Monthly Pro Tip
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What is the Split Step and Why is it so Important
Posted by lmcgovern on 01 Feb 2005 | Tagged as: Monthly Pro Tip
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To Poach or Not to Poach that is the Question by Billy Mendler
Posted by bmendler on 19 Dec 2004 | Tagged as: Monthly Pro Tip
“When should I poach?” is a very common question that is asked of myself and the other pros all of the time. I believe that before you can know the right time to poach, you have to first realize what poaching really is. Once you understand what the poach is, you have to then factor in your opponent and your positioning. Once you can do all that you will be able to answer your own question, “when should I poach“?
What does poaching really mean in tennis? Before I can answer this question you must first recognize that it is not merely moving to the other side of the court during a point when you are at net. If you are following the ball when you are at the net and you merely reach out towards the middle to hit the ball, it is not a poach but rather a good net player’s point. Likewise, if I tell my partner I am going to switch sides after he serves, therefore, forcing the server to cover my side this also is not a poach. A poach is when the net player takes a risk by leaving their alley open and moving towards the middle of the court in the hopes of cutting off their opponent’s shot. The poach can be done with or without your partners knowledge of the poach. If your opponents read your poach, you will lose the point, but when it is done at the right time you can gain an easy and satisfying point.
Now that you understand what a poach is, recognizing your position and that of your opponent’s will be critical to executing a successful poach. The best time to poach is when your opponent is having to hit a more difficult shot than normal. This can mean they are on the run or simply the ball is pushing them back behind the baselline. If you try to poach when they are not in trouble, you can get burned down your alley. You must also factor in your postioning too. As long as you are not in a defensive position, such as at the service line, you should be able to poach effectively.
Now that you are armed with all of the knowledge about the poach it is time to try it. If your positon is good and your opponent’s is in enough trouble, you should start to sneak to the middle of the court before they strike the ball. Yes you are leaving your alley open but if you correctly factored in your position and that of your opponents, it should be a very successful poach and a very difficult shot for your opponents to return. Remember, you will lose some points from poaching but it’s okay to keep trying. It will drive your opponents crazy.
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“Find the Ball” by Randy Cummings
Posted by Michael Starke on 05 Jul 2004 | Tagged as: Monthly Pro Tip
Find The Ball
The Argentinian Oscar Wegner has a great tennis tip which he refers
to as “find the ball.”
Simply stated it means to be patient, determine first where the
ball is going to land and with how much pace, spin,
and bounce, and then prepare your swing accordingly. Another
way to picture this is to just move to the ball as if you were
going to catch it with your racquet hand.
Watch the pros. Their first move to a ball, whether forehand
or backhand, is a slight movement sideways with their shoulder
as they lean in the direction of the ball. Their arms and hands
are initially still, with the the butt of the racquet pointing
toward their navel (not much different than their ready
position). The racquet face is more-or-less parallel to the
net. Their non-racquet hand remains close to or on the
racquet. They “stalk the ball” in this position until they get
really close to it, then they begin preparing their swing. Often
they wait until the very last instant before they take their
backswing.
If their time is drastically reduced, they shorten their
backswing so their stroke is almost a block. If they have more
time to set up, then they will take a bigger, longer backswing.
This is why the best of them hit so smoothly and never appear
rushed. Their swing is always measured. They match their
effort (their swing) to the task (the ball’s pace, spin,
bounce).
Watch Agassi’s forehand. He hits many balls inside the baseline that look like
half-volleys, his backswing is that compact. His backhand has
has even less backswing, accelerating almost directly from
the “find the ball” position into the contact zone. This is
also what makes his return of serve among the best: there
is virtually no backswing once he has found the ball.
The opposite of this would be the big-hitting Fernando
Gonzalez, who begins his backswing before the ball has barely
left his opponent’s racquet. Lindsey Davenport is also guilty
of not always finding the ball.
One important note: finding the ball at the pro level does have
its idiosyncrasies. Roddick, Agassi, Federer, and Henin
might look a little different in the way they find the ball
(i.e., the position of their racquet face, their hands, arms)
but all of them are finding the ball –stalking it– before
they take their full swing at the ball.
Finding the ball is probably different than what you have
been taught (turn, take your racquet back, etc.), yet
it is what the pros do and it is actually a more natural
approach to striking a tennis ball.
Next time you are on the court, try to find the ball first, then
prepare your swing. You’ll discover that you have more time
to execute your shot (because you’ll never be rushed) and you’ll
be hitting more naturally.
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“The Volley” by Collin Crawford
Posted by Michael Starke on 25 May 2004 | Tagged as: Monthly Pro Tip
Proper technique as demonstrated by Arianna Stenta
In the midst of all the ongoing USTA matches, I thought it might be appropriate to narrow the focus for the tip of the month to the forehand volley. Forthcoming are two reminders that should help improve the consistency and quality of your forehand volley. Many players tend to swing at the volley. This is a major cause of inconsistency. How many times have we swung at a volley and instantly realized the fact after the ball has landed out, or in some cases has hit the curtain? Two ways players tend to swing at volleys are by snapping their wrists at contact, and by taking the raquet back before contact, as if to hit a ground stroke. Two reminders: lock your wrist back and keep your elbow in front.
Notice how Arianna has her wrist locked back in the photo. Her wrist locks back before and after contact. If the wrist stays locked, she can’t force the tip of the raquet forward when she hits the ball. Snapping the wrist or forcing the tip of the raquet forward is considered a swing.
The other area to focus on in the photo is Arianna’s elbow. Notice how the elbow is in front of her body. The elbow should always stay in front as the ball approaches. Players tend to bring it back as the ball approaches making it very difficult to hit the ball in front and make a solid volley. Once the elbow goes back it is considered a swing. Keeping it in front as the ball approaches maintains consistency and also gives the volley more pop because it is hit in front of the body, not late.
Just remember, to increase the consistency and quality of your forehand volley–lock your wrist back and keep your elbow in front
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“The Lob” by Bob deVente
Posted by Michael Starke on 25 Apr 2004 | Tagged as: Monthly Pro Tip
The Lob- Monthly Pro Tip by Bob deVente
The lob is one of the most misunderstood and under-utilized weapons in both singles and doubles. The lob can be hit to accomplish offensive as well as defensive objectives.
A lot of players think the lob to be a “sissy” shot.” However, top players understand that the lob is an important shot for a complete game. The lob is a specialty shot like angles, drop shots and high loopers. A complete game includes both power and touch shots. This combination of power and finesse makes your opponent defend in all four directions: left and right, up and back. If you draw your opponent to the net, the lob or lob-volley allows you to hit the open backcourt and win the point.
WHEN DO YOU LOB?
* If your opponent is effective at staying at the baseline, never choosing to advance to the net, the best strategy is to force your opponent to come in toward the net. Using defensive short ground strokes, dinks and drops shots you can pull your opponents out of their comfort zones, making them come to the net. Their skill at the net will determine your success in using the lob and/or passing shots. If they are weak at the net, you can exploit their position tirelessly.
* Even players who often come to the net and are good at volleys and overheads should be lobbed on occasion. The lob creates the opportunity to beat your opponent by improving the effectiveness of your passing shots.
* When you are forced deep into the backcourt, it is best to lob rather than try a passing shot. The lob allows you time to reposition and continue the point. The passing shot is more vulnerable to being picked off because it has to travel 8 to 10 feet further.
* Your opponent’s position on the court ultimately determines when to lob or when to pass. Lobbing occasionally forces your opponents to adjust their position to protect for the possibility of a lob. They now become more vulnerable to your passing shots. Alternating between cross-court, down-the- line passing shots and lobs will force your opponents to move right, left or back to a more neutral position on the court, increasing your options to pass or to lob more effectively.
* If your opponents never see you lob, they stop positioning to guard against it. You must use the lob to push your opponents back from the net area toward opening opportunities for you to pass.
* When you are caught in a defensive situation, the lob can be the answer to keep you in the point or force your opponent to hit the “put you away” overhead. It can be a big momentum breaker for your opponents if they miss the overhead on a key point!
BASIC LOB TECHNIQUE:
* The flat lob is hit low to high and is disguised as a regular groundstroke with a slightly open racket face, aiming 10 to 15 feet over the net using less power.
* The underspin lob is hit slightly high to low more like the slice or chip ground stroke and is the easiest lob to execute when in trouble. For the opponent, the underspin makes this lob a more difficult overhead to smash.
* The topspin lob is a well-disguised hit with a low to high motion together with excessive racket head speed. This lob is the most effective offensive weapon.
DOUBLES ANYONE?
Good doubles teams use angles, drop shots and the lob to set up opportunities to close out points. The lob is the tool in doubles to back a team off the net and create openings for you to pass. The lob is used more frequently in doubles than singles, ranging from lob return-of-serves to topspin lob winners!
CONCLUSION
* To master the lob takes time and practice, so make it a point to practice it under all playing situations.
* The lob should be used at all levels of play and be part of your game. The lob sends a message to your opponent that you will lob even if you have little success early in the match. You then have a better chance of passing because there will always be a chance that your next shot will be a lob.
* You may lose some points as your opponent punishes your short lob with overheads or a swinging volley. Don’t let that discourage you from using the lob when the situation is right. The more you practice and use lobs in your match play, the more successful you will be at executing the lob!
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