too many balls in to the net

[TheShaun]

i'm putting too many balls in to the net on my forehand. i think it's because i'm trying to put top spin on it. the problem is mainly on higher hits (shoulder height). any advice?

[Zets147]

hit through the ball, don't hit down on those high balls (that are near the baseline, that is)

[TheShaun]

the instructor was telling me to swing low to high. that makes sense on lower balls but i can't seem to do it with higher balls.

[zapvor]

yea low to high is what you want. or just cut the net.

[Bagumbawalla]

Yes, it seems contrary to physics that when a ball is above the net that you should still be hitting it low to high.

When you hit THROUGH a ball with planty of forward momentum and driving your racket low too high, you ar imparting topspin that will drive the ball down into the opponent's court.

It is more naturea. od course to hit low to high when the ball is a foot off the ground, because, obviously, you have to just to clear the net-- it seems more natural.

So, when the ball is high, you really have to concentrate to do the same thing. Also it takes a bit more effort, control and timing-- so this is a shot you should practice. It is too easy to overhit this shot in a tense match situation. Have someone hit you high bouncers-- not too deep and between waist and shoulder high-- get so you can confidently hit a dozen toward the sidelines without missing and then you're on you way.

[rfprse]

Maybe a simple fix is:

Aim higher over the net.

[lilxjohnyy]

more topspin

[richw76]

Originally Posted by rfprse

Maybe a simple fix is:

Aim higher over the net.

All the other advise is good.... more topspin, hit through not down with momentum, etc. blah, blah. But you also need to learn to make adjustments during your game. If I hit 2 balls into the net I go back to my basics. Coach said pretend like there are two nets. Meaning the ball should be clearing adn you should be aiming about 3-6 feet over teh net. That will give you some margin for error. Once you are feeling confident in your stroke again you can start ripping it closer if you want.....

[topspin_17]

Originally Posted by lilxjohnyy

more topspin

hahahahahahahahahah more topspin makes the ball go INTO the net... the more topspin you want, the more height and racket head speed... gosh if your shots are going into the net then just aim higher!

[J to tha C]

Use your wrist more
or just simply take the ball as its droping.

[Mahboob Khan]

I was going to say this: On higher balls, looks like, your tendency is to hit down on the ball.

Forehand: High balls from the baseline: Take a normal higher backswing, but do not let the racket drop below the ball that much because the ball is already high, hit through the ball as if you are hitting three balls in a row .. some amount of pronation has to be there to keep the ball in the court .. and followthrough below the level of your opposite shoulder.

[skuludo]

Hit the buggy whip shot on above shoulder height balls to get pure topspin. Over the should follow-through at shoulder height tends to put side spin on the ball.

[mark rodgers]

When the ball bounces high, you're probably getting plenty of topspin but you're just make contact with the top part (1 or 2 oclock) of the ball which gives the ball a downward trajectory with topspin. Try starting from 4 o'clock instead. You can go 4 to 10 or 4 to 12 depending on court position, etc. Basically, the ball still needs to have an upward trajectory even if it bounces high.

[harleywilson]

Look at where you tend to stand when you're making contact with a high ball. There may be a reason why you're having to hit the ball so high, try to find a pattern. Take a step back or step into it and hit the ball on the rise. Low to high is the key. Get your knees bent and explode up into the ball. You may be able to avoid high balls by changing your position on the court

[burosky]

What you didn't say is where you were on the court when you get the high bouncing ball and what you wanted out of the shot. It appears to me that when this happens you are trying to put away the ball regardless of your position on the court. If you were on the baseline, your preference should be to adjust accordingly so you could hit your usual forehand (ball in the strike zone) for better consistency. When you are at the baseline, putting away balls or going for winners is usually a low percentage play. Also, if you try to hit down, your margin for error dramatically increases because of the angle of the shot as it relates to the net.

Depending on how close your are to the net, that will dictate how agressive your shot should be. On one end if you are a few feet from the net, you can take a healthy swing from shoulder level and hit a steeper trajectory with out worrying too much about the net. If you are further out, you can still take a good cut but now you have to consider the trajectory. One tip I share with my students is if you are facing the net, if you can't see the service line above the net, you are not close enough to be very agressive because you are not in your "kill zone". The same idea also applies to when you should hit an overhead. This is just a general rule for a vast majority of players. Of course, as your skill level goes higher, your kill zone will also expand.

[chess9]

Originally Posted by rfprse

Maybe a simple fix is:

Aim higher over the net.

Isn't this actually the humorous advice some coach gave Martina Nav. when she called him in the middle of the night about netting so many balls? "Aim higher", he said, and hung up.

Life is good...when you aim high.

-Robert

[Bodacious DVT]

Originally Posted by rfprse

Maybe a simple fix is:

Aim higher over the net.

maybe an easier fix:

take the net away