Short Hitting Video

[Ballinbob]

Hi all

Figured I'd post an updated hitting video. I haven't been able to change much in terms of technique from my prior videos because I've been swamped with school and that takes up a lot of my time.

I tried to lower the hitting elbow on my serve with no results. Same with trying to keep the elbow from going behind me on the forehand..no results. I've had four lessons on my forehand and while I feel like I'm making better contact, it doesn't look as nice as I would like.

The guy I'm hitting with, despite his not so great technique, was the number one 4.0 in the state last year (Scott Harwood). Shows that you don't need pretty strokes to win.

Anyway, I'll take any comments/advice. Footwork/split step/balance advice would be nice mainly because that's something that I can actually fix without shelling out hundreds of dollars on a coach.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NScB_-EwCQ&feature=youtu.be

Video From 1/25/2015
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRZEExHF5iY&feature=youtu.be

Video from 2/3/2015:
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTYSeRktaQU&feature=youtu.be

Video from 2/5/2015:
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZH-6Yim7Yw&feature=youtu.be

PS. I'm in the grey shirt

 

[Cheetah]

nice. your form is looking good. you hit some nice shots there. some of them were quite pretty. very cool.

 

[Cheetah]

you don't look as stiff as before. some good footwork too. nice work dude.

 

[Power Player]

Fh doesnt look right to you because you arent fully turned. You want to be fully turned and prepped when that ball bounces or right before. You never fully get there.

 

[tlm]

Good hitting Bob.

 

[Spin Doctor]

You hit way too much down the middle of the court. You need to hit better angles and use the width of the court, which is what your opponent is doing better than you. Your serve looks a lot better than his. There is no reason you shouldn't be able to beat him but you need to make him move. You seem preoccupied with minor technique issues when I think you need to focus on shot selection, and using the angles of the court better.

 

[Cheetah]

Was he actually trying to win points? Oh... I was under the impression he was trying to keep the rallies going and that it was a casual hit. In that case then yea... shot selection.

but still he's moving and hitting better than last year for sure.

 

[snvplayer]

Solid hitting. It looks like you are improving well.

A couple things I notice

On the forehand, i think you can use a little more turn. Think of touching the left shoulder with your chin..

On the serve, the shoulders should be tilted, which allows you to engage more hips and upward throw motion. Right now, your shoulders are a little too parallel.

Overall, I think you can lower your glutes / buttocks to use more hips. Think of sitting into your butt.

 

[Ballinbob]

Thanks guys

Okay, so turn more on the forehand, more shoulder tilt on the serve, engage buttocks more on my shots, and better shot selection. Good list.

We only played a set since it was windy (If you couldn't tell by the audio) and I won 7-6 after being up 4-1. He is stronger mentally than me and as Spin Doctor said he actually places the ball pretty well. There is a reason why he had an awesome record at 4.0.

As for strategy, I try to keep most of my shots cross court these days. I know I didn't do that here, but I tried haha. I noticed the D1 kids here don't like to change direction much unless it's an easy ball so I'm trying to copy them

 

[5263]

Thanks guys

Okay, so turn more on the forehand, more shoulder tilt on the serve, engage buttocks more on my shots, and better shot selection. Good list.

I think you look pretty good and the shoulder turn looked pretty good to me. On most of the Fhs I could stop frame it where you were at or very near 90 degrees from the net. Sure there were a couple where you used slightly less, but most likely that was all part of your shot intention to go with a bit less boost on those, which is exactly how that is supposed to work. You give a bit less shoulder turn to take a bit off or get a bit extra when you want to amp it up some. Also notice at 1:27 when you got more sideways and stepped into that short ball, how that was the one that pushed long.

As far as direction, I notice as you use the semi/open stances, you had excellent net clearance control and still brought the ball down quickly. Some would suggest more depth, but I like the comments above about using more angle with that same crisp shot. You really seem to have that shot measured and ready on tap, so it just need a better shot line. Here is a way a friend of mine teaches to work wider, but not miss wide. Maybe his perspective will help?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFe86vybvR0

 

[Power Player]

Bob said this - "I've had four lessons on my forehand and while I feel like I'm making better contact, it doesn't look as nice as I would like."

The reason is because he is not in the optimal position before the ball bounces. He is still turning after the bounce and as a result is not in the "lock and load" stage.

 

[Ballinbob]

I will view the footage in slomo on my ipad when I have time later today. 5263, the problem I have with my forehand and hitting cross court is that I am often late and can't hit the outside of the ball. I have to make a very conscious effort to "defend the contact point" so that I am able to hit good, solid cross court FH's. I usually play with my 4.5 team and it's known that the way to beat me is to hit wide to my forehand because I struggle to hit it back CC and end up going for a winner DTL which misses more often than not. A coach helped me rectify this to a certain degree but against better players I still struggle to hit the outside of the ball.

I did want to ask a question though... A good friend of mine recommended a teaching pro and I want to give him a try. I was thinking of asking him to work with me on strategy/point construction rather than technique as I feel I'm lacking there. Is it weird to ask a coach non-technique questions like that? I don't think I have ever seen a tennis lesson that didn't involve technical stuff.

 

[Turbo-87]

I am no expert, but your strokes do look pretty good to me. The guy you are playing was really the #1 4.0? You'd think his serves would get crushed at 4.0.

 

[Topspin Shot]

I will view the footage in slomo on my ipad when I have time later today. 5263, the problem I have with my forehand and hitting cross court is that I am often late and can't hit the outside of the ball. I have to make a very conscious effort to "defend the contact point" so that I am able to hit good, solid cross court FH's. I usually play with my 4.5 team and it's known that the way to beat me is to hit wide to my forehand because I struggle to hit it back CC and end up going for a winner DTL which misses more often than not. A coach helped me rectify this to a certain degree but against better players I still struggle to hit the outside of the ball.

I did want to ask a question though... A good friend of mine recommended a teaching pro and I want to give him a try. I was thinking of asking him to work with me on strategy/point construction rather than technique as I feel I'm lacking there. Is it weird to ask a coach non-technique questions like that? I don't think I have ever seen a tennis lesson that didn't involve technical stuff.

Hey Bob, something to consider on CC forehands. If a ball is hard and deep to your forehand, you use an open or semi-open stance, right? So if the ball is hit hard, deep, and you want to go crosscourt, you need to use an open or semi-open stance, right? But the key is realizing that your stance should be relative to the incoming/outgoing ball, not the baseline. In other words, I think you need to open your stance a little more when going crosscourt. Down the middle, down the line, and inside-out, you're fine.

 

[BIGJ98]

I will view the footage in slomo on my ipad when I have time later today. 5263, the problem I have with my forehand and hitting cross court is that I am often late and can't hit the outside of the ball. I have to make a very conscious effort to "defend the contact point" so that I am able to hit good, solid cross court FH's. I usually play with my 4.5 team and it's known that the way to beat me is to hit wide to my forehand because I struggle to hit it back CC and end up going for a winner DTL which misses more often than not. A coach helped me rectify this to a certain degree but against better players I still struggle to hit the outside of the ball.

I did want to ask a question though... A good friend of mine recommended a teaching pro and I want to give him a try. I was thinking of asking him to work with me on strategy/point construction rather than technique as I feel I'm lacking there. Is it weird to ask a coach non-technique questions like that? I don't think I have ever seen a tennis lesson that didn't involve technical stuff.

No I don't think it is weird at all. With my coach he has taught me solid technique so all I work on now is the mental game and a lot more strategy and refinement.

 

[5263]

I will view the footage in slomo on my ipad when I have time later today. 5263, the problem I have with my forehand and hitting cross court is that I am often late and can't hit the outside of the ball. I have to make a very conscious effort to "defend the contact point" so that I am able to hit good, solid cross court FH's. I usually play with my 4.5 team and it's known that the way to beat me is to hit wide to my forehand because I struggle to hit it back CC and end up going for a winner DTL which misses more often than not. A coach helped me rectify this to a certain degree but against better players I still struggle to hit the outside of the ball.

I did want to ask a question though... A good friend of mine recommended a teaching pro and I want to give him a try. I was thinking of asking him to work with me on strategy/point construction rather than technique as I feel I'm lacking there. Is it weird to ask a coach non-technique questions like that? I don't think I have ever seen a tennis lesson that didn't involve technical stuff.

First, sure, I do many lessons with players that are happy with their current technique. That is really the important work really as you should get past most of the technique work pretty quick.

Nothing wrong with working the inside of the ball most of the time, but yes, being able to hook the outside is good for certain situations like dipper crosscourt and hooking it back in on the dtl...otherwise, I prefer working the inside fade when I can.

 

[caugas]

thanks for posting Bob

 

[Ballinbob]

I am no expert, but your strokes do look pretty good to me. The guy you are playing was really the #1 4.0? You'd think his serves would get crushed at 4.0.

Thank you. He really was the #1 4.0, feel free to look up his 4.0 records. He got bumped to 4.5 last year. He defends his second serve well, even if I hit an aggressive return he'll make me play 3-4 more shots

Hey Bob, something to consider on CC forehands. If a ball is hard and deep to your forehand, you use an open or semi-open stance, right? So if the ball is hit hard, deep, and you want to go crosscourt, you need to use an open or semi-open stance, right? But the key is realizing that your stance should be relative to the incoming/outgoing ball, not the baseline. In other words, I think you need to open your stance a little more when going crosscourt. Down the middle, down the line, and inside-out, you're fine.

This is huge, thank you. I honestly did not know that. Once I can defend against wide forehands, I should be able to hold my own against the better 4.5's who are beating me at the moment. It really is a weakness I need to work on

No I don't think it is weird at all. With my coach he has taught me solid technique so all I work on now is the mental game and a lot more strategy and refinement.

Ok, I just wanted to make sure. Like I said I've never seen someone go to a private lesson for point construction help but I really could use it. I have a lot of firepower but I don't really know how to use it.

First, sure, I do many lessons with players that are happy with their current technique. That is really the important work really as you should get past most of the technique work pretty quick.

Nothing wrong with working the inside of the ball most of the time, but yes, being able to hook the outside is good for certain situations like dipper crosscourt and hooking it back in on the dtl...otherwise, I prefer working the inside fade when I can.

I can hit inside out pretty well, but if someone hits deep CC to my FH I tend to hit it back DTL and will often spray it wide. I want to be able to hold my own in CC FH rallies so I don't have to be the one changing direction. I will try opening up my stance a little more like Topspin shot and give it a try. I also think hitting more in front will help a lot too

thanks for posting Bob

My pleasure

 

[5263]

I will try opening up my stance a little more like Topspin shot and give it a try. I also think hitting more in front will help a lot too

Yes, I meant to mention how taking it more out front can help with cc. Also, have you thought about how releasing the wrist earlier can help you to throw the racket head out to the outside of the ball. I also like topspin's comments about how to define the stance relative to the incoming ball. I've brought this up several times on this forum over the years, but there seemed to be little interest. Glad to see you get the importance of it.

 

[5263]

Bob, did you get the time to check out my friend's video in the link I gave, on hitting wider without missing wide? I thought he did pretty good with that.

 

[Ballinbob]

Yes, I meant to mention how taking it more out front can help with cc. Also, have you thought about how releasing the wrist earlier can help you to throw the racket head out to the outside of the ball. I also like topspin's comments about how to define the stance relative to the incoming ball. I've brought this up several times on this forum over the years, but there seemed to be little interest. Glad to see you get the importance of it.

A coach I took a lesson with maybe a year ago would always tell me to "throw" the racket in the direction of where I wanted the ball to go. I forgot all about that until you mentioned it... He would actually make me toss my racket to him just so I would get the feel of it

I just watched the video and I like it. Placing the cones at the net seems much harder than the Murray version where the balls are right after the service line but I get the idea.

I'll give it a try with a better player next week and tape it. I'll also post complete, un-edited tie breaks and see if we can catch some mistakes I'm making in general. Would be nice to be able to hit those CC shots and have a better tactical intention as Ash calls it by summer time since I'll be playing tournaments then

 

[5263]

A coach I took a lesson with maybe a year ago would always tell me to "throw" the racket in the direction of where I wanted the ball to go. I forgot all about that until you mentioned it... He would actually make me toss my racket to him just so I would get the feel of it

I just watched the video and I like it. Placing the cones at the net seems much harder than the Murray version where the balls are right after the service line but I get the idea.

I'll give it a try with a better player next week and tape it. I'll also post complete, un-edited tie breaks and see if we can catch some mistakes I'm making in general. Would be nice to be able to hit those CC shots and have a better tactical intention as Ash calls it by summer time since I'll be playing tournaments then

Not sure we are talking the same type of throwing or slinging the racket head. Here is Nadal doing hooking the outside to curve it in dtl, but you can do it for cc too. This is the more extreme view I was looking for to illustrate it. I'll look for others with Nadal because he seems to do it a bit more than others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HD8BvwdlhI#t=44

As to his cones....we were looking to experiment with putting in all 3 markers, (as he is working with the Smart Targets as well)... the Murray ball placement, his cones at net and the Smart Targets. After working a bit with all 3 markers, we were going to remove different ones to experiment with various combinations. I was thinking to start with all 3, then develop a sequence for removing one at a time as a drill.

 

[5263]

but if someone hits deep CC to my FH I tend to hit it back DTL and will often spray it wide. I want to be able to hold my own in CC FH rallies so I don't have to be the one changing direction. I will try opening up my stance a little more like Topspin shot and give it a try. I also think hitting more in front will help a lot too

My pleasure

What is wrong with the outside the ball cc you did at 23 secs in on your vid?

 

[GuyClinch]

Good stuff.. I did notice on one forehand (I stop framed it) you hit with maybe too much topspin. You almost golfed it - you really let the racquet head drop and really swung up on it.

That's pretty good but I think you could compromise a bit and let the ball get farther away from you - and use a set up where you extend your arms more and drop your racquet head a little less.

That's a more aggressive rally ball..

at regular speed your strokes look great and couldn't see that much wrong - cept you looked a bit stiff in your ready position..

You are at the point where you have to go looking to see what you are doing wrong.. Your opponents serve though - damn he needs to fix that..alot of wasted potential.

 

[Ballinbob]

What is wrong with the outside the ball cc you did at 23 secs in on your vid?

That one worked out, it's doing it on a consistent basis. Maybe I'm over thinking it and I'm actually okay on that, I'll have to watch myself play more to know for sure. It could be just bad strategy that's been letting me down, I don't know.

Good stuff.. I did notice on one forehand (I stop framed it) you hit with maybe too much topspin. You almost golfed it - you really let the racquet head drop and really swung up on it.

That's pretty good but I think you could compromise a bit and let the ball get farther away from you - and use a set up where you extend your arms more and drop your racquet head a little less.

That's a more aggressive rally ball..

at regular speed your strokes look great and couldn't see that much wrong - cept you looked a bit stiff in your ready position..

You are at the point where you have to go looking to see what you are doing wrong.. Your opponents serve though - damn he needs to fix that..alot of wasted potential.

Thanks. Cheetah has done a detailed breakdown of my forehand in the past and he came to the same conclusion that I drop the racket head way to much. I have a "pat the butt" position instead of a "pat the dog" position on the FH alot of the time.

Changing my technique has been very difficult as I already have bad muscle memory deeply ingrained... Even with lessons and a lot of practice I haven't been able to lower the elbow on the serve and have a more ATP style pat the dog position. That's why I've been focusing on footwork/balance/contact point/strategy lately...I have more control over those

As for my friend, yeah his serve is a big weakness. He didn't win very many second serve points against me at all. He got bumped to 4.5 and he's been struggling because of that according to him. You can only go so far with a serve like that

 

[Windsor]

I think you look pretty good and the shoulder turn looked pretty good to me. On most of the Fhs I could stop frame it where you were at or very near 90 degrees from the net. Sure there were a couple where you used slightly less, but most likely that was all part of your shot intention to go with a bit less boost on those, which is exactly how that is supposed to work. You give a bit less shoulder turn to take a bit off or get a bit extra when you want to amp it up some. Also notice at 1:27 when you got more sideways and stepped into that short ball, how that was the one that pushed long.

As far as direction, I notice as you use the semi/open stances, you had excellent net clearance control and still brought the ball down quickly. Some would suggest more depth, but I like the comments above about using more angle with that same crisp shot. You really seem to have that shot measured and ready on tap, so it just need a better shot line. Here is a way a friend of mine teaches to work wider, but not miss wide. Maybe his perspective will help?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFe86vybvR0

I like the way the coach hits the ball, though I am not sure whether he uses a full eastern grip or something in between continental and eastern. Very similar to mine anyway. it shows you can produce lots of spin even with classic grips.

As for the op your technique to me looks sound. You can work on improving one shot without necessarily working on changing your overall technique.

 

[Ballinbob]

Here is a video from today. The guy I play with at the beginning is a 4.5, the other guy is a 4.0. The video repeats itself at like 4 mins so my bad about that

Is my shoulder turn on the forehand any better here? Tried to really stretch my left arm out today but not sure if I got it right. Still hitting up the middle too much but when I hit away from my opponents I usually won the point.

Anyway, will probably use this thread to keep track of all my videos like before. I felt that helped me in the past. Thanks guys in advance

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRZEExHF5iY&feature=youtu.be

 

[Power Player]

Ok i think i see something - many times you let the ball drop into your strike zone. Thats fine but you are losing power and moving backwards when you do it. Ideally on balls in the middle of the court you want to hit them on the rise when they are coming in that easy. Its a lot more free power and since you will be moving in to catch the ball earlier i think you will notice that you will hit bigger with less effort.

 

[Ballinbob]

Ahhh okay, great point. I vaguely remember Cheetah telling me something similar back in the day.

The free power your talking about comes from having better balance through the shot and because of more efficient weight transfer (I would imagine ). Good stuff... I'll work on it this week and post a checkup vid next week. I think you're onto something

 

[Power Player]

Yep, Ive been fixing this myself and it made me more consistent and able to hit a lot bigger and cleaner again.

It really is effective against all players but tortures guys who just loop balls back with topspin because you will have trained yourself to move forward and take the ball off the rise in your strike zone. There is really nothing they can do once you get grooving since they are handing you free easy power with the momentum of that high bounce.

Main thing is it gets you in attack mode which will help with your balance.

 

[5263]

Biggest problem I see is you let the rec'd ball speed dictate your aggression way more than it's location. I don't see you moving in for the shorter attackable balls, but you seem to just wait on them and take them lower in your strike zone. But what I do see is that when you get a type of easy ball near the baseline, you do up the aggression, maybe as though that was your attackable ball....even though it was a bit deep to attack. Look at 2 in a row at 4:09, then another at 4:42 for just a few examples where you had a great chance to move up.

Imo, this is very common for a player to get comfy at the BL with those angles and distances, and not be as motivated to move when they can. While it is good to be aggressive in certain ways from the BL, I don't think it should be regular to attack from back there. When you are not in the habit to move up to attack, many players will then tend to often be over aggressive from the BL so they get to attack and not be considered a pusher or compensate for not properly attacking mid ct balls.

I think letting balls drop a bit to get more spin is a factor here and even so much that you back up at times to let it drop at times as was mentioned. My suggestion is to spend more time trying to contact at the peak of the bounce or slightly before the peak of the bounce. You will likely lose a touch of spin, but get more easy power and it will have you moving up in the court more often to get this contact point.

 

[Ballinbob]

Played the same 4.0 from my first video and beat him 6-4, 6-3 today . First few games I tried to be proactive and move into the court, and try to take it on the rise but I was missing. I stuck to it though and told myself when I get a midcourt ball to step in the court and attack it. It worked very well. When he would hit deep I would take it on the rise, but I had to shorten my stroke to keep it in and so I had to sacrifice some topspin. On the plus side, taking it early meant that I wasn't falling backwards and doing all the crazy crap I usually do.

Going back to the mid court balls though, sometimes I would step in and hit a hard shot but wouldn't follow it to the net. This left me kinda stuck in no-mans land and allowed him to get me out of position. I actually have half-decent volleys but I absolutely hate getting passed so I stay back all time. I guess I need to commit more and come in and realize I'm going to get passed sometimes.....

 

[Power Player]

Nice, a few things that may help you :

Watch the ball, get it in your strike zone on the rise. I just think "strike zone" when I play now.

Your strokes can be more compact with this style of play. That is not a bad thing. Ferrer is a very good example of this.

It takes a while - don't try and hit out much. Just hit clean and relaxed. Like anything, you can't just go out and hit hard right off the bat. Keep that in mind. You want to feel real relaxed. The ball should be cracking off the sweet spot without much effort.

One reason pros use such high SW frames is they can stay relaxed and crank the ball while using the plow of their frame and the momentum of the ball off the bounce. We don't need super high SWs or anything. I just say this because if you ever need a good reference, just watch Murray play for example. Very relaxed. His backhand looks effortless. You can accomplish this with any frame of course.

Attack balls diagonally. For balls going wide it is easier to circle back and then run forward. Habit of many. Instead take a direct diagonal route to the ball to catch it in your strike zone.

You should notice much cleaner contact and less effort, plus more consistency.

 

[5263]

Going back to the mid court balls though, sometimes I would step in and hit a hard shot but wouldn't follow it to the net. This left me kinda stuck in no-mans land and allowed him to get me out of position. I actually have half-decent volleys but I absolutely hate getting passed so I stay back all time. I guess I need to commit more and come in and realize I'm going to get passed sometimes.....

I would suggest you start out picky about when you go in and use your judgment. I call them "transition" balls instead of approach shots, to signify that you can transition in or back at your discretion. Imo the open stances help to keep your options open as well. I suggest to consider the opponent, the quality of your attack and the depth of your attack to help you decide. The second two can be made on the fly, but the opponent's passing ability needs to be accessed and factored in ahead of the play.

 

[5263]

Get to play again yet?

 

[Ballinbob]

I played with my dad and practiced serving yesterday so I guess that doesn't count haha. However, I re-watched my most recent video and then thought about what you said about not moving up on those few shots near the 4 min mark. I definitely realize that I should have moved in but I'm not sure what's the best way to do that...

Like at 4:09 and 4:42 when I got those mid-court balls, I didn't step in the court and instead waited for the ball to drop. For next time, I need to basically just recognize quickly that I have a mid-court ball, move up in the court, set up in one of the open stances (or use hop step if short and low) and just rip it? I think I'm slow in recognizing opportunities...because if I'm rallying with consistent depth and then someone throws an off pace, mid-court ball it throws my rhythm off kinda and I play it safe and stay back. It would seem to me this is because I'm not as aggressive as I need to be with my footwork but I don't know.

 

[Power Player]

I wouldn't think about the stance too much as you may be over thinking things then. Most likely you will naturally get into the open stance.

The point is that to hit balls on the rise in your strike zone it is more about doing that then the stance you use. I found myself hitting neutral if I had to get in early on a short ball because it was all I had time to do, and I was caught coming forward but needed to be on balance. If I had more time I was more open.

But I didn't really think about it, and that is the main point. You want to focus on getting to the ball and hitting it at the optimal time.

 

[5263]

For next time, I need to basically just recognize quickly that I have a mid-court ball, move up in the court, set up in one of the open stances (or use hop step if short and low) and just rip it? I think I'm slow in recognizing opportunities...because if I'm rallying with consistent depth and then someone throws an off pace, mid-court ball it throws my rhythm off kinda and I play it safe and stay back. It would seem to me this is because I'm not as aggressive as I need to be with my footwork but I don't know.

I agree, you may be trying to bite off a bit much at one time with all that. I've never said players must be in an open stance, but just that Imo it is generally the better stance for the mission. And you don't even have to totally just rip it either. Sure you want to be attacking in some way if you have an attackable ball (on your terms), but remember, I'm the one who harps on the fact that Not all short balls are attackable. Even if the short ball was attackable, but you don't get there in time, then it is no longer attackable for you. That is why anticipation & recognition are sooo important here.

The key here, is to get to the best contact point you can....with the best balance you can. In most cases, that contact point will be near the height of the bounce unless it bounces real high (higher bounce is another set of skills to work on). Initially work on getting there with no concern for stance. In video, you will see if you need to open it some, but likely, you will get it right. I try to think of it as getting there in position to go I/O, and from there, you can go to either target.

Another huge Key is to remember clearly why we RALLY.
We rally to stay in the pt....we rally to take control of the point....we get lots of UEs when we rally long and well......etc...

BUT most of all, we rally well to earn short balls to attack

 

[Ballinbob]

Thanks to both of you. As an aspiring petroleum engineer I really like to complicate and over think things. It's just my nature to think about all the nitty gritty details. I'll just keep it simple and work on keeping balanced, having a consistent contact point, getting to the ball early ect. The basics pretty much. I do think that's how I will be able to make the most out of the strokes I have, as technique changes have been difficult for me.

I'll report back with a video next week sometime as I don't want to spam you guys every day with new videos

 

[5263]

Thanks to both of you.
I'll just keep it simple and work on keeping balanced, having a consistent contact point, getting to the ball early ect.

You are very welcome and I think everyone enjoys you videos

Just keep in mind that when addressing the Contact point, Not only is it where you want to meet the ball in your strike zone, but also it is matching that point with somewhere in the ball path that is ideal for your intentions.

When you get an attackable mid ct ball, and you realize you can get in on it, you have to realize on some level that requires you to work for a position to take it near the peak of it's bounce. That's a point out in space ahead of the ball that you must anticipate well. You have to realize where the ball is going and position for that contact point, so you have your balance & racket ready to bushwhack it as it arrives.

 

[Ballinbob]

Here are some highlights from today against a good player. It was difficult to take the ball early against him and to defend the contact point but I tried. I think I can be getting to the ball earlier to be honest....And I hit WAY to many balls down the middle. Anyway overall I think I'm improving slowly but surely, at least compared to my initial videos a year ago. I'm going to be working with a new coach in the near future so I'm excited for that. I'm aiming to play a 4.5 tournament in a month or so and I will post my matches on here.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTYSeRktaQU&feature=youtu.be

PS. There are cross court forehand rallies towards the end (last two mins or so)

 

[5263]

Here are some highlights from today against a good player. It was difficult to take the ball early against him and to defend the contact point but I tried.

Did you notice that every solid ball you hit to his Bh was a chance to crowd the BL and move in for his reply?

 

[Ballinbob]

Did you notice that every solid ball you hit to his Bh was a chance to crowd the BL and move in for his reply?

I didn't really analyze it much, but yeah I see what you mean for sure. I did hit some decent balls that I didn't take advantage of. I'm not making the most out of what I have... Like the point at 1:42 I could have approached on the last IO forehand and put away the slice reply instead of totally missing it like that. Ideally you want to have both feet in the court when you move in right? I noticed I don't really crowd the baseline like you said.

And what are your thoughts on approaching with an IO forehand? I know the general consensus is DTL because it's easier to cover. Would it be best to stick with that? I will try to be more observant of this and approach the net more for next week's video. I need to make it more of a habit and use my forehand to set up the approaches

 

[5263]

I didn't really analyze it much, but yeah I see what you mean for sure. I did hit some decent balls that I didn't take advantage of. I'm not making the most out of what I have... Like the point at 1:42 I could have approached on the last IO forehand and put away the slice reply instead of totally missing it like that. Ideally you want to have both feet in the court when you move in right? I noticed I don't really crowd the baseline like you said.

And what are your thoughts on approaching with an IO forehand? I know the general consensus is DTL because it's easier to cover. Would it be best to stick with that? I will try to be more observant of this and approach the net more for next week's video. I need to make it more of a habit and use my forehand to set up the approaches

Imo, the key is to give the BL some cushion and be back 4-6', but then look for times to move in and crowd it a bit. Balls to the Fh of this player came back deep mostly, so the cushion would help there, but his Bh was consistently shorter and with less TS bite. This made for a good ball to crowd the BL in anticipation of a ball you could take on the rise and redirect away from him. Ideally, you pick this up early in the match.

Most of the I/Os you attacked were more middle balls, so they give you the option to go to either corner with good net coverage. This is why it is so poor to leave short balls near the middle T....leaves the attacker all the options.

DTL is the standard for a short ball approach to a side, but there are plenty of reasons to make an exception, like if he clearly favors covering the DTL and opens up the CC.

 

[Ballinbob]

This guy's forehand is pretty good you're right. And yes, anticipating and feeling out my opponent is not my strong suit. I'll see if I can do a better job next week... My goal for then is to not only be able to spot opportunities but to capitalize on them as well. And if I can freaking stop hitting up the middle so much that would be a plus haha

Anyway till next week

 

[mightyrick]

This guy's forehand is pretty good you're right. And yes, anticipating and feeling out my opponent is not my strong suit. I'll see if I can do a better job next week... My goal for then is to not only be able to spot opportunities but to capitalize on them as well. And if I can freaking stop hitting up the middle so much that would be a plus haha

Anyway till next week

I dunno, I thought your video was pretty awesome. It's a hitting/rallying session, so I wouldn't beat yourself up about hitting up the middle so much. You are practicing, so you want to be rallying. Looked like a great balance to me.

Look forward to seeing match video to see how point-play affects your approach. Great stuff.

 

[5263]

And if I can freaking stop hitting up the middle so much that would be a plus haha

Anyway till next week

This may be more about hitting back where it came from?? That is easy to do, but maybe a change in perspective and looking to see where you can change the direction or redirect a bit more might help.

And BTW, I think you are doing very well, but just know you are posting for suggestions and ways you can improve.

 

[Ballinbob]

I dunno, I thought your video was pretty awesome. It's a hitting/rallying session, so I wouldn't beat yourself up about hitting up the middle so much. You are practicing, so you want to be rallying. Looked like a great balance to me.

Look forward to seeing match video to see how point-play affects your approach. Great stuff.

Thank you, I've been working hard. Lots of lifting and running, and then I usually play on my rest days. Trying to work on mainly strategy these days as I'm lacking there. Stay tune for some match play videos, aiming to have some up in 1-2 weeks here.

This may be more about hitting back where it came from?? That is easy to do, but maybe a change in perspective and looking to see where you can change the direction or redirect a bit more might help.

And BTW, I think you are doing very well, but just know you are posting for suggestions and ways you can improve.

I definitely tend to hit the ball back from where it came from. I can actually move the ball around well but it takes a level of mental focus I can't sustain for very long...it's gotten better, but I'm not quite there yet. And yeah I'm not fishing for compliments lol, like you said I'm posting these videos so I can improve. I can always coach middle school tennis if I want compliments.

Anyway I feel like the advice on here is a great compliment to the advice I get from 1on1 coaching. So a big thanks to everyone

 

[Deleted member 23235]

great hitting. got nothing to add to what's already been said.

 

[snvplayer]

Looks like you have improved a lot. I remember your first video from a couple years ago, you have really improved.

A couple things I notice -

On backhand, remember to bring the left leg around after the shot as a recovery step. It should be as a result of you rotating into the shot. Right now, it kind of kicks backward as you finish the stroke. The footwork would be similar to the neutral stance forehand you hit at 2:09.

Forehand looks very nice. I think you can rotate into the shot a little more. When you swing, your chest and core muscles should lead your arm. One tip is to touch your left shoulder on the backswing with the chin, then the right shoulder after the follow through. You can intentionally pull and tuck your left arm into the body to help you rotate into the shot.