Feedback Series 1

Cody

Cody

Semi-Pro
Hey Guys,

The holidays have just began and i'm on a mission to improve my tennis.
I have been playing on and off for nearly a year and have been having tennis lessons for 4 months.

Every so often i am going to release a video and hopefully get some feedback on my pitiful tennis, each time putting to action your suggestions

Armsty a member on this board is doing me a favour as acting as my hitting partner so suggestions of what to practice are appreciated.

Old Video http://www.vimeo.com/6888495 Sorry for the Bad angle, the next video will be better.

New Video http://www.vimeo.com/6938115

My backhand is this video is awful and desperately needs work. cough footwork.

All help is appreciated. :)
 
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I swear something is wrong with the backhand grip... looks so unnatural.

Had some good fun with it though, look forward to getting the ball machine out or something :p
 
First observation is that you have a very strange habit of sliding your feet around instead of picking them up properly, as in using many small positioning steps, like you see good players do.
 
Also, don't always swing so hard on your backhand. Just focus on getting it in above all else. Getting it in and hitting it in the center of your racquet. Slow and steady. Your grip for the 1h backhand makes it so you have to hit it awkwardly, so do some research on that. Look for pics online of how it should be then experiment. But it's very important not to swing too hard when you're just starting out. Play lots of mini tennis and try to use the correct form when in mini tennis. Go for consistancy and control right now, it doesn't matter if you hit slower than a granny as long as you're getting the ball back, in the court, and aren't developing bad habits that are reinforced through repeated muscle memory storage. Footwork which leads into bending your knees is clearly important when it comes to both the 1hbackhand and your forehand. You really need to be in a position so the ball is in your ideal strikezone or else you'll be off balance and you won't be hitting the ball right. A few books on tennis will serve you better than most posts on this forum will in terms of written advice, and obviously a coach to provide you with visual feedback in real time is important. Do some searching on amazon and pick up a few books on tennis technique if you're serious about improving, it's real helpful! Above all else your desire to improve will be your greatest asset in improving, as long as you seek to understand and continually apply knowledge and experiment with new things in the game. You're doing great for how long you've been playing, a few more years honing your skills and I'm sure you'll be on the way to being a high level player as long as you keep working at it with discipline and dedication.

Also, technically, the backhand has a lot of things for it you're doing right, such as going low to high and finishing high. I think the awkward grip may be really messing you up on that one. However in your one handed backhand your non hitting-arm isn't doing what it should be doing. Do you notice that too? Watch some videos of pros and see what their non-hitting arm does when they hit a one handed backhand, and think about a surfer surfing, think about balance and what purpose that might serve.
 
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are you in Australia Cody?

FH stroke looks ok, contact is too late and you are pulling across your body more then I would encourage.

BH is a bit of a nightmare on this video. grip is only part of the problem, you really have no racquet drop. You take your racquet back above shoulder level then when you attack the ball you are swinging downward thus the ball dumping into the net. As I said in your previous thread, if I was your coach I would look at the 2HBH, you can transfer directly what you know on the FH and flip it to the otherside and it will give you a better stroke then your current BH. Obviously there is more to a 2HBH then that but as a foundation it should be ok. If you have a regular hitting partner who hits a 2HBH don't be afraid to ask for tips.
 
Solat said:
are you in Australia Cody?

FH stroke looks ok, contact is too late and you are pulling across your body more then I would encourage.

BH is a bit of a nightmare on this video. grip is only part of the problem, you really have no racquet drop. You take your racquet back above shoulder level then when you attack the ball you are swinging downward thus the ball dumping into the net. As I said in your previous thread, if I was your coach I would look at the 2HBH, you can transfer directly what you know on the FH and flip it to the otherside and it will give you a better stroke then your current BH. Obviously there is more to a 2HBH then that but as a foundation it should be ok. If you have a regular hitting partner who hits a 2HBH don't be afraid to ask for tips.
Click to expand...

Yes i am in Australia, why do you ask?

I think i am going to stick it out with the one handed backhand.
I will work on the racket drop and grip tomorrow if the weather permits me.
 
I think he asked because of the dodgy courts. We're probs one of the only countries that uses a syn grass court...
 
well actually the accent and the surrounds just looked like Aus so i kinda figured I'd ask. Syn grass are a disease here lol
 
They're damn horrible.

Nobody said much about me down the other end.

Obv a bit hard to see :p 4:55 was just a taste of my stuff. :p
 
C'mon guys, help the fella out. Never seen anybody this keen so early into a tennis carrer around here, would be great if you guys could help support.
 
From what I see, you need to work on your timing on both wings. For your FH, that's really the only problem you have fundamentally.

Your backhand didn't do so well on this video. I hit a one hander too, and from what I see, the main problems are grip and unit turn. You need to modify your grip so that you aren't swinging so awkwardly. At take back, you want to turn your shoulders and body at the same time as your arm instead of just one at a time. You should drop your racquet head lower so you can accelerate up to contact and brush over the ball for topspin. It also seems like you are accelerating at the wrong time on your BH. Try counterbalancing with your left hand more and keep low to try and fix it.

Just keep working on it, otherwise.
 
Looks like your hesitating on all of your forehands. You take your forehand back nicely and then slow your swing so slightly. Causes a long contact with the ball. Your forehand mechanics aren't bad. You need to hit the ball more in front of you but swing with commitment. Its good that your trying to focus on consistancy but hit through your shots.

The backhand really needs work. Check out FYB on youtube for a step by step for the backhand. Can't really tell from your grip but your starting your backswing way too high. Your trying to hit the ball over the net and your swing starts from above your waste level and down. Thats why they hit the bottom of the net. Bend your knees, hit the ball more in front, and take the racket back lower. You hesistate on your forehand but you let your backhand rip for some reason lol.
 
I seem to have gone backwards in my backhand.
My grip has slowly changed for eastern to something else which is this monstrosity.
 
You aren't letting your racket drop below the ball, you seem to be starting really high in your backswing for some reason? Start with a straight takeback because your weird loop has you hitting down on the ball and driving it into the net.

Use an eastern bh grip with your index knuckle on bevel 1. The racket should not be parallel to your forearm at contact and your arm shouldn't be bent. So take it straight back, imagine pulling the racket out of sheath and take the ball in front of you.
 
Back again guys.

I have a new video i shot the other day basically trying to work on my backhand.

I tried to listen to your guys advice about my backhand, i just can't seem to get my racket below the ball. that loop feels too natural slap* bad cody

i did change to eastern backhand grip and this is my first session with it.

New Video http://www.vimeo.com/6938115

Old Video http://www.vimeo.com/6888495

Thanks,
 
Move yo feet!!!! Get in position before the ball reaches you. Also, take smaller steps and pick up your feet.

Your forehand looks a bit mechanical.. but I'm not sure about what you should do. Maybe you should swing FASTER, but not necessarily harder, by incorporating an exaggerated torso rotation. Take back almost 90 degrees to your forehand side, rotate and go almost as far on the other side.
 
Cody said:
So I need to have a bigger takeback????
Or do you mean more shoulder rotation

Thanks,
Click to expand...
More rotation from your hips and torso. Combine that with the same swing speed and you've got a faster, more controlled swing with an equal amount of effort.
 
This will seem stupid, but when i rotate my hips should there be twisting strain on my knees.

It kinda feels like it is not good for my knees unless i pivot on one of my legs.
 
You turn your whole body side on, everything, feet, etc.

As you take the racket back behind you this will turn your shoulders, torso etc more, and as you swing, bring these around as well, this leads to greater racket head speed.
 
Don't set to early.
Keep body rhythm with ball movement up to the strike.
Racket back by the time the ball bounces. (your hand low back near your pocket)
Use the ball line that is coming towards you for your positioning to strike.
Swing long through towards your target.
Elbow straight through the forward swing
Finish with your hand around eye height.

Recognize if your are hitting the ball on the rise or on the way down.
Low to high swing for balls on the way down.
Swing line will vary more when hitting on the rise.
 
Cody man, you look great! I mean it. Overall you look better missing than most players look making shots. You just need to get some confidence in your swing and have some fun (like someone said earlier about fun). You look very hesitant, like you are trying to be perfect, but not ready yet.

I thought your Bh had a lot going for it. Looked real nice at times, then you looked as though you thought it might go too high, and compensated down into the net. Seemed like the best ones came more often from your neutral stance, but the more you closed it down, those seems to have less to them and more found the net. Lift those babies and brush up and across them. Try staying more neutral in stance and Pulling it across the body as you hit low to high will limit them from going too awful high and you can get more acceleration and spin.

I don't agree that you are coming too much across on the Fh, but maybe he said that cause you need to get more low to high with that pulling across. IMO your racket face is too open all thru your backswing. If you can come at the contact more with the edge of your racket leading (sort of like serving), you can accel up and across the ball easier to a nice high finish over the shoulder. That with lifting more with the legs will help get more spin with pop.

Go after these balls like you want to make them, not like you are afraid of missing. Work to almost catch on your strings, the lift with the legs and pull hard Up and across on both sides. As you develop more feel by doing this, your control and confidence can grow!
 
Cody said:
This will seem stupid, but when i rotate my hips should there be twisting strain on my knees.

It kinda feels like it is not good for my knees unless i pivot on one of my legs.
Click to expand...

Use more open stance Fhs and neutral on bh to help the knees.
 
4sound said:
Don't set to early.
Keep body rhythm with ball movement up to the strike.

Use the ball line that is coming towards you for your positioning to strike.

Elbow straight through the forward swing

Recognize if your are hitting the ball on the rise or on the way down.
Low to high swing for balls on the way down.
Swing line will vary more when hitting on the rise.
Click to expand...

some good stuff IMO.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. :)

That thing you said about keeping the racket face closed 5263

Is that like this:

/0 the / being the racket face and the 0 being the ball swinging from low to high.?

Thanks again
 
^^ havent read the previous posts, but you shouldnt do that.. will only lead to more shanks reducing the surface area by creating that angle.. keep the racquet face facing the net and swing low to high
 
aimr75 said:
^^ havent read the previous posts, but you shouldnt do that.. will only lead to more shanks reducing the surface area by creating that angle.. keep the racquet face facing the net and swing low to high
Click to expand...

yeh, i thought so :)

I think he meant through my backswing to keep it the racket face closed.

thanks
 
Hey Cody, just saw your second vid and this isn't so much advice or critique, but rather positive reinforcement. I like how you actually practice mini-tennis as far too many neglect or refuse to do this. In short, if you can't produce your strokes in a relaxed manner near the net and at a controlled pace, you won't able to reproduce them at the baseline. There are many who will disagree with this and deem it unnecessary, but I'm a firm believer that mini-tennis is essential in grooving proper strokes, particularly for beginners.

Keep it at!
 
Cody said:
Thanks for the advice guys. :)

That thing you said about keeping the racket face closed 5263

Is that like this:

/0 the / being the racket face and the 0 being the ball swinging from low to high.?

Thanks again
Click to expand...

yes, and actually thats a pretty good way to show it.

No, the contact doesn't end up like this, but it is as you say, it is the approach to the contact. It's called leading with the edge like done on a serve. Remember, how you think of things is not always exactly what takes place, but certain good mental images will lead to a cascade of good things happening that don't need to be understood to play well. Hence why many great players are not able to share with you what to do. They know what they do and how it feels. This can be hard for them to explain.

Right at/before contact, as you continue to lift, you start to pull across/up on the shot to the finish over the shoulder. IMO it is this pull that brings the face more to vertical for contact. MTM sets up these things to happen, but avoids those details that can clutter the mind. Of course that doesn't stop guy like us from wondering; especially after experiencing how well it works!
 
aimr75 said:
^^ havent read the previous posts, but you shouldnt do that.. will only lead to more shanks reducing the surface area by creating that angle.. keep the racquet face facing the net and swing low to high
Click to expand...

do you lead with the edge when serving? surely so if you are good.
Does it cause you to shank there?
In my experience, people who get the racket vertical very early, have more problems at contact than those who lead more with the edge and bring more vert right at contact.
 
I'll make sure to try it next time i play.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Yeh BooJay i read some good stuff about mini tennis and since then i have incorporated it into every practice or warm up before and match.
They say you should be able to swing your full swing and have it still land in the service box but i can't do that yet lol.

I might start using that hit bounce hit thing to help with my timing which is way late.

Thanks Guys
 
5263 said:
do you lead with the edge when serving? surely so if you are good.
Does it cause you to shank there?
In my experience, people who get the racket vertical very early, have more problems at contact than those who lead more with the edge and bring more vert right at contact.
Click to expand...

as mentioned, i hadnt read the previous posts, which i should have.. i thought cody was referring to the contact position only.. yeah, i try to do as you describe and lead with the edge
 
aimr75 said:
as mentioned, i hadnt read the previous posts, which i should have.. i thought cody was referring to the contact position only.. yeah, i try to do as you describe and lead with the edge
Click to expand...

thanks for getting back with that.
I figured that is what it was, as I have seen a lot of good stuff in your posts.
 
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