Soft Hands for Short BallsIf the ball drops below the net as you’re moving in to hit a short ball, make sure you have a “soft” grip on the racket. Your racket has to have some give in your hand in order to lift the ball over the net. If your grip is too tight, the ball will go […]
Track a MatchTracking a tennis match is a great way to visually break down how you’re playing. If you’ve never had one of your matches tracked, you have no idea how you actually play. Practice tracking a match by watching the pros. Draw a straight line across a page. This is the baseline. Every time your player […]
Form a Game PlanWhether you’re playing social tennis, recreational tennis, or in a tournament, tennis is supposed to be competitive. The reason you’re stepping onto the court is to win the match. In order to do that, come up with a game plan for most situations. Start by watching your opponent when you warm up. This will give […]
Controlled AggressionDon’t ever think of a counterpuncher as a bad thing. Most people think of a counterpuncher as someone just waiting for their opponent to make mistakes. A good Counterpuncher has controlled aggression and can force mistakes…. meaning they hit the ball in the same area, but aggressively push their opponents back at the same time. […]
Stop Hitting Short BallsWhile it’s important to know how to produce a short ball, not many tennis players understand how to avoid hitting a short ball themselves. Most players panic and tend to block the ball when they realize they’re late. This sets up a perfect short ball to their opponent. Instead of blocking the ball, try to […]
Offensive LobThink of a lob as a strategic way to back your opponent up off of the net. The deeper the lob the better. Many players tend to aim for their opponent. Instead, think about where you want the ball to go on the court. The peak of your lob should be above the service line. […]
Backhand SliceTennis players sometimes think of the backhand slice as a defensive shot, or a last ditch effort to get the ball over the net. The backhand slice is actually your best option because it keeps the ball low as it goes over the net. This causes your opponent to hit upward, leaving you enough time […]
Counter PuncherOne of the four styles of tennis play is the “counter puncher.” A counter puncher consistently returns every ball to their opponent and relies on their opponent to make mistakes. You will lose to a counter puncher if you try to beat them at their own game. They’ve been doing it longer than you and […]
Play the Full CourtPlaying the full court means playing from the baseline all the way up to the net. In order to play the full court, you need to be able to see and understand what’s going on. The best way to do this is to stay moving after every shot. Either go back to “home base”, or, […]
Rewrap your GripIt’s always a good idea to put fresh grip on your racket before a tennis match. Many players make the mistake of adding the thin sticky side to the bottom of the racket. This causes the sticky residue to build up, which leaves a bump on your racket and ruins your grip. Instead, start with […]
Serving GripMany recreational players bounce the ball on the ground before they serve. This isn’t the best habit to pick up, because the grip you have to bounce the ball is not the same as the grip you need to serve. To make your serve, you need a continental grip. Then, make sure your hand is […]
Practice Your FootworkPracticing your footwork isn’t the most exciting aspect of Tennis, but it can improve the way that you play. Adding more footwork focused drills to your warm-up routine is a good way to prepare your body for the match ahead. To practice your footwork, do drills that mirror how you move in a match. For […]
Warm Up with Your OpponentWarming up with your opponent before a match is a perfect way to figure out their strengths and weaknesses. Before the match even begins you can start to dictate play and strategize a game plan. The goal is to see what they can do with every kind of shot. If you start out with hitting […]
The Correct Way to Open Tennis Ball CansAs silly as this tip may seem, you would be surprised by the amount of players who injure themselves right before a match opening a fresh set of balls. For optimum safety, use the lid of the can to flick the tab up. This makes it easy to remove the foil lid. Also, if you […]
Attack High BallsPrepare for a high ball by starting your swing early. As the ball is coming down, that’s when you should start your swing so you can catch the ball on the rise. If you wait for the ball to bounce before you start your swing, the ball will end up bouncing too high and you’ll […]
Tennis MentalityTennis is a mental sport just as much as it is a physical sport. To get into the right headspace, your attitude should shift as soon as you walk onto the tennis court. We all have busy lives, so it can be hard to get into the zone. But, letting go of the outside world […]
Approach to Volley MentalityA good approach shot prepares you for a volley to finish off the point. It can feel overwhelming as you strategize your approach shot to try and immediately transition into a volley. To break it down, think of it as finishing one shot in order to get to the next one. As you set up […]
Warm Up with the OverheadWhen you’re warming up for a match, don’t be afraid to practice your overhead. Whether you hit a good shot or not, the motion of the overhead is similar to the motion of your serve. Instead of focusing on your overhead, think of it as a way to stretch out your shoulder to go serve.
Practice Your Split StepThere are many of similarities between playing defense in basketball and in tennis. The key is to stay low and be prepared to move forwards or backwards, depending on the situation that lies ahead. To practice your split step, find a line on the tennis court. Start in front of the line, split behind it, […]
Make your Second ServeThe serve is one of the most challenging parts of tennis, that’s why you get two. If you need proof, look at the pro tour stats. On average, pros are serving at 73%. So, don’t feel bad if you miss your first serve. Focus, relax, and adjust your grip. Your only objective is to clear […]
Return + 1While your opponent is serving, they technically have the advantage. A way to neutralize their advantage is by hitting a strategic return back to them. You shouldn’t hit an aggressive shot right away. The highest percentage shot is back to the server. This does a couple things. It puts your opponent on defense right away […]
Soft Hands for Short BallsIf the ball drops below the net as you’re moving in to hit a short ball, make sure you have a “soft” grip on the racket. Your racket has to have some give in your hand in order to lift the ball over the net. If your grip is too tight, the ball will go […]
Track a MatchTracking a tennis match is a great way to visually break down how you’re playing. If you’ve never had one of your matches tracked, you have no idea how you actually play. Practice tracking a match by watching the pros. Draw a straight line across a page. This is the baseline. Every time your player […]
Form a Game PlanWhether you’re playing social tennis, recreational tennis, or in a tournament, tennis is supposed to be competitive. The reason you’re stepping onto the court is to win the match. In order to do that, come up with a game plan for most situations. Start by watching your opponent when you warm up. This will give […]
Controlled AggressionDon’t ever think of a counterpuncher as a bad thing. Most people think of a counterpuncher as someone just waiting for their opponent to make mistakes. A good Counterpuncher has controlled aggression and can force mistakes…. meaning they hit the ball in the same area, but aggressively push their opponents back at the same time. […]
Stop Hitting Short BallsWhile it’s important to know how to produce a short ball, not many tennis players understand how to avoid hitting a short ball themselves. Most players panic and tend to block the ball when they realize they’re late. This sets up a perfect short ball to their opponent. Instead of blocking the ball, try to […]
Offensive LobThink of a lob as a strategic way to back your opponent up off of the net. The deeper the lob the better. Many players tend to aim for their opponent. Instead, think about where you want the ball to go on the court. The peak of your lob should be above the service line. […]
Backhand SliceTennis players sometimes think of the backhand slice as a defensive shot, or a last ditch effort to get the ball over the net. The backhand slice is actually your best option because it keeps the ball low as it goes over the net. This causes your opponent to hit upward, leaving you enough time […]
Counter PuncherOne of the four styles of tennis play is the “counter puncher.” A counter puncher consistently returns every ball to their opponent and relies on their opponent to make mistakes. You will lose to a counter puncher if you try to beat them at their own game. They’ve been doing it longer than you and […]
Play the Full CourtPlaying the full court means playing from the baseline all the way up to the net. In order to play the full court, you need to be able to see and understand what’s going on. The best way to do this is to stay moving after every shot. Either go back to “home base”, or, […]
Rewrap your GripIt’s always a good idea to put fresh grip on your racket before a tennis match. Many players make the mistake of adding the thin sticky side to the bottom of the racket. This causes the sticky residue to build up, which leaves a bump on your racket and ruins your grip. Instead, start with […]
Serving GripMany recreational players bounce the ball on the ground before they serve. This isn’t the best habit to pick up, because the grip you have to bounce the ball is not the same as the grip you need to serve. To make your serve, you need a continental grip. Then, make sure your hand is […]
Practice Your FootworkPracticing your footwork isn’t the most exciting aspect of Tennis, but it can improve the way that you play. Adding more footwork focused drills to your warm-up routine is a good way to prepare your body for the match ahead. To practice your footwork, do drills that mirror how you move in a match. For […]
Warm Up with Your OpponentWarming up with your opponent before a match is a perfect way to figure out their strengths and weaknesses. Before the match even begins you can start to dictate play and strategize a game plan. The goal is to see what they can do with every kind of shot. If you start out with hitting […]
The Correct Way to Open Tennis Ball CansAs silly as this tip may seem, you would be surprised by the amount of players who injure themselves right before a match opening a fresh set of balls. For optimum safety, use the lid of the can to flick the tab up. This makes it easy to remove the foil lid. Also, if you […]
Attack High BallsPrepare for a high ball by starting your swing early. As the ball is coming down, that’s when you should start your swing so you can catch the ball on the rise. If you wait for the ball to bounce before you start your swing, the ball will end up bouncing too high and you’ll […]
Tennis MentalityTennis is a mental sport just as much as it is a physical sport. To get into the right headspace, your attitude should shift as soon as you walk onto the tennis court. We all have busy lives, so it can be hard to get into the zone. But, letting go of the outside world […]
Approach to Volley MentalityA good approach shot prepares you for a volley to finish off the point. It can feel overwhelming as you strategize your approach shot to try and immediately transition into a volley. To break it down, think of it as finishing one shot in order to get to the next one. As you set up […]
Warm Up with the OverheadWhen you’re warming up for a match, don’t be afraid to practice your overhead. Whether you hit a good shot or not, the motion of the overhead is similar to the motion of your serve. Instead of focusing on your overhead, think of it as a way to stretch out your shoulder to go serve.
Practice Your Split StepThere are many of similarities between playing defense in basketball and in tennis. The key is to stay low and be prepared to move forwards or backwards, depending on the situation that lies ahead. To practice your split step, find a line on the tennis court. Start in front of the line, split behind it, […]
Make your Second ServeThe serve is one of the most challenging parts of tennis, that’s why you get two. If you need proof, look at the pro tour stats. On average, pros are serving at 73%. So, don’t feel bad if you miss your first serve. Focus, relax, and adjust your grip. Your only objective is to clear […]
Return + 1While your opponent is serving, they technically have the advantage. A way to neutralize their advantage is by hitting a strategic return back to them. You shouldn’t hit an aggressive shot right away. The highest percentage shot is back to the server. This does a couple things. It puts your opponent on defense right away […]