Start With a Backhand GripA good player tends to go after their opponent’s weaknesses. This is true even when serving. If your backhand is weaker than your forehand, start in a backhand grip when returning a serve. If the ball goes to your backhand, you’re all set and ready. If it doesn’t, you’ll never have trouble transitioning to a […]
Don’t Bounce the Ball Before You ServeWhen preparing to serve, don’t bounce the ball. You never have the right grip when you bounce the ball. And, bouncing the ball forces your weight forward, when you want to have your weight back. That way you can drive forward through the ball on your serve.
Attacking High Balls with Jacqueline Cako and Joel KielbowiczIf you’re familiar with the tennis scene in Phoenix, you’ve no doubt heard of (if not played in) the Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale Tennis Tournament held at the Camelback Village. What most people don’t know is that Josh started and directs money tournaments like the Mercedes for tour pros to get out and play with the […]
Attack the Second ServeToo many times, I see club players waiting for the second serve on the baseline. You know the serve has to bounce in the service box, so move in and be prepared to attack the second serve.
The Backhand SliceThe backhand slice is essentially a volley with follow through. Most recreational players try to cup the ball or scoop under it in order to hit the slice. When this happens, the ball goes high, the ball dies on the opposite side, and while you got the ball back over, you’re now on defense. A […]
The 5X’sWhen you’re thinking about what area of the court to hit your next ball to, Josh makes it simple with the 5X’s. The 5X’s are five targets on the court that can be used to build a strategy to take apart any opponent. For more on strategy and the patterns you can implement with the […]
Backhand with TopspinIf you struggle with hitting a strong backhand with topspin, there are a few key things you need to do. Pull it back, find your grip, load up the left foot, and have it in tight so all you have to do is release and follow through.
Let the Ball Tell You Where to Hit ItToday’s video is about placement control and hitting cross court. If you’re being pulled out wide, don’t go cross court. Let the ball tell you where to hit it. Being pulled out wide and trying to hit it cross court means you’d have to chicken wing it or flip the racket. Your body simply isn’t […]
Backhands with PowerHitting down the line for one handed is usually easier than two handed. The tendency for a two handed backswing is to go cross court. Where as one handed have to do more to hit cross court. You have to remember to not try to hit on a rope, shortening your swing, but to trust […]
Directional Control – Increase Your Accuracy with a Wider TargetYour ball placement will vary in width by roughly your height. Too often, when we try to hit a certain spot, we shorten our swing and don’t let the racket and body follow through correctly. Hitting down the line or into the alley isn’t a shortened swing. Hitting cross-court isn’t swinging harder or faster. Give […]
Backhand Pivot and AttackMost players with a weak backhand tend to hit a defensive shot, blocking or slicing the ball because they just want to get it back in play. A good player will take advantage and constantly go to your backhand. You have a choice. You can stay there, take it, keep giving it to them, and […]
Passing the Net Player in DoublesWhen playing doubles, the tendency is to try to hard to pass the net player. If you do this, you’re going to dump it into the net. There are a few simple strategies and techniques for breaking down your opponent’s game. If the net player isn’t overly active, use your normal stroke. Don’t expect they […]
What Goes Forward Must Come BackIf you’re playing aggressively and have worked yourself all the way into the net, you have to move back to be able to attack and come in again, or prepare for the lob.
The Volley – Protect Against the SliceIf you’re at the net and the ball is coming with a ton of backspin, most likely, it’s going in the net. A good slice with backspin or a hard ball with topspin at the net is tough. In order to hit a good volley and protect against the spinning ball at the net, you […]
Slow Down and Relax to React FastAt the net, things happen twice as fast which means you have half the time to react. Don’t let this scare you. Remember to breath. Things are going to be alright. When you’re at the net, you have to slow down and relax in order to react fast.
Predict the Next BallReading your opponent and predicting the next ball is just as applicable for any position on the court as it is up at the net, with some variation of course. You have time to get set and be ready for the return, but your approach matters. Being set and ready doesn’t mean over-committing. You have […]
The Best Way to Warm Up Your ServeYour serve is the only part of a tennis match that you control 100%. Naturally, how you warm up is an important part of your serve. While there are lots of ways to warm up, you don’t want to come out hitting serves full speed. This warm-up isn’t just a great way to get your […]
The Perfect TossYour toss has the power to control your serve. To practice your toss, you probably learned the bounce drill where you work to make your toss land in the same place each time. However, the bounce drill forces you to focus on all the wrong things. Use this three ball progression to practice your toss […]
Aggressive Doubles PlayIf you’re trying to be an aggressive doubles player and you’re waiting for the reply, you’re always going to be late. So you need to make that first step, make that educated guess, and then go.
The Volley – Anticipate LateA strong volley will open up the face of your opponent’s racket and force them to be late. When you hit a strong volley, you have to be ready and anticipate late, following your shot so that if they get it back, you can put it away and finish the point.
The Magic of Television and Coming Under the BallOn television, it always looks like the player is coming under the ball and cutting or slicing their volleys. If you are trying to come under the ball to drop your volleys, you can blame television. The truth is all in the grip. When the ball connects with the racket, a loose grip will allow […]
Start With a Backhand GripA good player tends to go after their opponent’s weaknesses. This is true even when serving. If your backhand is weaker than your forehand, start in a backhand grip when returning a serve. If the ball goes to your backhand, you’re all set and ready. If it doesn’t, you’ll never have trouble transitioning to a […]
Don’t Bounce the Ball Before You ServeWhen preparing to serve, don’t bounce the ball. You never have the right grip when you bounce the ball. And, bouncing the ball forces your weight forward, when you want to have your weight back. That way you can drive forward through the ball on your serve.
Attacking High Balls with Jacqueline Cako and Joel KielbowiczIf you’re familiar with the tennis scene in Phoenix, you’ve no doubt heard of (if not played in) the Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale Tennis Tournament held at the Camelback Village. What most people don’t know is that Josh started and directs money tournaments like the Mercedes for tour pros to get out and play with the […]
Attack the Second ServeToo many times, I see club players waiting for the second serve on the baseline. You know the serve has to bounce in the service box, so move in and be prepared to attack the second serve.
The Backhand SliceThe backhand slice is essentially a volley with follow through. Most recreational players try to cup the ball or scoop under it in order to hit the slice. When this happens, the ball goes high, the ball dies on the opposite side, and while you got the ball back over, you’re now on defense. A […]
The 5X’sWhen you’re thinking about what area of the court to hit your next ball to, Josh makes it simple with the 5X’s. The 5X’s are five targets on the court that can be used to build a strategy to take apart any opponent. For more on strategy and the patterns you can implement with the […]
Backhand with TopspinIf you struggle with hitting a strong backhand with topspin, there are a few key things you need to do. Pull it back, find your grip, load up the left foot, and have it in tight so all you have to do is release and follow through.
Let the Ball Tell You Where to Hit ItToday’s video is about placement control and hitting cross court. If you’re being pulled out wide, don’t go cross court. Let the ball tell you where to hit it. Being pulled out wide and trying to hit it cross court means you’d have to chicken wing it or flip the racket. Your body simply isn’t […]
Backhands with PowerHitting down the line for one handed is usually easier than two handed. The tendency for a two handed backswing is to go cross court. Where as one handed have to do more to hit cross court. You have to remember to not try to hit on a rope, shortening your swing, but to trust […]
Directional Control – Increase Your Accuracy with a Wider TargetYour ball placement will vary in width by roughly your height. Too often, when we try to hit a certain spot, we shorten our swing and don’t let the racket and body follow through correctly. Hitting down the line or into the alley isn’t a shortened swing. Hitting cross-court isn’t swinging harder or faster. Give […]
Backhand Pivot and AttackMost players with a weak backhand tend to hit a defensive shot, blocking or slicing the ball because they just want to get it back in play. A good player will take advantage and constantly go to your backhand. You have a choice. You can stay there, take it, keep giving it to them, and […]
Passing the Net Player in DoublesWhen playing doubles, the tendency is to try to hard to pass the net player. If you do this, you’re going to dump it into the net. There are a few simple strategies and techniques for breaking down your opponent’s game. If the net player isn’t overly active, use your normal stroke. Don’t expect they […]
What Goes Forward Must Come BackIf you’re playing aggressively and have worked yourself all the way into the net, you have to move back to be able to attack and come in again, or prepare for the lob.
The Volley – Protect Against the SliceIf you’re at the net and the ball is coming with a ton of backspin, most likely, it’s going in the net. A good slice with backspin or a hard ball with topspin at the net is tough. In order to hit a good volley and protect against the spinning ball at the net, you […]
Slow Down and Relax to React FastAt the net, things happen twice as fast which means you have half the time to react. Don’t let this scare you. Remember to breath. Things are going to be alright. When you’re at the net, you have to slow down and relax in order to react fast.
Predict the Next BallReading your opponent and predicting the next ball is just as applicable for any position on the court as it is up at the net, with some variation of course. You have time to get set and be ready for the return, but your approach matters. Being set and ready doesn’t mean over-committing. You have […]
The Best Way to Warm Up Your ServeYour serve is the only part of a tennis match that you control 100%. Naturally, how you warm up is an important part of your serve. While there are lots of ways to warm up, you don’t want to come out hitting serves full speed. This warm-up isn’t just a great way to get your […]
The Perfect TossYour toss has the power to control your serve. To practice your toss, you probably learned the bounce drill where you work to make your toss land in the same place each time. However, the bounce drill forces you to focus on all the wrong things. Use this three ball progression to practice your toss […]
Aggressive Doubles PlayIf you’re trying to be an aggressive doubles player and you’re waiting for the reply, you’re always going to be late. So you need to make that first step, make that educated guess, and then go.
The Volley – Anticipate LateA strong volley will open up the face of your opponent’s racket and force them to be late. When you hit a strong volley, you have to be ready and anticipate late, following your shot so that if they get it back, you can put it away and finish the point.
The Magic of Television and Coming Under the BallOn television, it always looks like the player is coming under the ball and cutting or slicing their volleys. If you are trying to come under the ball to drop your volleys, you can blame television. The truth is all in the grip. When the ball connects with the racket, a loose grip will allow […]