Every time I watch clips of Roger Federer, the smoothness of his swing jumps out at me. It just seems that he is so effortless from start to finish. Part of the reason he can hit the ball like this has to do with his incredible footwork. He gets himself very close to the same…
Tennis is a very difficult sport. Most people cannot just walk out on the court and be good at it. Learning the fundamentals and working on repeating similar swings over and over again can be frustrating and complicated. Since there are many different things that contribute to being a good tennis player, there are no…
Back in the early 2000’s I attended a USTA Training Center Conference in Key Biscayne. My brother, Paul, Eric Voges and I were sitting in the hotel room discussing what could be done to promote junior tennis, increase the number of players, and possibly give the United States the upper hand in the professional tennis…
I started playing tennis when I was 10 years old. Immediately, I realized how difficult the game was. However, despite the tough learning aspect of the game, there was something about the sport that made me want to get back on the court as soon as possible. As my game progressed, there were many ups…
We all like to think that we can control what happens on the tennis court. Unfortunately, a lot of what happens is not totally under your control. The opponent, conditions and luck all contribute to how you hit your shots and whether you win or lose the match. As a player, you should expect that…
Players use many different strategies in a tennis match. The best players can use several tactics to keep their opponent off balance or on the defensive. I would recommend that most players stick with one or possibly two basic strategies so there is some consistency to your thought process. My three favorite strategies in order…
One of the most common strategies that professional players use these days is to hit their forehand either inside out or inside in. This is a very effective strategy because a player with a good forehand can set up pretty much the same way with their feet, and hit the ball in either direction. The…
It is very easy to get wrapped up in how well you are hitting the ball when playing a tennis match. However, one of the things that will have the most impact on your level of success is your percentage of made shots. If your serve is decent, making 70 or 80 percent of first…
Things always seem to happen faster in the heat of a tennis match. This makes it extremely important to organize your thoughts in between points. Start with a clean slate. Anything that has already happened is beyond your control. Remind yourself of a few basic technique ideas: watch the ball, take your normal swing whenever…
When I learned to play tennis, my coaches always repeated the “watch the ball” mantra. In my mind, I assumed that my racquet should be making contact with the back center of the ball for the best possible hit. However, if you are trying to hit the ball to a specific area of the court…