My Strokes - Updated

  • Thread starter Deleted member 56360
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Deleted member 56360

Guest
Critique, comment, rate.

Sorry about the annoying squeaky 10 year old voices in the background. I am at a tennis camp and there were kids watching. I'll be adding more footage to this OP shortly.

Anyway, I put up a video not too long ago and promised that I'd throw up another that was more representative of my true technical ability so you all could provide me with the best ways of improving my tennis.

Groundstrokes

On my forehand, I do realize that there is a bit more I could be doing with my non racquet hand such as catching the racquet on the followthrough of the stroke. I could also be executing a bit more knee bend off both wings, however I'm finding that I get the power and placement I desire without a great deal of knee bent. The only tough thing I've had with knee bend is not being able to accurately identify a ball which I really have to get down low for; especially approaches. I've missed so many approach shots due to lack of knee bend.
My backhand has come a long way. I remember uploading 4 short clips maybe 2 years ago of my backhand. I'm very proud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYQGRpOnOtM - July 15th, 2011

Serve - where I'm really struggling.

Low toss? Jammed up? Lazy? Toss too far to the left over my head (according to the video I'm a righty)? Bleh. I've tried it all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoSG4YWPVuU - July 15th, 2011
 
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Jonny S&V

Hall of Fame
Well, you tend to arm your forehand (aka, get more turn of your body into it). Work on getting your one-hander to extend at contact, right now it's very cramped.

Your serve has a lot going wrong with it, to be honest, and I don't know where to start honestly... My best advice is to simplify it, don't lean into it at first, get the pronation and trophy pose perfect first.
 
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Deleted member 56360

Guest
Well, you tend to arm your forehand (aka, get more turn of your body into it). Work on getting your one-hander to extend at contact, right now it's very cramped.

Your serve has a lot going wrong with it, to be honest, and I don't know where to start honestly... My best advice is to simplify it, don't lean into it at first, get the pronation and trophy pose perfect first.

Thanks Jonny. I agree that my serve needs a lot of work. I don't know where to begin myself either. I'll keep working at it every single day.
 
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Giannis

Rookie
The pace you get on your forehand doesnt seem bad, although your backswing is a bit strange, it seems like you bring the racket back with your arm and not by turning your shoulders and then slapping the ball a bit. Try to hold the throat of the racket with your non hitting arm for longer and turn your whole body, kind of what is talked in the first few minutes of this vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FfIvTg_xoI&feature=related

Your serve looks too fast. Its probably because of your inconsistent toss and bad timing. You toss the ball very low (in different locations) and hit it right away. Before you try and fix anything else on your serve, get a consistent toss, a bit higher than now, not too high if you find it uncomfortable, then develop a trophy pose and generally try to slow things down so you can work on them individually.
 
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Deleted member 56360

Guest
Your going to need a coach to fix your service motion...and the rest of your game pretty much

I see a professional coach(es) 4 days a week, and practice with a lot of juniors from my area. You'd think it'd pay off. Other than my serve, I didn't know that the rest of my game was so f'd up. :eek:

The pace you get on your forehand doesnt seem bad, although your backswing is a bit strange, it seems like you bring the racket back with your arm and not by turning your shoulders and then slapping the ball a bit. Try to hold the throat of the racket with your non hitting arm for longer and turn your whole body, kind of what is talked in the first few minutes of this vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FfIvTg_xoI&feature=related

Your serve looks too fast. Its probably because of your inconsistent toss and bad timing. You toss the ball very low (in different locations) and hit it right away. Before you try and fix anything else on your serve, get a consistent toss, a bit higher than now, not too high if you find it uncomfortable, then develop a trophy pose and generally try to slow things down so you can work on them individually.

Thanks Giannis. I'll work on the forehand backswing. I'll also slow things down with my serve and develop that trophy pose. The serve is just so hard. It makes me almost dizzy when I toss the ball higher. When I serve with people next to me and see their toss and how high it is, I try to go higher.
 
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Ash_Smith

Legend
With your forehand I'd like to see you prepare keeping the racquet head up (as in above the hand) and the non-dom hand stretched across the body. This should help create more of a shoulder turn and also support the racquet, a bit like frame 1 below.

Tennis-Strokes-Forehand.jpg


Cheers

P.S. you did remarkably well not to "accidently" nail a ball at those annoying kids.

P.P.S Without wishing to be too harsh on the Pro's you have lessons from - I would keep my eyes open for a better one!
 
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D

Deleted member 56360

Guest
With your forehand I'd like to see you prepare keeping the racquet head up (as in above the hand) and the non-dom hand stretched across the body. This should help create more of a shoulder turn and also support the racquet, a bit like frame 1 below.

Tennis-Strokes-Forehand.jpg


Cheers

P.S. you did remarkably well not to "accidently" nail a ball at those annoying kids.

P.P.S Without wishing to be too harsh on the Pro's you have lessons from - I would keep my eyes open for a better one!

Thanks for the heads up. I'm glad that you used Roger Federer to complement your example, as I really try to emulate his form.
 

Ash_Smith

Legend
^^^ Rog just happened to be the first example I came across! :)

It's something you'll see in 99% of of pro players.

Good luck with your tennis journey!

cheers
 

ho

Semi-Pro
Critique, comment, rate.
You need a complete redo of all your stroke. A pro will help to get faster. I do not think you can be able to pass 3.5. The more you continue, the harder it need to be fixed.
But you sure do have strength, with enough help you have a bright future.
 
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Deleted member 56360

Guest
You need a complete redo of all your stroke. A pro will help to get faster. I do not think you can be able to pass 3.5. The more you continue, the harder it need to be fixed.
But you sure do have strength, with enough help you have a bright future.

I'm sorry to snap at you, but your comment wasn't the slightest bit constructive. You just came here and told me how terrible I was and that if I keep trying, I'll get worse. From what you see, can you please let me know specifically what is wrong with all of my strokes?
 

fruitytennis1

Professional
I'm sorry to snap at you, but your comment wasn't the slightest bit constructive. You just came here and told me how terrible I was and that if I keep trying, I'll get worse. From what you see, can you please let me know specifically what is wrong with all of my strokes?

I believe he was saying that if you keep these strokes that currently have it will be difficult to progress to higher levels-the longer you keep your current strokes the longer it will take to relearn proper ones.
To achieve a higher level of tennis you will need to (trash) your current strokes and get a proper coach to rework your game.
 
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