It is very difficult to make the tennis ball your main focus on the court. Often, players try to hit the ball to the openings on the court as well as trying to anticipate the next shot our opponents’ might hit. This tends to result in watching the court openings or the players, rather…
The tennis ball is traveling faster and faster in today’s game. By reminding yourself to contact the ball at the peak of the bounce you will get to the ball more quickly, be able to use your regular swing, and give yourself the best chance of consistently hitting the ball more solid. Human nature…
Polyester string is all the rage on the pro tour. Most players use some type of poly or a hybrid of poly and synthetic gut or gut. The polyester strings are generally more stiff and allow the pros to get more spin and power because they can swing more freely without worrying about the…
Keep your thoughts as simple as possible. Here are a few technique and a few strategy ideas to consider. Try to execute one at a time. Watch the ball all the way through the point of contact on all of your shots. Get ready for the ball to come back after each shot. Follow…
Long Island and New York Tennis Magazine does so much to promote and grow local tennis that when David Sickmen asked if my club would participate in The New York Tennis Expo, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. My motives were not purely philanthropic, however. The first few New York Tennis Expo’s were…
Although the majority of players these days hit many shots with an open stance, tennis is still a sideways sport. The best players have their shoulders sideways (or even past sideways) to the net just prior to starting the forward part of the swing. This applies to all shots, even the serve. The best…
A good player tends to react to the shot that was just hit by moving their feet prior to the next shot. If the shot that they (or their partner) has hit is offensive, and/or hit well, movement forward happens prior to the opponent’s response. If the shot is more defensive or not hit…
Let’s face it—almost every tennis match you play will be a roller coaster ride. There will be lots of highs and lows. The longer you are on the court, the more likely this will be the case. If you look at both the Men’s and Women’s 2018 Australian Open singles finals, all four players had…
The modern game tends to emphasize power and pace on your shots. This is very evident on the serve where even the good club player can now hit a serve with enough speed to give the opponent trouble-if it goes in! Being able to place your serve is a very underrated skill and can…
In both singles and doubles, your ability to volley well can be the deciding factor in the match. Most players these days can hit their groundstrokes well. If you can use your offensive shots from the baseline to work your way into the net and finish by hitting a winning volley, this could be…