A Retriever stays on the baseline and gets everything back. They are usually in pretty good shape and they cover the court well. They don’t use much pace, spin, or depth but they’re able to recover everything you throw at them. A Retriever style can be very effective against an opponent who does not know … More THE RETRIEVER – First in a series on how to counter different styles
Today’s tip is on how effective strategies for Zone 4. As always, leave me your questions or feedback in the comments below.
“ Focus your thoughts and actions on one small aspect of the present, and you will create personal power” – Chungliang Al Huang Focus is the process of narrowing your concentration in order to eliminate unproductive or distractive occurrences. It means keeping the mind here and now. By focusing, you can fine-tune your attention so … More Achieving Optimal Performance: Focus, 6th in a Series
Today’s post continues the discussion on angular and linear momentum and includes some ideas on how you can help your players develop better skills.
Most players think they should win if they play well. They give very little consideration to the opponent’s game or how to exploit it. Identifying your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses is an important skill to have. Every player’s game is like a combination lock. It’s tough to open, but with the right combination, you can … More The Third Foundation: Opponent Awareness
Hard courts The basic strategy on a hard court is related to the speed of the surface. The slower the hard court is, the more you follow clay court strategy. If the court is fast, the points last fewer shots. The chances of exploiting an opponent’s weakness are therefore less on a hard court. It’s … More Court Awareness: Hard Courts and Grass Courts
Because your lower body does the exhausting task of moving you from one shot to the next, it is easy to experience “leg lapse”during execution. A leg lapse causes the upper body to compensate for the loss of leverage resulting in a stroke that is off balance. It means your body has an inefficient base … More Movement: Leg Lapse and Beating the Ball to the Bounce
“If an athlete can picture in advance each movement of an event exactly as it should be, in a relaxed meditative state, the greater will be the chances that he or she will carry out those movements during the actual performance” – Jerry Lynch Visualization is an active form of meditation in which you relax … More Achieving Optimal Performance: Visualization
The surface you’re playing on and how that affects your decision making is another important aspect of court awareness is . This week we’ll look at clay courts. Clay courts grip the ball so that it bounces up slowly, which favors a steady baseline style. Topspin is more effective than backspin or flat balls on … More The Second Foundation: Court Awareness and Clay Courts
Rhythm & Flow Tennis 