Serve and volley with success

Blog post on serve and volleying


Ever see players who rush and crush and think, gee whiz that game looks intimidating but how could a mortal like me possibly execute that kind of game? Won't I just get passed every time? Will I even arrive at the net on time to execute my volley? In this blog post, I'll give you the lowdown on how to successfully rush and crush the net.

The magic behind the rush and crush strategy lies in selecting which of your opponent's shots shot to approach the net on and what shot to hit as your approach shot. The shot that you hit your approach shot off of should be shallow ( landing around the service line or slightly deeper) and must land comfortably in your strike zone (waist to shoulder height). In addition, the shot should be hit to your stronger side. It is important that you are able to produce a punishing, well placed shot when approaching the net so that you can put your opponent on the defensive and force your opponent to hit a weak shot. Two factors to consider when selecting your approach shot are  (1) what is your stronger side , (2) what is your opponents weakness. Also, consider the speed of your approach shot. It is critical not to hit too speedy a shot as that won't allow you sufficient time to get into the net. After you hit an approach shot it's time to approach the net. One of the most commonly made mistakes is where we position ourselves when we come to the net. Most players think that the correct place to station one self is in the center on the service tee. That is a misconception, the correct positioning tactic is to follow your shot so that you are positioned on the same side as your shot. If you hit a ball to the deuce side position yourself in the deuce side and vice versa. Once you are positioned correctly, you must hit a set up volley. Expect to have to hit more than one volley before you win the point. There are a few sequences that will likely lead you to emerge victorious. Here are two possible patterns.First is short volley, long volley. First hit a short volley diagonally from your opponent then if they reach that volley, hit a long volley to the other corner of the court.  The reverse is also possible- hit a long volley, moving your opponent to the opposite end of the baseline, then hit a short volley to the other corner. The common theme of each of these plays is that you move your opponent in opposite directions. Well then, what if your opponent is returning your shots? How can you avoid getting passed. In my personal opinion, the answer lies in your anticipation. Reading where your opponent will play a huge role in your ability to defend against passes. Look at your opponents stance for anticipation. If they are leaning backwards, it's likely they will throw up a lob. If this is the case, move backwards. Look at how your opponents feet are pointed, chances are the ball will travel in the direction that the feet are pointed. Adjust your positioning accordingly. Furthermore, notice how open the racquet is. The more open the racquet, the higher the balls will float. In addition, to looking at an opponents positioning, it's important to use the opponents history and patterns to adjust. What has your  opponent done in past points? Have they lobbed?  Gone cross court? Down the line? Make educated guesses based on your opponents history of shots. Lastly, don't give up! It may take many attempts at the net before you begin winning points there. Once you have learned to serve and volley properly you will be able to win points more quickly and decisively. For more tips email info@elftennis.com or check out http://www.elftennis.com. Stay tuned for our next post on communication in doubles.

Screen your racquet like you would your nanny!

Screen your racquet like you would your nanny

A proverbial question in the game of tennis is how much does your racquet matter? When I was younger I played a pickup game with a guy who was much better player than I was. He beat me 6-1 while playing with a wooden racquet. Since then, my father has always referenced the incident whenever people blame their racquet in a loss. While it may be true that a racquet cannot save you when you are about to be clobbered by a superior player, a racquet can make a difference in your overall playing experience. It seems like there are so many choices of racquets and a myriad of technical terms that describe a racquet. How do you know which racquet to select? The  best advice that I can offer you is to sample, sample, and sample.  Many websites like Tennis Warehouse offer programs where you can try out different racquets for a couple of days for a low cost. Go on to these websites and scan for racquets that are recommended for a player of your level and playing style.  See NTRP ratings at https://www.usta.com/Adult-Tennis/USTA-League/ntrp/ for a list of levels. Don't agonize over every technical term describing a racquet, just try the racquets. When you sample a racquet, make sure that you test it out fully. The paragraph below tells you how to do that.

Assess how the racquet hits ground strokes,volleys, overheads. Make sure that you hit all the shots cross court and down the line. Play points with your demo racquets. Hit every type of serve in your repertoire. When you are on a test drive of a car you take it on country roads, highways,and city streets, when you demo a racquet you need to see how the racquet works in every kind of situation. Base the evaluation of your racquet on how comfortable you feel while using it. Do you feel that the racquet affords you the ability to hit with a lot of power? Does the racquet give you the consistency needed? Can you hit the way you are accustomed to hitting without experiencing discomfort? Does the racquet seem to swing smoothly when you attempt to maneuver the racquet with your usual swing? Does the racquet offer you quick reaction time while at the net? Does the racquet have any advantages over your current racquet?

The only way you can find out the answers to these questions is by playing. Aim to play for 1-3 hours with each racquet. Keep a check off list while you are demoing the racquets. It is important to take notes immediately while the effect of hitting is still fresh in your mind and body. If the racquet does something exceptional make  a note of it. If you find the racquet particularly difficult to maneuver make a note of it. Tally the pros and cons of all of the racquets you demoed and then pick two finalists. Play with the two finalists again and compare them.

In addition, as you are testing the different racquets, you can objectively measure the quality of the racquet by measuring and recording different aspects of your workout session. Measure the length of rallies for each of the racquets that you use, count how many unforced errors and winners you produce. If possible, measure the speed of shots (some places like the National Tennis Center have a device called the smart court that affords you the ability to do this). Record these numbers for each of the racquets and then make comparisons. After you have selected a winner purchase one  of that racquet, if you like the racquet after playing for a few weeks then buy another one.

Remember that the racquet is an extension of you and can only reflect how you play.

combatting the oh-so- tough lobbers

I was working with a senior, intermediate player. He regaled me with stories about how he gets lobbed all the time. He, of course, sought me out for help on how to hit a ball that is lobbed behind him, after it bounces. He admits he’s not the quickest guy (actually he berates himself by calling himself grandpa). I gave him the following pointers to make it more likely that he will make it to the ball before it bounces twice (gulp). First, I instructed him to move on the balls of his feet and not move flat-footed, he shouldn’t let his feet touch each other. I also told him to move sideways so that he can see the ball better. In addition, I told him to take the racquet back as he was running backwards to save himself time. What do you all think?  We’ll see if it helps him combat those ever-so irritating lobbers.

Serving practice basics

Tip of the day: how to practice serving

Ever have one of those days when you wanted to hit some balls but no one's schedule seemed to fit yours?  Instead of jumping on the treadmill or worse yet inducing a Doritos coma how about practicing serves? Serves are a neglected aspect of our game. Usually, in a typical practice we save serves for the last ten minutes. In those last ten minutes our brain is are already focused on our next activity . So serving doesn't always get the attention that it warrants. Hence, a practice solely devoted to serving is beneficial. Here are some pointers to maximize your serving practice. (1) make sure that you add cardio activity into the mix. Place the hopper against the fence and sprint from the hopper to the baseline every time you serve. (2) Have a definite focus of the practice. For instance you could work on placement. Serve to a different place each time, out wide, then into the body, then down the tee, then repeat the sequence. (3) Always try to mimic reality of games when practicing. If you miss a serve, serve that same serve as a second serve. (4) If you miss the serve, try to ascertain what the nature of your error was and the make the correction before hitting another serve. For example, if you didn't snap your wrist, make a wrist snap before you hit that next serve. If you didn't toss the ball high enough, toss the ball before executing a serve. (5) Conduct a general accounting or your serve percentages and number of double faults. Are you improving on these statistics after each hopper of balls is completed?

If you follow these guidelines when engaging in a service practice, you should be able to acquire a better serve and thus add a smoldering serve to your arsenal.

What can you do when your opponent hits a winner?

Does this situation sound familiar: you are playing a doubles match and express disappointment when your one of opponents launches a winner. Your partner, with all good intentions, attempts to assuage you by saying, “ well they hit a good shot, nothing you could do about it”.

While it is true that your opponent may have hit a shot that was well placed, possessed a tremendous amount of topspin, speed or backspin and was difficult to return, there probably is something you could have done about it. If your opponent continually is able to hit winners that whizz past you, chances are you are setting your opponent up for the winners. It is important to examine if you are constantly hitting to your opponents’ comfort zone. If you find that your opponent is hitting a string of winners, you should ask yourself the following questions. Are you feeding your opponent volleys that are at shoulder height right in front of them? Are you consistently hitting a ball that is perfectly placed into their strike zone on the baseline? Whenever you loose a point a result of a winner try to recall the prior shot that you hit to your opponent. Was that shot your only option? Were there other shots that you could have hit to your opponent or were you simply so much on the defensive that you didn’t have any other options? Was the shot that your opponent hit to you so difficult that you barely were able to return it and lucky to get your racquet onto the ball? If you had other options, start to use them. Always try to direct your mind to these other options when you are playing points.  Essentially, when your opponents keeps trouncing winners on you, stop making it easy for them to hit the winners.