Help with Form/Timing/contact

[DaDave]

I have been trying to pick up tennis again after not playing for 5-6 yrs, since HS days. I have found myself in a huge funk since picking up the racket recently. For some reason when I swing, I feel really awkward swinging on both ends (especially forehand). I feel like my form, timing and contact is just awful. Most of hte times, i have to play through the rust for about 45-60 min before I can get into some kind of rhythm. I've been trying to play a lot to get out of the funk, but it hasn't gotten much better.

Not sure what to really ask, but I am willing to listen to any advice.

I feel like i need to start from the basics to get back in to some kind of tennis form. Does anyone have any advice/links/videos I can look at to help my fundamentals and basics??

Has anyone ever experienced a funk like this before?? How did you overcome this funk???

 

[VaBeachTennis]

I have been trying to pick up tennis again after not playing for 5-6 yrs, since HS days. I have found myself in a huge funk since picking up the racket recently. For some reason when I swing, I feel really awkward swinging on both ends (especially forehand). I feel like my form, timing and contact is just awful. Most of hte times, i have to play through the rust for about 45-60 min before I can get into some kind of rhythm. I've been trying to play a lot to get out of the funk, but it hasn't gotten much better.

Not sure what to really ask, but I am willing to listen to any advice.

I feel like i need to start from the basics to get back in to some kind of tennis form. Does anyone have any advice/links/videos I can look at to help my fundamentals and basics??

Has anyone ever experienced a funk like this before?? How did you overcome this funk???

Here's a link, Tennis Videos it has a 7 day free trial. Check out the "Tennis Guru" video first by Clinton Stephenson, he's on this board as well. Avery has some good videos, and the British guy with ITP has some good instruction as well.
I feel your pain, I came back to tennis after a 12 year layoff and played other sport such as handball and paddleball, thus I had to re-learn my tennis strokes and un-learn strokes I picked up from paddleball and racquetball. Just keep plugging away and start from the BEGINNING, then as you make more and more progress, step it up a level and keep goals. I started hitting against the wall in December and just started hitting with real people in March, I feel great and am about at 70% of what I used to play like. Good Luck!

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Practice and getting to the basics is always the key.

In addition to concentrating on watching the ball, court movement and stroke mechanics, I suggest that you go to some thrift shop and find an old, cheap wooden racket and practice your strokes against a wall or with a ball machine.

The wooden racket will not make you play better, but it will punish you for playing poorly. In the end it will force you to fond your timing and the racket's center in a way modern (forgiving) rackets cannot.

Good luck,

B

 

[shindemac]

The best way is to hit a lot and consistently. That means you should hit once or twice every week. Try not to have a marathon 3 hour hitting session, and then not hit for another 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[dave333]

rally softly at the service lines and focus on one thing: keep the eye on the ball. That should help grease up parts and make things more smooth.

 

[tennismike33]

Practice and getting to the basics is always the key.

In addition to concentrating on watching the ball, court movement and stroke mechanics, I suggest that you go to some thrift shop and find an old, cheap wooden racket and practice your strokes against a wall or with a ball machine.

The wooden racket will not make you play better, but it will punish you for playing poorly. In the end it will force you to fond your timing and the racket's center in a way modern (forgiving) rackets cannot.

Good luck,

B

GREAT ADVICE!!!!

 

[DaDave]

One thing that is so strange, is that when i slow down my swing, my swinging motion feels even MORE awkward. It's really choppy, uncoordinated (not a smooth stroke) and I feel like i contact the ball at the weirdest spot. I think my racket preparation and contact point is terribly off that now i have a hard time finding some "comfort". I'm gonna try to play twice a week but not really too sure what to Specifically focus on.

 

[FiveO]

One thing that is so strange, is that when i slow down my swing, my swinging motion feels even MORE awkward. It's really choppy, uncoordinated (not a smooth stroke) and I feel like i contact the ball at the weirdest spot. I think my racket preparation and contact point is terribly off that now i have a hard time finding some "comfort". I'm gonna try to play twice a week but not really too sure what to Specifically focus on.

Two thoughts:

1) "Slow(ing)down the swing" must still allow for acceleration.

2) Feeling "awkward" at slower speeds is generally a symptom of balance issues. Strive to be in perfect balance during every movement on the court. Taking a balance "inventory" during practice/play is generally an eye-opener for most NTRP players.

 

[DaDave]

Sorry, another comment... I feel like i'm not getting good shoulder turn and i feel like use a lot of arm and wrist movement on my swing (seems like this is causing me to have an inconsistent swing). Is there something I could also think about when preparing my arm, shoulder and wrist and also when swinging/following through?

 

[Trinity TC]

Has anyone ever experienced a funk like this before?? How did you overcome this funk???

Yes. I have had students that were returning to the game after a long layoff and one thing stands out. They have trouble coordinating their vision with their preferred contact point. Generally they get their preparation is fine but they pull the trigger on their swing when the ball is at the contact point instead of the 18 or so inches before it passes through the hitting zone.

These are things that are second nature to most players but seem to disappear after a long layoff. Hope this helps.

edit: Their mechanics get pretty funky looking (like you're describing!) but instead of making mechanical adjustments I usually do drills to retrain their tennis hand/eye coordination.