Tip of the Week: Hitting The Ball On The Rise
Taking time away from your opponent in a tennis match is one of the best ways to draw errors. These days, most players are doing this by hitting their shots with a great amount of speed.
Another very effective way to rush your opponent and take away time is to hit your shot more on the rise. This means trying to make contact with the ball before it gets to the peak of the bounce. In order to do this your feet need to be very active. Instead of waiting for the ball to come to you, try getting your feet moving towards where the ball will bounce. Remember to use your shoulder turn to bring the racquet back on your way to the ball so that you are ready to start the forward part of the swing early.
Most of the time you will have to start your swing as the opponent’s ball is hitting the court. Watch the ball closely as it is traveling through the air, and keep all of your focus on the bounce and the point of contact as you swing. Shortening your backswing will help you make solid contact but make sure the forward part of your swing and the follow through are similar to your normal shot.
Get your opponent off balance by contacting the ball a little sooner than they had anticipated, and you will often catch them off guard and rush their response to your shot.
Steve Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis, www.annaconetennis.com and MyHamptonsPro, www.myhamptonspro.com throughout the Hamptons, NY. Steve, Chauncey Nixon, Phil Lepisto, and Gill Gross run the ACT (Advanced Competition Team) program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center (Tucson, AZ) for high level players ages 8-18. Please contact Steve at sannacone@tucsonjcc.org or 865-300-7323
