Worst Advice Ever

[Cindysphinx]

In my relentless effort to transform myself into a singles player, I had a private lesson today (usually I share the lesson with 1-2 other women). I was especially hoping to learn approach shots so I can get to net with more authority.

Instead, I got some new advice from my pro, offered in the form of a rather firm directive:

"Stop listening to your friends right this minute!"

The problem seems to be that my friends, bless their helpful little hearts, are telling me all kinds of wrong things.

We were learning approach shots, and to my pro's frustration, I kept stopping when I reached the ball. This is advice I have received from several teammates -- "stop and hit. Don't run through your shot. Bounce, stop, hit."

This, it appears, is bass ackward. The approach shots worked great when I ran to the ball, slowed my momentum and hit, and then continued forward. Coming to a complete stop didn't work well at all for me.

So. What's the worst tennis advice you've received from "friends?"

 

[Pusher]

In my relentless effort to transform myself into a singles player, I had a private lesson today (usually I share the lesson with 1-2 other women). I was especially hoping to learn approach shots so I can get to net with more authority.

Instead, I got some new advice from my pro, offered in the form of a rather firm directive:

"Stop listening to your friends right this minute!"

The problem seems to be that my friends, bless their helpful little hearts, are telling me all kinds of wrong things.

We were learning approach shots, and to my pro's frustration, I kept stopping when I reached the ball. This is advice I have received from several teammates -- "stop and hit. Don't run through your shot. Bounce, stop, hit."

This, it appears, is bass ackward. The approach shots worked great when I ran to the ball, slowed my momentum and hit, and then continued forward. Coming to a complete stop didn't work well at all for me.

So. What's the worst tennis advice you've received from "friends?"

Yep,

Its called the "dramatic pause".

 

[Nick Irons]

Stopping is ill advised when the ball will be coming right back to you in a matter of a second or so.

 

[Swissv2]

You will find watching a professional match in slow motion will give insight to the execution of fundamental strokes.

In your case, your professional probably saw you planted yourself a bit too long to wait for a short ball - which is the improper technique in this case (approaches are meant to get yourself to the net after the hit).

 

[Trinity TC]

So. What's the worst tennis advice you've received from "friends?"

Probably the "stop running through your approach shots" advice now that you mention it. All the Canadian coaches I had used to bash me for moving while I was hitting the ball. They wanted me to "stop, hit and start up again" on every shot. Fortunately, I started hanging with a bunch of expat Aussies that got me back to doing the gliding split step again.

 

[Tennismastery]

Cindy, the concept of 'running through the ball' can be miss-interpreted. The problem when players DO run through a shot, they step through as in taking another step. This pivots the hips around usually during contact causing the player to have to 'push' the racquet towards contact instead of a smooth, fluid 'stroke' which is what I'm sure your pro is trying to get you to do. However, if he did not address the footwork pattern for STAYING SIDEWAYS through contact, (usually using a carioca step, a toe drag, or a kick-back) you will have difficulty truly 'running through the shot.'

When possible, if a short ball is one that you can get with the time to set up and then stroke an aggressive forehand or backhand topspin, then you should do it.

On balls that are truly so short that you need to run through it because there isn't time to set up as I just described, you will want to look at and learn how to run through it without over rotating the hips and shoulder plane.

I actually covered this in an article at TennisOne.com on the carioca step and discussed the three variances that can be used to retrive a low ball short.

Also, your pro should be teaching you how to come up on this short ball and use the slice when appropriate. Again, the footwork pattern is the same as if you were going to come up and hit topspin, slice or even a volley.

For many beginners, running through the shot without addressing the proper associated footwork pattern will only develop very bad habits.

Hope this helps.

 

[kevhen]

It is usually better to slow down on the way in, but I don't think I ever come to a complete stop. You also don't want to run full speed through your approach. But it is good to slow down but you can still be moving forward on your approach. Practice enough times and it becomes natural, but find your optimum speed. If you make too many errors then go back to a full stop.

 

[lethalfang]

When you have time, step into your shot, not running through your shot.

 

[warneck]

Tennismastery, thats quite correct.

In my early days while I struggled playing good tennis did one pro advise me to STOP when doing approaches. That worked like **** and I learned later by another pro how to use proper footwork. The reasoning for the first pro was that I were NOT a pro, and therefor shouldn't try to play like one - Hillarious if you ask me! Proper mechanisms are important for the further development. Otherwise you will just end up being REALLY bad - Like one friend of mine did. He's been playing at the same level for some years. At the start we were about the same level. While latter I have passed him quite easily, now being more than one level ahead.

 

[chess9]

I was taught 45 years ago, by my pro, to stop and hit approach shots. I never did master it.

-Robert

 

[lordmanji]

i posted this before but it bears repeating in a thread titled "the worst advice ever." mine was from my league captain (whom i can beat handily) and it was given after a doubles match (only my third) in which i double faulted once at 7-8 in a supertiebreak and opponents held to win. after the match i asked him what he thought about my performance and he told me:

"stop trying to hit your kick serve and develop a dink serve." !!!!!!!

this is despite making 70% of serves in practice and 50-60% in matches. it was the most atrocious advice and i lost respect for him that day.

 

[kevhen]

50-60% of your second serves in matches????

 

[warneck]

I say a 90% chance that he's giving statistics about the 1st serve, and not the 2nd. His point with this may be that he not to often needs a 2nd serve. And therefor a good kicker with 80-90% chance is much better than a DINKER with 90-100% chance - I second that.

 

[drakulie]

proobably the worst advice I have heard is here on these boards.

They include:

1. Snap you wrist on the serve.
2. Snap your wrist on the forehand.

 

[cak]

At one point, in another discussion, he said he used his kick serve as his second serve, and in matches could get it in 40-50%, so I think he was talking about his overall service percentage. However, he's also a 2.5. For a 2.5 that's pretty much expected. (That said, I could feel his captain's frustration, but seriously, what did he expect from a 2.5.)

 

[ZPTennis]

on my backhand slice approach shot as a right hander, my left foot glides behind my right foot as im hitting the approach shot so i am still moving towards the net, but not really running through the shot.

 

[lordmanji]

proobably the worst advice I have heard is here on these boards.

They include:

1. Snap you wrist on the serve.
2. Snap your wrist on the forehand.

lol yeah my tennis instructor at college told us all to snap our wrist on the serve. a week later i had tendinitis and had it for the next six months. that piece of...when i asked him how to correct it, he said to put ice on it and acted as if i was liable to sue him.

 

[lordmanji]

At one point, in another discussion, he said he used his kick serve as his second serve, and in matches could get it in 40-50%, so I think he was talking about his overall service percentage. However, he's also a 2.5. For a 2.5 that's pretty much expected. (That said, I could feel his captain's frustration, but seriously, what did he expect from a 2.5.)

youre right im talking about my overall serve percentage. however, the 40-50 percent i posted was what, two wks ago? my serve percentage has improved to where i said it is now. about my rating, i self-rated as a 2.5 according to my captain's wishes and probably am more accurately a 3.0-3.5.

 

[mucat]

I have seen clips of Sampras stop and hit his appraoch shot. I don't know if there are clips of him running thru the approach shot. But if you have time to setup close stance and stop to hit it, why running thru it to risk a mishit? The weight transfer of the close stance will get you going forward again.

The worst adivice I saw is use your wrist, "flip your wrist on BH", "snap your wrist on FH", "snap your wrist on serves to increase power"...

My personal pet peeve is eastern FH cannot produce heavy topspin. Some of the people suggest that doesn't even hit with eastern FH, WTF!!??

 

[drakulie]

My personal pet peeve is eastern FH cannot produce heavy topspin. Some of the people suggest that doesn't even hit with eastern FH, WTF!!??

I've seen that as well. I hit with plenty of topspin with my eastern FH, as well as hit it flat.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

It depends what you mean by "running through the shot".

Do you just run through your groundstrokes and hit them on the fly, or do you make sure you are in the proper position to exercise your full body mechanics?

Naturally, you don't STOP and have a cup of coffe and a sandwich, but you do need to make sure that you are properly situated to hit the shot in a smooth, ballanced, co-ordinated manner-- and then fludly move on to the next position.

B

 

[dowjones]

Bagumbawalla, bingo, there's the winning answer!

I will add that sometimes depending on the pace of the ball that you need to run through the ball and other times when pausing for a BEER (not coffee) and a sandwich is appropriate. There are a few universal truths in tennis. Everyone here has hit a winner from an awkward non-traditional, pulled that one out of my a** shot. And why did it work? Don't know it just did. BUT, the 98% of the shots in tennis are somewhat traditional. That's why we can compare Sampras to Federer but will never know who would have won in their prime.

 

[Cindysphinx]

It depends what you mean by "running through the shot".

Do you just run through your groundstrokes and hit them on the fly, or do you make sure you are in the proper position to exercise your full body mechanics?

Naturally, you don't STOP and have a cup of coffe and a sandwich, but you do need to make sure that you are properly situated to hit the shot in a smooth, ballanced, co-ordinated manner-- and then fludly move on to the next position.

B

Yep, that is a good way to think of it.

The way my pro put it is to think of the reasons you want to slow down. One reason is balance, the other is so you can see the ball. You needn't come to a complete stop for those things, but you need enough control of your head etc. to really see what you're doing.

I was also told (by a bad coach) to do a wrist snap while serving. The same coach also told me the problem with my forehand was that my elbow wasn't flying up. I think he was seriously confused about cause and effect.

 

[MrCLEAN]

Worst tennis advice was to set up w/ a closed stance for all my groundstrokes, no matter what kind they were.

Worst advice in general was a flight instructor who said to "power back and pitch down" when we were too low on a final approach, but that's another story.

 

[spadesss]

i saw this one guy at the local courts many times given out "free advice" to begineers. i can't actally hear every word that he said but lets say that he sux. i was waiting for my friend one time and he asked if we can hit for awhile. i cleaned his clock at 6-0. i thought i can't serve or volley but this guy was plain aweful, worst tham me in a million ways. what was funny and intersting was that the entire time i was killing him, he was telling me what to do.

what an idiot. talks a big game but can't back it up.

so my worst advice is from people who talk the talk but can't back it up...not even close.