Improve your Strategy Building Skills.

     A great way to improve your on court strategy building skills is to:

·   Watch tennis. Try to check out a whole match or a least a full set so you can start to understand match dynamic, tactic and counter tactic.

·   Write out notes on how a person could win a tennis point or even commentate your own imaginary match.

·   Play board and cards games with a strategic objective (not just luck) like Chess, Stratigo, Monopoly, Backgammon, and Connect Four. Cards Bridge , 500, Hearts.

·   Do crosswords and solve riddles.

·   Spend a bit of time learning a simple instrument like a harmonica, recorder or guitar. (the idea is to get you thinking logically and quickly)   

To improve your serve improve your throw.

A simple way of improving your serve is to improve your throw.  The two actions are the same. I hear you saying "why don't I just practice my serve to improve my serve".  Well that would be true if your technique was correct but if its not your mind is likely to be poisoned by "result" based learning rather than "feel" based learning.  ie. if it goes in it's good and if it goes out is bad which doesn't take your technique into consideration.  Americans generally have good serves because throwing and catching (baseball) is a national pastime and kids grow up doing it. Throw everything you can, socks into draws, rubbish into bins, tennis balls at dogs who you have just caught doing their business on your lawn.  Pretty soon you'll have yourself a serve to Tanner someone's Rossett Gonzales or at least put a Dent in it.  

Salary Packaging, (in Australia) Claim your child’s tennis lessons.

  Salary Packaging offers you flexibility and control over your salary allowing you to achieve significant tax savings.  Instead of receiving your whole salary as taxable income on which your  Pay As You Go (PAYG) tax is payable, you can choose to take part of your salary in the form of a benefit.  Find out if your workplace offers Salary Packaging.  You may be able to claim your child’s tennis lessons under the Salary Packaging Scheme.

The Classic Match Warm-Up Routine.    

Note: Warming up for a tennis match should take place at least half an hour before your match.  The five minute warm-up come match time is to "settle in" and is definitely  not enough time to warm up.  

1.      Spin the racket and make your decision from the options available (see table below)

2.      Base line rallies. (allocate 1-2 minute~30 hits)

3.      One person (or pare in doubles) comes to the net to take volleys and overheads. Note: you can use your overheads as a pre warm up for your serve. (allocate 1 minute 20 volleys 10 overheads)

4.      Opponent/s come to the net to take volleys and overheads. (allocate 1 minute 20 volleys 10 overheads) Here you get a chance to play some  extra ground strokes and to find your range on Lobs. 

5.   Serve. Try to have as many serves as possible in the time left (1-2 minutes) especially if you have to serve first. 

6.   At the completion of the warm up, towel off if necessary, take a drink and you are now ready to compete. Good Luck

Tip. I like to hold back a little on my  "weapons" so as to prevent my opponent from getting used to the speed I would play when I really open up on the shot.

The Four Possible Choices on Winning the Toss.

    A)  To serve first.

      B)  To return serve. 

      C)  Choice of ends.

       D)  Choosing to give the choice away.

 Choosing to give the choice away can unsettle an opponent by putting them in the position of having to make un unexpected decision, that is if you don't think you will be disadvantaged by this.  I find it's best to wait a few seconds to let them sweat on your decision before hitting them with it.  A bit of gamesmanship at the start of a match can lay down the rules about who's running things putting you in "control" before the first ball is struck. Its always smart to have an idea of what you might like to do should you get the choice, again, in order to give a confident response in trying to give an impression of control.

The Service Return Check list.    

• Shorten your back swing to increase control.
• Shorten your grip toward the racket head about 1cm again to maximize control and dexterity.
• Try to cut in and across to the ball to reduce incoming ball angle and to promote weight transfer.
• Keep your feet on ground for added stability at contact.
• Take a light grip in the ready position stage for easy grip changes.
• Commit to your shot 100% then recover (avoid letting them bleed into each other) 

Return Routine

1.      Get a comfortable ready position.

2.      Build an idea of what you might like to do on any given ball.

3.      Watch your opponents set up.

4.      Watch your opponent’s racket path to the ball.

5.      Then only the ball (not the player)

The Four most important rules In Doubles Play.

     A)  First serve in first volley in/deep.

      B)  Get your service returns back and low. 

      C)  Chase your own lobs (over your head your lob)

       D)  Communicate with your partner

In a nut shell, these rules are the foundation of good doubles play.

The Three most important rules of racket sports.

     A)  Transfer your body weight.

      B)  Watch/focus on the ball.

      C)  Accelerate the hitting object (racket) through impact.

These rules form the bedrock for control. If you lack any of  these points your shots "feel" will to a degree be compromised .