How long to see significant improvement? Or rating bump?

[Traffic]

So I played walk on tennis in High School. Just JV stuff. Played off and on through the years. But finally joined a tennis club this year and signed up for Flights and attend group clinics and a private lesson here and there.

I can honestly say that my FH is now as good if not better than when I was in HS. My BH is more consistent. I understand the game better. And I am learning to play doubles with some net control.

Most of my match play is doubles. So all the good speed and baseline shots I've got get nullified in doubles. Or at least half of them...

I had somewhat a topspin serve in HS. Which I can't seem to duplicate. Currently serving slop-spin but starting to get back to a topspin/kicker serve.

I've been working on improving my ground strokes. So I am able to hit through the ball better, but now I can't get my "brush" topspins anymore. Nor topspin lobs. Plus, I keep catching myself in no-man's land for some reason which I never do in singles but 3.0 doubles seems to be all over the place.

In any case. Playing in matches now, reminds me of how different it is to be casually rallying vs playing for points. Even in clinics, if you miss, you just go to the back of the line. Miss your second serve on Ad-Out and its like mental melt-down counter starts...

So, as an adult, how long does it typically take to go from bottom of 3.0 to top of 3.5? Let's say playing twice a week (one match play, one practice). I'm sure during the summer, I'll play more often. But with family schedule and such, this is all I can muster throughout the year.

 

[Moveforwardalways]

It's different for everyone. Depends on what kind of athlete you are.

 

[Turbo-87]

Exactly. Some people play forever at 3.0 just because they aren't athletic and have a low ceiling. A lot of people at 3.5 seem to be fairly athletic with the ability to make shots but typically have never taken a lesson nor will they. They are content being competitive at that level and having fun in a match. This is just what I have observed around my club and isn't a commentary on 3.5 players in general. It's one thing to know what kind of shots you should be making/trying yet quite another to be able to carry it out with athletic ability.

Don't worry about it too much. Just play and your skill will place you where you should be. If you are in a ladder doubles league there are some things out of your control in terms of your ability to move up. Your truest test of ability will be playing singles where it is all on you to show your stuff. If you've had a few lessons and can reasonably apply what you have learned as you continue to play fun matches and matches that count. The biggest mistake I made was never taking lessons at all. I've been playing four years and play at 4.0 and will never get any higher than that because I have bad habits that are too ingrained to fix at this point. I thought my excellent athletic ability could be relied on but only to get me to where I am.

 

[Traffic]

It's different for everyone. Depends on what kind of athlete you are.

Fair enough.
I'm 47. Pretty athletic (I'm an avid mountain biker and teach classes). But body is falling apart so I've had to make some adjustments to my equipment and style of play to my aging body.

Limited to play about twice a week. But pretty consistent with that. I'm not fanatical about reaching some goal. But would like to see steady improvement:

1) No or limited double faults
2) Damage control at net play
3) Improve consistency with groundstrokes

The biggest eye opener for me is how limited my exposure to hitting partners has been. Now that I am running into all sorts of pace, spin, etc, it's like seeing it for the very first time. I'm actually having more trouble returning lollipop 2nd serves than cannonball first serves. Since I hit with my son, I don't have many opportunities to return balls like that; especially in a crucial point moment.

I enjoy playing social tennis. So it's not the end of the world if I don't make it to some regional play-offs. But if I'm attending clinics and lessons and playing regularly and I'm not going to progress into 3.5 or whatever, then I mind as well go back to some other hobbies and play tennis casually (what I've been doing for the past 30yrs)

 

[Traffic]

Exactly. Some people play forever at 3.0 just because they aren't athletic and have a low ceiling. A lot of people at 3.5 seem to be fairly athletic with the ability to make shots but typically have never taken a lesson nor will they. They are content being competitive at that level and having fun in a match. This is just what I have observed around my club and isn't a commentary on 3.5 players in general. It's one thing to know what kind of shots you should be making/trying yet quite another to be able to carry it out with athletic ability.

Don't worry about it too much. Just play and your skill will place you where you should be. If you are in a ladder doubles league there are some things out of your control in terms of your ability to move up. Your truest test of ability will be playing singles where it is all on you to show your stuff. If you've had a few lessons and can reasonably apply what you have learned as you continue to play fun matches and matches that count. The biggest mistake I made was never taking lessons at all. I've been playing four years and play at 4.0 and will never get any higher than that because I have bad habits that are too ingrained to fix at this point. I thought my excellent athletic ability could be relied on but only to get me to where I am.

Haven't played singles matches yet. But that's all my experience. Doubles is new for me. So I've been learning to play doubles. I feel like my speed and baseline don't really give me too much of an advantage in doubles. It's all about keeping the ball in play and winning at the net. On the contrary, a lot of my good singles shots hit to where the net guy is since I'm used to hitting corner to corner...

 

[Moveforwardalways]

Fair enough.
I'm 47. Pretty athletic (I'm an avid mountain biker and teach classes). But body is falling apart so I've had to make some adjustments to my equipment and style of play to my aging body.

Limited to play about twice a week. But pretty consistent with that. I'm not fanatical about reaching some goal. But would like to see steady improvement:

1) No or limited double faults
2) Damage control at net play
3) Improve consistency with groundstrokes

The biggest eye opener for me is how limited my exposure to hitting partners has been. Now that I am running into all sorts of pace, spin, etc, it's like seeing it for the very first time. I'm actually having more trouble returning lollipop 2nd serves than cannonball first serves. Since I hit with my son, I don't have many opportunities to return balls like that; especially in a crucial point moment.

I enjoy playing social tennis. So it's not the end of the world if I don't make it to some regional play-offs. But if I'm attending clinics and lessons and playing regularly and I'm not going to progress into 3.5 or whatever, then I mind as well go back to some other hobbies and play tennis casually (what I've been doing for the past 30yrs)

By athleticism, there are different types that are necessary. Everyone who isn't playing pro tennis is limited in some way. Some people are limited by movement, some are limited by hand-eye coordination or throwing mechanics. It sounds like you will be fine with movement and aerobic conditioning. I'm not sure where you are on hand-eye coordination. Former baseball players, volleyball players, and anyone who was in a throwing sport tend to progress very quickly in tennis.

Sounds like 3.5 is attainable, but it may take a couple of years. If you did not play seriously as a kid, 4.0 will take more playing time than twice per week.

 

[Ft.S]

There are many similarities between your background and mine it appears. I came back to the game just about two years ago now after a 35-yr break. I was 49 at the time, and the first things I had to deal with were bunch of injuries with my feet, knees, arms, wrist, etc. I am not athletic at all and still overweight. After about 4-5 months injuries subsided, my body adjusted better, which allowed me to focus on my game more.

I started as a self-rated 3.0, but various people told me that I was probably more suited to be 3.5. So, the first tournament I entered as a 3.5, and lost first round 6-1, 6-0; eye opener! It took me about seven months to get my game good enough that USTA DQ'd me to 3.5. About eight months after that, now, I am a strong 3.5, generally play up at 4.0 level, but I also know my shortcomings to be successful on a regular basis at 4.0; I have some ways to go still.

As they mention, it is different for everyone. If you are athletic and can stay mostly injury free, your progress probably will be faster.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

If you're the type who expects continuous improvement, eventually you will be disappointed, even if it's only a temporary slump [as opposed to reaching a permanent peak and subsequent decline].

Might I suggest an alternative path: enjoy the journey and don't worry so much about ratings. Take pleasure in the game for the game's sake or the social aspect or the competition.

 

[Moveforwardalways]

If you're the type who expects continuous improvement, eventually you will be disappointed, even if it's only a temporary slump [as opposed to reaching a permanent peak and subsequent decline].

Might I suggest an alternative path: enjoy the journey and don't worry so much about ratings. Take pleasure in the game for the game's sake or the social aspect or the competition.

Agree, everyone reaches their peak at some point, and you have to just enjoy the game. But the constant feedback of a rating system, especially now with the constantly updated dNTRP record available on the web, is addictive for many people, who will spend time obsessing over that 100th of a point and whether having a better ATP forehand will bump them up that 100th.

 

[OrangePower]

Agree, everyone reaches their peak at some point, and you have to just enjoy the game. But the constant feedback of a rating system, especially now with the constantly updated dNTRP record available on the web, is addictive for many people, who will spend time obsessing over that 100th of a point and whether having a better ATP forehand will bump them up that 100th.

Yeah, I figured out that more wrist snap on my serve would take me from 4.3732 to 4.3750 at least, but then I played a match against a weaker player and only won 3 & 3 and my rating went down to 4.3654, and now I just don't know what to do.

 

[OnTheLine]

If you're the type who expects continuous improvement, eventually you will be disappointed, even if it's only a temporary slump [as opposed to reaching a permanent peak and subsequent decline].

Might I suggest an alternative path: enjoy the journey and don't worry so much about ratings. Take pleasure in the game for the game's sake or the social aspect or the competition.

Couldn't agree more.
I have a similar story with a 25 year break and am roughly the same age as you.

I play 4-5 days a week for a total of 8-12 hours a week depending. I have focused a lot of time, energy and $ to improving and am seeing that improvement as the season progresses.

I am conflicted about the NTRP bump/no bump, etc. I love my team and am now competitive at my level, and yet we, especially as Americans I think, are trained from an early age to demand external affirmation of our worth.

 

[Ft.S]

I am conflicted about the NTRP bump/no bump, etc. I love my team and am now competitive at my level, and yet we, especially as Americans I think, are trained from an early age to demand external affirmation of our worth.

It is not just this, our uprising, IMHO. Many other culture are similar. However, USTA and NTRP represent recreational competitive tennis, so it is natural to be watchful of ratings and improvements. Otherwise, one would join a club or a group of players and just engage socially.

 

[schmke]

It is not just this, our uprising, IMHO. Many other culture are similar. However, USTA and NTRP represent recreational competitive tennis, so it is natural to be watchful of ratings and improvements. Otherwise, one would join a club or a group of players and just engage socially.

And there is nothing wrong with setting goals to improve, and seeing results to validate that achievement. One form of validation is beating players you didn't used to, but getting bumped up is another form so perfectly normal for someone to set a goal to be bumped up and want to know their progress to the goal or enjoying the moment when it is achieved.

 

[Traffic]

Well, I am quietly competitive. But at my age, I'm also just thankful to be playing. If I can stay injury free, that's part of the "win".I feel like I am playing better now than I ever did in HS save for my serves. My pro idol was Michael Chang because of his speed. But I have a soft spot for McEnroe...

I want to continue to improve and eventually plateau at a reasonably consistent level where I can play with a lot of different people. I think that's the key. There is a point of diminishing returns for how much investment I put in and how much I can continue to improve. Strong 3.5 seems like a sweet spot for social tennis.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Yeah, I figured out that more wrist snap on my serve would take me from 4.3732 to 4.3750 at least, but then I played a match against a weaker player and only won 3 & 3 and my rating went down to 4.3654, and now I just don't know what to do.

And, of course, the new tennisrecord dot com site enables stat junkies with 1/10,000th points increments, per match ratings, and cumulative ratings.

 

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

Given your practice regiment, years. Unless you're only looking for a bump in your double's rating, then a few years. Speed and baseline prowess are still effective weapons in doubles. Speed allows you to close into the net better and come in off of a larger variety of approach shots as well as cover more shots and put more of the weight in the match in your own hands (which is good if you have to carry someone, you can just take their shot that they wouldn't be able to put away and just end the point outright yourself, though you don't want to do this TOO much, if at all, if it's just for fun). Baseline strength allows you to push the other person back, off the court, or slam it through the holes in their coverage. If you push them back, it makes it easier to get into the net (you can even sneak in). If you push them off the court, you open a giant hole in the middle or down the line if his partner covers it. Speed also allows you to basically hit only forehands during rallies, which is pretty big.

At the very least, you should have 1 day, if not 2, a week dedicated to hard improvement if you want to see quick and significant improvement. More is better since you can spend fewer hours a day and your focus is less likely to drop. It's also much more effective to have a cooperative hitting partner that is willing to do structured hitting sessions to get the most out of the time you spend.

For your current goals:
1) Reduced double faults:
Don't aim for no double faults. Aim for maybe 1 in 5 or 6 games (depending on first serve percentage). If you never double fault, there's a good chance you aren't being aggressive enough on the serve. If you double fault too much, you're being too aggressive. There's a balance that needs to be reached, and you need to find a good balance relative to your playstyle. Next, if you can, get a bucket of balls (can be the balls you've accumulated from your match days) and do 30 minutes of serving every other day if you can - 50-100 serves (100 daily is preferred if you're aiming high, though having a coach to help you with form and execution would be preferred in that scenario, and we aren't aiming that high anyway). Spend most of your time on the second serve. And the time spent on first serves should be spent towards placement, clean contact, acceleration, and getting every ball over the net. And for second serves, do not slow down the racket. Throw in as much racket speed as you can get, put it all into spin, and look to get clean contact. Once you can do all that, focus on placement. The easiest way to be aggressive with a second serve is through either placement or the action on the ball (or both). If you always throw the ball in the middle of the box, good luck holding serve when the pressure is on.

2) Net play:
First thing to know, keep it simple. Minimal movement, racket in front, and let it bounce off the racket to the spot you want it to go. Or just focus on placing the ball (which is what works mentally for me). Active feet, body weight through the shot. The power comes from (upright) body weight, not a swing. Don't lean into it. It's more like walking or dancing through it with your feet. Next, if you have a partner, have him feed you an approach shot, hit the ball right to him (but not hard, give him a ball he can work with), and come in. He has to hit the first shot at you and you hit the first volley to him, and from there you guys play the point out. Another variation is to play practice points/sets/tiebreaks where you always serve and volley (which also works your serve). If you don't have a partner, find a wall and volley with the wall. It's a bit harder because you have to inject some pace into it through a small swing to keep a rally going. Anyways, a lot about volleying is simply about placement. You can go pretty far just by having really good placement on your volleys.

3) Improved groundstroke consistency:
Cooperative hitting. You and your hitting partner hit balls back to each other nonstop. The goal is to get repetitions. Do this down the middle, crosscourt, and down the line. Focus on hitting a repeatable shot. Have good margin over the net (2-3 feet or 3/4-1 meters) and from the lines (~3 feet or 1 meter) so that if you make a mistake, it's still likely to go in. The margins you use depends on your skill and ability to reliably hit a shot within those parameters.

4) Serve returns:
The reason you have an easier time with hard serves than slow serves is that it is instinctively obvious to block hard serves, whereas slow serves bait you to take a full swing to "be aggressive" on them. While taking a big swing is an option, it's not necessarily the highest percentage one unless the gap in skill is pretty high. The correct answer is to step up and take a half swing. You move forward to take the ball early (taking time away from the opponent) and take a half swing to ensure clean contact and control over the ball. Play the ball deep and/or to a hole in their defense (in singles I generally play this as an approach down the line into the corner if I don't look to butcher the serve outright). Extra power on this shot comes from your weight moving through the shot. Alternatively, you can chip and charge. As you get better, and your ability to line it up gets better, you can rip on the ball with this half swing. And as you get better, the swing might get a little bigger, but still won't be a full swing, as you rip on it. But the way to start learning to deal with this is to step up, take a half swing, get clean contact through the shot, and place it somewhere deep and difficult to deal with. Remember, depth/placement and clean contact through the strike zone is what creates a tough shot. Pace and spin just add to the degree of difficulty (and consistency, in the case of spin).

 

[OrangePower]

And, of course, the new tennisrecord dot com site enables stat junkies with 1/10,000th points increments, per match ratings, and cumulative ratings.

Hey, I work hard for each 1 / 10,000th of a point!

 

[Traffic]

Given your practice regiment, years. Unless you're only looking for a bump in your double's rating, then a few years. Speed and baseline prowess are still effective weapons in doubles. Speed allows you to close into the net better and come in off of a larger variety of approach shots as well as cover more shots and put more of the weight in the match in your own hands (which is good if you have to carry someone, you can just take their shot that they wouldn't be able to put away and just end the point outright yourself, though you don't want to do this TOO much, if at all, if it's just for fun). Baseline strength allows you to push the other person back, off the court, or slam it through the holes in their coverage. If you push them back, it makes it easier to get into the net (you can even sneak in). If you push them off the court, you open a giant hole in the middle or down the line if his partner covers it. Speed also allows you to basically hit only forehands during rallies, which is pretty big.

At the very least, you should have 1 day, if not 2, a week dedicated to hard improvement if you want to see quick and significant improvement. More is better since you can spend fewer hours a day and your focus is less likely to drop. It's also much more effective to have a cooperative hitting partner that is willing to do structured hitting sessions to get the most out of the time you spend.

For your current goals:
1) Reduced double faults:
Don't aim for no double faults. Aim for maybe 1 in 5 or 6 games (depending on first serve percentage). If you never double fault, there's a good chance you aren't being aggressive enough on the serve. If you double fault too much, you're being too aggressive. There's a balance that needs to be reached, and you need to find a good balance relative to your playstyle. Next, if you can, get a bucket of balls (can be the balls you've accumulated from your match days) and do 30 minutes of serving every other day if you can - 50-100 serves (100 daily is preferred if you're aiming high, though having a coach to help you with form and execution would be preferred in that scenario, and we aren't aiming that high anyway). Spend most of your time on the second serve. And the time spent on first serves should be spent towards placement, clean contact, acceleration, and getting every ball over the net. And for second serves, do not slow down the racket. Throw in as much racket speed as you can get, put it all into spin, and look to get clean contact. Once you can do all that, focus on placement. The easiest way to be aggressive with a second serve is through either placement or the action on the ball (or both). If you always throw the ball in the middle of the box, good luck holding serve when the pressure is on.

2) Net play:
First thing to know, keep it simple. Minimal movement, racket in front, and let it bounce off the racket to the spot you want it to go. Or just focus on placing the ball (which is what works mentally for me). Active feet, body weight through the shot. The power comes from (upright) body weight, not a swing. Don't lean into it. It's more like walking or dancing through it with your feet. Next, if you have a partner, have him feed you an approach shot, hit the ball right to him (but not hard, give him a ball he can work with), and come in. He has to hit the first shot at you and you hit the first volley to him, and from there you guys play the point out. Another variation is to play practice points/sets/tiebreaks where you always serve and volley (which also works your serve). If you don't have a partner, find a wall and volley with the wall. It's a bit harder because you have to inject some pace into it through a small swing to keep a rally going. Anyways, a lot about volleying is simply about placement. You can go pretty far just by having really good placement on your volleys.

3) Improved groundstroke consistency:
Cooperative hitting. You and your hitting partner hit balls back to each other nonstop. The goal is to get repetitions. Do this down the middle, crosscourt, and down the line. Focus on hitting a repeatable shot. Have good margin over the net (2-3 feet or 3/4-1 meters) and from the lines (~3 feet or 1 meter) so that if you make a mistake, it's still likely to go in. The margins you use depends on your skill and ability to reliably hit a shot within those parameters.

4) Serve returns:
The reason you have an easier time with hard serves than slow serves is that it is instinctively obvious to block hard serves, whereas slow serves bait you to take a full swing to "be aggressive" on them. While taking a big swing is an option, it's not necessarily the highest percentage one unless the gap in skill is pretty high. The correct answer is to step up and take a half swing. You move forward to take the ball early (taking time away from the opponent) and take a half swing to ensure clean contact and control over the ball. Play the ball deep and/or to a hole in their defense (in singles I generally play this as an approach down the line into the corner if I don't look to butcher the serve outright). Extra power on this shot comes from your weight moving through the shot. Alternatively, you can chip and charge. As you get better, and your ability to line it up gets better, you can rip on the ball with this half swing. And as you get better, the swing might get a little bigger, but still won't be a full swing, as you rip on it. But the way to start learning to deal with this is to step up, take a half swing, get clean contact through the shot, and place it somewhere deep and difficult to deal with. Remember, depth/placement and clean contact through the strike zone is what creates a tough shot. Pace and spin just add to the degree of difficulty (and consistency, in the case of spin).

Some great, simple tips to focus my practice and match on.

 

[Traffic]

Some great, simple tips to focus my practice and match on.

Ok. Maybe tips not so simple to execute. But at least they are simple enough to keep in my head.

I think when I was working on improving my serve with a private coach, there was too much going on. Plus, my muscles were not used to the motion so I got sore very quickly. But after that session, my take-away was bend my legs rather than arch my back.

A month later, I went back for another lesson. The coach helped refine my toss and accelerate my racquet through the ball to get it to spin more and more consistently. Now I visualize my racquet brushing the hell out of the back of the ball with max RHS coming AFTER contact rather than thinking of max RHS AT contact.

So I think I'm needing to break down each aspect into bite sized pieces I can chew on.

 

[ZirkusAffe]

dubs, movement (with your partner) and communication = underrated... these are skills so vital but not often taught if you just actively implore them you'll play better as a team regardless your other skill level.
Who's covering what pre-point, live ball communication... doesn't need to be a big verbose game plan, just communication to help each other out. I see long time partners that still both go for a ball in the middle a team that's gone to Nationals (1dubs) it's kind of embarrassing not that it doesn't happen from time to time but simple communication corrects that, and it covers the court making the court smaller for the opponent. Even if you don't know your partner week to week you can communicate.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

Just keep playing, and push a little more.
Anyone with a pulse can get to 3.5 by simply bunting the ball back
Practice the serve.
Getting past that will require lessons to fix your probably broken and non-existent mechanics

 

[Traffic]

Just keep playing, and push a little more.
Anyone with a pulse can get to 3.5 by simply bunting the ball back
Practice the serve.
Getting past that will require lessons to fix your probably broken and non-existent mechanics

I'm gonna have to practice up on my bunting and lollipop serves!

 

[johnnyb]

Really nice training program, thanks!

Given your practice regiment, years. Unless you're only looking for a bump in your double's rating, then a few years. Speed and baseline prowess are still effective weapons in doubles. Speed allows you to close into the net better and come in off of a larger variety of approach shots as well as cover more shots and put more of the weight in the match in your own hands (which is good if you have to carry someone, you can just take their shot that they wouldn't be able to put away and just end the point outright yourself, though you don't want to do this TOO much, if at all, if it's just for fun). Baseline strength allows you to push the other person back, off the court, or slam it through the holes in their coverage. If you push them back, it makes it easier to get into the net (you can even sneak in). If you push them off the court, you open a giant hole in the middle or down the line if his partner covers it. Speed also allows you to basically hit only forehands during rallies, which is pretty big.

At the very least, you should have 1 day, if not 2, a week dedicated to hard improvement if you want to see quick and significant improvement. More is better since you can spend fewer hours a day and your focus is less likely to drop. It's also much more effective to have a cooperative hitting partner that is willing to do structured hitting sessions to get the most out of the time you spend.

For your current goals:
1) Reduced double faults:
Don't aim for no double faults. Aim for maybe 1 in 5 or 6 games (depending on first serve percentage). If you never double fault, there's a good chance you aren't being aggressive enough on the serve. If you double fault too much, you're being too aggressive. There's a balance that needs to be reached, and you need to find a good balance relative to your playstyle. Next, if you can, get a bucket of balls (can be the balls you've accumulated from your match days) and do 30 minutes of serving every other day if you can - 50-100 serves (100 daily is preferred if you're aiming high, though having a coach to help you with form and execution would be preferred in that scenario, and we aren't aiming that high anyway). Spend most of your time on the second serve. And the time spent on first serves should be spent towards placement, clean contact, acceleration, and getting every ball over the net. And for second serves, do not slow down the racket. Throw in as much racket speed as you can get, put it all into spin, and look to get clean contact. Once you can do all that, focus on placement. The easiest way to be aggressive with a second serve is through either placement or the action on the ball (or both). If you always throw the ball in the middle of the box, good luck holding serve when the pressure is on.

2) Net play:
First thing to know, keep it simple. Minimal movement, racket in front, and let it bounce off the racket to the spot you want it to go. Or just focus on placing the ball (which is what works mentally for me). Active feet, body weight through the shot. The power comes from (upright) body weight, not a swing. Don't lean into it. It's more like walking or dancing through it with your feet. Next, if you have a partner, have him feed you an approach shot, hit the ball right to him (but not hard, give him a ball he can work with), and come in. He has to hit the first shot at you and you hit the first volley to him, and from there you guys play the point out. Another variation is to play practice points/sets/tiebreaks where you always serve and volley (which also works your serve). If you don't have a partner, find a wall and volley with the wall. It's a bit harder because you have to inject some pace into it through a small swing to keep a rally going. Anyways, a lot about volleying is simply about placement. You can go pretty far just by having really good placement on your volleys.

3) Improved groundstroke consistency:
Cooperative hitting. You and your hitting partner hit balls back to each other nonstop. The goal is to get repetitions. Do this down the middle, crosscourt, and down the line. Focus on hitting a repeatable shot. Have good margin over the net (2-3 feet or 3/4-1 meters) and from the lines (~3 feet or 1 meter) so that if you make a mistake, it's still likely to go in. The margins you use depends on your skill and ability to reliably hit a shot within those parameters.

4) Serve returns:
The reason you have an easier time with hard serves than slow serves is that it is instinctively obvious to block hard serves, whereas slow serves bait you to take a full swing to "be aggressive" on them. While taking a big swing is an option, it's not necessarily the highest percentage one unless the gap in skill is pretty high. The correct answer is to step up and take a half swing. You move forward to take the ball early (taking time away from the opponent) and take a half swing to ensure clean contact and control over the ball. Play the ball deep and/or to a hole in their defense (in singles I generally play this as an approach down the line into the corner if I don't look to butcher the serve outright). Extra power on this shot comes from your weight moving through the shot. Alternatively, you can chip and charge. As you get better, and your ability to line it up gets better, you can rip on the ball with this half swing. And as you get better, the swing might get a little bigger, but still won't be a full swing, as you rip on it. But the way to start learning to deal with this is to step up, take a half swing, get clean contact through the shot, and place it somewhere deep and difficult to deal with. Remember, depth/placement and clean contact through the strike zone is what creates a tough shot. Pace and spin just add to the degree of difficulty (and consistency, in the case of spin).

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

I'm gonna have to practice up on my bunting and lollipop serves!

You think I am kidding?
Keep losing matches by giving away 50 points to players who can barely hit 3 clean shots in a row.
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...e-solution-to-beating-pushers-forever.583119/

 

[Traffic]

You think I am kidding?
Keep losing matches by giving away 50 points to players who can barely hit 3 clean shots in a row.
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...e-solution-to-beating-pushers-forever.583119/

My response was a bit tongue in cheek. But I understand your point. At this level, getting the ball over the net increases my chance of winning by a large margin. I think for the past 3mos, I'd been struggling both in technique, strategy (never really played doubles) and equipment.

My biggest struggle over this past month have been my serves. If my serves go in, I do well. Otherwise, I give my opponents 2-3 free points in a game. 40-love and next thing you know it's 40-30 rather than already being GAME. I've had 3 private coaching sessions where we've gone over my serve and it's slowly coming in more consistently. I was using a slop spin (somewhere between a top and slice). But I've been working on a kicker that is finally getting some opposite direction movement and coming in more consistently.

In addition, I think I landed on a set of strings for my racquet that is working with me. Good comfort, good control, good access to spin. I changed over to a control racquet from a spin racquet and it's taken some time to find my technique as well as a good set of strings. Groundies are coming in. I still have a tendency to hit singles DTL shots by accident right into the net guy. But CC is starting to become more 2nd nature. The two strokes I had lost in the racquet transition was shallow topspin FH and topspin lob. It's come back.

I've worked on my position at the net. I just have to remember to release after each hit to my side and then back into position. The next step would be to actually develop my volley strokes. One significant technique at a time...

I like your post regarding playing tennis and I do enjoy a good driving analogy as I used to drive my car on a racetrack. My friend and I used to have discussions about running off the track. If you don't spin your car, how do you know where the limit is?

 

[ChaelAZ]

I never got bumped. Even with a 10-4 record in season, playing mostly #1 singles and dubs, and winning both of my sectional matches, I didn't get bumped. I got C'd. I just played up and was a decent 50/50 player there. It is still a running joke to today, though I stopped playing leagues a few years back.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

You need to learn to pull back when send is not working, and have a safer serve. I also have double faulting a lot when trying to step up my serve

 

[Traffic]

You need to learn to pull back when send is not working, and have a safer serve. I also have double faulting a lot when trying to step up my serve

I only have a second serve. I don't have a first serve. Spin and kicker serves are typically second serves. My sister suggested I hit a lollipop serve. I probably will hit lollipop serves long in the heat of the moment so why not go with what I practiced?

I did use a weak slice serve when I was feeling a bit less confident on an important 2nd serve point during my last match. I think I got lucky and it went in. But that was enough to get my confidence back up and continue serving as planned. My serves don't go in when I start getting tired and don't take full swings. I now realize that. Same goes for pressure situations, I tend to back off on my form and hitting through the ball. Again, all part of the learning process.