Looking for tips to beat my #1 rival and i have several questions

[bluestreak711]

(((((((((((((((This is old news it isnt completely up to date.I fixed my ground strokes and their is no longer any problems with those,but still open any ideas for beating my rival.

I have been told to be a pusher and so far it is starting to work.My rating is not what I listed below.I over rated myself accedently.My rating is 2.5 and my rival's is 3.0.

To see me and my rivals normal playing game to rate it accurately with your opinion,see about the 9th and tenth post down(counting this one)where Silverbullet rated me and my rival 2.5-3.0.This part has been added on as an update)))))))))))


First here are the questions.
1.(Forehand)I hit with too much brush than I normally see done or on most shots I can't set up in time.What is the most amount of top spin can you put on a ball with the continental grip and how do you preform it from start to finish and what is the best pause position to use?I will use other grips later but i am starting with the continental grip.
2.(2 handed back hand)I seem to be fighting myself at times.I also have the same problems with the back hand as the forehand.How much top spin can you hit with the 2 handed continental backhand.I will use other grips later but i am starting with the continental grip.What is the most amount of top spin can you put on a ball with the continental grip and how do you preform it from start to finish and what is the best pause position to use?

I am a 3.0 player.(Iknow it can be hard to belive.)Today I played a 2.5 game.I have to be my own coach. I can't afford a coach and I am home schooled so I can't get help from the school so I am relying on you guys.

I have been doin really good but i feel like i am starting to break down a bit.SoI am going to take the information that y'all gime me and make correct adjustments.and when descibing the continental ground strokes please provide information how to stand how to move in how to turn and how not to fight myself(mostly on the backhand) and also i will post some of the records I have been keeping on my rival and I am open for suggestions.

He is a 3.5 player(my opinion)I can keep a close game on him alot but he socres when it counts and that's why i don't win no more that 1 game against him and her's the records




---2 handed backhand
lob on backhand only
he was practicing serves recently as of 3-10-07


1st serves has a speedy pace it is usually wide right or wide left
on the outter side 2nd serves extremely weak come up between the service
line and base line for second serves.way to consistant to come to the net
and the ball can easily be lobbed over his head or hit past him
still hits with too much pace for my one handed backhand slice
still easily frustrated it can be used to my advantage as of 3-11-07



uses the semi-western grip for the fore hand and he discovered he can use
the same grip for his serve serves are about the same the second is still
weak and on the second serve he charges the net lately i have been
practicing top spin so havent really used back spin in play much if at all
instead of hitting the ball over his head i hit the ball with immense
power by him or right at him when at net he cant handle all that power
very well as of 03-25-07



he lacks the ability to bend his knees to push his body forword in on the

serve but still hits at a very fast pace but it looks like it has reached
its peek in pace because he doesnt use his entire body in the serve...he is

starting to hit a two handed forehand unless the ball goes wide and is
forced to take the one hander he hits all his balls flat with no margin
when in practice he hit a fast pace forehand to my lefty backhand that i

couldnt return and i presume it to be flat but has a very fast pace
kindy reminds me of Maria Sharapove kind of game but i hit a ball right back
with heavy top spin to his one handed forehand

also during practice and
ditto he also couldnt hit it back to me still has agressive net play
current stratigie is to if possible hit sliced lobs over his head i

possible and if i cant rely on my lobs try to hit a heavy top spin passing
shot or hit it right at his body because if hit fast or hard enough he has
difficulty handling the ball i can socre points against him and keep the

points close but he seems to score points necessary to close out almost
entirely all the games he has currently mastered the 3.5 ranking and all but
mastered the 4.0 ranking i have currently mastered the 3.0 ranking and have
all but mastered th 3.5 ranking as of March 30th 2007


today i had good service day his serve are about the smae he is still
going for that two handed cross court forehandi took less chances today and

all my balls were flat with no margin i make the same number of mistakes
hitting balls with back spin and top spin as i do flat today i felt like a

2.5 player he is till persistant to come to net on every point he hates
duece if i can pick up my game a bit i will win more gamesi am still

scoring many points just not when it counts i scored good today but still
ended up in a 6-0 match/set for him still irritated easily as of March 31st
2007



so is there any stratigies other than:hitting it by him for a winner,hitting it at him, or lobbing it over his head(presuming he is at net where he stays) well thanks and i reallllly appreciate it please help on this

 

[SilverBullet]

First of all you shouldn't start with a continental forehand, try a eastern or semi-western, because you're not going to get the topspin you want with continental. When you say you use a '2 handed continental backhand' if you mean your dominant hand is in a continental and your none dominant in another grip it is alright, but if you are using continental on both hands it is going to be hard to even hit the ball effectively. Watch forms of pros to learn how to hit effectilvely.

Judging from how you described you and your opponent, it doesn't seem like you guys are at the 3.0-3.5 level.

....I have no clue what you are asking on the last sentence. All I can say is to lob him if he is too close to the net and pass him if he is further, also remember to concentrate on placement instead of trying to rip it past him. Sorry if this didn't answer your question....

 

[thursdayisgod]

definetly not 3.0-3.5 levels.

just be a pusher and you'll beat him. it's ugly, and not fun, but it's the surest win at that level, and it will build the fundamental consistency that you admittingly lack.

pusher = keep the ball in play, with no pace, make him hit all of the pace so that he will continually make error after error.

 

[bluestreak711]

First of all you shouldn't start with a continental forehand, try a eastern or semi-western, because you're not going to get the topspin you want with continental. When you say you use a '2 handed continental backhand' if you mean your dominant hand is in a continental and your none dominant in another grip it is alright, but if you are using continental on both hands it is going to be hard to even hit the ball effectively. Watch forms of pros to learn how to hit effectilvely.

Judging from how you described you and your opponent, it doesn't seem like you guys are at the 3.0-3.5 level.

....I have no clue what you are asking on the last sentence. All I can say is to lob him if he is too close to the net and pass him if he is further, also remember to concentrate on placement instead of trying to rip it past him. Sorry if this didn't answer your question....

yea i was using the continental on the forehand and was getting alot of top spin but yuck it was horribly worng even though i got alot of balls in like i wanted i made twice as many more mistakes my swing was badly damaged and i had a good one so i went to continental made and L with my arm with no back swing like a little kid again to break the habit of that horrible swing and then went back to my back swing again gently sliptinh to a semi western grip so you had the same thoguht i did i have been watching professional non stop when i get a chancei am not able to get to the court to practice enough like i want to but i do practice swings in the hous and i've been on the court enough even though i am not hitting a tennis ball i can judge if it was a bad swing or not and when i get to the tennis court i apply what i did inside and it is usually right like i practiced and i dont get many chances to get professional guidances so i went horrible wrong and now i went back to the last thing i was doing when i had professonal guidancethat and modified it a little bit by what i seen in both the Sony Ericson finals men and womens the next tornament that i am gonna get to see on tv is i belive the french open i think it airs i belive May 27th i am usally better than what it sounds like i do know good and well that even a 2.5 player wouldnt have a hard time with a forehand my problem was that i tried to raise my game a bit and didnt do it properly and it set me back again and my rival i know know that what i posted dont make him sound like a 3.5 player in most of the records i've kept i tried mostly to list weak points to take advantage of and looked at it with a no problem perspective the reason i listed him as 3.5 he comes to the net on every point he either returns or serves he immediately charges the net and is very effectivehe has peppy ground strokes and a first serve and has good directional intent and if i don't put a fast pace on the ball it usually comes back as a put away i do remeber and instance when i was sorta on the right track with a fast top spin forehand (im a lefty player)i hit a winner down the line on the duece side of the court and another time i hit it right at him and i forced an error i hit it directly at his body while before in a game where i felt pretty comfortable with slices the best and only slcie shot i felt comfortable in a match with was a forehand slice lob either that or a normal lob i used the slice lob offensively and alot of times i was succsessful but i don't get to practice lobs much...i find slice lobs easier and will eventually get a topspin lob..during parctice i do feel comfortable with all slice shots but still not comforatble in a pressure situation such as a match on my lefty forehand slice i am getting more comfortable with it and sometimes i get enough spin to make it curve left when it bounces it depends if i get to set up comfprtable or not and great tip for the back hand i havent put thought of my non dominant hand much and about my rivals positioning he is so close to the net if he was any closer he would be on my side of the court holding my hand lol i thoguht if i could get comfortable enough the best place would be standing on the service line also when i practice with my dad i would rank him 1.0 eeven though he has been playing with me for a couple of years...he hits alot of moon bals so it does make it hard to practice shots i wnat to practicebut there is two shots that he hits me that would make good practice..it is an overhead at the base line or a swinging volly...it would ussually be time to take the swinigingvolley directly in the between the service and base line right in no mans land so also are there any tips for swinging volley ground strokes with and with out top spin and also top spin 2 handed back hand and are there any tips to make my are stronger to eventually use a 1 handed back hand altogether am always looking for ways to try when i to get stronger and faster when i practice the one handed eastern backhand swing it seems i can do alot better....until i try to hit a ball it is then i feel the weakness
anyway i am still trying to properly use the NTRP i did read over what i posted previously and i do see why you think thant i didnt rate me and my rival properly and i did leave out all my rivals strong points and i did make his game sound like nothing like a novice level but he has mastered aloot of shots and to me it seems like he is a 3.5 and for me to be honest i have mastered the 2.5 level and am a little more often playing a 3.0 mayby on the edge of it but know i do feel more confident after alot of coorections and feel closer to a 3.0 the reason i disagree with 2.5 and lower is i do have a good serve and i do have agood forehand and decent back hand my problem i am getting to greedy and i hurt my swings for going about it the weong way too much the reason i did post questions about my forehand is i find going back to like the basics is the best solution but yea have been slippin on my backhand so in light of this new info what eactly would you rate me and my rival you won't hurt my feelings...and like you said try more lobs i will try to practice them more and i don't really tryo to rip it past him often just when i am on the top of my game and when i do i usually have succes but i got it direct lobs don't rip it go for direction and then slowly increase the powerand i don't know exactly what question you said you didnt understand but thats ok you have given me alot of information i really appreciate the time you put into your reply know my rank is not that high but i have twice as muck knowledge about the game than what i can acually execute...oh there is something else my rival hates when it gets to duece has a temper and gets mad easily is there any way to use that against him in the mentality part of the game and i hope you reply back and i do appreciate the information you gave already it really does help and by the way what is your NTRP ranking

 

[bluestreak711]

definetly not 3.0-3.5 levels.

just be a pusher and you'll beat him. it's ugly, and not fun, but it's the surest win at that level, and it will build the fundamental consistency that you admittingly lack.

pusher = keep the ball in play, with no pace, make him hit all of the pace so that he will continually make error after error.

no i am definately not 3.0 exactly yet but i am better than 2.5 to be honest i would say 2.8 and you're right i do play my best against my rival when i am not worried about topspinwhen i was doing my best this is what i done...i didnt hit fast balls i had no problem with fundementals i didnt try to learn something differnt on my own i hit slow pace balls which did have a touch of top spin my shots were consistant i was like a pusher/baseliber combo i let him make all the mistakes and when he drew me to the net i lobbed it over his head he either couldnt reach the ball or was very uncomfortable and made mistakes and i won alot of points stayed at duece alot but he still won either 6-1 or 6-0 and i do have good basic stroke fundimentals the only reason i had trouble i tried more for top spin and failed miserbley but i hit really good flat balls and maybe with a slight top spin o what would my rating be if i go back to none to slight top spin with good directioanl intent and begaining to use more slice shots the offensive slice forehand lob is more common mostly when the ball is dropped short and i run to it to lob it over his head when he is at net with 55% success or hitting it behind him so he hits the ball running backwards and decent paced serves the 2nd smae as the 1st with few double faults now that is my normal game without me tampering with it so what would the rating on that? and ty on all the info it really helped i appreaciate it and please rate me on my normal playing game

 

[SilverBullet]

yea i was using the continental on the forehand and was getting alot of top spin but yuck it was horribly worng even though i got alot of balls in like i wanted i made twice as many more mistakes my swing was badly damaged and i had a good one so i went to continental made and L with my arm with no back swing like a little kid again to break the habit of that horrible swing and then went back to my back swing again gently sliptinh to a semi western grip so you had the same thoguht i did i have been watching professional non stop when i get a chancei am not able to get to the court to practice enough like i want to but i do practice swings in the hous and i've been on the court enough even though i am not hitting a tennis ball i can judge if it was a bad swing or not and when i get to the tennis court i apply what i did inside and it is usually right like i practiced and i dont get many chances to get professional guidances so i went horrible wrong and now i went back to the last thing i was doing when i had professonal guidancethat and modified it a little bit by what i seen in both the Sony Ericson finals men and womens the next tornament that i am gonna get to see on tv is i belive the french open i think it airs i belive May 27th i am usally better than what it sounds like i do know good and well that even a 2.5 player wouldnt have a hard time with a forehand my problem was that i tried to raise my game a bit and didnt do it properly and it set me back again and my rival i know know that what i posted dont make him sound like a 3.5 player in most of the records i've kept i tried mostly to list weak points to take advantage of and looked at it with a no problem perspective the reason i listed him as 3.5 he comes to the net on every point he either returns or serves he immediately charges the net and is very effectivehe has peppy ground strokes and a first serve and has good directional intent and if i don't put a fast pace on the ball it usually comes back as a put away i do remeber and instance when i was sorta on the right track with a fast top spin forehand (im a lefty player)i hit a winner down the line on the duece side of the court and another time i hit it right at him and i forced an error i hit it directly at his body while before in a game where i felt pretty comfortable with slices the best and only slcie shot i felt comfortable in a match with was a forehand slice lob either that or a normal lob i used the slice lob offensively and alot of times i was succsessful but i don't get to practice lobs much...i find slice lobs easier and will eventually get a topspin lob..during parctice i do feel comfortable with all slice shots but still not comforatble in a pressure situation such as a match on my lefty forehand slice i am getting more comfortable with it and sometimes i get enough spin to make it curve left when it bounces it depends if i get to set up comfprtable or not and great tip for the back hand i havent put thought of my non dominant hand much and about my rivals positioning he is so close to the net if he was any closer he would be on my side of the court holding my hand lol i thoguht if i could get comfortable enough the best place would be standing on the service line also when i practice with my dad i would rank him 1.0 eeven though he has been playing with me for a couple of years...he hits alot of moon bals so it does make it hard to practice shots i wnat to practicebut there is two shots that he hits me that would make good practice..it is an overhead at the base line or a swinging volly...it would ussually be time to take the swinigingvolley directly in the between the service and base line right in no mans land so also are there any tips for swinging volley ground strokes with and with out top spin and also top spin 2 handed back hand and are there any tips to make my are stronger to eventually use a 1 handed back hand altogether am always looking for ways to try when i to get stronger and faster when i practice the one handed eastern backhand swing it seems i can do alot better....until i try to hit a ball it is then i feel the weakness
anyway i am still trying to properly use the NTRP i did read over what i posted previously and i do see why you think thant i didnt rate me and my rival properly and i did leave out all my rivals strong points and i did make his game sound like nothing like a novice level but he has mastered aloot of shots and to me it seems like he is a 3.5 and for me to be honest i have mastered the 2.5 level and am a little more often playing a 3.0 mayby on the edge of it but know i do feel more confident after alot of coorections and feel closer to a 3.0 the reason i disagree with 2.5 and lower is i do have a good serve and i do have agood forehand and decent back hand my problem i am getting to greedy and i hurt my swings for going about it the weong way too much the reason i did post questions about my forehand is i find going back to like the basics is the best solution but yea have been slippin on my backhand so in light of this new info what eactly would you rate me and my rival you won't hurt my feelings...and like you said try more lobs i will try to practice them more and i don't really tryo to rip it past him often just when i am on the top of my game and when i do i usually have succes but i got it direct lobs don't rip it go for direction and then slowly increase the powerand i don't know exactly what question you said you didnt understand but thats ok you have given me alot of information i really appreciate the time you put into your reply know my rank is not that high but i have twice as muck knowledge about the game than what i can acually execute...oh there is something else my rival hates when it gets to duece has a temper and gets mad easily is there any way to use that against him in the mentality part of the game and i hope you reply back and i do appreciate the information you gave already it really does help and by the way what is your NTRP ranking

First of all I'm happy that you found my suggestion helpful. For my NTRP ranking it is probably around a 4.0, but I've never had anyone actually rate me so it is just a guess.
That was a good thing to observe when you said your opponent gets mad easily at deuce. A good thing to do is to play as a pusher, very consistent and don't go for a winner even when given a chance,unless you're that confident that you won't make an error instead. Most people get more frustrated when they make a error than when their opponent hits a clean winner so playing consistently and having your opponent make the errors will cause more errors. As for practicing lobs try bounce hitting, it may not be the best way to practice, but it's better than nothing.

b.t.w. You write very long posts. lol

 

[bluestreak711]

First of all I'm happy that you found my suggestion helpful. For my NTRP ranking it is probably around a 4.0, but I've never had anyone actually rate me so it is just a guess.
That was a good thing to observe when you said your opponent gets mad easily at deuce. A good thing to do is to play as a pusher, very consistent and don't go for a winner even when given a chance,unless you're that confident that you won't make an error instead. Most people get more frustrated when they make a error than when their opponent hits a clean winner so playing consistently and having your opponent make the errors will cause more errors. As for practicing lobs try bounce hitting, it may not be the best way to practice, but it's better than nothing.

b.t.w. You write very long posts. lol

well ty for all your help i do have a favor to ask you..can you rate me?i have no one else to go by and im sorry if i over rated myself...here's what i can do on my normal game when i don't tamper with it i have a decent serve with maybe a bit of pace the ideal place to return my serve is a couple steps inside the base line i have a high percentage rate of serves my 2nd is just as good as my 1st and the same i don't double fault often i do have a good forehand with good placement and little to no topspin and is good when i don't try for much i know i requested for fundementals on it but i was getting a little ahead of myself a bit and started making too many mistakes but thats over with i do have a decent 2 handed back hand with placement but it's a bit weak i am becoming more comfortable with all slice shots but in a match i can perform slice forehand,offensive slice forehand lob both with good placement and the same with the back hand 1 handed ofcourse with placement but i am still trying to control slices on the backhand side to become either normal slice or an offensive lob sometimes it surprises me lol i am getting comfortable with overheads at the base line to return moon balls i havent been given an oppertunity to know or not about the ones at net and are able to drop balls short on slow paced balls which is the drop shot but not completely mastered yet and i play pretty decent so so i am a left handed player but i was born right handed so on back hands i cant reach i can slip the racquet in my right hand and return the ball as a right handed forehand with good placement and control even during the switch so that does cover my weakness to be lobbed over my lefty backhand side and don't use that trick very often very seldom and i can do it with out messing myself up and if injury occurs i can play right handed and balls are slow flat balls with good placement and maybe a few slices and upon my warming up ground strokes against the wall a couple right handed the reason i switched is i did play for about 3 years before i got serious and acquired what i think were too many bad habits with ground strokes and im sorry if i over rated myself i was going by the short paragraph that the NTRP provided and everytime i look for it..it is different each time if i would have to rate myself again i would have to say 2.5 but they are things i have graduated from like i do have a good serve good toss on volleys i do use the correct sides i dont use the forehand side for back hand volleys so please rate me and about my rival i an sum him up real short and please rate him even though he doesnt put his body in his serve his serves are pretty fast 50% of those land in and the second serves are extermely weak and 95% lands in and the ideal place to return them a little bit behind the service line but he charges the net on every point as soon as it starts and is very effective on all those shots and wins almost every point against me like that he has mastered the drop shot and good volley put aways like a net person would and uses good backspin but rarely foes for it all his balls are hit flat with a bit of pace ok that is my rival so please help me rate him as well i do appreciate all your help and yeah this is my 1st forum i do make them long beacsue i try to be thorough i try to wait about week and if i still cant figure it out then i try to get help

 

[tennis_hand]

Mate. Please do not ignore your English writing class while you are busy with your tennis.

 

[bluestreak711]

Mate. Please do not ignore your English writing class while you are busy with your tennis.

I know that.I don't try to punctuate sentences when I have to type alot.Anyway why you're online,read my last post and please rate me and my opponent.Now,is this better typing?

 

[SilverBullet]

well ty for all your help i do have a favor to ask you..can you rate me?i have no one else to go by and im sorry if i over rated myself...here's what i can do on my normal game when i don't tamper with it i have a decent serve with maybe a bit of pace the ideal place to return my serve is a couple steps inside the base line i have a high percentage rate of serves my 2nd is just as good as my 1st and the same i don't double fault often i do have a good forehand with good placement and little to no topspin and is good when i don't try for much i know i requested for fundementals on it but i was getting a little ahead of myself a bit and started making too many mistakes but thats over with i do have a decent 2 handed back hand with placement but it's a bit weak i am becoming more comfortable with all slice shots but in a match i can perform slice forehand,offensive slice forehand lob both with good placement and the same with the back hand 1 handed ofcourse with placement but i am still trying to control slices on the backhand side to become either normal slice or an offensive lob sometimes it surprises me lol i am getting comfortable with overheads at the base line to return moon balls i havent been given an oppertunity to know or not about the ones at net and are able to drop balls short on slow paced balls which is the drop shot but not completely mastered yet and i play pretty decent so so i am a left handed player but i was born right handed so on back hands i cant reach i can slip the racquet in my right hand and return the ball as a right handed forehand with good placement and control even during the switch so that does cover my weakness to be lobbed over my lefty backhand side and don't use that trick very often very seldom and i can do it with out messing myself up and if injury occurs i can play right handed and balls are slow flat balls with good placement and maybe a few slices and upon my warming up ground strokes against the wall a couple right handed the reason i switched is i did play for about 3 years before i got serious and acquired what i think were too many bad habits with ground strokes and im sorry if i over rated myself i was going by the short paragraph that the NTRP provided and everytime i look for it..it is different each time if i would have to rate myself again i would have to say 2.5 but they are things i have graduated from like i do have a good serve good toss on volleys i do use the correct sides i dont use the forehand side for back hand volleys so please rate me and about my rival i an sum him up real short and please rate him even though he doesnt put his body in his serve his serves are pretty fast 50% of those land in and the second serves are extermely weak and 95% lands in and the ideal place to return them a little bit behind the service line but he charges the net on every point as soon as it starts and is very effective on all those shots and wins almost every point against me like that he has mastered the drop shot and good volley put aways like a net person would and uses good backspin but rarely foes for it all his balls are hit flat with a bit of pace ok that is my rival so please help me rate him as well i do appreciate all your help and yeah this is my 1st forum i do make them long beacsue i try to be thorough i try to wait about week and if i still cant figure it out then i try to get help

Sorry, but I'm not exactly the right person to ask about ratings. As for a guess ya I would say 2.5-3.0 level, but it is just a guess. And as for you overating yourself, many people make that same mistake(including me) so you don't have to worry about it. Another thing to keep in mind is that in the end it isn't the rating that matters, it's winning and improving(more improving than winning for me). (I feel guilty saying this because I'm a type of person that really gets into ratings and rankings.)

Using your left hand to protect your back hand and be ambidextrous is a very good idea. Actually I do this too, but a little different. I play right handed, but can also use my left to play. Theres also a pro that we all know that does this too, his name is Rafael Nadal. He is actually right handed, but when he was younger his coach(which was also his uncle) told him that playing with his left hand will make him have a powerful two-handed backhand. Look were it got him, so the left handed thing isn't a bad idea.

 

[bluestreak711]

Sorry, but I'm not exactly the right person to ask about ratings. As for a guess ya I would say 2.5-3.0 level, but it is just a guess. And as for you overating yourself, many people make that same mistake(including me) so you don't have to worry about it. Another thing to keep in mind is that in the end it isn't the rating that matters, it's winning and improving(more improving than winning for me). (I feel guilty saying this because I'm a type of person that really gets into ratings and rankings.)

Using your left hand to protect your back hand and be ambidextrous is a very good idea. Actually I do this too, but a little different. I play right handed, but can also use my left to play. Theres also a pro that we all know that does this too, his name is Rafael Nadal. He is actually right handed, but when he was younger his coach(which was also his uncle) told him that playing with his left hand will make him have a powerful two-handed backhand. Look were it got him, so the left handed thing isn't a bad idea.

yeah if i would have to guess i also would rate myself 2.5 and my rival 3.0 and wow! i love to watch Rafeal Ndal play i know exactly who he is and i really didnt know that if i may ask how did you find that out oh and by the way any tips on swinging volleys i am being forced to take those shots more now

 

[SilverBullet]

yeah if i would have to guess i also would rate myself 2.5 and my rival 3.0 and wow! i love to watch Rafeal Ndal play i know exactly who he is and i really didnt know that if i may ask how did you find that out oh and by the way any tips on swinging volleys i am being forced to take those shots more now

Swinging volleys are one of the tougher shots in tennis and it isn't exactly neccesary at your level of tennis or even at any level of tennis, of course it is a great weapon when mastered, but the margin of error is so little. Even Federer misses this shot sometimes. It would be best to just let it bounce first and hit on the rise if you can. Of course if you really want to use it you can practice it by tossing the ball up really high and practice hitting it to different locations.

 

[dave333]

I didn't even read your long posts because it hurts my eyes so much.

PARAGRAPHS PLEASE!!!

 

[bluestreak711]

I didn't even read your long posts because it hurts my eyes so much.

PARAGRAPHS PLEASE!!!

sorry dave333 i'll keep that in mind next time this is my first post and i'm learning well so you won't have to read it...i'll sum it up in a few words...my opponent is a 3.0 and i am a 2.5 and my oppenent charges the net on every point and is really strong and effective at net what are tips to beat him ihave been told to be a pusher but is there any deeper stratigy to beating him

 

[bluestreak711]

Swinging volleys are one of the tougher shots in tennis and it isn't exactly neccesary at your level of tennis or even at any level of tennis, of course it is a great weapon when mastered, but the margin of error is so little. Even Federer misses this shot sometimes. It would be best to just let it bounce first and hit on the rise if you can. Of course if you really want to use it you can practice it by tossing the ball up really high and practice hitting it to different locations.

i know i almost despise hitting them but i try not let any shots get to me but i do have another problem you know my rival comes to net on every point and if i am on the base line i get hit the "Dropper!" and if i am to close he hits it past me so i have to stay in no mans land to be able to make all the shots and thats where the ball bounces as they say and thats where i have to stand so i am forced to take alot of swinging volleys so is there any stratigies to not be in this situation?

 

[SilverBullet]

i know i almost despise hitting them but i try not let any shots get to me but i do have another problem you know my rival comes to net on every point and if i am on the base line i get hit the "Dropper!" and if i am to close he hits it past me so i have to stay in no mans land to be able to make all the shots and thats where the ball bounces as they say and thats where i have to stand so i am forced to take alot of swinging volleys so is there any stratigies to not be in this situation?

I would advise a topspin lob over his head. Another thing is to get to the net before your opponent does, if you have good volleys. Taking the net away will make him come up with responce instead of you. Of course if this doesn't work you will have to try to make your passing shots better. Try aiming for his right hip(assuming he is right handed) this is usually the hardest spot to cover when at net. Another thing that I should've told you earlier is that you should work on your crosscourt forehand(assuming that you still use your left hand) the thing on the other side is your opponent's backhand.

 

[bluestreak711]

I would advise a topspin lob over his head. Another thing is to get to the net before your opponent does, if you have good volleys. Taking the net away will make him come up with responce instead of you. Of course if this doesn't work you will have to try to make your passing shots better. Try aiming for his right hip(assuming he is right handed) this is usually the hardest spot to cover when at net. Another thing that I should've told you earlier is that you should work on your crosscourt forehand(assuming that you still use your left hand) the thing on the other side is your opponent's backhand.

th top spin lob isn't in my arsinal yet and i it is really unlikely i make it to the net b4 my rival because he charges the net on the first play in the point...either he serves and charges or returns my serve and charges the net and he gets as lose to the net as anyone can without toughing it you did mention a top spin lob i heard that to learn it i suppose to hit high rainbow shaped top spin shots and evenutally get it high enough to be a lob so how would i go about hitting those top spin moon balls?

 

[Kaptain Karl]

Ican'tconcentrateonpostswhichrunsentenceafter
sentencetogether! It'sexhaustingtoreadallthat
textjammedintoonelongpost.

[size=+3]Paragraphs![/size]​

- KK

 

[SilverBullet]

th top spin lob isn't in my arsinal yet and i it is really unlikely i make it to the net b4 my rival because he charges the net on the first play in the point...either he serves and charges or returns my serve and charges the net and he gets as lose to the net as anyone can without toughing it you did mention a top spin lob i heard that to learn it i suppose to hit high rainbow shaped top spin shots and evenutally get it high enough to be a lob so how would i go about hitting those top spin moon balls?

http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showexcerpt.cfm?excerpt_id=3370
I'm not sure if this is the best site to learn the topspin lob from, but it should be able to describe it better than me.

 

[bluestreak711]

http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showexcerpt.cfm?excerpt_id=3370
I'm not sure if this is the best site to learn the topspin lob from, but it should be able to describe it better than me.

ok that is a start but i might have a few questions but right now im gonna try to focaus on slice lobs because i get more control and i almost have my all my swings in order....and the way i got'em now is either to spin or slice(usually lobs) i know you said not to hit pace but i have a problem about getting my legs into the shots and the tend to fly way long my brand new swing witch you could say is reliable and not only my racquet head is closed it is facing downwards a bit i got that idea from a local tennis caoch i over heard someone's practice ...anyway when i don't get my legs into the shot it hits the net and i am more aware of it that way and it worked really well with reliable shots combined with being a pusher until i hit another snag


i do have a bit of slack of blood circulation in my lower body and that might be a problem but the main problem is that my lower body is too weak...most of my childhood until i was about 10 i almost never went outside and when i did i hardley ever did anything and the most common exercises that usually work don'twork for me because my legs are not much stronger than my arms if any at all when i try to run to strgnthen my legs i my legs get too tired to fast its like lifting a 20lb dumbell when the ideal weight is 10lb you mgiht can lift it but it isnt doing any good



anyway after a short time of playing my legs will go cold its not like your tired....you can still bend down but not when you need to during the point and you can't really move....they dont hurt and i can go on and they can never bother me but i cant run because they won't move and it's because my lower body is too weak


do you know what exactly i can do about that if i could solve that problem i probaly could easily move my rating to 3.0 if i could solve that problem i cant just do any exercise,beacuse it would be like lifting too heavy of a dumb bell whatever the exercise might be it must be slow and intense to start with

i already do squats holding a 20lb weight and i ride my bicylce around a track with one incline but that does pretty decent but not no where near good enough i am at a very healthy weight but for indurance reasons i could lose about 4lb...(being precise) but my endurance is good enough now but my lower body needs to catch up first



well thank you again your tips has really helped me out i used dependable natural top spin ground strokes and slice lobs deffesively and offensively and not going for more and being a pusher it worked until i discovered this problem it works as long as my leg muscles don't go cold and i cant move so to speak when my muscles go cold little to no serves or ground strokes land into play and i can only play for a short time the only reason i could last a bit longer before i was using my arms only and not getting and of my lower body in my shots and i could hit accurate, flat and with little pace but it was like hitting lika a begainner.. anyway i appreciate all your help and you taking time to write back to help in this


oh if i ever start a new thread and i need your opinion on anything else is thier anyway i can message you on talk tennis because my private messages are disabled

 

[Kaptain Karl]

... still open [to] any ideas for beating my rival.

My rating is not what I listed below. ... My rating is 2.5 and my rival's is 3.0.

Thanks for correcting your NTRPs but the problem is, the guy you're relying on for your rating states that he isn't the one to ask about NTRPs. IOW, I'm still not confident you have any idea what your respective ratings are.

I can't afford a coach and I am home schooled so I can't get help from the school so I am relying on you guys.

Yikes! You'd be better-off getting some books or DVDs. (Do a SEARCH for 'best "tennis books" ' in this sub-forum.)

I will use other grips later but i am starting with the continental grip.

That's a fine grip for learning tennis, but it *is* more difficult to hit topspin with the Continental. (Many members here will scoff at that grip. But you will develop a well-rounded game with it.) You just won't be able to put the "extreme topspin" on the ball with that grip.

The Continental is great for serving, slicing, volleying and "touch shots".

[2HBH] I seem to be fighting myself at times.I also have the same problems with the back hand as the forehand.

Your off-hand is the key to the 2HBH. If that hand is in Continental, too, your BH will be better suited for driving the ball, slicing the ball, and the touch shots. (Read those books. Watch those DVDs.)

... and when descibing the continental ground strokes please provide information how to stand how to move in how to turn and how not to fight myself(mostly on the backhand) ....

(Read those books. Watch those DVDs.)

I don't win no more that 1 game against him ...

If this is a "pattern" he is much better than you. Instead of working on "beating him" ... you should be working on....

a) ... getting three games a set off him. That will probably take months of work. (I'm assuming he's working on his game, too.)

b) ... having half your sets go to 4-6 against him. This will show YOU you're gaining on him....

c) ... Once you are stretching him, be sure he isn't the *only* person you practice with. Playing and drilling with a variety of partners will help you advance.

d) ... Remember to work on "game-bsed drills." (Yup. Do a SEARCH.) Your game will advance faster if you practice / drill with a purpose in mind.

You spent a lot of time and effort attempting to describe your games with your "rival'. Unfortunately, nobody can rely on your descriptions to help you. (If they do try, please understand they are not *seeing* you play and their advice is severly handicapped.) You are at a level of ability that prevents you from explaining your strokes ... your points ... with any degree of competence for those of us who are -- or have been -- Instructors. I still recommend ... Read those books. Watch those DVDs.

... any stratigies other than: hitting it by him for a winner,hitting it at him, or lobbing it over his head(presuming he is at net where he stays) well thanks and i reallllly appreciate it please help on this

Not only at your level, but at ALL levels, tennis is a game of consistency. The guy who consistently gets one more ball back than his opponent will win more points and more matches.

(Remember what I posted in green ^^^. It's really difficult to advise you based on what you've reported.) But I'll try....

It appears that his forehand is his least reliable shot. I think I'd advise you to hit four balls deep to his FH on every point ... before you change to ANY other tactic. I'm betting he isn't good enough to withstand that kind of focus on that "hinky" shot of his.

Don't try to be "fancy". Just hit four in-a-row to his FH. ... And "deep" to his FH means, your four shots should land on HIS SIDE of the Service Line (in his back court).

Read those books. Watch those DVDs.

- KK

 

[bluestreak711]

Thanks for correcting your NTRPs but the problem is, the guy you're relying on for your rating states that he isn't the one to ask about NTRPs. IOW, I'm still not confident you have any idea what your respective ratings are.


Yikes! You'd be better-off getting some books or DVDs. (Do a SEARCH for 'best "tennis books" ' in this sub-forum.)

That's a fine grip for learning tennis, but it *is* more difficult to hit topspin with the Continental. (Many members here will scoff at that grip. But you will develop a well-rounded game with it.) You just won't be able to put the "extreme topspin" on the ball with that grip.

The Continental is great for serving, slicing, volleying and "touch shots".

Your off-hand is the key to the 2HBH. If that hand is in Continental, too, your BH will be better suited for driving the ball, slicing the ball, and the touch shots. (Read those books. Watch those DVDs.)

(Read those books. Watch those DVDs.)

If this is a "pattern" he is much better than you. Instead of working on "beating him" ... you should be working on....

a) ... getting three games a set off him. That will probably take months of work. (I'm assuming he's working on his game, too.)

b) ... having half your sets go to 4-6 against him. This will show YOU you're gaining on him....

c) ... Once you are stretching him, be sure he isn't the *only* person you practice with. Playing and drilling with a variety of partners will help you advance.

d) ... Remember to work on "game-bsed drills." (Yup. Do a SEARCH.) Your game will advance faster if you practice / drill with a purpose in mind.

You spent a lot of time and effort attempting to describe your games with your "rival'. Unfortunately, nobody can rely on your descriptions to help you. (If they do try, please understand they are not *seeing* you play and their advice is severly handicapped.) You are at a level of ability that prevents you from explaining your strokes ... your points ... with any degree of competence for those of us who are -- or have been -- Instructors. I still recommend ... Read those books. Watch those DVDs.

Not only at your level, but at ALL levels, tennis is a game of consistency. The guy who consistently gets one more ball back than his opponent will win more points and more matches.

(Remember what I posted in green ^^^. It's really difficult to advise you based on what you've reported.) But I'll try....

It appears that his forehand is his least reliable shot. I think I'd advise you to hit four balls deep to his FH on every point ... before you change to ANY other tactic. I'm betting he isn't good enough to withstand that kind of focus on that "hinky" shot of his.

Don't try to be "fancy". Just hit four in-a-row to his FH. ... And "deep" to his FH means, your four shots should land on HIS SIDE of the Service Line (in his back court).

Read those books. Watch those DVDs.

- KK

ty for the help and i do alot of research on google thats how i found this site what i cant find i try to ask and i do recive video newsleters from Brent Abel and found out my problem

i have a bit of slack of blood circulation in my lower body and that might be a problem but the main problem is that my lower body is too weak...most of my childhood until i was about 10 i almost never went outside and when i did i hardley ever did anything

and the most common exercises that usually work for most people don't work for me because my legs are not much stronger than my arms if any at all when i try to run to strgnthen my legs i my legs get too tired to fast its like lifting a 20lb dumbell when the ideal weight is 10lb you might can lift it but it isnt doing any good



anyway after a short time of playing my legs will go cold its not like your tired....you can still bend down but not when you need to during the point and you can't really move....they dont hurt and i can go on and they can never bother me but i cant run because they won't move and it's because my lower body is too weak


do you know what exactly i can do about that if i could solve that problem i probaly could easily move my rating to 3.0 the same as my rival if i could solve that problem...
because until my lower body goes cold i keep right with him and winning to and if i could keep it up i could beat him period


i cant just do any exercise,beacuse it would be like lifting too heavy of a dumb bell...whatever the exercise might be it must be slow and intense to start with

i already do squats holding a 20lb weight and i ride my bicylce around a track with one incline but that does pretty decent but not no where near good enough i am at a very healthy weight but for endurance reasons i could lose about 4lb or 3lb its not much but its hard to judge...(being precise) but my endurance is good enough now but my lower body needs to catch up first


after not many games and a few points with in those games my legs get tired and my serves and ground strokes with high percentage drop to almost none because after i get moving a while then i start to not be able to get down low on ground strokes and the way i supposed to get down low and come up into serves



i use dependable natural top spin ground strokes and slice lobs deffesively and offensively and not going for more and being a pusher it worked until i discovered this problem it works as long as my leg muscles don't go cold and i cant move so to speak



and as for my rival he is a good 3.0 player when he comes to net he alomost always wins the point has a fast serve but on his serve he doesnt bend his knees almot none what so ever he has a very low toss and he swings hard and drives the ball forward and he told me that he doesnt get down and come over the ball because he said he wasnt that coordinated and on his ground strokes they are fast and accuruate but no top spin just slices and drop shots



and like i said i do know now i can easily beat him if i can stregnthen my lower body...i have struggled with that all my life i never was active til about 10 years of age and 15 now about 16

do you have any ida what i can do right now running is too extreme for me right now and what ever it is i need to be able to do it at home well i appreciate you taking the time to right back and this was helpful oh and my rivals forehand isnt that weak he uses the 2 handed one to put it away ussually when he is at net about on top of it that is andi'm on the service line he puts it away cross court volley put away

anyway open for any suggestions for exercises

 

[SilverBullet]

ok that is a start but i might have a few questions but right now im gonna try to focaus on slice lobs because i get more control and i almost have my all my swings in order....and the way i got'em now is either to spin or slice(usually lobs) i know you said not to hit pace but i have a problem about getting my legs into the shots and the tend to fly way long my brand new swing witch you could say is reliable and not only my racquet head is closed it is facing downwards a bit i got that idea from a local tennis caoch i over heard someone's practice ...anyway when i don't get my legs into the shot it hits the net and i am more aware of it that way and it worked really well with reliable shots combined with being a pusher until i hit another snag


i do have a bit of slack of blood circulation in my lower body and that might be a problem but the main problem is that my lower body is too weak...most of my childhood until i was about 10 i almost never went outside and when i did i hardley ever did anything and the most common exercises that usually work don'twork for me because my legs are not much stronger than my arms if any at all when i try to run to strgnthen my legs i my legs get too tired to fast its like lifting a 20lb dumbell when the ideal weight is 10lb you mgiht can lift it but it isnt doing any good



anyway after a short time of playing my legs will go cold its not like your tired....you can still bend down but not when you need to during the point and you can't really move....they dont hurt and i can go on and they can never bother me but i cant run because they won't move and it's because my lower body is too weak


do you know what exactly i can do about that if i could solve that problem i probaly could easily move my rating to 3.0 if i could solve that problem i cant just do any exercise,beacuse it would be like lifting too heavy of a dumb bell whatever the exercise might be it must be slow and intense to start with

i already do squats holding a 20lb weight and i ride my bicylce around a track with one incline but that does pretty decent but not no where near good enough i am at a very healthy weight but for indurance reasons i could lose about 4lb...(being precise) but my endurance is good enough now but my lower body needs to catch up first



well thank you again your tips has really helped me out i used dependable natural top spin ground strokes and slice lobs deffesively and offensively and not going for more and being a pusher it worked until i discovered this problem it works as long as my leg muscles don't go cold and i cant move so to speak when my muscles go cold little to no serves or ground strokes land into play and i can only play for a short time the only reason i could last a bit longer before i was using my arms only and not getting and of my lower body in my shots and i could hit accurate, flat and with little pace but it was like hitting lika a begainner.. anyway i appreciate all your help and you taking time to write back to help in this

You may have alreay done this, but you should go to a doctor or physician and ask them what excersises would be the best for your legs. Doing the wrong training well probably just destroy your legs so I can't give you any excersises that would build muscles.(Sorry)

oh if i ever start a new thread and i need your opinion on anything else is thier anyway i can message you on talk tennis because my private messages are disabled

As for this I don't think you would need to contact me because, as you may already know, there are many players with many being better players than me with better advice.

 

[forzainter]

Sorry, but I'm not exactly the right person to ask about ratings. As for a guess ya I would say 2.5-3.0 level, but it is just a guess. And as for you overating yourself, many people make that same mistake(including me) so you don't have to worry about it. Another thing to keep in mind is that in the end it isn't the rating that matters, it's winning and improving(more improving than winning for me). (I feel guilty saying this because I'm a type of person that really gets into ratings and rankings.)

Using your left hand to protect your back hand and be ambidextrous is a very good idea. Actually I do this too, but a little different. I play right handed, but can also use my left to play. Theres also a pro that we all know that does this too, his name is Rafael Nadal. He is actually right handed, but when he was younger his coach(which was also his uncle) told him that playing with his left hand will make him have a powerful two-handed backhand. Look were it got him, so the left handed thing isn't a bad idea.

Carlos Moya is a natural leftie, but plays right handed, as for tips, read Winning Ugly

 

[bluestreak711]

Carlos Moya is a natural leftie, but plays right handed, as for tips, read Winning Ugly

yea Silver bullet said Rafeal Nadal was right handed but his uncle/coach switched him when he was young to give him a more powerful back hand

2 reasons i did switch i first started writing left handed and the second before i was playing for a few years but never wsas serious so when i became serious i switched becausse i picked up alot of bad habits


oh and Maraia Sharapova was a natural leftie but switched

 

[bluestreak711]

You may have alreay done this, but you should go to a doctor or physician and ask them what excersises would be the best for your legs. Doing the wrong training well probably just destroy your legs so I can't give you any excersises that would build muscles.(Sorry)



As for this I don't think you would need to contact me because, as you may already know, there are many players with many being better players than me with better advice.

yes but there arent that many that are curtious well any way i appreciate all you help i'll get out there and see what i can do when it warms up that is but it should be warm in a couple days