quality practice

[dcjaybutchdc]

hello
i would really like to get better at tennis. so does my friend(really only person i can call and say lets play tennis, okay go go go go im on my way bye)
i am better than my friend, i have been teaching him what i know and so has his old private instructor.

we both atm can't afford lessons. so we depend on ourselves to get better.
i have a hopper of decent balls that we feed each other off of. we have good ground strokes. my serve is decent, my friend is still learning. our volleys are a wreck. we can rally from baseline and mini topspin rally in the service boxes. we want to get better at our matchplay

but thats that. what else can we do to get better without having a private instructor? any advice on drills and simulations we should do? suggest any videos we should watch etc?

p.s.
i also wanna start gaining muscle for tennis.
what can i do for that, free weights, arm excercises etc?

[blue12]

I like watching slow motion youtube videos of pro players. Watching local college players helps too.
Best way to get a lesson without getting a lesson though is to show up and listen to somebody else get a lesson, often times its possible to use the advice you hear being given to somebody else. Another good idea is to play tournaments against people who are a level or two higher than yourself, and don't worry about losing, just try to learn something!

[dcjaybutchdc]

yea there are a few of nice instructors in my city. i wish i can afford them

[Solat]

dc...

what you need to do it practice basic rally drills, nothing over the top. It can be as easy as rally c/c FH-FH aim to get 4 strokes in a rally. When you do that 3 times in a row go to 5 in a rally (or start at whatever level you are at) and just grind it out till you cannot reach a higher rally number. Write it down then go on to BH c/c, same thing. Then FH dtl to BH, then BH dtl to FH and keep a record of your best. Next time you go out start at a couple less then your best and build up to try to break your record

i would also really encourage you to experiment with different grips / spins / strokes so you have a greater understanding of all the facets of tennis.

[dcjaybutchdc]

thanks for advice