Why you shouldn't avoid playing practice sets

Why you shouldn’t avoid playing sets in your practices.

What do you do for your tennis practices? Some people say that they don’t like to play tennis matches. There are people out there who avoid matches just like some of you avoid taxes and dental visits. And I have to admit-I am one of those people. Or I was one of those people. Until, I realized that the only way I am going to improve my match play skills and combat match anxiety is by actually playing sets.

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This week, I went to hit with my friend. I was having a blast playing singles. I was hitting the crap out of the ball (sorry, I couldn’t find a better word for it) and relishing my brilliant shots. Then my friend said, “lets play a set, I need to practice for playoffs”  And I thought, ok, why not. And boy did I learn a lot from playing the set. I’ve been reading a book on mental toughness by Frank Giampaolo called the Tennis Parents’ Bible and it talks about different messages to tell yourself between points regarding strategy. So, I figured playing this practice set would be a great opportunity to practice implementing these mental patterns. I started out roughly. I wasn’t hitting the ball the way I did in the practice session. My balls were landing short and they were just plain weak. Of course, she started out by hitting sharp shots and moving me around the court. I was down 0-2 and I started going back to my usual patterns of scolding myself for being down to a person I felt I should beat. Then, I told myself about how maybe I’m just not the kind of person who wins matches. And then I realized that I had to replace these thoughts with other thoughts. Like, “how the heck am I going to beat her? What do I need to do? What patterns do I need to execute in order to win?” I need to hit to her backhand to start with, then I need to hit to the other side of the court to get her on the run and then I need to go for  a winner when the opportunity is right. Between every point, I kept asking myself, “where is her backhand” While this sounds rudimentary and I’m sure there are more sophisticated patterns, I felt that a simple message like that could sooth me and stop me from self destructing and either allowing her to continue being aggressive and teeing off of my short balls or over hitting shots to compensate for het winners. So, I kept asking myself “where’s her backhand”. Suddenly, I was able to produce deeper shots and even muster the gumption to attempt aggressive shots when the opportunity presented itself. I eventually, was able to come back and win the set, 6-3, after having been down 2-0. I continually assessed what patterns were pertinent and appropriate for that stage in the game. I would obviously risk more if I was up 40-15 and play more safely and allow her to make the errors if it was deuce. At the end of the set, I felt that I had learned to switch from the scolding/ bashing mode to the thoughtful tennis mode well. In addition, I felt that I exhibited more endurance than my friend. However, I wasn’t the tennis goddess I am making myself out to be. I did fail to approach the net and volley’s are my greatest asset.  What will happen next set? Will I improve at my ability to approach the net? Do you think people should play the same way regardless of the score? Email your thoughts to info@elftennis.com. Stay tuned for more tennis tips in the coming days.

Work as a formidable team at net!

Work as a fearsome twosome at net 

Everyone knows that the game of doubles is all about rushing and crushing the net. Rushing and crushing the net is the only way to finish points quickly.  In a game of doubles, when you are either the returner or the server you want to move in as soon as possible.  In a previous post, I discussed how to move into the net. In this post, I will cover how you and your partner can work as a team to be as ferocious and effective as possible.  When you are moving into net, it is essential that your partner know you are  coming up to the net. It is important for your partner to know you are on the move  as a shot could be hit to your side of the court that you can't reach if you are too far back. If that's the case your partner may want to cross over to cover it for you.  While at the net, you need to assess and utilize each other's strengths when determining who will cover which shots. When both of you are at net and a shot goes down the middle between you, this is often referred to as the husband and wife zone. No one is sure who is going to take balls hit in that area and more often than not those shots end up as winners for your opponents. Always make a plan for who will take it. In general, whosever forehand it is should be the one who poaches and pounds that volley. In addition, once both of you are at the net, you are vulnerable and suspect to lobs. As a team, you need to determine  who is going to cover the lobs. As a rule of thumb, it should be the person who is in the best position to hit either a forehand overhead or a forehand, defensive, on the run  shot. Alternatively, the person who is further back may want to be the one who covers lobs as they don't have as far to run.  A fourth concern when both of you are at the net is what to do when your partner is pulled out wide.  I usually say that you should cover the middle but cheat towards the opposite end of the court that your partner was pulled towards. Essentially, you need to be prepared to cover three quarters of the court ( sorry about that but it is a workout, right) 

Try it these suggestions and let me know how it works out for you. Did you feel you were more effective in winning points at the net when accounting for coverage? Email me at info@elftennis.com with your thoughts. 

Communication in doubles

Here is a dosage of tennis instruction from the funky tennis chic (aka me). Communication is essential in the tennis game of doubles. And yes, communication is more than just telling your partner cliched phrases like ,"stay with it" or "next point".  Solid communication amongst two members of a doubles team leads to a synergistic pair of players; each one knows the other one's exact game plan and is able to adjust their actions accordingly. Communication occurs between points, on changeovers, and sometimes during points. This blog post addresses what topics needed to be discussed so that synchronization can occur. Poor communication will result in poor court coverage and thus points unnecessarily lost. So, listen carefully.

The intention of switching sides is an absolute essential that needs to always be conveyed. If, during a point you are moving sides ( I.e. you are returning on the deuce court but move over to the ad court or are the net player on the ad court and poach over to the deuce side) you must tell your partner to switch. If, the command of switch is not called out then both players will be positioned on one side of the court and leave the other side of the court completely open. A shot that otherwise may have been returnable could zoom past both players, leaving both of you stunned. So, an easy switch is beneficial. Of course, the command to switch and the switch itself must occur as soon as the player knows that they are going to move sides.

Mine or yours.  Sometimes, a shot comes your way that is retrievable by both players. In this instance, it is vital to call out "mine" or "yours". Yes, someone must claim the shot quickly, the shot is not like the last piece of cake. As a general rule, the player who is in the position to hit a forehand should take the shot. If the shot in question is both people's forehands,then the player who is feeling more confident and has been playing better should step up to the plate. 

Leave it (it's going out). Sometimes players can anticipate that a ball is going to sail out. If this is the case, it's important to yell out "leave it" or "let it go". Why extend the point if you don't need to do so? 

These are basic ideas and tenets to convey to your partner. Here are some more complex strategic moves that also need to be communicated in order for your partner to adjust their positioning. 

Where you may place serves.  Obviously, we aren't pros and can't always accurately predict our serve placement. However we can try. Serve placement has a large impact on where your partner will position themselves at the net. In general your partner should align themselves with your serve as the serve is likely to be returned on a straight path. If your partner serves down the tee, then you as the volleyer should position yourself closer to the middle. Knowing your partner's service target makes the difference between being able to put away that oh so easy sitter and getting passed and forcing your partner to scramble at the baseline. 

In addition, it is crucial,as the volleyer, to let your partner know if you plan on poaching over to the side of the net. If you unsuccessfully poach, your partner then will be able to anticipate that and cover the court accordingly. 

Where you plan on moving after you serve.  Sometimes, players vary their positioning in order to give the opponents a different look and force the opponents to change their tactics, return differently and thus break up their rhythm. The most common variation of formations is when the server stands close to the middle of the baseline and the net player squats  close to the tee. After the serve is in play, each of the players moves accordingly. The returner and net player may reverse sides ( so the server who has been in the deuce court may now be in the ad court and vice versa). Obviously, you need to communicate with your partner which side you are going to move or you will leave an obvious hole and target for your opponents. 

Do you plan on putting up a lob on the return of serve? Sometimes players decide to lob over the net man on a return. This is a counter intuitive yet potent move. Lobbing over the net player forces the returner to move to the opposite end of the court and hit their weaker shot. It also pushes the returner backs and prevents the returner from rushing the net. However, you must let your partner know of your intention. There is the possibility that the net player may make the overhead and your partner must be prepared for this possibility ( who wants a bruise after the match from a crushing overhead). 

When you plan on targeting a net player. This is an underutilized but sometimes effective tactic. Often, the net player may be the weaker player. In addition, lengthy baseline rallies may be prevalent and the net player may not be fully alert and more likely to make an error that the baseline. However, the baseline must tell his partner partner of his intention to do this so that the net player can be prepared for a crushing volley to blasted at him. The net player can then prepare to retreat backwards if needed. 

Your intention to serve and volley. Yes, I know this sounds intimidating for some. If you plan on rushing the net, it is essential to alert your partner. If both of you are going to be at the net, it is essential to be positioned slightly further back in order to cover lobs. 

Encouragement, encouragement, encouragement. This is a delicate matter. It is very difficult to tap into someone's emotional aura. Unless you know your partner well, it is risky to tell them to "calm down" or "focus" or "we can do this" as you don't rally know how these statements will be received. Instead, if you see your partner struggling or rattled ask them, "how can I help you" or " what can we do better" to alter the focus away from their emotional troubles and back to the game without making a judgement. 

Hope this post will help you in your next doubles game . Good luck. Stay tuned for my next blog post on cross training workouts. For more information on my tennis instruction email info@elftennis.com or check out www.elftennis.com. 

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.

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.

Putting one on one doubles into practice: tennis instructional tips.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Ed Krass, the creator of One on One Doubles. One on One Doubles is a singles game where players must serve and volley on their serve and all shots are played cross court. After the interview with Ed Krass, I decided to try introducing one on one doubles play to an intermediate student of mine. At first, it was a struggle for the student to successfully serve and volley, he often missed volleys and got caught while on the run. Here were some key factors that helped him execute the serve and volley plays successfully. First, an abbreviated serve was necessary for him to move into the net quickly. Second, split stepping when he got to the service line and putting his racquet up was vital to successfully hitting winning volleys. Furthermore, taking off immediately after he hit the serve to head to the net was a key factor in producing winning volleys. In addition, understanding the early contact point for volleys helped him successfully win points. For more information on one on one doubles, go to www.oneononedoubles.com. For more tennis tips go to www.elftennis.com

Tennis Instructional Tip: when and how to slow it down in a match

There are times during a tennis match, where it is to your benefit to slow down. In certain circumstances, it isn't productive to rush through your shots. Let's say you are about to hit a shot on the run on a clay court. If you rush to hit the shot you are likely to mis slide. In addition, if you don't stop after you have positioned yourself to hit the shot, you will also most likely produce an error. Furthermore, you can balance yourself while hitting a shot on the run by placing your non dominant hand on your hip.

Interview with Mack Baker on being a junior and collegiate tennis player

Check out my interview with Mack Baker on being a junior and collegiate tennis player. http://tobtr.com/s/7371511 The interview discusses junior competition, junior training, coaching and more. Get an insider's perspective on the world of junior tennis.

My radio show

I host a show on blog talk radio. I interview tennis coaches, tennis players, sports psychologists, and tennis manufacturers on all aspects of the game. To find me go to http://www.blogtalkradio/sweetspottennis There you can find my previous interviews with Mike Barrell, President of Evolve 9 and an expert on child development. Daniel Hayward, a quickstart tennis coach, Chandler Lewis, territory manager for TGA and David Kochman on being a junior tennis parent. Stay tuned for future interviews.