As a tennis coach, I often observe beginning and intermediate-level players warming up for their matches. Unfortunately, I notice that some players prioritize power over the fundamental skills needed for a strong game.
It was a proud moment for me when I overheard my younger daughter explaining to her mother that “everybody can hit hard, but the good players know how to control the ball.” This comment made me reflect on the priorities that players should focus on to improve their tennis game.
Based on my experience, I believe the following should be the priorities in tennis:
Consistency: The first priority should be developing the ability to hit the ball over the net and inside the lines. Without consistency, it is challenging to win matches.
Placement: Being able to hit the ball deep and short, or side to side, is key to getting opponents off-balance or hitting from their weaker side. Effective placement requires precision and strategy.
Spin: The ability to add spin to your shots allows for better ball control and a wider range of bounces. By using spin, players can make their shots more unpredictable and challenging for their opponents.
Power: Power is the last priority and should only be developed once the first three skills have become comfortable to the player. Developing power without mastering the basics can lead to errors and poor shot selection.
Remember, improving your tennis game takes time and dedication. By prioritizing the fundamentals and focusing on each skill in order, you can develop a well-rounded game and enjoy the sport to the fullest. Have fun on the tennis court!
Cosmin Miholca
Certified Tennis Coach
Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.
When my older daughter turned 10, I knew it was going to be tough to split between the green and orange level tournaments – my younger one was still determined to win an orange tournament before joining her sister in the full-court / green level competitions.
During the indoor season, we unsuccessfully tried to participate in several tournaments – the distance impeded the fact that my two daughters had to play on different days due to their separate levels.
When spring came and the outdoor season kicked in, we finally managed to book our spot in a tournament that would host both levels (green and orange) on the same day and just a few hours apart. Which meant less wait between matches and less travel for all.
My older daughter, Cezara, was first to play beginning at 12:30pm. Even though a day before she caught a bad cold she decided to take part in her first green-level competition anyway. I could see in her movement and body language that Cezara was far from being fit enough to concentrate and compete… Nonetheless, she played all 6 matches (round-robin, first to 7-point tie-break) winning two and losing four. A good performance considering the health issues she had to deal with and her first time competing on a full court and against tougher opponents.
At 3pm, the time came for orange-level matches. My younger daughter, Bianca (8 years and a half), blended among the players during the warm-up. She was the last in line and visibly the shyest one. Nothing could tell that she would end up within a couple of hours getting everybody’s attention and admiration…
They were divided into two groups of 6 players who were going to play in a round-robin format (every player against each other in a game with a 7-point tie-break). The top 4 players from each group would go on to the quarter-finals: first player vs. the fourth from the opposite group, second vs. third player, and so forth.
Bianca had won 4 out of her 5 group matches and went on to be the top player in her group.
Before the quarter-final began, I went to the fence and told her that she would be playing elimination matches from now on meaning she should erase from her memory whatever happened before and focus only on how to win the next matches. I suggested to Bianca to not be satisfied with the past performance (a big mental trap) and to keep her mind busy in the “now-and-next” mode.
(Some of the pieces of advice I gave my daughters before the tournament were the following: – during the warmup, they should keep their feet moving to get the blood flowing and resist hitting the ball hard; – make mental notes of their opponents’ possible weak shots – e.g. backhand, serve spin, etc. – use more slice serves because some kids are not familiar with handling spin serves; – mentally they should keep their focus by always knowing the score and visualizing winning the next point.)
To my satisfaction, I saw that Bianca followed most of the advice I gave her in regard to the warm-up and strategies.
She won the quarter-final in a heavily contested line calls and long rallies match. The umpire made some mistakes on both sides. Eventually, Bianca prevailed 7-3.
Again, I went to the fence (while she was resting and waiting for the next match) to help her stay focused on the present and what was coming ahead. She told me that this is how far she had gotten in previous tournaments – 4th place was the highest achievement. After giving her a few tips on staying loose and focused, I left her on the bench, alone.
To our surprise, her semi-final match was going to be against, what we considered, the best player in the tournament. This girl, who traveled from out of the country to participate in this tournament, had a beautiful technique (great backhand, nice slice serve) and looked very confident. We still don’t know how this happened, but Bianca marched to victory and sent her opponent to play for the 3rd and 4th places… All I could say is that Bianca kept her focus from the beginning to the end, played steady shots, and ran for every single ball. That, in the end, paid off.
Our delight was immense: not only for her victory against one of the best players she’d ever played but also for the fact that for the first time she’d be in the final and so close to winning a tournament.
The final match put her against a player who lacked the technical elements but who was very persistent and smart in hitting a lot of balls in. After a good start when Bianca was leading 3-0, she found herself contemplating the win and very certain of first place in the tournament. This is the mental trap that is hard to get out of the head afterward…
Bianca found herself slowly beaten and denied the first place.
Even so, by playing with confidence, focus, and persistence, my daughter made us all proud to see her getting a medal and recognition for her achievement.
We, after all, celebrated with a pizza and some of our close relatives waiting for us at home to congratulate both sisters. 🙂
Conclusion: Even though every tournament that we go to means a lot of pressure for both parents and kids, in the end, the fact that we dare to get out of our comfort zone is what matters. Experiences, bad or good, are what make life worth living and sharing. It is not the winning or losing in tournaments that matters; it is the fact that we meet new people, get good exercise, and make a difference in the world by giving a good example of hard work and respect for others.
Cosmin Miholca
Certified Tennis Teaching Professional
Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.
I was a junior (about 13-14 years old) when the tennis team I was part of was about to play against one of the toughest tennis teams in our county.
We all knew we were going to get “killed” on the tennis court, therefore we decided to take it as a learning experience and see what made them so good.
Well, certainly their coach was the biggest reason for that particular team’s success, but one of the things that fascinated me was the following:
All their tennis courts were full of inspirational quotes posted on the fences, such as (the one that stuck in my mind still 26 years later) “If you win… continue; if you lose… continue!”
I thought the coach’s idea was excellent to have his players read and eventually pick one of the quotes that connected with each of them.
I’ve lived a lot of my life’s experiences guided by motivational quotes. And they work to inspire and keep me going even when circumstances become harsh.
Do you have a quote that inspires you? Share it with us in the comment box below.
Cosmin Miholca
Certified Tennis Coach
Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.
In a recent email, I was asked what kind of tennis drills or games I prefer to apply in my classes…
Even though over the years I’ve posted over 1,000 tennis drills and games at WebTennis24.com, just a handful are my favorites which I use consistently in my lessons. That does not mean the other ones are not that good; they are all good drills, but it just happens that I connect and enjoy doing some of them (or I can’t remember them all 🙂
So here are the coaching tennis drills and games that I have noticed players enjoy the most during my lessons:
Popular drills and games for KIDS: 1. Jail Breaker – friendly competition for groups (practice ground strokes, ball catching, hand-eye coordination). In this game, the players line up behind the service line or baseline and they must hit their groundstrokes (forehand or backhand) in, otherwise, they go to ‘jail’ which is the court from where the balls are fed by the coach. The only way for them to get back in line is if they catch a ball that someone in the line hits over the net. This game is fun and has the kids cheering for each other. 2. Clean the Court – speed; conditioning. Another exciting game that can be a good workout because players must throw balls over the net as many as they can within a time frame. 3. Potato Race (click for video) – team race; speed; dynamic balance; racquet and ball control. 4. High Five – fun way to introduce kids to playing at the net. This is a drill that is best done with very young children because they feel like they can rally with the coach and develop the confidence to, later on, move up to the net. 5. Dodge Ball – kids love this game: teaches them quick feet, reaction, and dynamic balance. For this game, the kids move only inside one of the service boxes (with no rackets) while the coach feeds balls toward them from the other side. The young players must dodge the balls, otherwise, they are out of the game, until one remains. 6. Royal Court (click for video) – I use it mostly as a warm-up: hand-eye coordination, ball tracking, and movement. 7. Caterpillar – loved by kids; lateral movement, ball tracking. This is a game played mostly at the end of the class because it produces a lot of giggles and excitement. For this, the players line up single file line (no rackets) behind the baseline; the coach will roll balls, one at a time, while the players, maintaining the line, will have to shuffle sideways so that the rolling balls pass between their feet. 8. Popcorn – hand-eye coordination; fun. This is another favorite game but you, as a coach, must be careful and watch players to not run while the balls are rolling on the ground. For this game, the players must catch balls inside a cone (held upside-down) which the coach throws in the air many at a time (20-30). The kids will try to catch the balls in the cone while they still bounce. 9. Bounce It– racquet and ball control; competitive game for beginning players. This is one of my favorite tennis games, as a coach, because it teaches players ball tracking and eventually leads to rally the ball over the net. Here’s how it works: the coach will feed a ball to any of the players (one vs one, or two teams), each on opposite sides of the net. They must use only their racket to bounce the ball (up or down) and send it over the net as soon as they can. If the ball rolls on their side of the court, the other player receives a point. 10. O-U-T – teaches the kids consistent serving under pressure; fun competitive game. For this, the players line up behind the baseline and take turns serving following a certain order. If one of them hits the serve in, the next one in line must also get it in, otherwise, the particular player receives the letter O. Next time it happens, he or she will get the letter U, and so on until they spell OUT. The last player who does not spell OUT wins the game. 11. My Invisible Opponent – great game to teach beginning players how to keep score while practicing their serve. The beginner player practices the serve from behind the baseline. They get 2 tries to hit the ball over the net and inside the proper service box. If they do it, they receive 15-0; if they miss, it is 0-15. Player(s) continue serving and alternating sides (left and right) until they either win or lose a tennis game. It can continue until they win or lose a set. 12. Cat and Mouse – loved game by kids: speed, quick change of direction, dynamic balance. This is a “chase” game that is done only inside the singles court and can be a good way to end a tennis lesson with.
Popular drills and games for SINGLES players: 1. Three for Air – aggressive play; moving up to the net to win more points. This is a singles game in which there is one player on each side of the court, the coach feeds balls alternating to the players to start the point. They are encouraged to move up to the net where every point they win with a ball taken in the air (volley, overhead) is worth three points. 2. 100 (click the link for drill) – great game for ground-strokes consistency. 3. In and Out – competitive game for 3+ players. This game can be played with at least three players: two competing and one waiting for their turn. The coach puts the ball in play for the two players. Whoever wins, stays; the one who loses gets replaced by the player waiting. Accumulate every point won and as soon as a player gets to a certain score (7, 10, etc.) wins the game. 4. 90 Seconds – rally competition; good conditioning play. For this game, the coach feeds only to one of the players who will try to win as many points during an allotted time (90 seconds). Then the other player will try to beat that number while receiving the coach’s feeds. 5. Ping-Pong Tennis – teamwork; ground-strokes consistency. Even though this is a team game, the play is done on a singles court, with players taking turns hitting one shot and then moving out to make room for another teammate. 6. Around the World – I usually do it at the end of a large group class – conditioning, groundstrokes consistency, fun. For this game, the players each start with 3 points (or ‘lives’). They hit the ball and then run to the other side to play the next shot while players that follow do the same. If a player misses a shot, he or she loses a ‘life’, until they are out of the game. It is an excellent drill to get players to run a lot and have lots of fun. 7. Court Defender – one of the best games for large groups. The coach needs at least two tennis courts for this particular game, to separate players into two teams. Each team designates a ‘court defender’ which they send to the other court to stop the opposing team from winning a certain number of points. 8. Cross Fire (click the link for drill) – competitive game for large groups. 9. Wipe Out – fun game for large groups; one vs. many. This is another team game that starts as a singles play but it evolves into one vs many, played on the singles court only. It is lots of fun because teammates cheer for each other and bond. 10. Kings/Queens vs. Challengers – kids love this game; individual competitiveness. There is one group lined up on one side, and one single player on the other side. The coach begins every point by feeding to the first player in the group line. The two players play the point out and, as long as the single player (king/queen) wins, he/she stays put and accumulates points. But as soon as the king/queen loses they get replaced by the player who beat them. The first player to accumulate a certain number of points playing in the ‘royal’ position, wins the game.
Popular drills and games for DOUBLES players: 1. Three for Three (click the link for drill) – transition to the net; net play; defending from baseline – a players’ favorite. 2. Reflex Volleys – great net play game; quick reaction and volley control. For this drill, all players are up at the net, inside the service court. The coach feeds the ball to start the point to the opposite team. Play it at a fast pace while the two teams develop quick reflexes and volley control. Excellent for competitive doubles teams. 3. Three for Air – aggressive play; transition to the net; competitive game. Both teams begin the point from the baseline but they are encouraged to move up to the net where, if they win the point and their last shot was taken in the air (volley, overhead), they get three points instead. 4. Win at the Net– loved by the players: playing/winning at the net; teamwork. There is one team at the net, one team at the baseline, on opposite sides. The coach feeds only to the baseline team. The two teams play the point out. If the net team wins, they stay put for another play and get a point. If the baseline team wins, they move up to the net while the opposite team backs up to the baseline. Teams count the points only when they win while playing at the net. 5. Two Minutes – pressure play; net vs. baseline; conditioning for doubles. For this game, there is one team at the net, while the other team is at the baseline, on opposite sides. The coach feeds only to the baseline team. The team at the baseline has two minutes to win as many points as they can against the net team. Then they switch sides and roles with the new team at the baseline trying to beat the opposing team’s score. 6. One-Up-One-Back – classic doubles formation competitive game. This drill is good practice for the teams that prefer the classic one-up-one-back formation. The coach feeds the ball and the teams play it out. After a certain score, players move one spot clockwise so that everyone practices and plays on every doubles position (net, baseline). 7. Battle of Rackets – teamwork; court coverage for doubles. This game teaches the net team to work together and take quick decisions while playing against a team at the baseline. 8. Olympics – net vs. baseline game for large groups. Best played with large groups (6+ players), there is a team at the baseline (defending), while the rest of the players form teams behind the opposite baseline. The coach feeds only to the first team of the group – short balls, volleys, overheads – to bring them up and play at the net. Whichever team wins three points first becomes the baseline team (defending). 9. Lob Over Net Player – tactical and court positioning drill/game. There is a team at the net which will receive a lob from the coach. They have to retrieve the lob (must let the ball bounce first) and play the point out against the opposite team which starts at the baseline and can come up if they want. 10. Moving Up and Down – the role of players in doubles; court coverage and competitive play. This is a very dynamic tennis game in which the teams start in the one-up-one-back formation and one of the net players receives a lob from the coach; that particular team will have to re-position with the baseline player retrieving the lob and the net player backing up ready to play the point from a new position. This is an excellent drill to teach players how to communicate in doubles.
The above drills and games are just some of my students’ favorites but there are so many more that you might love. Check them all out at WebTennis24.com.
Cosmin Miholca
Certified Tennis Coach
Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.
Usually, Sundays are when we (my two daughters and I) play practice matches. No more drills or technique instructions… just games and fun.
So I told my two daughters (Cezara and Bianca) that I would require them to play against their mother in a game with a 10-point tie-break and the winner would play against me for the “final” (playing against mother would be the semi-final :).
Bianca (my little one, who is 8 and a half) beat her mother easily. She played aggressively and gave my wife no chance.
But it came down to my older daughter, Cezara (who is now 10 years old)… she is very competitive but her nerves and her desire to over-achieve can be her greatest enemies.
Seeing that her younger sister beat her mother easily, she wanted to prove she could do it too. But those thoughts tightened her up and nerves took over. Therefore, she played slowly (I’d say less than 50% of her power capabilities) and made most of the mistakes.
I could not believe when my wife beat her 10-2… easily. Most of the points were actually lost by Cezara.
When they shook hands at the end of the game, I went to her and this was the first thing I said: “Cezara, you played too slowly!” She looked at me like I just hit her with a stick. I could see that that was the last thing she needed to hear: a negative comment when she was already feeling miserable about her loss…
Even though I knew I should not have said it, considering it was a friendly family match, I thought that realistic feedback would help Cezara know why she lost.
But her reaction made me understand, again, that the last thing a player (student) needs to hear when they are upset is a negative comment.
It re-enforced my knowledge in the following regard:
– feedback should be given only if asked or permission is granted (especially if it is about a negative action).
As a person who grew up being criticized a lot, I find it hard to keep things always positive. But I know that it can be learned with practice.
We just have to remind ourselves that positive words make a much better difference in someone’s performance and bring us closer to those who need them. After all, we want our children to feel understood and loved. That can be done with words of love and an honest attitude.
What should I have said to my daughter after she lost a match that she should have easily won? Maybe nothing… just a hug to show her that she is loved. And a smile.
Should she have asked me why she lost… I could have told her. But usually, players do not want to talk about losses. If they do, we should postpone the discussion until they cool off and some time has passed (maybe the next day).
Be careful when teaching children… What we say and how we react in front of them is always a lesson that can shape our relationships with them. Even their future…
Cosmin Miholca
Certified Tennis Coach
Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.
This is part three of “If I could write about 1 thing to make your tennis better, what would it be?” (see part 1and part 2)
76. “Best backhand return from the deuce court to avoid the net man poaching.” (in doubles) – Hitting inside-out backhands from the deuce side to avoid the net player is a tough task indeed. Have you tried to hit the backhands hard at the net player? If you do that, they might not want to poach, knowing that the ball will come in their direction next time. Just make sure you let your net partner know that you’ll hit the backhand return at the net player so that they get ready to react to the opposing net player’s reply. If you have a weak backhand, you could consider lobbing your return of serve. Overall, communicating with your partner in regard to your return intention is key in doubles so that they also know what to expect.
77. “If I had to ‘make a wish’ it would be for court geometry and the building of points.” – We have a great section at WebTennis24 where the court geometry in singles and doubles is covered.
78. “How to play the net position in doubles.” – According to your level of performance, there are certain positioning tactics and roles you should assume when playing at the net. See the Tennis Tactics for Singles and Doubles for in-depth lessons and tips for playing at the net in doubles.
79. “I would like to see what the pros “see and think” during an exchange. Example: I hit a hard ball to the forehand corner of my opponent and I start to come in. Often I would at where my ball is landing and then see my opponents coming in my field of vision just in time to hit the ball on the run. Last summer I was passed down the line like that and I realized that had no clue about what was coming. If I had watched my opponent earlier, I would have seen that he was running parallel to the line and not coming in slightly in a diagonal. Running at full speed like that the probability of hitting a good crosscourt was low (at my level at least, 3.5-4.0). I am sure that there is a lot of time when I’m not watching what and where I should be watching. I try to watch the racquet of my opponent too, to see pass or lob, hard shot or drop shot but there must be more to that. What do the pros see?” – I think that you are on your way to achieving a good read for your opponents’ body language and anticipation. The fact that you are asking and paying attention to that, in time you will get better. The pros all started as you are right now – paying attention and analyzing their opponents’ movement and racquet path just before contact, got better the more they played. Pay attention to your court position too; it can cut the angles and put you closer to the next ball.
80. “How to control the distance from the ball and the timing.” – Check the answer no. 66, here.
81. “Doubles strategy” – I would say, everything you need about doubles strategy and tactics can be found in the Doubles Tennis Tactics section where you’ll learn how to play different types of teams, players, how to serve, when to poach, and so much more.
82. “Hitting mid-court volleys (I play a lot of doubles) with pace and depth. Should I hit a swinging volley?” – The swinging volleys are great and I personally like to use them a lot in my doubles matches (and singles too). The key is to time your swing and make contact with the ball chest- or shoulder-high. If the ball drops below net level don’t think about hitting a drive volley…
83. “I play doubles mostly and I believe I have every aspect of the game except being able to volley from mid-court. Hence, my serve and volleys are not that effective unless I get closer to the net such as midway into the service box. This is not always possible given that sometimes the ball comes back at my feet right after I land on the court. What should I do?” – You can do the following: 1) stay back after the serve and advance to the net on the next shot 2) develop a better half-volley (bend the knees and work on your balance)
84. “psychology and strategy” – For strategy, see the answer at no. 81. Some interesting (I hope) articles in regard to how to “see” every tennis stroke were written in the Mental Tennis section at WebTennis24.com. You might find it very interesting.
85. “I would write about drills to improve preparation and reaction time.” – My suggestion is for you to consciously practice (not during a match) the following: as soon as you recognize the ball coming to a certain side (e.g. forehand), turn the shoulders and get the racquet set behind the ball before it bounces on your side of the court. Stay low during the rally so you can have a good balance. In regard to reaction, you can find lots of drills in the Speed & Conditioning section at WebTennis24 Training. Consistent practice creates habits. Do it often in practice and it will become automatic in the match.
86. “My biggest help would be in constructing points. Knowing what shots to hit and when.” – This is a plan I have for the future; stay in touch! (:
87. “In a word, ANTICIPATION.” – Anticipation in tennis has a lot to do with your knowledge of court positioning and body language (based on which you can tell your opponent’s shot selection). With conscious analysis of the two aspects, you’ll be able to anticipate more and more of your opponent’s intentions.
88. “How to be more aggressive. I find myself not taking a chance, especially poaching at the net or hitting the ball as hard as I know I can. I always lay off for the safe shot or just stand at the net, afraid to take a chance for fear of missing the point or upsetting my partner.” – These two aspects (missing a shot and upsetting our partner) are what hold us from playing tennis at full potential. I can tell you that at the end of the match, you’ll feel worse if you hold back than upsetting your partner. After all, if your partner does not understand your effort then you should look out for a different one. It is also important that you can communicate with your partner letting them know that you want to play aggressively and therefore sometimes you might make a mistake. Find a partner that understands and is willing to work with you. It is no use to continue playing for fear of missing or upsetting someone. Tennis is meant to be enjoyed and progress to be made. There is no progress playing in the comfort zone!
89. “Return of serve from backhand side to include returning kick serves.” – It depends on how much kick the server can deliver: how high the ball bounces and how fast. Also, you should specify whether you hit a one-handed or two-handed backhand. You can control the kick serve better with two hands while the one-handed backhand is more difficult. Position yourself further back to gain more time, and wait for the ball to lower and lose some of its speed. Mostly, as with any kind of extra-spin serve, make sure you avoid blocking the ball; instead, try hitting hard through the ball to counteract the force of the spin.
91. “Is there one part of a swing motion (forehand for instance) that all players do the same if the result is the same?” – Most of the top players have some common elements that allow them to hit the ball with more power and control. One of them is the short back-swing. Prepare the racquet behind the incoming ball and avoid any unnecessary movements. Find the most effective way for you to hit the ball early and relax.
92. “Backhand (two-hand) down the line.” – For sending the ball down the line (regardless of forehand and backhand), wait for the ball to get closer to you (hit it a bit late) and you’ll find yourself directing it down the line with ease. The opposite is true: hitting the ball early allows you to send the ball cross-court.
93. “I would be glad to fasten my backhand stroke (two hands).” – Work on hitting the ball early, keep your hands relaxed on the grip, loosen the tension of your strings… and mostly understand the difference between pulling the racquet versus pushing it through the ball. Pulling it gives you more power than pushing the racquet through.
94. “Maybe a checklist of skills and tactics. Sometimes people don’t work on things simply because they aren’t thinking of them. For example, slicing from the baseline – high, medium, low. And when/why to choose this shot.” – Excellent ideas; great material for the future. Thank you!
95. “I would be grateful if you would address the use of the front leg in creating proper North-South and East-West distance from the ball (if not hitting from an open stance).” – To be honest, I am not that detailed in regard to footwork. I think it should be as natural as possible and not have to think too much while striking the ball. In my opinion, short steps and good balance, are more important than the angle and distance the feet are from the ball. There are many coordination, speed and balance exercises at WebTennis24.com – apply them at least 3 times per week and you’ll see the improvement in this area.
96. “How to stop choking! My son (17 years old) often is up a set and a break, then finds a way to lose the match. He also can be up 40-0 or 40-15 and end up going to deuce or worse. Helping him learn to close out games, sets and matches is something I’d love to hear more about. Thanks!” – I’ve talked about this subject; please check no. 13, on this page.
97. “Regarding your question: as for my daughter it definitely would be footwork. My daughter started training more intensively approx 1.5 years ago when she was already almost 13 y.o. She improves quickly since we started training 5-6h weekly instead 1-2h previously but footwork is the biggest pain point for now. You have many drills in this area but we would use even more. In particular: – drills for tennis movement patterns – to transition from just running on the court to typical tennis movements – drills to start moving towards the ball earlier (anticipate better) – separation of legs movement and swing (or I would say performing them in parallel with the right timing and rhythm). She often starts swinging, then moving and then it is too late – drills to improve the habit to return to the court center.” – Some of the drills you mention are at WebTennis24.com already but I’ll make some notes for future videos also.
98. “How do I handle the high balls? How do I practice to hit on the rise?” – Timing is key in hitting high balls on the rise. You can easily practice them by asking a tennis partner or a local coach to feed you some high balls. Technically, prepare early and try making contact with them chest- or shoulder-level, swinging up and across the body (some call it windshield wiper motion). Imagine you’re rolling the strings over and across the ball. Hit them with confidence. In regard to footwork, try shortening your steps as you get close to the ball. It will help you with timing and balance.
99. “WHETHER YOU ARE A BEGINNER, AN AVERAGE OR AN ADVANCED PLAYER YOU ARE MOST LIKELY TO TENSE YOURSELF IN CRITICAL MATCH SITUATIONS. WHAT WOULD IT BE YOUR BEST ADVICE TO MAINTAIN OURSELVES LOOSE AND PERFORM ACCORDINGLY ( SPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR GRIP AND ARM TENSION) IN THESE BIG POINTS…?” – This too I’ve answered in the previous posts; check the answers here and here.
100. “Cosmin, rec players like myself sometimes go through an entire 3-set match repeating the same mistakes….like not finishing the forehand swing….or forgetting to hit up & out on my serve…. or trying to use my legs more, etc. After years of frustration, I now have a short ” movie script” ( a screenplay) of things I need to do and I watch this movie a minimum of 3 times before I step on the court. This is a specific “visualization” tip, but will only work if the student takes the time to make the script and then be disciplined enough to review it before picking up a racquet!” – I have the feeling that you are focusing too much on the technical part, during a match, when you should be focusing instead on tactics. All the things you have mentioned should be worked on in practice – have a coach or sparring partner feed balls or rally with you while focusing on the technical aspects. After you go through a lot of repetition (in practice), you’ll find them just happening, out of the habits you created, during the match. Do not work on your technical aspects while playing a match.
Cosmin Miholca
Certified Tennis Coach
Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.
