Monday, January 28, 2013

How to eliminate net errors from your game


What is the most common error made in the game of tennis? The answer is hitting the ball in the net. Why? The answer has four parts: players don’t get to the ball early enough so they clip the ball out in front without having a solid foundation to hit the shot, or they are in position, but then open up too early and take their eyes off the ball, the swing (wrist related) is too vertical, or the aim too low.

             Start your warm-up focus with split stepping (hopping in a ready position on the balls of your feet) and then adjusting quickly with small adjusting steps to the ball. Your shoulders and racket should be prepared to strike. If you don’t get to the ball early enough you will be out of athletic balance and have to improvise the shot. Hey, that’s okay if you have to do it. We don’t always get in perfect position. If that happens just get the ball back in play without trying to make a low percentage shot. This solves one of the causes of net balls, positioning.

            Another reason why we hit the net is we take our eyes off the ball, lifting our head up. The result is a quick flick off the ball dropping it into the net. There is only one ball on the court. Take care of it. I know it’s very interesting to look at the opponent. Looking at the opponent will not help your shot in the least. That doesn’t mean you don’t have a sense of what he/she is doing. It means that you are keeping your head down during the strike till you finish the shot. Try keeping your head down or up if a serve/overhead till the ball goes over the net. You will absolutely be amazed at the quality and cleanness of your ball striking.

 

           

A good way to keep your eye on the ball is to point to it on the serve, forehand, overhead, and forehand volley. Keep the non-dominate pointing hand on the ball through the strike with your eyes (head) fixed on the ball. This should eliminate clipping and hitting the ball early into the net.

            Another problem players can have is closing the racket face too much at the point of contact. This can cause miss-directs and net shots. There is so much brush on the ball that there isn’t enough forward movement to drive the shot over the net. The solution to this problem is to get the racket head more behind the ball and extend a longer horizontal swing path (strike zone) through the ball. When you make that correction you will have a better feel for the ball and a cleaner hit.  

            Many players still hit the net even though their swing path appears correct. That player has to image a target above the net rather that looking through the net. This player needs vertical lift to create arc on the shot. Try getting your racket one foot below the point of contact as you swing low to high at the ball. This should give you the lift you need to clear the net. Sometimes you aim low to the net when you are faced with passing an opponent. At those times hitting the net is better than hitting long because you are trying to force the opponent to hit up.

            In summary, split step, get to the ball early, keep your head down, stay turned on the shot, and swing low to high. That should do the trick. I know that’s a lot to remember. Start with getting to the ball quickly and build from there one step at a time.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Playing Mixed Doubles (more tips)

1. If you are the woman serving to the deuce court (the forehand court) do not serve the ball wide. This does two things, it takes your partner out of the point (wide balls hit to the opponent's forehand create wide angles on the return and worse, ally shots past your male partner (nauseating). This doesn't allow your partner to be an effective poaching machine especially if he is not very mobile. You will create a hybrid form of singles, bad idea. Serve "T" to the backhand (if you've got the control). Your partner has a better chance of volleying the ball for a winner and you won't get outflanked by the return angle cross court. It will be driven near your area of position.

2. If you are the woman serving to the ad court, facing the guy returning, it might make sense to move way out to the left of  the baseline and serve near the doubles ally and serve inside out to the returners backhand. This will avoid the forehand weapon of the receiver (usually the guy is put in the ad box to decide more of the ad points, right!). If you hit to that big forehand your partner may get a ball slammed in his chest. Yes, I've had that happen to me and that starts another story about sportsmanship--particularly when you have different levels on the court. It's not socially prudent to take free shots at players set up by weaker levels on the court. It's not sporting, in the same way that shooting a duck in the water isn't much fun, treeing a coon with a bulldozer or fishing with dynamite. Worse than that would be if the man slammed an easy second from the other guy into the woman at the net. If you serve wide in the ad most of this can be avoided. By serving over wide near the ally this will most likely result in a forehand for you the woman server. Another great reason all by itself.

3. If you are the woman or man in the back court position yourself try to hit as many forehands as possible. This is much easier to in doubles than singles because you only have to cover your half of the court. If your backhand is the best shot then position yourself for as many backhands as possible.

4. If there is a player who is dominating the net on every return you make then you should lob the ball over that player to take away that offensive position. Many times poachers fail to follow the ball back and you or your partner can take the next ball out of the air and hit behind that "over-the-net-reaching" raising havoc in your return games. Another play is to hit right at the player and force a slow draw with their racket which can produce hack nubs and weak returns if not an error. Unexpected shots usually produce the best outcomes even if not intentionally delivered.

5. On the other hand it may make more sense for the server to hit serves that he or she wants to be returned to them come to them because of their weak net partner. Knowing that most receivers in the deuce court will hit wide returns of serve cross court, I may intentionally hit to their forehand to set myself for the next shot. It keeps my partner more at home as well. She will have to cover the ally when I serve. This keeps the bigger diagonal open for me to cover. Serving down the middle could create a rip right at her catching her by surprise by sheer speed alone. I don't like my partner surprised. I want them confident and in control. Level should be a concern when placing shots near your partner.


Write me if you have any questions about these or other mixed doubles strategies.