Best way to improve my game this summer?

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Barricade V

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So I'll have a lot of time off this summer to spend working on my game, but I don't want to dish out hundreds of dollars for lessons or any kind of crap like that. I prefer working on my game with partners who give me just as much advice.

What would be the best way to improve my game? I was considering getting a 500ish dollar ball machine and working with that an hour a day, plus matches and rallying.

To give a sense of where I'm at, I'm a 4.0 with limited USTA tournament experience.

Thanks!
 
Only two recommendations:

-Play people better than you on a regular basis

-Court time is important, but off-court conditioning can make a big difference also.
 
RyanRF said:
Only two recommendations:

-Play people better than you on a regular basis

-Court time is important, but off-court conditioning can make a big difference also.
Click to expand...

I always knew that cognitively, but I learned it experientially this week. Last night and tonight, I lost a tough first set and got smoked in the second because I ran out of gas. Time to actually use that gym membership I'm paying for. ;)
 
I asked my coach the same question

He said lose 10lb !!!

You may not need to but I think many of us would benefit from doing more cardio / resistance training

Good luck and enjoy the summer

Mark
 
A ball machine will make a huge difference for a 4.0 player. Spend 800-1000 though and get a decent one. Stucture your time on it with drills and then start finding practice partners you can drill with as well.

Taking lessons is great and all but if you have half a brain you can figure this stuff out through some independent study.

Until you get a machine spend your hour on the wall hitting targets.

Oh,.....one more thing. Work on your serve........A lot. Improving the serve is psycological. Its a huge confidence builder on court.

I hate to admit it but lessons are really overated if you dont practice all the time. Too many people out there just take lessons and play matches. Practicing alone will help to improve your self discipline and independence that are very crucial to tennis players.
 
Focus, Commitment, Hard work.

Focus on weakness you want to improve,
Commit yourself to a plan(invest money on lessons, ball machine, gym membership, video camera, iphone and time)
Only Hard work can realize your dream.
 
You can also approach it from another angle. If you play people 2 or 3 levels below your ability you will be amazed at how good you are. Maybe go beat up on some 10 year olds and save yourself the cash.
 
crystal_clear said:
Focus, Commitment, Hard work.

Focus on weakness you want to improve,
Commit yourself to a plan(invest money on lessons, ball machine, gym membership, video camera, iphone and time)
Only Hard work can realize your dream.
Click to expand...

How exactly does investing in an iphone help your tennis game?
 
a ball machine is a good idea. There are often good prices on a used one if you look around. As you also suggested, record yourself and self evaluate constantly. Also, it is pretty easy to practice serve for 30 minutes, 3 times a week. Greatly boring but, by far, the most under-practiced shot in tennis

I would try to make a habit of playing a match at least once a week . You need to play keeping score, or you will get in the habit of blasting shots. during your matches, try to push yourself- serve and volley, hit on the rise, etc.
 
i agree with Magnut

Teach yourself, there is too much information available online in all type of forms (videos, books, pro's practicing slow motions, etc etc etc)

A tool that i will add and is priceless (believe me) is taking a camera ( anyone with video will do at the beginning) and film your strokes. You will not believe how much stuff you will see inmediately even at a fast speed film. If you see pros and advanced players playing, videos, etc. you have an idea about a lot of what is going on in a stroke. There is a point where a good good coach will give the extra tip, but i personally teach myself 85% and it works wonders, when i see a coach every 3 months they always tell me that whoever taught me did right, not knowing that is mostly videos and observing closely good players practicing.
 
I wouldn't spend the money on a ball machine but I do agree with practicing serves with a hopper full of balls and when your practicing serves mostly work on the 2nd serve.. Ball machines are good for a 3.5 and less beginner that needs the muscle memory of a proper stroke. My suggestion is to play non USTA matches aganist all types of playersand levels soa play play but when i play i'm not concerned about winning or losing I play to get better for down the road.During those matches work on your weaknesses for example don't run around that BH to hit FH start cracking that BH.Yeah your probably gonna lose alot at first but you'll be better in the long term.What I've noticed that people can generally get to a 4.0 level but then just plateau there bc they stay in their comfort zone of shots . Each time you play someone focus on a shot or 2 to primarily work on like come in to net every opportunity. Who cares that you get passed 3out of 5 times but it teaches you to volley better and when to come in on the approach. I could go on and on of scenarios but playing in my opinion is the way to improve so when your in a league match or tourney those shots feel like 2nd nature and the pressure of the situation.
 
Some things that will help you get to the 4.5 level and beyond:

* A solid backhand that won't fold under moderate amounts of pressure
* An aggressive forehand that can be used to dictate play without spraying the ball all over the place
* A reliable second serve that goes in 90% of the time and can't be easily attacked
* Put-away volleys & overheads
* Ability to hit with depth, pace, & variety
* Ability to handle depth, pace, & variety
* Consistent return of serve
* CONSISTENCY in general
* Conditioning
* Mental game (determination, focus, etc)
 
NoSkillzAndy said:
Some things that will help you get to the 4.5 level and beyond:

* A solid backhand that won't fold under moderate amounts of pressure
* An aggressive forehand that can be used to dictate play without spraying the ball all over the place
* A reliable second serve that goes in 90% of the time and can't be easily attacked
* Put-away volleys & overheads
* Ability to hit with depth, pace, & variety
* Ability to handle depth, pace, & variety
* Consistent return of serve
* CONSISTENCY in general
* Conditioning
* Mental game (determination, focus, etc)
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this, it helps put things into perspective. The way I see it, I need more help with

1) Agressive Forehand
2) Reliable second serve
3) Consistent return of serve
4) Consistency in general

I feel a ball machine would help with number one and four, but I still need matches, along with tips and advice, for number two and three.

Thanks!
 
I can't wait for all the snow to melt here for my best friend, the wall, to come out and play! :D He's just so much fun, and really helps me get my strokes back after a lot of time off over winter.

Seriously though, the wall + Drop feeding yourself + the internet = a greatly improved game. It's how I do the majority of my practicing without a partner, and I find it helps build confidence in my strokes a lot.

-Fuji
 
Get your serve better!
Nothing else will have as much impact on your game.

If you have some fundamental flaws take a couple of lessons so you know what to do. A video of your serve could help point out flaws.
Then hit 200 or more serves each day.

I see guys rallying for 2 hours at a time. If you play me, you know how many rally balls you are going to get to hit in a match - NONE. You can't hit rally balls unless your opponent cooperates.

Another thing to do is get a basket and drop-feed balls to yourself from the service line on in. Work on approaches off low balls and putting away high balls. There isn't as much margin for error as you think in these shots and most people don't practice these enough. It will help you learn an all-court game instead of being purely a baseliner. If you are a baseliner, you will see a lot of short low balls from me unless you can effectively attack them.

If you have someone cooperative, hit tons of serve returns. If you have someone of like mind, you can swap off serving and returning 200 or more serves each.

Hit the backboard. Not just groundstrokes, but half-volleys and volleys, and overheads. Vary height, spin, and distance from the wall.

If you have extra money you can get a ball machine, it can be a useful tool, but isn't necessary.
 
I really like the original tennis tutor. I bought one back in 95 and have a rediculous amount of hours on that machine. Still works great. Maintenance is very very easy (you really dont need to do any though). Customer service is top notch. They will send out parts for free most of the time. Takes two wheelchare batteries that cost about $20 each.

The only way I would get something else would be if I had a court at the house with power hookups. The I would spend the 10 grand and get a playmate. Those machines are absolutely rediculous.
 
magnut said:
I really like the original tennis tutor. I bought one back in 95 and have a rediculous amount of hours on that machine. Still works great. Maintenance is very very easy (you really dont need to do any though). Customer service is top notch. They will send out parts for free most of the time. Takes two wheelchare batteries that cost about $20 each.

The only way I would get something else would be if I had a court at the house with power hookups. The I would spend the 10 grand and get a playmate. Those machines are absolutely rediculous.
Click to expand...

I never really considered the tennis tutor because it never made sense financially. I could get better stats from other ball machines for 100 to 200 less dollars. I'll look into those however, thanks.
 
Barricade V said:
I never really considered the tennis tutor because it never made sense financially. I could get better stats from other ball machines for 100 to 200 less dollars. I'll look into those however, thanks.
Click to expand...

I am not sure what is currently on the market and what the quality is like. I can only tell you that build of the Tennis Tutor is very stout. I broke mine down last year (just to clean it for the first time even though nothing was wrong) and there is really not much that can go wrong. I remember at the time I bought it I looked at the prince and wilson models and they seemed somewhat flimsy. That was more than 15 years ago though. I am not sure what they sell now.

Still, tennis tutor is 15 years + and going strong through a lot, lot, lot of useage. And I know if I have a problem they will do me right. Last year I spent some time talking to one of the techs just maintenance and he walked me through it. Then he sent me a box of upgraded parts for free even though I didnt even ask.

Anyways, I will be a customer of theres for life.

If you have a power hookup there might be better options now. I wont belong to a private club and only play on public courts.

One word of advice. Whatever you get, spend the money and get what you want. You will never get bored with it. I bought mine after leaving the service because where I lived finding practice partners was very difficult (Michigan is not a hot spot). I also bought the backup battery because I want to spend a good 4-5 hours a day in the spring and summer practicing.

Funny, I am actually going to be going out in a couple hours to practice. I Usually hit the court around 11:00 or 12:00. Thats the joy of haveing a ball machine. Its on your scedule. Night practices are quiet, peaceful, and private. You also dont have to deal with dehydration or skin cancer issues as much.

I think You will be really surprised how much your skill set will improve in the first year.
 
magnut said:
I am not sure what is currently on the market and what the quality is like. I can only tell you that build of the Tennis Tutor is very stout. I broke mine down last year (just to clean it for the first time even though nothing was wrong) and there is really not much that can go wrong. I remember at the time I bought it I looked at the prince and wilson models and they seemed somewhat flimsy. That was more than 15 years ago though. I am not sure what they sell now.

Still, tennis tutor is 15 years + and going strong through a lot, lot, lot of useage. And I know if I have a problem they will do me right. Last year I spent some time talking to one of the techs just maintenance and he walked me through it. Then he sent me a box of upgraded parts for free even though I didnt even ask.

Anyways, I will be a customer of theres for life.

If you have a power hookup there might be better options now. I wont belong to a private club and only play on public courts.

One word of advice. Whatever you get, spend the money and get what you want. You will never get bored with it. I bought mine after leaving the service because where I lived finding practice partners was very difficult (Michigan is not a hot spot). I also bought the backup battery because I want to spend a good 4-5 hours a day in the spring and summer practicing.

Funny, I am actually going to be going out in a couple hours to practice. I Usually hit the court around 11:00 or 12:00. Thats the joy of haveing a ball machine. Its on your scedule. Night practices are quiet, peaceful, and private. You also dont have to deal with dehydration or skin cancer issues as much.

I think You will be really surprised how much your skill set will improve in the first year.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your response. I'll now definitely look into their products with your testimonial.
 
Barricade V said:
What would be the best way to improve my game? I was considering getting a 500ish dollar ball machine and working with that an hour a day, plus matches and rallying.
Click to expand...
When you use the ball machine, think of it as a tool to improve consistency, not power. Especially when the balls start getting flat, I feel like the tendency for people is hit the crap out of the ball.

Use it to improve your form. You should BARELY be missing on most settings of the ball machine. Try to always be in balance, well prepared, and try to see how CLEANLY you can hit every shot. When I play, or playing well at least, it's because I'm trying to see how much power I can get with the minimal amount of effort.

The wall and ball machines are great if used properly, but they are also unrivaled for developing bad habits, both physical and mental, if used improperly. If you just go crazy on them trying to impress yourself or other people, you're going to get into a match and miss every other ball you hit and if you're really delusional think that you just had the worst day of your life when, in actuality, it was an inevitable consequence of blasting balls against a wall or ball machine.

Work on technique. Technique technique technique. Even in MMA, the best strikers are the ones who work on their technique and kinetic chain.
 
I have found, and take this with however many grains of salt, that if I groove my strokes on the machine the power follows naturally. I have 2 basic workouts that I do for ground strokes.

1. Groove workout- Pick a forehand position- hit 300 forehands, Pick a backhand position - hit 300 backhands, Hit 300 overheads and volleys.

2. Footwork workout 1. Hit 300 alternating forehands and backhands down the center to the corners. 2. Move oscillator to 2 positions one forehand and one backhand, hit 300 balls practicing footwork between the two court positions, if you continually miss slow down the feed rate until your footwork is correct.. 3. Hit 300 approach shots followed by 5 volleys, retreat and repeat.

I alternate the positions that I use and as I get better I increase speed, spin and feed rate.
 
35ft6 said:
When you use the ball machine, think of it as a tool to improve consistency, not power. Especially when the balls start getting flat, I feel like the tendency for people is hit the crap out of the ball.

Use it to improve your form. You should BARELY be missing on most settings of the ball machine. Try to always be in balance, well prepared, and try to see how CLEANLY you can hit every shot. When I play, or playing well at least, it's because I'm trying to see how much power I can get with the minimal amount of effort.

The wall and ball machines are great if used properly, but they are also unrivaled for developing bad habits, both physical and mental, if used improperly. If you just go crazy on them trying to impress yourself or other people, you're going to get into a match and miss every other ball you hit and if you're really delusional think that you just had the worst day of your life when, in actuality, it was an inevitable consequence of blasting balls against a wall or ball machine.

Work on technique. Technique technique technique. Even in MMA, the best strikers are the ones who work on their technique and kinetic chain.
Click to expand...

Yea, I'm pursuing the idea of a ball machine with the intent of perfecting and making consistent, my technique. I don't have the intent to play around with the ball machine, its for the sole purpose of getting better.

maggmaster said:
I have found, and take this with however many grains of salt, that if I groove my strokes on the machine the power follows naturally. I have 2 basic workouts that I do for ground strokes.

1. Groove workout- Pick a forehand position- hit 300 forehands, Pick a backhand position - hit 300 backhands, Hit 300 overheads and volleys.

2. Footwork workout 1. Hit 300 alternating forehands and backhands down the center to the corners. 2. Move oscillator to 2 positions one forehand and one backhand, hit 300 balls practicing footwork between the two court positions, if you continually miss slow down the feed rate until your footwork is correct.. 3. Hit 300 approach shots followed by 5 volleys, retreat and repeat.

I alternate the positions that I use and as I get better I increase speed, spin and feed rate.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice, I'll be sure to try these techniques out.
 
Fitness and serve.

Ball machine only if you are going to use it. I had one previously that I had to put in a car to take to the courts and I never used it. Currently I can walk 5 minutes to the nearest court so I take it all the time.
 
serves and return of serves. two most used shots in a match. two least practiced skillsets.

don't know of a good way to practice return of serve without a friend but tennis ball hopper = $20. case of practice balls (24 cans) = $50. plus you can use the 24 cans as targets. so $70 total to improve your serve.

ball machine is a great tool too but it's a good deal more expensive. and it doesn't necessarily help you one bit with serves and return of serves.
 
Ball machine would be fine, but you can rent one of those too - and really, hitting against a wall is just as good. Clinics and drilling with a coach would be even more helpful, and $$ better spent. Also - practicing and playing matches, especially with guys who are at your level or better.
 
tennismonkey said:
serves and return of serves. two most used shots in a match. two least practiced skillsets.

don't know of a good way to practice return of serve without a friend but tennis ball hopper = $20. case of practice balls (24 cans) = $50. plus you can use the 24 cans as targets. so $70 total to improve your serve.
Click to expand...
This. Especially your breakdown of the costs. I've actually got a grocery bag full of once used cans of balls. Think I'll break out the hopper collecting d/rust under the house...and hit the courts solo some more. And I've even got two little ball retrievers who work cheap!! Like my serve, but it could be better!

I'll add for the OP that any conditioning that can be done, should be done. It'll pay off for your general health as well as your tennis game.
 
I'm going to tell you something every junior hears, and not a single person seems to listen.

Fitness

Again: FITNESS

FITNESS FITNESS FITNESS

Fitness is a weapon, just like a forehand or a serve. It can help you stay mentally focused even when there are things going wrong.

Secondly: FUNDEMENTALS

FUNDEMENTALS FUNDEMENTALS FUNDEMENTALS

Fundementals are the basis of tennis (Obviously), but if you have good, well practiced fundementals, then it doesn't matter if you have a cold, a bad day, or you're playing someone in a third set at 7-7. Fundementals are incrediably important because if you have fundementals, it will keep you in a match you won't normally be able to.

(This is taken from my coaches top tips, I'll give all of them to you if you want. They all *seem* obvious, but very few of us really work on it. (BTW, they are in spanish, so i'll have to translate.)
 
Everyone seems to be offering advice but not sure if anyone has seen you play. So, it's hard to say what you need to work on individually.

OBSERVE in a higher caliber player what makes them better (but not the pros, they consistently do everything right). You already know what makes you tick. You already know what you need to work on. Play against someone who is better and after the match reflect on what they did right.

I think there is some general advice like 1) play a LOT of tennis (but not to the point of getting injured). This includes ball machine if you are lucky to have one, the wall, practicing serve. and 2) play against a lot of different players. Everyone hits a little different and some types are going to give you more problems than others. What is it about these guys that frustrates you? What can you work on to dispose of them? For me, it's usually pace that messes with me, that's why it's important to play against a lot of different players, everyone hits a little different pace. 3) Tournament play can really help you with 2). Tournament play will help you become a better player, no doubt.
 
Up&comer said:
I'm going to tell you something every junior hears, and not a single person seems to listen.

Fitness

Again: FITNESS

FITNESS FITNESS FITNESS

Fitness is a weapon, just like a forehand or a serve. It can help you stay mentally focused even when there are things going wrong.

Secondly: FUNDEMENTALS

FUNDEMENTALS FUNDEMENTALS FUNDEMENTALS

Fundementals are the basis of tennis (Obviously), but if you have good, well practiced fundementals, then it doesn't matter if you have a cold, a bad day, or you're playing someone in a third set at 7-7. Fundementals are incrediably important because if you have fundementals, it will keep you in a match you won't normally be able to.

(This is taken from my coaches top tips, I'll give all of them to you if you want. They all *seem* obvious, but very few of us really work on it. (BTW, they are in spanish, so i'll have to translate.)
Click to expand...
Yes, fitness mixed in with footwork improving drills. You could have a triathlete who is in tremendous shape but won't do well on the tennis court because his sport doesn't call for side to side movement or sudden bursts of speed like tennis does.
 
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