Advices / Tips on Groundstrokes

[Tiaxx]

So before the video here's a little background info about me...
I'm 35 years old, and i've only started playing tennis about 9 months ago. Never played before that.
Now beforehand, i already know i have some things i need to improve, but it would be nice to have some outside views on my groundstrokes and maybe some extra tips/advices on what and how to improve.

Things i know that i do wrong:

1- Not enough movement while ball is in the air. I stand still and i'm not active enough while waiting for the ball.

2- Inability to "read the ball". I still struggle sometimes with reading the ball as soon as it leaves my opponnent's (in this case the coach) racquet, which means that sometimes i get in the ready position too late, or i hit the ball late,etc... I think this is mainly due to my lack of experience and will naturally improve over time. A good example of this is on the 12:10 mark, where he slices the ball, but it's a high ball. I should've anticipated that the ball would bounce and not move forward unlike a more penetrating slice.

3- Adjustments after being in the ready position - Sometimes i'm already in the ready position to hit the ball (loaded up, shoulders turned,etc) and if i misjudge my distance to the ball, i'm unable to perform small adjustments before hitting the ball, so sometimes i hit either too far from the ball, or too close to the ball.

Anyway, here's the video. Any feedback and constructive criticism is most welcome.(i'm the guy with his back to the camera...)

P.S- Ignore my backhand please. I just switched from a 2HBH to a 1HBH a month ago, so still learning the shot. And this was the 1st time i've actually hit from the baseline with a 1HBH, so mistakes were made

Thank you very much.

 

[Lance L]

I would say you are making the mistake that 99% of us make, in that you are not moving in an athletic way. Athletic court movement is just as important as technique. Some have it naturally, most do not.
Forget about tennis for a second. It is March Madness right now. Watch these basketball players, preferably from KU(Rock Chalk Jayhawk, go KU!), play defense. Legs wide, knees bent, very active legs, lots of hustle. That is the type of movement you should strive for.
The thing is, athletic court movement solves so many problems, timing is better, positioning is better, everything is better.

On reading the ball, if you do not come from a sports background that will just take time. Tennis is a sport that you should think of in terms of decades. Think long term and enjoy what you are doing now.

 

[Tiaxx]

Yeah i'm aware of that. I need to lower my centre of gravity while moving around and not stand so straight. That's one of the things i know i need to improve.
Thx for your input regarding that.
And on the groundstrokes per se(as in takeback, swingpath, contact point,etc....). Any input on those?

 

[GuyClinch]

Pretty good dude.. Good enough for a 3.0 or 3.5 league in the states probably.

I didn't watch whole thing - but I'd advise you to not always move around your backhand in practice.. It's the weaker shot - you need reps.

 

[Tiaxx]

Pretty good dude.. Good enough for a 3.0 or 3.5 league in the states probably.

I didn't watch whole thing - but I'd advise you to not always move around your backhand in practice.. It's the weaker shot - you need reps.

Yeah for sure. It's just that this was my 1st time hitting from the baseline, and like i said, only started hitting 1HBH a month ago, so still not confortable with it. But appreciate the feedback. Thx

 

[meltphace 6]

You started 9 months ago? Pretty good.

 

[Curious]

Just a few points that caught my eye:
1. Shoulder turn less than ideal.
2. Not holding the left arm parallel to the baseline long enough during the loading phase, like bringing the tossing arm down too early on serve.
3. Not keeping the head still looking at the contact area longer (fixing this really helped me a lot )
4. Right hand looks nice and loose, I can see from the nice flip of racket.

 

[WisconsinPlayer]

Yeah for sure. It's just that this was my 1st time hitting from the baseline, and like i said, only started hitting 1HBH a month ago, so still not confortable with it. But appreciate the feedback. Thx

Can I ask why you switched? 2 Handed is generally taught more now, specially on clay

 

[Tiaxx]

You started 9 months ago? Pretty good.

Yup just 9 months ago.

Just a few points that caught my eye:
1. Shoulder turn less than ideal.
2. Not holding the left arm parallel to the baseline long enough during the loading phase, like bringing the tossing arm down too early on serve.
3. Not keeping the head still looking at the contact area longer (fixing this really helped me a lot )
4. Right hand looks nice and loose, I can see from the nice flip of racket.

1- got it
2- so what you mean is i should hold the left arm parallel to the baseline longer before i hit the ball is that it? As in, my shoulders are opening up too soon is that it?
3- got it
4- thx

Can I ask why you switched? 2 Handed is generally taught more now, specially on clay

Reason i switched was because unlike my forehand which improved greatly, my 2HBH didn't. I was really struggling with it. I always felt i was "too closed" and too tight when hitting a 2HBH.
With the 1HBH i feel more lose. And the difference is night and day. Regarding quality of the shot and consistency. I know it has it's downsides, especially with me being somewhat short, but i think the upsides of the switch largely outweight the downsides...

 

[Curious]

1- got it
2- so what you mean is i should hold the left arm parallel to the baseline longer before i hit the ball is that it? As in, my shoulders are opening up too soon is that it?
3- got it
4- thx

Yes. If you look at Zverev's forehands, you can see that the line connecting his shoulders is at least perpendicular to the net or even pointing a little towards the right net post when he loads. When you uncoil from that point leaving your head where it is for a split second, feels and looks great!

 

[Curious]

I would say you are making the mistake that 99% of us make, in that you are not moving in an athletic way.

I guess I am not a terrific athlete either! Just to clarify, this means we are not quick and flexible enough, right? Are there any other criteria? Strength, muscularity is maybe not as crucial, as a little slim kid could be very athletic ( though he may be stronger than me body weights considered). Do you add some sort of sports IQ to these physical abilities to get talent or is it something separate?

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

While you are moving, you're not split-stepping. Try adding a split-step during every opponent contact: you will get more tired but you will be able to get into good position more often.

Try to retrieve the short balls before they bounce twice. If you train like this, you will play like this also.

I like to think of the 3 Fs: focus, fitness, and footwork. Get strong at these 3 things and they act as force multipliers for your technique.

Your play is awesome for only 9 months. There are people who have played for years who don't have as good a FH.

 

[WisconsinPlayer]

Your play is awesome for only 9 months. There are people who have played for years who don't have as good a FH.

I was thinking the same thing, he is most likely an athletic guy in general to have picked up the game and gotten as good as he is.

Just keep working on your strokes you're playing pretty well, others have mentioned everything I see that you could improve on. Your next few steps once your backhand is more consistent is to start creating your "go-to" point setups to get yourself a shortball or overhead.

 

[Lance L]

I guess I am not a terrific athlete either! Just to clarify, this means we are not quick and flexible enough, right? Are there any other criteria? Strength, muscularity is maybe not as crucial, as a little slim kid could be very athletic ( though he may be stronger than me body weights considered). Do you add some sort of sports IQ to these physical abilities to get talent or is it something separate?

Unless you are naturally gifted, or ar working at it, then you are probably right, you are not moving in an athletic way.
First, I'm pretty sure you are being snarky here, but if I try to read past that you seem think it is something one is born with, you either have it or you don't.
In truth, I know we can all improve our athletic court movement, and that is pays huge dividends in our game. I'll never move like a professional athlete, or even the best players in my area, but I can get better and make a big difference in how I perform.

 

[Todd Hicks]

So before the video here's a little background info about me...
I'm 35 years old, and i've only started playing tennis about 9 months ago. Never played before that.
Now beforehand, i already know i have some things i need to improve, but it would be nice to have some outside views on my groundstrokes and maybe some extra tips/advices on what and how to improve.

Things i know that i do wrong:

1- Not enough movement while ball is in the air. I stand still and i'm not active enough while waiting for the ball.

2- Inability to "read the ball". I still struggle sometimes with reading the ball as soon as it leaves my opponnent's (in this case the coach) racquet, which means that sometimes i get in the ready position too late, or i hit the ball late,etc... I think this is mainly due to my lack of experience and will naturally improve over time. A good example of this is on the 12:10 mark, where he slices the ball, but it's a high ball. I should've anticipated that the ball would bounce and not move forward unlike a more penetrating slice.

3- Adjustments after being in the ready position - Sometimes i'm already in the ready position to hit the ball (loaded up, shoulders turned,etc) and if i misjudge my distance to the ball, i'm unable to perform small adjustments before hitting the ball, so sometimes i hit either too far from the ball, or too close to the ball.

Anyway, here's the video. Any feedback and constructive criticism is most welcome.(i'm the guy with his back to the camera...)

P.S- Ignore my backhand please. I just switched from a 2HBH to a 1HBH a month ago, so still learning the shot. And this was the 1st time i've actually hit from the baseline with a 1HBH, so mistakes were made

Thank you very much.

You're focusing on your opponent's racket too much and shifting your stance too slowly. Instead, just watch the ball and shift your stance within one to two seconds once the ball is hit.

 

[Tiaxx]

Yes. If you look at Zverev's forehands, you can see that the line connecting his shoulders is at least perpendicular to the net or even pointing a little towards the right net post when he loads. When you uncoil from that point leaving your head where it is for a split second, feels and looks great!

I see. I feel like i open up too much in order to bring the arm forward without making the wrist too tight if that makes sense. Sort of like a pendulum if you know what i mean. Guess i'll just have to focus on finding a good balance and timing for the opening of the shoulders and the arm coming forward. Thx alot for this feedback mate. Really nice stuff and will give me something to work on from now on!

While you are moving, you're not split-stepping. Try adding a split-step during every opponent contact: you will get more tired but you will be able to get into good position more often.

Try to retrieve the short balls before they bounce twice. If you train like this, you will play like this also.

I like to think of the 3 Fs: focus, fitness, and footwork. Get strong at these 3 things and they act as force multipliers for your technique.

Your play is awesome for only 9 months. There are people who have played for years who don't have as good a FH.

Good tip. It's something that i need to work for sure. Time to start taking my cardio preparation a little bit more serious so i can have the proper stance and movement around the court!
I did tried split-stepping, but was struggling with the timing of it. Maybe i should start with really short bounces in between shots just so i can stay more active and be able to react faster to the incoming ball instead of being flat footed? Does this makes sense?

I was thinking the same thing, he is most likely an athletic guy in general to have picked up the game and gotten as good as he is.

Just keep working on your strokes you're playing pretty well, others have mentioned everything I see that you could improve on. Your next few steps once your backhand is more consistent is to start creating your "go-to" point setups to get yourself a shortball or overhead.

Yeah i feel that once i get the BH more consistent it's time to start creating some sort of game patterns to prepare for matches.
My goal is to be able to start participating in adult tournaments (+35 years old) eventually, so will need those for sure.

You're focusing on your opponent's racket too much and shifting your stance too slowly. Instead, just watch the ball and shift your stance within one to two seconds once the ball is hit.

Yeah like i said in my OP, i have a hard time identifying the ball. As in i only recognize where it's going to land, and how much topspin/backsping the ball has a bit too late atm. That's why sometimes i move too late.
This is something that can only improve with the more i play tennis i guess?
But appreciate the feedback.


Just want to say thx to everyone that has posted here so far. Really good feedback for sure. Just trying to soak everything in like a sponge so i can start improving and working on that from now on.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I did tried split-stepping, but was struggling with the timing of it. Maybe i should start with really short bounces in between shots just so i can stay more active and be able to react faster to the incoming ball instead of being flat footed? Does this makes sense?

Go on the internet and look for split step examples. Timing is crucial: too early and you lose much of the benefit but too late and you don't have enough time between landing and moving.

Also, start with a lower jump/hop: you don't get extra points for jumping higher. And the risk of jumping too high is that you'll end up landing late. Murray, for example, has a high split on his RoS but his timing is also a bit better than ours.

Notice in this Bryan Brothers video that Mike [the volleyer] is actually landing slightly after Bob contacts his GS. This makes sense: landing in a balanced position readies you to react to what shot your opponent hit. In order to react, you have to have something to react to. Landing before opponent contact means you haven't seen yet where the ball is going.

Here are some drills you can do:

 

[Tiaxx]

Go on the internet and look for split step examples. Timing is crucial: too early and you lose much of the benefit but too late and you don't have enough time between landing and moving.

Also, start with a lower jump/hop: you don't get extra points for jumping higher. And the risk of jumping too high is that you'll end up landing late. Murray, for example, has a high split on his RoS but his timing is also a bit better than ours.

Notice in this Bryan Brothers video that Mike [the volleyer] is actually landing slightly after Bob contacts his GS. This makes sense: landing in a balanced position readies you to react to what shot your opponent hit. In order to react, you have to have something to react to. Landing before opponent contact means you haven't seen yet where the ball is going.

Here are some drills you can do:

Thx for the videos and the tips. Really appreciate it.