Tips From The Pro: The Four-Quarter Plan

It's time for a New Year's resolution. How about designing a plan to improve your tennis game? Start by dividing the year into 4 quarters. 

The first quarter, work on fundamentals and technique-watch the ball longer and more closely, get ready earlier and get back to ready position right after hitting a shot, follow through on groundstrokes, move feet in between hits and get to your split step (set) as the ball is being hit. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credit photo to Rawpixel Ltd

Second quarter, work on strategy-cross court and deep to set the point up, change the direction to win the point, and move forward as the point gets longer. Try to hit 3 or 4 good solid shots on every point. 

In the third quarter, work on match play-play every point the best that you can, play your game, staying back longer if your groundstrokes are good, moving forward if you are good at the net, and finding the right combination of consistent and aggressive. Play every point as if it were match point-don't play to the score.

In the fourth quarter, do some off court tennis specific training-jumping rope, short quick movement training on the court such as running the lines, jumping back and forth over a line, riding a bike fast for 10 seconds, with 20 seconds of slower steady recovery time repeated over and over. Train using the exercises in the seven minute workout (google this).

Follow a simple plan and you will feel like you have made progress throughout the year. See you on the courts!

USTA NTC
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March/April 2024 Digital Edition