Adjusting your position on the court after hitting a shot can be more important than running after your opponent’s reply. First, move towards the open part of the court which is where most players will hit the next shot. In addition, if you hit your shot well, take a couple of steps forward. In…
Beginning this year, Queens College will begin offering a new course designed to increase the quality and quantity of professionals in the tennis industry. The course is the product of a partnership between the USTA-U and CUNY (City University of New York), who are teaming up to provide an invaluable resource not just for…
There are basically three ways to win a point in a tennis match. The most common, and also most difficult idea to execute, is to hit a winner. This means hitting a shot that the opponent cannot return and it requires a high level of expertise to be successful during match play. I strongly…
I have often talked about how we tend to gravitate towards whatever is comfortable on the tennis court. Many times, this means serving, returning and then recovering to the middle of the court about a few feet behind the baseline to exchange groundstrokes. A good opponent is likely to try to take you out…
Just like in a football game or at a timeout in a basketball game, you can plan a play before you start a point in a tennis match. Your idea needs to be simple and you must understand that, in tennis, you may not have the ability to control all of the variables required…
After playing a tennis match, it is natural to critique your play and assess how things went. Since every match is different, it is likely that your positives and negatives will change from match to match. It is a great idea to come up with exactly what you are going to do before you…
Why do we sometimes feel ashamed of the way we played? I recently congratulated one of our club players for winning two tournament events. She thanked me, but immediately said that she desperately needed a lesson. I was surprised by her expression of desperation, even more so after I found out she had won…
Many players tend to try to hit all of their shots away from the opponent during a tennis match. Try to use this idea instead: keep your shots deep and towards the middle at the beginning of a point. There are many reasons to start the point this way. Serving to the middle of…
It can be very difficult to convince yourself that starting the point in the middle of the court is a good idea. Most of us use getting the player on the run, or hitting it far away from wherever the opponent is, to win the point. In addition, if you hit the ball down…
Almost every player has one side that is better than the other. Usually, a player’s forehand is stronger but as the level of play gets higher, many players prefer their backhand. Once you have determined which side is better, try attacking the weaker side with your first shot—either the serve or return of serve….