain (the sum of the body parts put together creates the optimum result). When you trust your racket it will trust you. That's when hitting gets fun. Another thing to look for is your preparation (the take back loading). This should be done in a continous manner with no sharp hitches (despite some hitches I've encountered some people can't play without them and they are critical for their timing). Most solid strikers do not possess hitching characteristics.

Players who catch the ball in the middle of their racket (at the throat) when swinging look around and wonder what happened to the ball. That's when I tell them it went to the Bermuda Triangle. When they finally discover it lodged in their racket we all have a good laugh. That's an example of bad timing. The good thing about that bad timing in this instance it teaches you to distance yourself from the ball. Rally practice will develop your timing to higher levels. Striking a ball repeatedly with better players or the ball machine will hone your strokes and  timing. Timing is something that's borrowed from your hitting partner. Better players will give you better timing. A coach can hit you balls to help you smooth out your swing and eliminate hitches and fundamental errors. That will improve timing. Give yourself time for those corrections on the practice court to show up in competition.

Old habits die hard but an old dog can learn to hunt if he's hungry.  If your shots aren't technically sound they're not going to produce desired outcomes. Play those shots with care. If you hack a ball over the net for a winner raise your hand or racket to your opponent in acknowledgement. They appreciate it and it sends a message that you're a sportsman.

Recently Rafa was playing in the finals of the Davis Cup representing Spain against Argentina. Jaun Martin Del Potro was his 6'5'' opponent, a big strong guy who hits with the old fashioned (like Federer) eastern forehand grip. His strokes were powerful fastballs delivered from both wings. Rafa has the timing and defensive skills to heavy topspin and placements form all over the court. It was just good enough to best Del Potro in the fourth set tie-breaker for the match. Del Potro who is making a come back from injury played extremely well and cried passionately after the loss in Seville amongst a rowdy Spanish crowd. He pounded balls from corner to corner without much margin over the net or inside the court. He had to blast past the Spaniard. Very difficult on red clay to put a ball away. Many times he did. Until it came to fourth set when Rafa stuck the sword into the bull.  If it had been played in Argentina on a hard court would the result have been different? Yes the result would have been different. Most probably Argentina would have set up a hard court allowing Del Potro's flatter ball to run through the court.  Argentina did not have the home court and Rafa would put Spain on top of Davis Cup for the second year in a row.

Del Potro took the ball early (close to the baseline) and pushed Raffa around. The trouble was Raffa was too fast to the ball and simply returned too many shots with margin and Del Potros risky but good timing was not enough that day. That was the only timing he had to beat Raffa and he did the best he could. 2012 will be an interesting year with this guy back in the line-up on the ATP.

There was an example of different timing styles--one who hits heavy spin and sometimes flat and the other who hits very flat all the time.  One plays close to the line and takes things early while the other can play deep and send back enormous topspin balls that kick up into your shoulders or flatten it with tight spin when the ball is short.

How can you best develop timing? When you warm up start off easy. Hit balls that go slow and to your hitting partner. As your rallies develop pick up the pace gradually. When you have difficulty hitting a ten shot rally slow down and work at that level. This will give you great timing and you'll being training smart.

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Tennis Show Down at FSC

How to play with people watching

     You've got to be kidding. I've never had anyone watch my match play except once and I played awful. Pretend they're wearing clowns pants; does that feel any different? It doesn't matter who or when you are playing you need to be relaxed. Your body reacts better. It's more flexible, makes fewer errors, and shots happen without your self talk getting in the way.
      A term for this mind/body relationship is called the ideal performance state (IPS). When you're in the IPS you make the shots.  Ray Allen, the famous three point shooter for the Celtics practices his three pointers in the morning; he starts with easy baskets and then goes for longer ones. Then he comes back before team practice in the afternoon (he's the first one at the Garden) and shoots again for one hour. So, part of the reason for his success is that he practices significantly more and smarter than everyone else. Those automatic shots happen for a reason; it's probably harder for him to miss his shots than make the shots. Why? It has become second nature. The more you practice the less you have to think once you've mastered the fundamentals. Then, there's Tom Brady, a true gamer, a pressure expert, and he has performed amazingly in crunch situations. There more he does it the more consistent he shows himself. He's comfortable in those situations. Players who miss are not comfortable with those situations. They can't dial it up. The champions are great when they have to be. The crunch points determine the great from the best of the best. The very best thrive in a high pressure environment. Relaxation, focus, and confidence are all part of that equation. The largest success factor is determined by your preparation. Brady also puts in extra hours practicing his passes outside of the team practice.

     What if people are watching when I'm competing? First, don't watch yourself. What does that mean? If you're your own critic you won't be able to zone. What I mean by critic is--you can't think of a double fault when your toss is up in the air. The prophecy will come true. Anyone who's played sports knows what I'm talking about. If a pitcher thinks ball before he throws then it will be a ball. If your out in the drive way and shoot threes they tend to drop more when your out shooting around because you believe in it. Maybe not the first one or two times you play but the practice court will eventually show up in your game. If you work on your serve for just twenty minutes per day you'll started nailing the serve in your matches because your body will be on auto-pilot. If you can't get by people watching imagine they're wearing clowns pants There are some tricks to relax: humor is a great way to calm yourself-- crack a joke with your doubles partner, fix your strings, take a deep breath, or tie your shoes. All of these things takes pressure off the moment. Pros will take time outs to control momentum and question calls. The list is almost endless when you think about it.
     Many players think-- "just play." They think, hey I play for fun, I don't need to practice and they become cagey. What is cagey? That is when a player learns by experience and manages their game in competitive situations. They have a keen sense of what they can do in a match and in one sense this keeps them free of negative self talk. They just play. The only problem with this is that your game will only go so far. You might be a great singles player for your team but you can't volley too well. Or perhaps you have an aggressive game but no backhand. Or you don't handle pace well because of a hitch in your swing. You don't have the  mechanics to execute in that environment. You could say that about anyone who wants to move up a level. What is the biggest hurdle holding you back? Until you address the fundamentals hurdle it's going to just sit there until you jump it. You'll keep getting the lesson every time you play up until you address it. Some players don't see their hurdles and won't address them or don't care enough to jump it. It's too much work.
     The players who make the most improvements are the players who receive coaching, practice and put themselves in "playing up" situations. Then they start making the shots in the new tougher environment. They will have several breakthroughs because they go back to the chalkboard, work out the kinks, find challenging coaching sessions (those who want to improve are willing to spend money on their game) and then test those skills in the game. It's a cycle of playing, evaluation, and practicing with a purpose. When you are well prepared you become more relaxed.
     Even with preparation you may need some more tricks to keep stress at an optimum level: tilt your head up and look up with your eyes as much as you can for a few seconds and then release the hold, lift up and relax your shoulders, jog  in place ( Maria Sharapova) before starting a point, bounce the the ball before the serve (Novak Djokovic), grunt out your breath when you hit (Jimmy Connors), practice a couple of correction swings after a miss, sing a favorite song in your mind, hold your racquet lightly with your fingers when you feel tight during play,etc...etc....etc.  You have to be comfortable in the big situations and relaxed. If you look out in the stands at the crowd you won't stand a chance, unless you can disconnect, and then reconnect.
     Look forward to your next on court big moment and let yourself play. Tell yourself  how much you love it and go for it. Pretend if you have to. Sooner or later you'll start believing. When you believe in yourself you'll play your best. That's all we can ever ask of ourselves. If people are watching that makes it better.

Playing Up

Who doesn't want to play up? I guess if the match were for money you wouldn't, right? Guess what, it is for money. Players who play up are getting a chance to test their skills in a new forum of players, coaches, and clubs. Players who receive those players are giving them a chance. There is that day when you are the new kid on the block. Just remember that when you play it takes two to tango. Some players are moving down the club ladder: lack of conditioning, age, injury, etc. Today I'm talking about playing up: those players who have been hitting the ball machine, taking lessons, hitting the gym, and want a chance to showcase their skills.

I remembered playing my first tournament, a fourteen and under tournament in Barnstable. First I beat several opponents before losing to Tom who became a team-mate at Falmouth High School. Playing up in that tournament gave me my first forum to test skills. Before then it was the backboard of West Falmouth and random players at public courts. Playing up was always a treat because the environment tested you. It made you want to practice, get calloused hands, ride your bike to ball parks, look at new racquets, read tennis magazines, and run. I was hooked on improving and getting chances to play up.

When you play up expect to be surprised. Balls that regularly score you points don't. Your opponent gets to them and makes counter attacks. So you lose points that regularly go in the win column. The next thing you try to do is raise your level too much. You risk too soon and often. The result is a quick bad loss. The best thing to do is to make the easy shots well. What are the easy shots? Get the first serve in and place it with a plan, example: serve wide to the strength and then hit over to the less powerful side. That is a good play. It's percentage and  it keeps your mind on the doing rather than panicking. Another play would be to return the line of the ball no matter what. Believe it or not better players make more mistakes holding a rally rather making great shots. When you hold the rally they tend to think--Hey this guy/gal can hit. Once you've created that thought in their mind, you're on your way to developing points. To compete you have to get your first two shots in play--the serve and next shot and the return and the next shot.That can be your first goal, compete, hit two shots in a row. The next goal is get into a winning position. If your're not competing then get back to basics. The next thing we tend to do when playing up is put the ball away twice as hard. IT's more effective  to be more selective approaching the net, rally verses drop shot, or pass verses lob. Each one of those decisions can cost you points.  Focus on execution. Read that again. It's all about executing the fundamentals. There's only so much you can do with smoke and mirrors. Try to get ready faster, smooth your swing out, stay low, see the ball early, and raise your level. Better execution trumps elaborate schemes. Above all stay relaxed so you can perform. If you become a stiff then your're done.This is why many big upsets happen with low ranked players. They are relaxed. They have nothing to lose. Their body relaxes and they just channel greatness. They have no conscious fear and their shots show it. They go in and they find the zone.

When you're playing up play your "A" game not your "B" game. If you volley best then come to the net as much as possible. If ground stroke best then let your partner take the net and play the back court. Playing up is not the day to test out new strings, new shots, and a new game style. Save that for the practice court. Today is the day to do what you do best. You have to play your best to win. Plan your best shots (partner's too) against the your opponents "B" game. They may still win but you've increased your chances. When I play I'm always searching for a way to increase my chances and decrease my opponent's chances. If I'm going to lose I'll lose slow. It's not good to lose fast. They may beat me 6-0,6-0 but their going to have to win every point and I'm going to keep them out there for one and one half hour. That's different then shaking hands before the first half hour bell rings. That is the worst.

Finally, in life we all have chances to play up. Take advantage of those situations and play them. If you don't you'll second guess yourself. When you get in those situations play your "A" game and learn. Take those lessons to the practice court and train to improve your skills. Also remember that you are not at the level of your opponent unless you can get into a position to win. There's a difference between playing up and over your head. Take small steps as you move up. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is your game. It takes a lifetime.

Fun Tennis Conditioning

Let's be honest here. Who loves to condition? I think we tend to like fun activities over boring routines.

Here are some that you might like:

1) Forearm and wrist......bounce a tennis ball as close as you can to the ground with your racket (hold the racket half way), then repeat with the top of your wrist facing down (fingernails and knuckles face down). Do these exercises till you can't any longer. This is great to help improve forearm strength.

2) Swing with two rackets in one hand for all your strokes. This creates a "batting weight effect" which will help your muscle memory, develop strength, timing, and racket speed.

3) Practice volley footwork timing with a ready position, left foot out, cross step with right as you pretend to hit a volley then rock back to left foot, then back to ready position. Repeat for the other side. I think I'll show a little video for that one. It's a fun dance step I got from the Bryans'.

4) Take your racket and do knee-bends while holding the racket down, both arms extended down and then when you come up lift both arms up above your head all while holding the racket (one end in each hand). Do those till you can't do anymore.....enough.

5) Do knee-bends again, this time press both arms out form chest as you go down, and pull both arms in as you you come up.

6) Lie on the ground knees bent, feet on ground and do sit-ups pushing the racket straight up with both hands (one hand on each end of the racket/ arms extended straight up over eyes till you can't do any more. Gees.

7) Do push-ups with a racket on you back to help remind you to keep straight.

8) Practice tennis serving and/or returning and then going through tennis plays for singles and/or doubles. Work till you can't move.......It's hard.

There you have it. You can adjust your workout time for what you want--five minutes to one hour.

Enjoy. If you did this everyday you would get ripped for tennis and it doesn't cost a nickle.

Coach Kevin

Todays Final at Roland Garros

Let's see if Nadal picks on Rogers Backhand. One of the reasons Nadal gives Federer trouble is because of that lefty forehand hitting the equivilent of forehand kick serves up high to the Fed backhand. It's my belief that Fed should slice them down because he is prone to miss hit his topspin backhand in the long exchanges that ensue. Slicing down the line would keep the ball to Nadals two-hand backhand and make him bend low, a potential set up for Roger's forehand. We'll see. The new balls and a dry court also assist Federer. That ball change this year could be enough to make a difference for Fed as they are more lively. I say it's an even match-up given age and everything else............

Kevin

Cancer Benefit Doubles Tournament

This weekend coming up, April 29 to May 1 we are have the Cancer Benefit Doubles Tournament. We will have men's, women's and high school divisions. Sign up now for a great experience. If you need a partner let me know.

Kevin

The Directionals

Paul Wardlaw logged these axioms as the Directionals. There are doubles and singles directionals. Here are the singles:

Picture the singles court split into thirds running vertical. So if you are standing at the center slash mark you are in the middle of the center third, flanked by a backhand third (lefty forehand), and a forehand third (lefty backhand).

The system says that hitting a ball on the outer thirds (outside shots) should go cross-court. Inside balls (shots you run around to hit the alternative side, i.e. a run-around forehand (avoiding the backhand to hit a forehand). These run around shots are best hit down the line Both outside and inside shots placements allow for natural rotation of the hips and control the center of the court. Hence, they are the most percentage to hit. Outside shots that you hit down the line are called anti-directional. Only go anti-directional when you think you can force your opponent to error and you are set up for it; perhaps when your inside the baseline and you are balanced to strike a hurtful ball.

This is just a short overview of the system. Enjoy.

Coach "K"

Doubles Tennis Tip

Hi,

In doubles when you hit your shots plan for your opponent to get them back. Never count yourself or your opponent out of a match. When you hit shots try to set up easier shots or positions for yourself: aim low on a passing shot to make your opponent hit up or lob them to get them off the net. Approach the net with your partner to gain control of the service boxes and plan to "hold the line as a team." Those are examples of set-ups rather than: hitting a winner down the ally, put this away so hard they can't get it, hitting a drop shot winner, etc....Sure it's fun to try those shots but the final result is determined by who makes the routine volleys, approaches and return set ups not the amazing shots. Hey, there isn't a lot of space out there for winners.

Hope this helps.

Coach K

Cancer Tournament

APRIL 29 through MAY 1    Cancer Doubles Benefit

for adults (all levels) and high school division (all levels) and junior division (during April Vacation)

Hey this is a great tournament; lots of players, player social with live music on Saturday of the tourney, "spring into tennis."

Doubles Tournament March 11-13

Hey we're having another tournament: straight doubles with a tennis social on Saturday. So, that's twice on the court minimum. We have again, some special entertainment coming you way as part of the tennis social. Try to make it. It will be good for you to get out of the house and go to the club. This time we'll try a pot luck for the players and friends. I'll call people who sign up asking what they would like to bring. I'm sure we can find a singer with an acoustic. Spring is almost here.

Remember when warming up to rally a little, volley a little (service line and up close), overhead some; your opponent does the same and then take a few serves. Catch your opponent serves and only return them if you are finished taking yours. This should take 10 to fifteen minutes maximum. Practice moving your feet while waiting for the ball and split stepping with a knee bend when your opponent hits the ball. Try to stay loose and relaxed; feel the ball. Talk to your partner regarding which side of the court you are both going to take, then go over one or two things you want to avoid with your opponents and how you intend to play them. Adjust your strategy as the match goes on because good opponents will be doing the same thing. In the end it mostly comes down to execution, so try to remember a couple of things you did well and what you need to work on. Mostly, enjoy the game!

Playing Mixed Doubles

Playing the percentages:

1) If you are the woman server it is best to serve the middle and keep your partner in front of the ball; it's more difficult to hit the ball away from the net player (you want to create opportunities for your partner to make put-aways).

2) The woman's job is to return the serves from the man to get into the point; lobs can be effective.

3) The man's job is to play solid shots but not overplay his side of the court. He should not take balls that he cannot put away as this leaves the court open for winning shots from the other team.
He still has to be be aggressive in the right measure and not let the sitting ducks go by.

4) The woman should play solid positional tennis and not make a lot of unforced errors; that is-- not go out of her way to make shots that are not clearly hers. Again, this will create openings for the other team..

5) The man has to hold serve and if the woman holds that is a bonus. Try very hard to break the woman's serve. If you break the guy you are doing very well and it's really hard to recover from that break.

6) Position yourself to play your best shots cross court, i.e. if you like your forehand then stand closer to the center on the deuce side of the court if you are righty and closer to the ally on the ad side. Always show more strength to avoid the net player in your cross courts.

7) The man should play the ad court as more points are decided there; unless the woman is the stronger player (hey it happens).

8) Play the ball first and your opponent second. Every ball should be played like it belongs to you.
That way you won't be caught with that deer in the headlights look on your face, saying--whoops.

9) Don't forget the lob; read that three more times.

10) No you don't have to crash the net together. Let the game evolve. You don't have to bull rush the net; one up one back is fine unless you are drawn in by a short ball. Serve and volley is best if you can win more points by doing it otherwise it is "pointless."

11) Always be supportive no matter what..........because it's people first, then the winning comes......not the other way around.*********Read that four more times because this will help your team more than any other tip except possibly get your first serve in ;)


  The most difficult part about playing mixed is that the man must adjust his game if it is for social tennis. What fun is it if he just blasts the ball right at the woman. If you are getting a paycheck for for your play then that is a different story. Be nice and remember it's fun first then winning. If it's a tournament then you can be more aggressive but still be respective of the levels on the court and try to have fun. It can be very frustrating for the better player on the court (woman or male). The key is to play your best without hurting anyone physically or emotionally. I always try to create shots that make it better for my partner and fun for the other team. By fun I mean challenging. It's not a good idea to blast easy shots right at people. That should not make you feel proud of yourself. Be supportive between points: winning shots or errors. Point out patterns or shots that your opponents do that can be managed but avoid telling so much that it hinders the flow of the game. Always shake hands with your partner first and then your opponents and thanks them for playing. Without opponents there can be no event. Try to share the match with them rather then isolating yourself or your team. Perhaps you might play again together if you match up well.

Volleys

I was practicing a couple of weeks ago with my doubles partner (Sean) and was up at the net hitting volleys. My forehand volley was a shot I tended to think about a little too much when playing because unforced errors and lack luster put-aways were cropping up too much during match play: when I received an up ball on a poach I would pop it up too much or hit the net (that's the worst). The solution was easy--I was putting too much slice on the shot (too much "work" on the ball); better to hit through the ball clean and finish through the ball. Remember this tip: when the ball is above the net-- stick it and step "as" you hit the ball; if the ball is below the net step "first" then put a little slice for control. Both of these volleys start with the same wrist position the only difference is the "follow-through:" slice is down slightly with a firm wrist postion and flat is foward with an extension of the forearm straight ahead--also with a firm wrist.

First weekend in February will be our Mixed Doubles Tournament. You will get your tournament play, a mixed tennis social, with a player reception all just for $35.00. Hell I spend that just on Bagels and coffee each week. There's a lot of energy at the club right now riding on the coat tails of the singles tournament. Don't miss this one.