Does anyone else practice this regularly?

[travlerajm]

As an old-timer and mixed doubles specialist, my overhead is my most important shot. Almost every point in my usta league mixed doubles matches I try to set up so that it ends with me hitting an overhead.

I play a lot of I-formation with my partner tethered to the net strap and me roving inside the forecourt behind her. So I need to be able to cover lobs from alley to alley.

I don’t really practice much on an actual tennis court between matches these days, so I always try to include some in-rhythm overhead practice into my wall workouts.

Anyone else do this?

Overhead Smash in Rhythm

 

[10sbeast888]

As an old-timer and mixed doubles specialist, my overhead is my most important shot. Almost every point in my usta league mixed doubles matches I try to set up so that it ends with me hitting an overhead.

I play a lot of I-formation with my partner tethered to the net strap and me roving inside the forecourt behind her.

I don’t really practice much on an actual tennis court between matches these days, so I always try to include some in-rhythm overhead practice into my wall workouts.

Anyone else do this?

Overhead Smash in Rhythm

too few.. 100 in a row minimum..

 

[travlerajm]

too few.. 100 in a row minimum..

How much will you pay me to post a vid of me hitting 100 in row?

 

[10sbeast888]

As an old-timer and mixed doubles specialist, my overhead is my most important shot. Almost every point in my usta league mixed doubles matches I try to set up so that it ends with me hitting an overhead.

I play a lot of I-formation with my partner tethered to the net strap and me roving inside the forecourt behind her. So I need to be able to cover lobs from alley to alley.

I don’t really practice much on an actual tennis court between matches these days, so I always try to include some in-rhythm overhead practice into my wall workouts.

Anyone else do this?

Overhead Smash in Rhythm

this is part of my wall drill routine, which is made up of - warm up, fh only, bh only, bh ts/slice combo, cc only running side to side, volleys, appraches, OH, cool down..... 5 balls each, about 30min.

funny thing is many recs do this literally as an 'over head shot', which is hard to track and player gets tied up if it drops too low... far easier to do it similar like yours... if we call it 'over shoulder' most recs will realize that's the contact point with some tolerance and they can still handle if the ball is a bit high/low.

 

[johnmccabe]

My footwork and mechanics for overhead are fine. But I mostly aim at the middle T and just try to crush it. But 4.0+ guys are getting it back to me more than I like. Need to start working on placement too

 

[TennisCJC]

I hit on a wall once or twice a weak on average. I practice overheads on the wall but I do it differently. The wall has a net line and I try to hit my overhead so it goes over the net. I can only hit 1 overhead at a time so it's feed, overhead and repeat. I usually have 4 balls in use with 3 in my pocket while I drill with one to keep the action going. I have done the drill you demonstrated in the past but I think it trains you to hit overheads into the net. By hitting the target over the net line, it trains me to hit the overhead for depth and consistency. I usually hit 10-15 overheads and another 5-6 backhand overheads every time I drill on the wall.

 

[travlerajm]

I hit on a wall once or twice a weak on average. I practice overheads on the wall but I do it differently. The wall has a net line and I try to hit my overhead so it goes over the net. I can only hit 1 overhead at a time so it's feed, overhead and repeat. I usually have 4 balls in use with 3 in my pocket while I drill with one to keep the action going. I have done the drill you demonstrated in the past but I think it trains you to hit overheads into the net. By hitting the target over the net line, it trains me to hit the overhead for depth and consistency. I usually hit 10-15 overheads and another 5-6 backhand overheads every time I drill on the wall.

I do that too.

 

[travlerajm]

I find that my confidence to hammer the overhead with some thunder in my mixed matches has increased since I started doing this drill, which helps by making sure I have early body position and consistent footwork.

Every shot has to have my right foot planted behind me followed by step forward with left during the stroke.

 

[dak95_00]

I do the wall overhead rhythm drill like the initial video. The first time I saw it I was amazed but it’s pretty easy to do.

My problem is hitting overheads from “no man’s land” or further back. I seemingly almost always hit the net cord. I pride myself on never missing overheads (happens but rarely) while placing them too. I just bought a Titan ball machine and I plan on setting it up to practice those odd placed overheads. I will still use a wall for rallying when I just want to get out for a quick 30 minutes without much equipment.

 

[Dragy]

I have done the drill you demonstrated in the past but I think it trains you to hit overheads into the net.

I have been doing the drill a lot, and while I understand your worries, it doesn’t match my experience. I usually feel like hitting a spot on the ground with OH, unless it’s from deep back. Net is out of equation most of the times — it absolutely gets Djokoviced hit every now and then, but it’s when I frame the ball strongly or collapse leaning back, not when I “miss the target”.

But to be fair, I agree it’s important to warmup OHs on court, including in practice sessions. To get properly calibrate and know/feel very well when you go for depth, when you can smash it down and over the opponent’s head, when and how you angle it, including slicing.

 

[travlerajm]

I have been doing the drill a lot, and while I understand your worries, it doesn’t match my experience. I usually feel like hitting a spot on the ground with OH, unless it’s from deep back. Net is out of equation most of the times — it absolutely gets Djokoviced hit every now and then, but it’s when I frame the ball strongly or collapse leaning back, not when I “miss the target”.

But to be fair, I agree it’s important to warmup OHs on court, including in practice sessions. To get properly calibrate and know/feel very well when you go for depth, when you can smash it down and over the opponent’s head, when and how you angle it, including slicing.

One thing I notice is that this drill helps with getting that “dunk” feeling on the overhead, where you reach up at the ball with closed face.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Practiced my OH smash by playing a lot of badminton. A college team tennis coach witnessed me hitting a badminton smash (~30 yrs ago). He told me that I needed to hit my tennis OH pretty much the same way ~~ (nearly) the exact same mechanics with the very same degree of relaxation & authority.

I've taught tennis to quite a few high intermediate badminton players. The first tennis skill they mastered was usually the OH smash.

During the pandemic, I was watching a 5.0 player teaching tennis to his girlfriend. She struggled with hitting decent g’strokes— looked to be a 2.5 or 3.0 level. But my jaw dropped when I saw her hitting a world-class OH. It turns out that she was a pro badminton player who had played on the Chinese badminton team in the 2004 Olympics.

 

[10sbeast888]

Practiced my OH smash by playing a lot of badminton. A college team tennis coach witnessed me hitting a badminton smash (some 30 yrs ag). He told me that I needed to hit my tennis OH pretty much the same way ~~ nearly the exact same mechanics with the very same degree of relaxation & authority.

Have taught tennis to quite a few high intermediate badminton players. The first tennis skill they mastered was usually the OH smash.

During the pandemic, I was watching a 5.0 player teaching tennis to his girlfriend. She struggled with hitting decent g’strokes— looked to be a 2.5 or 3.0 level. But my jaw dropped when I saw her hitting. world-class OH. It turns out that she was a pro badminton player who had played on the Chinese badminton team in the 2004 Olympics.

had a couple of years playing only baddie during the winter and the first few weeks of the tennis season I'd feel OH was so easy.

the Chinese girl shouldn't even bother with groundies.... her serve must be jaw dropping level, just playing everything with conti, should be difficult to pass at the net also.

 

[Ronaldo]

Posted this before. Local player was OK at best until playing badminton during the winter months. His serve and OH was killer after that even though he used a Prince 110 to serve and 125 to return.

 

[dak95_00]

Practiced my OH smash by playing a lot of badminton. A college team tennis coach witnessed me hitting a badminton smash (some 30 yrs ag). He told me that I needed to hit my tennis OH pretty much the same way ~~ nearly the exact same mechanics with the very same degree of relaxation & authority.

Have taught tennis to quite a few high intermediate badminton players. The first tennis skill they mastered was usually the OH smash.

During the pandemic, I was watching a 5.0 player teaching tennis to his girlfriend. She struggled with hitting decent g’strokes— looked to be a 2.5 or 3.0 level. But my jaw dropped when I saw her hitting. world-class OH. It turns out that she was a pro badminton player who had played on the Chinese badminton team in the 2004 Olympics.

I had a hs girl on my team this past season that was a badminton player earlier in life. She could smash away an overhead but struggled on rallies. She just couldn’t get past the concept that a tennis ball hit hard with a flat or sliced stroke wouldn’t just fall out of the air. So many balls would be tough shots to return but most would just fly long.

 

[mauricem]

After falling and breaking my wrist going backwards for an overhead I've lost a degree of confidence in this shot and in doubles will call out "you!" a lot more than I probably should. This thread has motivated me to start working on my OH with wall drills.