My Second Video: 05-15-2009

[lostintravise]

Hello all,

If you could please give me some feedback on my game and improvements over the last month. I haven't played Tennis over the last month as much as I'd like but I have played at least 3 times a week. I've been working on my split step and timing but you all can of course give any advice on anything you see please.


05.15.2009 (forehands): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBRHvcoUk2o



(Here's my first uploaded video so that you can see what was going wrong before. An improvement critique would be great! 04.12.2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTgri8v5gA4)

[acehole]

good foot work, nice early preparation, the shape of the swing is good, good acceleration. question. do you watch the ball intently right through contact? maybe try tipping your head slightly to the right, and keep it down longer. use the "kiss you shoulder" method. at the end of the forehand stroke try having your shoulder near or touching your chin as though you are kissing you shoulder. this keeps your head in position longer and helps stabilize the entire shot. you head seems to have its own agenda. your game will probably end up very solid, just a lot of mishits in the video and it seems to be from the eyes.

[LanEvo]

ok.... i may be slammed for this or not, but this is imo, im gonna say ur first video was a bit better, tho this new video ill say u have improved ur strokes and stuff, but footwork, im gonna say no, its too much stepping, u dont need to jump up and downa nd stuff that much, id say go with the footwork of the first video, because the balls from ur partner are not that fast so u dont need those steps, those steps will only drain ur energy, other than unnecessary movement u have improved, but then again if i was to judge skill, id say i have the same skill in terms of play as u, except u probably have a better serve than me

[lostintravise]

good foot work, nice early preparation, the shape of the swing is good, good acceleration. question. do you watch the ball intently right through contact? maybe try tipping your head slightly to the right, and keep it down longer. use the "kiss you shoulder" method. at the end of the forehand stroke try having your shoulder near or touching your chin as though you are kissing you shoulder. this keeps your head in position longer and helps stabilize the entire shot. you head seems to have its own agenda. your game will probably end up very solid, just a lot of mishits in the video and it seems to be from the eyes.



I always forget to look at the ball through contact! The adrenaline gets going and that's usually one of the first things to go. I'll be sure to calm myself down and make sure I'm looking through my contact point. I've also just switched down to a smaller racquet head recently (from about 112 to 100) so I'm sure that's not helping at all! Thank you very much for the input.

[lostintravise]

ok.... i may be slammed for this or not, but this is imo, im gonna say ur first video was a bit better, tho this new video ill say u have improved ur strokes and stuff, but footwork, im gonna say no, its too much stepping, u dont need to jump up and downa nd stuff that much, id say go with the footwork of the first video, because the balls from ur partner are not that fast so u dont need those steps, those steps will only drain ur energy, other than unnecessary movement u have improved, but then again if i was to judge skill, id say i have the same skill in terms of play as u, except u probably have a better serve than me



That's interesting that you said to stop bouncing on my toes. The majority of the people that I've talked to say that staying on your toes is a good thing because it helps you get into your split-step as well as stay relatively alert. Maybe I've overdone the jumping a bit but I don't think I'll be stopping the bounce altogether.

The balls aren't fast from him but I'm practicing so that when I play against a person with a more consistent and faster shot I'll be able to be prepared early enough.

That's weird that you would say that I have a better serve than me considering you haven't seen my serve.. thank you for the input Lan :)

[snowpuppy]

I agree with LanEvo. You swing is very good and clean it is just the footwork that needs a bit of tweaking. While it is good to be on your toes, there is a lot of excessive movement. Right now from your video the rally lenght don't see to be that long but if you were to go more consistenly longer you will definitely feel it in your stamina and in your knee. I know because I have the same problem :)

[lostintravise]

I agree with LanEvo. You swing is very good and clean it is just the footwork that needs a bit of tweaking. While it is good to be on your toes, there is a lot of excessive movement. Right now from your video the rally lenght don't see to be that long but if you were to go more consistenly longer you will definitely feel it in your stamina and in your knee. I know because I have the same problem :)



Thanks for the insight:)

[ramseszerg]

Work on being calm and being in control of the rally, instead of "the ball is coming i gotta move there really fast omg the ball is already here whack"

[lostintravise]

Work on being calm and being in control of the rally, instead of "the ball is coming i gotta move there really fast oops I moved too fast gotta move back omg the ball is already here whack"


Yeah, my adrenaline gets a hold of me sometimes and thus my play gets a bit erratic. It seems that the consensus is calm down, don't jump too much before the split-step, look the ball through contact, and work on my timing/footwork. Sounds good

[ramseszerg]

Were you camera shy?

[ramseszerg]

You're also setting up too early for your forehands. You get there in plenty time, but then you're glued to the ground. "I got here on time, screw how the ball moves, I'm staying right here." You gotta keep adjusting and set up later when you're sure where the ball is going to end up.

[imalil2gangsta4u]

more small steps to the ball

[lostintravise]

Were you camera shy?

I'm not necessarily camera shy but my adrenaline happens to really kick in when the camera starts..


You're also setting up too early for your forehands. You get there in plenty time, but then you're glued to the ground. "I got here on time, screw how the ball moves, I'm staying right here." You gotta keep adjusting and set up later when you're sure where the ball is going to end up.

Interesting. Setting up too early.. I understand what you're saying though. I have to adjust even after I've gotten into "position" seeing as how my judgement isn't the greatest and that of course leads to me setting up too far back or to the right... yeah, I see that now. Thanks for that one.

[fed_the_savior]

"oh shi...." "oh shi...." "oh shi...."

Lol

[lostintravise]

"oh shi...." "oh shi...." "oh shi...."

Lol



lol!! I tried to edit out a lot of it. The majority of the time I was saying "oh shoot" though :) ;)

[split-step]

You need control and purpose.
You seemed to be wildly hitting the ball wherever you felt like at the time.
why not try an up the middle rally medium pace? Try for 10 shots each.

[herosol]

at 0:33 and 0:52

Are perfect examples of how you have way too much preparation before the ball even arives.

When the ball leaves your opponent's strings, you should have a half-turn. While the ball moves you should be adjusting the whole time with small-steps, and then after it bounces keep moving until you get the best position. The only reason you can even hit a shot is because it's a rally. I would imagine in your matches, you don't hit as cleanly as you would like.

Basically, you have GREAT looking form in the body, just the feet are TOO active before your opponent hits the ball, and TOO inactive when preparing for a shot.

Change it, or any decent player with a decent slice will dismantle you easily.

[Solat]

i think i have read everything now.

footwork too active? my god every man and his dog gets ripped to shreds about not having good footwork and now someone is getting treatment for having too much? ridiculous

to the OP : swing shape looks fine, sometimes you rip across the ball too early and don't hit thru the ball enough. Footwork is good that you are active and if you can sustain thru a match then go for it. Just ensure that you are balanced during the stroke.

[lostintravise]

You need control and purpose.
You seemed to be wildly hitting the ball wherever you felt like at the time.
why not try an up the middle rally medium pace? Try for 10 shots each.

Control, control. I just have to keep my head in it.. my adrenaline gets running and I don't really thing :-?. I'll be sure to calm it down a little bit with both the hopping and the crazy feet. I'm still trying to develop that middle gear seeing as how it's either a winner or an unforced error on my part.


at 0:33 and 0:52

Are perfect examples of how you have way too much preparation before the ball even arives.

When the ball leaves your opponent's strings, you should have a half-turn. While the ball moves you should be adjusting the whole time with small-steps, and then after it bounces keep moving until you get the best position. The only reason you can even hit a shot is because it's a rally. I would imagine in your matches, you don't hit as cleanly as you would like.

Basically, you have GREAT looking form in the body, just the feet are TOO active before your opponent hits the ball, and TOO inactive when preparing for a shot.

Change it, or any decent player with a decent slice will dismantle you easily.

Good point out! It's pretty funny what I have to go through. My feet are "excessively" active before preparation but too lazy during preparation (the little steps). Thank you very much for the critique.


i think i have read everything now.

footwork too active? my god every man and his dog gets ripped to shreds about not having good footwork and now someone is getting treatment for having too much? ridiculous

to the OP : swing shape looks fine, sometimes you rip across the ball too early and don't hit thru the ball enough. Footwork is good that you are active and if you can sustain thru a match then go for it. Just ensure that you are balanced during the stroke.

I think it'll be easier to calm down the activity on my footwork as apposed to trying to get more active. I think this "excess" energy will be nice to put into other things in my game. Yeah, timing, preparation, and weight transfer. I've been getting ripped about all of that since I've posted but I'm glad, that's why I post my videos in the first place. Thanks for comments everyone :)

[Nellie]

i think i have read everything now.

footwork too active? my god every man and his dog gets ripped to shreds about not having good footwork and now someone is getting treatment for having too much? ridiculous

to the OP : swing shape looks fine, sometimes you rip across the ball too early and don't hit thru the ball enough. Footwork is good that you are active and if you can sustain thru a match then go for it. Just ensure that you are balanced during the stroke.


I totally agree.

1) there is no such thing as too many steps. Your propblem on some strokes was that you took little steps to set up, set up too far from the ball, and then ended up taking a big lunge at the ball

2) You are also way late on many shots (ball at contact is parallel with your body/hips), which is why the ball is curving to the right.

3) You are arming across the body and not hitting through and past the ball for good extension. I think that your stroke is similar to Djokovic. If you look at this clip, you see that he hits the ball in front of his hip and hits through the ball so that, at 16-17 secs., his right arm is fully extended (note the straight right arm) and in front of his face before curling the elbow to wrap around on the follow through. In contrast, you are hitting across your body after the late contact, so the acceleration and energy is wasted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8AJYfkJ4hc

[lostintravise]

I totally agree.

1) there is no such thing as too many steps. Your propblem on some strokes was that you took little steps to set up, set up too far from the ball, and then ended up taking a big lunge at the ball

2) You are also way late on many shots (ball at contact is parallel with your body/hips), which is why the ball is curving to the right.

3) You are arming across the body and not hitting through and past the ball for good extension. I think that your stroke is similar to Djokovic. If you look at this clip, you see that he hits the ball in front of his hip and hits through the ball so that, at 16-17 secs., his right arm is fully extended (note the straight right arm) and in front of his face before curling the elbow to wrap around on the follow through. In contrast, you are hitting across your body after the late contact, so the acceleration and energy is wasted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8AJYfkJ4hc


1) Ball trajectory judgment. I'll just practice a lot and make sure I look the ball through contact.

2) Yeah I see that.

3) I really appreciate this particular point. Thank you for critique on my play Nellie.

[Roddickalltheway]

I agree with most people here. You seem to be wasting energy. The balls were not really that tough/challenging, so there really was no need to be bouncing as much as you did. Some bouncing and moving is good, but not as much as you are doing, I would say.

[[K]aotic]

It's good to be moving your feet a lot, but let's not forget the point of tons of small steps. Players make tons of small steps to get into the perfect position to hit a shot. Even though you make a ton of steps, you are still lunging on a lot of shots. Try to get in position better.

[herosol]

i think i have read everything now.

footwork too active? my god every man and his dog gets ripped to shreds about not having good footwork and now someone is getting treatment for having too much? ridiculous

to the OP : swing shape looks fine, sometimes you rip across the ball too early and don't hit thru the ball enough. Footwork is good that you are active and if you can sustain thru a match then go for it. Just ensure that you are balanced during the stroke.

too active in comparison to when the ball comes from the other side.

and i would imagine hopping around is in no way more effective then a well timed split-step.

[Hot Sauce]

Looks like you're rushing your swing motion.
It's good that you have active feet with quick steps in between shots, but it seems that you plant too early and the ball comes to you at a different place that you initially expected, but your feet are already planted and you have to stretch for it.

[thejackal]

technique-wise your video looks very good. I know many 4.5 and 5.0 players with similar if not worse looking shots. the main thing that could really get you up to that level of play is shot tolerance and consistency. 2 4.5 players, warmed up properly, can hit 20 to 50 of those rally shots in a row without missing. dont worry TOO much about your swing or your footwork, as long as you can keep hitting that way longer and easier as you go.

[brado32003]

more small steps to the ball

Very true...

[lostintravise]

Thank you everyone for the insight into my game. These extra comments are great!

[chico9166]

Lostintravise,

Hate to state the obvious, but adjustment steps, and the subsequent proper alignment to the ball is so critical in tennis, as it is the bridge that connects the movement and hitting aspects of tennis. I agree with others, that this shoulld be an area of focus for you.

If you watch the great ones, they work very hard, as they get closer to the ball (adjustment steps) to find that perfect "position on the ball". A position close enough to maintain posture, but yet far enough away to create proper spacing.

In your case, I would highly recommend that you "key in" on your posture, as you get closer to the ball. DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO LUNGE. You will only reinforce improper alignment to the ball. Let your feet shift around until find a position on the ball, that will allow you to rotate and swing with a relatively straight spine angle.

I also think your trying to create too much speed, too early in the swing, which appears to throw you off balance, and in general lead to erratic swing paths. Again, if you watch the great ones, the backswing (in terms of racquet head speed) is relatively constant throughout the different stages, with the bulk of acceleration coming very close to the contact. This allows the player to stay relaxed, on balance, and "in control" of these very dynamic movements.

I agree, that the shape and look of your swing is good. Your very athletic, and I see alot of upward potential in your game. Just try and relax, and swing within your capabilities at this stage in your development. Muy importante.

You'll be fine.

[lostintravise]

I'm glad you stated the obvious chico. Thanks for investing your words. As I've said numerous times in this thread, I very much appreciate the thoughts on my game.

[chico9166]

I'm glad you stated the obvious chico. Thanks for investing your words. As I've said numerous times in this thread, I very much appreciate the thoughts on my game.

Your sure welcome. Good luck to you!