Locking in improved groundstroke technique

[EddieBrock]

This past month or so I've been hitting my GS better than ever. Started with my FH, but now my BH is on fire too so I'm hitting the best GS of my life on both wings at the same time. What I'd really like to do is continue playing at this level. I've had periods where I've hit some GS like this every now and then or even for a session or 2, but never this long continuously.

I'm trying to write down and think about what I'm doing so I can replicate it, but a lot of it seems to be happening automatically on the court. I've always struggled with certain technical elements on each side, but those don't seem to be a factor now. For example, I usually have the problem of getting too close to the ball on my FH and having to adjust at the last moment, but now I'm just thinking of hitting my FH and I have the correct spacing.

What's changed as far as my mindset is my coach told me to try to get to every ball between waist and shoulder height since I was hitting too many balls around my knees or not moving to them fast enough. The other thing is I had a lesson with him where I was just unloading on the ball and he told me to try to get more of a whipping motion and make my shots less mechanical, especially on the BH.

I'm thinking of filming myself so I can refer back to what I'm doing if my shots fall apart later.

Anything else you can do to lock in a positive change?

 

[Dragy]

Find couple of things that feel like they make it “click”. So that you can tap into them whenever you feel loosing it. It may be something reasonable or some bs, like “snap my wrist”, doesn’t matter.

Also it’s great to create a warmup/tune-in routine, like you start your warmup focusing on your hand action (or completely opposite — focusing on your feet getting in position), and then adding on more layers, like loading, accelerating, full coiling… if you have 3-4 phases to turn on as you warmup, you don’t immediately face the challenge of “either I’m on or I’m a failure today”, and you achieve it soon enough. Like an airplane checking and turning on systems before take-off.

 

[LuckyR]

This past month or so I've been hitting my GS better than ever. Started with my FH, but now my BH is on fire too so I'm hitting the best GS of my life on both wings at the same time. What I'd really like to do is continue playing at this level. I've had periods where I've hit some GS like this every now and then or even for a session or 2, but never this long continuously.

I'm trying to write down and think about what I'm doing so I can replicate it, but a lot of it seems to be happening automatically on the court. I've always struggled with certain technical elements on each side, but those don't seem to be a factor now. For example, I usually have the problem of getting too close to the ball on my FH and having to adjust at the last moment, but now I'm just thinking of hitting my FH and I have the correct spacing.

What's changed as far as my mindset is my coach told me to try to get to every ball between waist and shoulder height since I was hitting too many balls around my knees or not moving to them fast enough. The other thing is I had a lesson with him where I was just unloading on the ball and he told me to try to get more of a whipping motion and make my shots less mechanical, especially on the BH.

I'm thinking of filming myself so I can refer back to what I'm doing if my shots fall apart later.

Anything else you can do to lock in a positive change?

On court, you should actively think about your footwork, but DO NOT try to think about your stroke mechanics.

 

[user92626]

Eddie,

It's not possible. If you're out there alone, it's very tedious, even not possible, to go through a long checklist and check everything off. Essentially that's what it is.

Sometimes we are lucky and subsconciously "remember" to do a bunch of things right. Plus, against the right opponent, ie "right" for our quirky lopsided techniques. Often time we don't get this. We miss a few crucial things and it throws off the rest of the day.

 

[johnmccabe]

Find couple of things that feel like they make it “click”. So that you can tap into them whenever you feel loosing it. It may be something reasonable or some bs, like “snap my wrist”, doesn’t matter.

Also it’s great to create a warmup/tune-in routine, like you start your warmup focusing on your hand action (or completely opposite — focusing on your feet getting in position), and then adding on more layers, like loading, accelerating, full coiling… if you have 3-4 phases to turn on as you warmup, you don’t immediately face the challenge of “either I’m on or I’m a failure today”, and you achieve it soon enough. Like an airplane checking and turning on systems before take-off.

Many people don't know exactly what layers are important for their problems. Like the serve, it's either in or not. I try to have a tuning system. But some days still can't figure out what's wrong.

 

[Dragy]

Many people don't know exactly what layers are important for their problems. Like the serve, it's either in or not. I try to have a tuning system. But some days still can't figure out what's wrong.

That's ok, some day it just won't work. Even for pros. Their best way of doing it is practicing daily and having their team looking into layers, help to figure out that stuff and focus points.

When you are mostly alone with your game - not just on court in the heat of battle, but overall, months after years of development - you need to be self-aware and to a degree analytical. Or you can settle where you will, with some things you do well, some you are bad at. And just keep in mind - I'm not the one blasting heavy forehands. I need to find ways to win otherwise.

It's goo to be balanced player, but if you a problem solver, it doesn't matter if you have a flat serve or not. You play with the limited tools you have, and that's the essence of fun and competition, I guess

 

[EddieBrock]

Eddie,

It's not possible. If you're out there alone, it's very tedious, even not possible, to go through a long checklist and check everything off. Essentially that's what it is.

Sometimes we are lucky and subsconciously "remember" to do a bunch of things right. Plus, against the right opponent, ie "right" for our quirky lopsided techniques. Often time we don't get this. We miss a few crucial things and it throws off the rest of the day.

What's been great lately is I've beaten opponents I've lost to my whole life and dominated ones that were even with me. So there is a definitive improvement, which for an adult tennis player who has felt stuck for years is a great thing. I just don't want to lose these shots and go back to where I was a couple months ago.

I was working with my coach and he said it's all in the lower body helping the effortless acceleration of the upper body. Guess I'm more involved with my footwork, which has translated into better weight transfer and confidence swinging out on the ball.

 

[user92626]

What's been great lately is I've beaten opponents I've lost to my whole life and dominated ones that were even with me. So there is a definitive improvement, which for an adult tennis player who has felt stuck for years is a great thing. I just don't want to lose these shots and go back to where I was a couple months ago.

I was working with my coach and he said it's all in the lower body helping the effortless acceleration of the upper body. Guess I'm more involved with my footwork, which has translated into better weight transfer and confidence swinging out on the ball.

Unless you are really aware of the improvement or the change that let you win, it's pretty hard to retain the progress.

There's an addage: Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution;

 

[badmice2]

Finding Spacing for contact point through footwork intensity. The less you deviate from your stroke execution the better your stroke becomes.