Need help on technique

[IGetSalty]

Hi All,

I'm just getting back into tennis after a period of 5 years being fat and unfit. I've been on a health grind and have lost about 25kg over the last year. This isn't my first hit back but i was wondering if anyone had any feedback for me regarding my technique?

I'm aware of my footwork being terrible. This has been helped somewhat by running but will continue to improve. There are 2 videos below where my friend and i are doing simple basket drills. 3 forehands and 3 backhands. In one of the videos, i was purely focusing on timing and taking the ball at the highest point (easy in a basket drill like this), in the other i was focussing on stepping into court and pushing through.

I've already noticed that i sometimes am a bit ahead of the ball on the backhand and can sometimes be a tad late on the forehand (footwork related). I also hit off the back foot a couple of times due to bad footwork.

Any input is much appreciated.

(P.S for gear nerds, i use the Wilson Pro Staff 97S 2015 with a lot of weight in the handle. Roughly 353g, 333 SW, and about a 31.8 balance. Strung with Pros Pro Blackout at 47lbs about 5 years ago).

 

[ballmachineguy]

Who’s going to be the first to tell him his ground strokes are better than 90% of the people on this forum?

 

[Curious]

Hi All,

I'm just getting back into tennis after a period of 5 years being fat and unfit. I've been on a health grind and have lost about 25kg over the last year. This isn't my first hit back but i was wondering if anyone had any feedback for me regarding my technique?

I'm aware of my footwork being terrible. This has been helped somewhat by running but will continue to improve. There are 2 videos below where my friend and i are doing simple basket drills. 3 forehands and 3 backhands. In one of the videos, i was purely focusing on timing and taking the ball at the highest point (easy in a basket drill like this), in the other i was focussing on stepping into court and pushing through.

I've already noticed that i sometimes am a bit ahead of the ball on the backhand and can sometimes be a tad late on the forehand (footwork related). I also hit off the back foot a couple of times due to bad footwork.

Any input is much appreciated.

(P.S for gear nerds, i use the Wilson Pro Staff 97S 2015 with a lot of weight in the handle. Roughly 353g, 333 SW, and about a 31.8 balance. Strung with Pros Pro Blackout at 47lbs about 5 years ago).

Your ground strokes are better than 90% of the people on this forum.

 

[eah123]

Your relaxed smooth strokes look like you played a lot and had good instruction as a junior.

If you are serious about getting back into playing I suggest restringing as soon as possible as 5 year old cheap poly will either be hard to control (maybe the reason for some of your inconsistencies) and/or bad for your arm health (ie tennis elbow).

Good luck!

 

[IGetSalty]

Thanks guys Nice words <3

 

[Chas Tennis]

Hi All,

I'm just getting back into tennis after a period of 5 years being fat and unfit. I've been on a health grind and have lost about 25kg over the last year. This isn't my first hit back but i was wondering if anyone had any feedback for me regarding my technique?

I'm aware of my footwork being terrible. This has been helped somewhat by running but will continue to improve. There are 2 videos below where my friend and i are doing simple basket drills. 3 forehands and 3 backhands. In one of the videos, i was purely focusing on timing and taking the ball at the highest point (easy in a basket drill like this), in the other i was focussing on stepping into court and pushing through.

I've already noticed that i sometimes am a bit ahead of the ball on the backhand and can sometimes be a tad late on the forehand (footwork related). I also hit off the back foot a couple of times due to bad footwork.

Any input is much appreciated.

(P.S for gear nerds, i use the Wilson Pro Staff 97S 2015 with a lot of weight in the handle. Roughly 353g, 333 SW, and about a 31.8 balance. Strung with Pros Pro Blackout at 47lbs about 5 years ago).

1HBH
The main problem between most rec players and high level players is a lack of understanding of technique. Rec players are using mostly DIY techniques. Pro players are using well known techniques, but not widely known techniques.

The most common problem is to leave out or use inadequate uppermost body turn on ground stroke drives. This is obvious by comparing the turning of an imaginary line between the 2 shoulders for pro players on TV VS that same line for rec players. Your backhand does not effectively turn. Compare your video to what you see on TV tournaments regarding uppermost body turn.

WARNING. Turning the uppermost body involves twisting the spine - that may cause too much stress for many players.

 

[pdparos78]

Hi All,

I'm just getting back into tennis after a period of 5 years being fat and unfit. I've been on a health grind and have lost about 25kg over the last year. This isn't my first hit back but i was wondering if anyone had any feedback for me regarding my technique?

I'm aware of my footwork being terrible. This has been helped somewhat by running but will continue to improve. There are 2 videos below where my friend and i are doing simple basket drills. 3 forehands and 3 backhands. In one of the videos, i was purely focusing on timing and taking the ball at the highest point (easy in a basket drill like this), in the other i was focussing on stepping into court and pushing through.

I've already noticed that i sometimes am a bit ahead of the ball on the backhand and can sometimes be a tad late on the forehand (footwork related). I also hit off the back foot a couple of times due to bad footwork.

Any input is much appreciated.

(P.S for gear nerds, i use the Wilson Pro Staff 97S 2015 with a lot of weight in the handle. Roughly 353g, 333 SW, and about a 31.8 balance. Strung with Pros Pro Blackout at 47lbs about 5 years ago).

Honestly mate, your techique is so great! What I would do it now focus on your fitness, endurance training, movement and mobility, lose another 5-10 kg and you'll see your tennis abilities go through the roof because of how light on your feet you will become. I'm 46 and consider myself quite fit ( because of all the hard work I do listed above which I have suggested to you) and I cannot tell you how much of an advantage I have over nearly everyone in my age group who plays tennis. Once you start feeling lighter and staying on your toes and doing your split steps etc, it will all come together. Bottom line is, you need to be fit and able to play this sport. Here's a little clip of my practising with a hitting partner who's 55 with a slightly bad knee so he doesn't move his feet at all which is why he can't control his ball very well, which is why i'm mostly placing the ball in his hitting zone while his balls go wherever for me to chase down.

All the training i've been doing has allowed me to move and stay light so I can perform like this at 46 years old. The one thing I've noticed which a lot of the middle aged recreational players is that no one is working on their fitness so that they can actually physically play tennis. Tennis is being treated like the exercise, in reality you need to exercise to play tennis, otherwise aches, pains and injuries will start emerging. In addition, I have a heart condition afib and my cardiologist and trainer informed me that I need a baseline endurance fitness to play matches or high intensity practise. Every since I sorted out my endurance fitness, it's been a game changer, I don't even get tired anymore, and my HR max while i'm playing at my most intense barely exceeds 150bpm, whereas prior to my endurance training, my HR would touch on 190 bpm and my monitor would pick up dangerous arrythmias. I've also come of partially tearing both of my calves from prior lack of streching and l leg strength training 2 years ago, which i've since recitified with training and rehab. There's a lot of training work in it!

 

[IGetSalty]

UPDATE

I lost a bit more weight, restrung my racket and made it lighter, and decided to wear a golf shirt for tennis

See what you think! Any advice welcome

 

[pdparos78]

UPDATE

I lost a bit more weight, restrung my racket and made it lighter, and decided to wear a golf shirt for tennis

See what you think! Any advice welcome

Mate your technique is actually quite excellent - Just keep working on the fitness, footwork and general energy staying light on your feet, but your groundstroke technique honestly is very good. Very stable, solid and accurate hitting. You barely miss. Well done.

 

[ballmachineguy]

UPDATE

I lost a bit more weight, restrung my racket and made it lighter, and decided to wear a golf shirt for tennis

See what you think! Any advice welcome

There’s never a time for a golf shirt.

 

[IGetSalty]

There’s never a time for a golf shirt.

Oh but it's an instant +10 to ******-ness... and as we know, that's all that matters

 

[blue12]

Rally! Beautiful strokes though!

 

[Curious]

One of the cleanest one handed backhands I’ve ever seen. Also great forehand.

 

[LeftySlice860]

I mean it’s clear you have played tennis before and know how to hit a forehand and backhand.

You have a lot of things that most intermediates lack

1) proper weight transfer (most evident on the 1HBH footwork
2) wrist lag which means you are keeping your grip relaxed/loose (or however you pedants want to classify it) which in turn leads to easy power
3) you say your footwork needs improving and of course it can always get better for everyone. But you clearly have a good sense of moving to properly space the ball. Not getting jammed very much

So you have enough to do a solid rallying session. The question is what are the nuanced tweaks to play at an even higher level

Some things I’d like to see or am not sure of because it’s not on video

1.) More unit turn on the forehand. The chest needs to be facing the side fence even more. You already will generate easy power from those powerful legs and using your weight transfer. A better unit turn could lead to a very powerful forehand with proper kinetic chain
***EDIT*** this was what I saw on the first video. Second vid the unit turn is better. But the bh unit turn you could afford to show your back to the net more

2.) I have no idea if you can hit high balls and low balls well since most of the feeds and rallies to you are waist height

3.) Do you have the ball recognition and footwork to hit short balls? In real set play the ball will not always land at the baseline