billybob013
04-05-2005, 10:04 AM
Symptom: An abbreviated ground stroke that substitutes slice and blocked shots for topspin drives. Typically, when a player starts to choke he begins to hit more slice than topspin. Why? It's easier to hit with underspin than topspin.
After a ball bounces, it rotates toward you. To return the shot with topspin, you must change the rotation of the ball so it's spinning away from you. This takes more power and precision, two things you start to lose when you get nervous. To hit with slice, you just need to send the ball back with the same spin it came in with.
The problem is that slice results in a more defensive shot than topspin, especially if you're not hitting out on the ball. And since many club players slice across their bodies instead of through the ball, they produce sidespin and start curving balls into the alley.
Cure: If you're going to become conservative, do so by
changing your shot placement, not your swing. As you begin to notice that you're missing shots due to nerves, check to see if you're shortening up on your follow-through or hitting more flat or slice strokes. If you use slice frequently, particularly on the backhand side, then pay attention to whether the ball is floating or landing wide.
The easiest way to cut down on errors is to try to keep the ball closer to the center of the court. Also, you should decide that if you're going to lose the point, you're going to lose it with your best stroke. This doesn't necessarily mean going for a winner, but it does mean finding ways to hit your strongest shot as often as possible, and using a full swing when you do.
-Tennis Magazine
After a ball bounces, it rotates toward you. To return the shot with topspin, you must change the rotation of the ball so it's spinning away from you. This takes more power and precision, two things you start to lose when you get nervous. To hit with slice, you just need to send the ball back with the same spin it came in with.
The problem is that slice results in a more defensive shot than topspin, especially if you're not hitting out on the ball. And since many club players slice across their bodies instead of through the ball, they produce sidespin and start curving balls into the alley.
Cure: If you're going to become conservative, do so by
changing your shot placement, not your swing. As you begin to notice that you're missing shots due to nerves, check to see if you're shortening up on your follow-through or hitting more flat or slice strokes. If you use slice frequently, particularly on the backhand side, then pay attention to whether the ball is floating or landing wide.
The easiest way to cut down on errors is to try to keep the ball closer to the center of the court. Also, you should decide that if you're going to lose the point, you're going to lose it with your best stroke. This doesn't necessarily mean going for a winner, but it does mean finding ways to hit your strongest shot as often as possible, and using a full swing when you do.
-Tennis Magazine