Ok, I think I have serious limiting factors in my game. What to do next?

[torpantennis]

Ok, I think I've finally realized what limits my match play! I've recently been on a serious spiral of losing to "worse" opponents. (Yea I know if he beats me he ain't worse but you know what I mean...) My situation is a two edged sword. Let me explain what I think I do right now and what not.

While on hitting sessions or match play I mostly focus on two things:

1) Watching the ball
2) My movement, footwork and stroke mechanics.

But what I've now realized is that this makes my game totally reactive! I just watch where the ball comes, focus on it and do my footwork and swing away to get the ball BACK and get ready to focus on the next incoming ball. Zero focus is put on two things:

1) What the opponent does
2) How to proactively build the point

I just played against a guy who read my game like open book. He was always already moving to where I'd hit the next ball. He was never rushed, even if I placed the ball close to side lines. I on the other hand was often running like crazy. I did great to get to many tough balls and get them BACK but often I was just defending and giving him the ball. Point is he moved and hit the ball way worse than I do but since he had the game intelligence he never really had to move in a rushed fashion meaning he could beat me even with the lesser movement and strokes easy.

What do you think he did? Did he watch my stance and swing preparation to know almost each time where I'd hit the ball? Or did he just have a supreme game IQ to understand where the next ball was destined to go? I for one know defo that I put zero focus on watching the opponent's swing preparation. Like said, I'm just 100% focusing on the ball. You think it's more important to:
1) Focus on opponent's mechanics or
2) Developing better IQ to know where the next ball is destined to go?

Cause I feel I have okay IQ for my level after watching pro tennis and playing computer tennis games.

As for being proactive rather than reactive on court, on what kinda practices should I focus on? I don't like those rushing to net practices since on match play most of the points are won in other ways than that. You can be proactive also from baseline and that's something I should focus on. I've hit plenty enough of balls back for my level, it'd be time to take the next step.

And if it hasn't been obvious, the point is I repetitively keep losing to guys with way lesser movement, footwork and strokes. They beat me on match IQ, but I'm seriously lost on what to do with it. My match results won't improve by grooving the footwork and strokes even more, those are not my weaknesses at my level. I'm a total dumba** on all ball games and have always been, in school I was always a defenseman since I was so lost on court and on that duty it limited me the least. I'm not a natural for any ball games. Help me, what should I do and focus on next??

 

[rrortiz5]

This might not answer your question but developing a more attacking mentality might help. You may be more prone to errors but from the sounds of it you usually win matches on the UE’s of your opponent. Only in this case the opponent was consistent.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[torpantennis]

^Yea defo, I should have more attacking mentality. Even on easier balls i just tend to hit them back deep from a deep position rather than creating angles etc.

I once had a crazy match, I kinda grooved it and half volleyed most all of my ground strokes from inside the baseline and rushed the opponent left and right. Never before or never after I've had such a crazy match. Opponent was murdered and after the match he said he had no chance on my on the rise shots since it took time away from him. That's probably something I should start doing, stepping inside baseline whenever I can to take time away from opponent. As for now, I tend to stay behind baseline even on easy balls and focus on creating "hard swing". I believe that doing esn't win much points?

EDIT: Generally, I think I focus way too much on nice feeling hard swings rather than figuring out what troubles the opponents. There's one exception to it, my crazy spinny slice BH. That wins me a s*it ton of direct points but even on that I should focus more on building the point AFTER a great slice. So for example stepping inside court and waiting a weak ball after it to put it early in opposite corner with the FH. As for now, with the great slice I got I just wish opponent makes mistake on it like they often do though. But I could do so much more with it. It's defo my best shot.

 

[Curious]

Ok, I think I've finally realized what limits my match play! I've recently been on a serious spiral of losing to "worse" opponents. (Yea I know if he beats me he ain't worse but you know what I mean...) My situation is a two edged sword. Let me explain what I think I do right now and what not.

While on hitting sessions or match play I mostly focus on two things:

1) Watching the ball
2) My movement, footwork and stroke mechanics.

But what I've now realized is that this makes my game totally reactive! I just watch where the ball comes, focus on it and do my footwork and swing away to get the ball BACK and get ready to focus on the next incoming ball. Zero focus is put on two things:

1) What the opponent does
2) How to proactively build the point

I just played against a guy who read my game like open book. He was always already moving to where I'd hit the next ball. He was never rushed, even if I placed the ball close to side lines. I on the other hand was often running like crazy. I did great to get to many tough balls and get them BACK but often I was just defending and giving him the ball. Point is he moved and hit the ball way worse than I do but since he had the game intelligence he never really had to move in a rushed fashion meaning he could beat me even with the lesser movement and strokes easy.

What do you think he did? Did he watch my stance and swing preparation to know almost each time where I'd hit the ball? Or did he just have a supreme game IQ to understand where the next ball was destined to go? I for one know defo that I put zero focus on watching the opponent's swing preparation. Like said, I'm just 100% focusing on the ball. You think it's more important to:
1) Focus on opponent's mechanics or
2) Developing better IQ to know where the next ball is destined to go?

Cause I feel I have okay IQ for my level after watching pro tennis and playing computer tennis games.

As for being proactive rather than reactive on court, on what kinda practices should I focus on? I don't like those rushing to net practices since on match play most of the points are won in other ways than that. You can be proactive also from baseline and that's something I should focus on. I've hit plenty enough of balls back for my level, it'd be time to take the next step.

And if it hasn't been obvious, the point is I repetitively keep losing to guys with way lesser movement, footwork and strokes. They beat me on match IQ, but I'm seriously lost on what to do with it. My match results won't improve by grooving the footwork and strokes even more, those are not my weaknesses at my level. I'm a total dumba** on all ball games and have always been, in school I was always a defenseman since I was so lost on court and on that duty it limited me the least. I'm not a natural for any ball games. Help me, what should I do and focus on next??

Great post. We would definitely love to see a video of match play, right guys? Yesss.
It's time you did something different to surprise that ****** so that he can't read everything you do. That's not fair!

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Concentrating on your own play 100% is what most of us have to do in the earlier stages; we don't have the spare mental energy to focus on our opponent.

As we improve, however, we no longer need to think so intensely about everything we do and can start devoting energy to our opponent.

Maybe you're just at the point of making that transition?

Here are the basic questions you need to ask:
- What are my strengths and weaknesses?
- What are my opponent's strengths and weaknesses?
- How do I use my strength to attack his weakness?
- How do I defend my weakness from his strength?

Figuring out 2, 3, & 4 from a 5 minute warmup with an unknown opponent is tough. But as you gain more experience, you get better at it. Besides, you can always adjust your game plan on-the-fly.

Follow Wardlaw. If you're consistently hitting high % shots and getting beaten by an opponent who is constantly hitting low % shots, he's just better than you; don't worry about it. But if it's the opposite, that's something you can address immediately.

 

[torpantennis]

^I tend to evaluate myself and the opponent by how hard and well they hit and move. Tennis is a GAME thou. I'm starting to feel it's how well you perfect the game is what matters. Even at lower levels. Guys who maximize the game play level from what they've got (movement and the strokes) tend to beat the opposite ones. I for one definitely don't maximize my game play. Sad but true.

I gotta start practicing patterns of play instead of just hitting the ball back. That's one key in maximizing your game.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

^I tend to evaluate myself and the opponent by how hard and well they hit and move. Tennis is a GAME thou. I'm starting to feel it's how well you perfect the game is what matters. Even at lower levels. Guys who maximize the game play level from what they've got (movement and the strokes) tend to beat the opposite ones. I for one definitely don't maximize my game play. Sad but true.

I gotta start practicing patterns of play instead of just hitting the ball back. That's one key in maximizing your game.

Tennis is a lot about error management. Try having a friend keep stats of your next match so you can get some sort of baseline. You might be surprised. Last match I tracked, my error:winner ratio was 4:1!

I don't worry much about how hard my opponent hits; I worry more about how consistently they hit. Now, if they can do both, I'm in trouble!

If you want patterns, start with Wardlaw.

 

[torpantennis]

^Yep I know Wardlaw and feel I use it quite naturally. Thou one problem might be my shots, thou harder than opponent's, tend to often go too central. The opponent ain't rushed then and even with his "lesser" shots can place the ball close to sidelines, eventually forcing an error off me even thou I got many tough balls back.

I should focus more on shot placement than how hard I hit. And taking time away from opponents by stepping inside baseline as much as I can. Then I can force play even with hitting less hard. I feel a hard central shot ain't that great even if quite deep.

And by patterns of play I mean stuff like "force a weak ball with slice BH and step inside court to hit next ball early to corner" rather than Wardlaw.

 

[torpantennis]

Problem with my hitting sessions, I always only practice hitting harder and harder BACK to partner. Never done hittings where focus is more on shot placement. I think we should start doing drills where one is attacker who places each shot left right left right, and other is defender who gets balls back as much as he can. I believe that'd improve match play way more than hitting harder and harder to center.

 

[OnTheLine]

Tennis is a lot about error management. Try having a friend keep stats of your next match so you can get some sort of baseline. You might be surprised. Last match I tracked, my error:winner ratio was 4:1!
.

If you want to get better, do this. If you just want to feel good about yourself, do not do this.

My error:winner ratio the only time I allowed a count of them was 11:1. (serves were not included in the count) Yes you read that right, and somehow I won the darn match!

It was my coach's way of getting through my thick skull that you win matches by placement, angles and patterns not by brute force "winners"

 

[torpantennis]

If you want to get better, do this. If you just want to feel good about yourself, do not do this.

My error:winner ratio the only time I allowed a count of them was 11:1. (serves were not included in the count) Yes you read that right, and somehow I won the darn match!

It was my coach's way of getting through my thick skull that you win matches by placement, angles and patterns not by brute force "winners"

There you said it! Placement! I think that's my problem. I focus too much on hard swing rather than good placement. It's good placements that eventually get an error off opponent and don't allow him to have well placed shots. Then it's you who dictates the play and not the other way around. Just getting ball back central ain't enough even at lower levels.

 

[RetroSpin]

This sounds like a problem with your depth of shot. Hitting hard is fine but it is better to hit it deep. You do that by hitting it high over the net. It would be nice to know your level, but I am guessing 3.5-ish. At that level the key to winning is avoiding UEs and forcing your opponent to hit the extra shot. The best way to do that is to hit it high so you get a high bounce. Hit every ball to their backhand. When they cough up a short ball, put it away crosscourt. Variety is overrated. Make them hit the shot they are uncomfortable with.

 

[torpantennis]

This sounds like a problem with your depth of shot. Hitting hard is fine but it is better to hit it deep. You do that by hitting it high over the net. It would be nice to know your level, but I am guessing 3.5-ish. At that level the key to winning is avoiding UEs and forcing your opponent to hit the extra shot. The best way to do that is to hit it high so you get a high bounce. Hit every ball to their backhand. When they cough up a short ball, put it away crosscourt. Variety is overrated. Make them hit the shot they are uncomfortable with.

I feel some truth to this. Some of my shots do drop short since i sometimes go for too much topspin and not enough penetration. My coach changed my FH, I used to followthrough windshield wiper to hips but now most of my followthroughs go to over the shoulder for more penetration, also occasional lasso FHs. Depth has improved recently but it doesn't seem to help me since most shots go back too central.

Yep, I used to have great and easy success with repetitive loopy FHs to opponent's BH. Idk why I got rid of the strategy, maybe I got too bored lol. Now a lot of my game and winning chance is based on my low spinny slice BH, depending on day it works or doesn't. I chip it low to ankles, guess that kinda slice is tough to time so that's why it has varied too much in how consistently it works.

I could try loopy FHs to BH again. But in long run I want more varied strategy, that one doesn't carry far up.

And yes, I'm 3.5ish.

 

[Chas Tennis]

Have you videoed some of your match play to give you feedback on your match play analysis?

Do you know these opponents? Can you check their records through the USTA?

 

[RetroSpin]

I could try loopy FHs to BH again. But in long run I want more varied strategy, that one doesn't carry far up.

You need to distinguish between neutral rally balls, offensive and defensive balls. Most people will go down the middle more on a neutral ball and for the corners on one they take inside the court. If you are pulled wide or deep, your first option should be a high moonball to reset the point. At higher levels, players can knock the crap put of those balls, even take them out of the air, but not at 3.5.

 

[Limpinhitter]

There you said it! Placement! I think that's my problem. I focus too much on hard swing rather than good placement. It's good placements that eventually get an error off opponent and don't allow him to have well placed shots. Then it's you who dictates the play and not the other way around. Just getting ball back central ain't enough even at lower levels.

If your “placement” is consistent with the fundamentals of high percentage tennis, then you will give yourself the best chance to win the match.

 

[Fintft]

Problem with my hitting sessions, I always only practice hitting harder and harder BACK to partner. Never done hittings where focus is more on shot placement. I think we should start doing drills where one is attacker who places each shot left right left right, and other is defender who gets balls back as much as he can. I believe that'd improve match play way more than hitting harder and harder to center.

Definitely you should practice winners and there all kind of drills:

- E.g. rally for 3 balls and attack the 4th one.
- At the last part of the practice you could just hit winners on all balls/first chance you get
- Practice the X drill
- Even the scenario you are describing happens often for me when I move my stronger partners around and they hit closer to me/my range.

 

[torpantennis]

Definitely you should practice winners and there all kind of drills:

- E.g. rally for 3 balls and attack the 4th one.
- At the last part of the practice you could just hit winners on all balls/first chance you get
- Practice the X drill
- Even the scenario you are describing happens often for me when I move my stronger partners around and they hit closer to me/my range.

I'm kinda starting to hate my coach. All focus goes to consistency and decresing errors. That's not how you win matches. If you hit consistently but in the middle, the opponent will move none and instead will run you like crazy from left to right. That's destined for a loss.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I'm kinda starting to hate my coach. All focus goes to consistency and decresing errors. That's not how you win matches. If you hit consistently but in the middle, the opponent will move none and instead will run you like crazy from left to right. That's destined for a loss.

Most rec tennis is more about error management than winner production. Decreasing errors and increasing consistency can go a long way towards winning. If your opponent is inconsistent, he'll be handing you free points more often than the other way around.

But the above post, along with your frequent use of the word "hard" to describe your hitting, indicate you are a ball basher and thus the idea of consistency isn't very appealing to you.

Now, is consistency and decreased errors enough to win at any level? No. But it's certainly good enough to win up to around 4.5. If you're 3.5ish, you likely can gain a lot from what your coach is teaching.

@TimeToPlaySets might have a few words on bashers.

 

[torpantennis]

Most rec tennis is more about error management than winner production. Decreasing errors and increasing consistency can go a long way towards winning. If your opponent is inconsistent, he'll be handing you free points more often than the other way around.

But the above post, along with your frequent use of the word "hard" to describe your hitting, indicate you are a ball basher and thus the idea of consistency isn't very appealing to you.

Now, is consistency and decreased errors enough to win at any level? No. But it's certainly good enough to win up to around 4.5. If you're 3.5ish, you likely can gain a lot from what your coach is teaching.

@TimeToPlaySets might have a few words on bashers.

I'm not claiming you should hit winners. The point is that a shot with less pace but accurate close enough to sideline is better than a hard shot in the middle. My opponents basically do just that, move me around with "weak" shots close to sidelines and I keep hitting hard back to them in middle. They move none, I move a sh*t ton. Destined to loss. I should take pace off and opt for consistent accuracy to move them around rather than the other way around.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

I'm kinda starting to hate my coach. All focus goes to consistency and decresing errors. That's not how you win matches. .

You are totally wrong.
Your coach should fire you.
You win matches by not making errors.

 

[torpantennis]

You are totally wrong.
Your coach should fire you.
You win matches by not making errors.

Lol you deliberately dropped the 2nd half of my comment. Point is you don't win if you just consistently hit ball straight back to your opponent's hands, almost no matter how hard you hit. That's been my problem.

In hitting sessions, also with the new much lighter static weight racquet, I've been hitting much harder than ever before recently. That has kinda lured me into using this ball bashing also in matches and that hasn't worked. Sure I do errors with it, but the real problem is I don't move the opponents around, meaning they don't do errors. To get rid of this spiral, sure I'd fare better with less errors but it'd still be tough to win if the opponents don't do errors. So solution is to get them doing errors and that's easiest done by focusing on never hitting the ball in the middle straight to the opponent's hands.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

Lol you deliberately dropped the 2nd half of my comment. Point is you don't win if you just consistently hit ball straight back to your opponent's hands, almost no matter how hard you hit. That's been my problem.

In hitting sessions, also with the new much lighter static weight racquet, I've been hitting much harder than ever before recently. That has kinda lured me into using this ball bashing also in matches and that hasn't worked. Sure I do errors with it, but the real problem is I don't move the opponents around, meaning they don't do errors. To get rid of this spiral, sure I'd fare better with less errors but it'd still be tough to win if the opponents don't do errors. So solution is to get them doing errors and that's easiest done by focusing on never hitting the ball in the middle straight to the opponent's hands.

Correct, Placement trumps everything.
Topspin forehand is the most overrated shot in under 5.0 tennis.

 

[Morch Us]

I totally agree with @S&V-not_dead_yet and your coach. Deep down the middle should do the job for you, and even at Pro level thats what players do at times. The problem, really is not that the opponents are moving you around easily on deep down the middle shots. It is extremely difficult to find angles to move you around in response to a deep down the middle shot. Now I have not seen your match, so I can only make a good guess from what I read above. The problem, I think, really is that you are not as consistent as you think, or not hitting enough deep shots as you think. You need someone to count your UE error ratio, as well as "deep" vs "short" response ratio. Also your ball-prediction capability may still be just improving, causing you to be really late to opponents "mis-hit" balls, costing you points. Ball placement is still very important, but it is not about hitting the ball to corners, and comes only after neutral rally skills.

Now that being said, @torpantennis sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, even if it is totally the wrong direction, and then only you may understand. So if you dont like our advices above, I suggest you try moving the ball around to make the opponent run corner to corner, and see if that improves your match winning ratio. I would think it should cost you more points, out of more unforced errors. But you gotta try it, when you feel that is the right thing.

I'm kinda starting to hate my coach. All focus goes to consistency and decresing errors. That's not how you win matches. If you hit consistently but in the middle, the opponent will move none and instead will run you like crazy from left to right. That's destined for a loss.

But the above post, along with your frequent use of the word "hard" to describe your hitting, indicate you are a ball basher and thus the idea of consistency isn't very appealing to you.

 

[torpantennis]

Hmm, today I had my regular coaching session. Coach was a new face thou since the regular coach couldn't come. I explained my match situation problems to him and after he watched my strokes some he said I should hit loopier and with better depth.

This really got to me since I very well know that I used to hit very loopy, especially on FH, causing so much troubles to many of my opponents. Then after I got the new lighter racquet and changed my technique a lot, from
1) Windshield wiper FH with ATP take back and followthrough to hips to
2) Classical FH with WTA take back and followthrough to over the shoulder,
I started hitting much harder and lower trajectory. I kinda realized that yes, indeed many of my shots do drop short at serviceline! A low trajectory shot bouncing there is an easy ball for opponent to hit from inside the baseline to move me around! And memories came to mind from the loopy FH days that even on shorter loopy balls my opponents used go back behind the baseline, since these lower level opponents didn't have skills or courage to hit loopy balls on the rise or from air. So I figured heck, why not try loopy again!

After hitting some loopy FHs I instinctively started hitting like more than 50% of FHs in lasso style. That felt so natural! Coach said it looks natural for me. I started hitting almost all FHs as lasso and loved it. When we drilled BH I also tried more loopy idea and man what a difference it made! Way less balls to net. I realized that indeed I've been hitting way too low trajectory!

Now I'm a strong believer of this loopy strokes meta. Can't wait to try it in matches!

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

Hmm, today I had my regular coaching session. Coach was a new face thou since the regular coach couldn't come. I explained my match situation problems to him and after he watched my strokes some he said I should hit loopier and with better depth.

This really got to me since I very well know that I used to hit very loopy, especially on FH, causing so much troubles to many of my opponents. Then after I got the new lighter racquet and changed my technique a lot, from
1) Windshield wiper FH with ATP take back and followthrough to hips to
2) Classical FH with WTA take back and followthrough to over the shoulder,
I started hitting much harder and lower trajectory. I kinda realized that yes, indeed many of my shots do drop short at serviceline! A low trajectory shot bouncing there is an easy ball for opponent to hit from inside the baseline to move me around! And memories came to mind from the loopy FH days that even on shorter loopy balls my opponents used go back behind the baseline, since these lower level opponents didn't have skills or courage to hit loopy balls on the rise or from air. So I figured heck, why not try loopy again!

After hitting some loopy FHs I instinctively started hitting like more than 50% of FHs in lasso style. That felt so natural! Coach said it looks natural for me. I started hitting almost all FHs as lasso and loved it. When we drilled BH I also tried more loopy idea and man what a difference it made! Way less balls to net. I realized that indeed I've been hitting way too low trajectory!

Now I'm a strong believer of this loopy strokes meta. Can't wait to try it in matches!

So, in other words, @Morch Us was right?

 

[torpantennis]

So, in other words, @Morch Us was right?

Can't know before I try it in matches. But as memory serves me, opponents struggled with the bounce of my then slower loopy FHs way more than they do now with my much faster but lower trajectory shots.

 

[Vanhalen]

You are on the right track. I have Bjorn Borgs book from the 1980’s. He was asked if he used a different strategy versus McEnroe or Connors. What he said I found very interesting he said he never cluttered his mind with any strategy he played the same against every opponent. His goal was to hit high deep loopy forhands very high percentage shots keeping the ball in play and deep and frustrating his opponent so bad that they would try to hit winners and make errors.

This strategy works extremely well at the 3.0 and 3.5 level. I won a gazillion matches with that strategy. However about five years ago when I moved up to 4.0 I quickly realized everyone has solid ground strokes and if I didn’t keep that ball deep someone could easily try to hit winners put me out position and dictate play. So I would say at a 4.0 level and above you need to really watch your opponent and try to find some type of advantage perhaps it’s something minute like he doesn’t move too well to his left because most of these guys will have great ground strokes on both wings and it will be much harder to find weaknesses.

Good luck. And NEVER focus on mechanics during a match! Just visualize where you want the ball to go and the trajectory.

 

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

The extent of watching the opponent should just be so you can limit their options and better position yourself for the next shot before they even hit it. If they're stretched, chances are the ball will come in short or sit up, meaning an easy putaway which will be made easier if you move up earlier. If they're jammed, similar expectations. The rest of your focus should be spent on how you yourself set up points and how to lead the game to flow towards your win conditions. You should know your own strengths and what makes you win points. Whether it be your volleys, a big forehand, putting your opponent into a specific situation (like running around the court or a situation where they have to hit 20+ balls to beat you). So you should look to build points towards setting up your win conditions.

 

[torpantennis]

Hmm not probably a coincidence, I switched to predominantly loopy lasso FHs and tied vs my long time hitting partner, guy that I almost always lose with clear figures. But man, was it energy consuming to constantly hit straight arm lasso FHs with high RHS, vs. my normal over the shoulder bend arm FHs.

 

[winstonlim8]

All theories and technical talk aside, OP do you plan where you are going to serve or put the return of serve and where you expect the ball to come back and what you are going to do with it when it does, BEFORE the first serve is even struck?

That is the biggest difference between an attacking mentality and a dingledonglepinglepongling one I think.

 

[torpantennis]

All theories and technical talk aside, OP do you plan where you are going to serve or put the return of serve and where you expect the ball to come back and what you are going to do with it when it does, BEFORE the first serve is even struck?

That is the biggest difference between an attacking mentality and a dingledonglepinglepongling one I think.

Yes I always plan where I serve, obviously predominantly to BH at this low level and it works. As for planning ROS, can't plan it when I stretch. On weaker 2nd serves thou I think I tend to hit DTL to put pressure.

The last match I played probably proved another big problem... On bad days I double fault a ton! In an one hour time match I think I did like 15 DFs lol. Well, like almost always I dominated the return games. Thou I donated him like 5 service games with DFs I still ended up winning 7-6. I should've won it like 10-2. I really gotta get rid of those DF days, tough to win with 20 DFs!

And as for ROS, I think it's my biggest weapon together with the slice BH.

 

[ChaelAZ]

Problem with my hitting sessions, I always only practice hitting harder and harder BACK to partner. Never done hittings where focus is more on shot placement. I think we should start doing drills where one is attacker who places each shot left right left right, and other is defender who gets balls back as much as he can. I believe that'd improve match play way more than hitting harder and harder to center.

For sure. For practice we start with co-op hitting, starting slow and getting up to pace. But we go through that for maybe 20 minutes from the net on back, then we get into friendly feed type points where we do harder rallies and then try to win points. Then it is on to just plain feed points, so even the feed might be a winner and force both players to be ready from the start. There is value in rally ball, but I would rather play out short points overall. We tend to end on match play type scenarios.

 

[torpantennis]

@ChaelAZ Yep, we should defo start doing more match type or match helping type hittings before we start playing points. It's just so great feeling to ballbash trade FHs that we tend to do that way too much.

 

[torpantennis]

Okay, I just watched this clip:

It was so clearly obvious that they both hit with way way way more net clearance than what I do. That clearly worked for em, since it both gave more margins and also forced opponent to back up more than a flatter shot would. This camera angle was great and very revealing! I really gotta start focus more on bigger net clearance plus depth. That seems to be the simple formula for good tennis.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

That video is great.
That is such a typical 4.0 pusher bunter serve.
And notice how the pro player can't even punish it.
That girl made a lot of errors.
Great reminder of the reality of tennis.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

High net clearance keeps you in the rally.
Everyone here will tell you it's stupid, and that anything over 1ft above the net will be put away for a winner by anyone above 2.5

 

[Stretchy Man]

I don't think anyone ever said that.

 

[torpantennis]

If you want to get better, do this. If you just want to feel good about yourself, do not do this.

My error:winner ratio the only time I allowed a count of them was 11:1. (serves were not included in the count) Yes you read that right, and somehow I won the darn match!

It was my coach's way of getting through my thick skull that you win matches by placement, angles and patterns not by brute force "winners"

Damn, should I get back to Prestige?? I definitely had way more pinpoint accuracy with it than with this light racquet. Also, my slice was superior with it's dense 18x20 pattern. It just feels so good hitting so much harder with this lighter racquet. But is it good for my game?

 

[torpantennis]

Brad Gilbert about baseline tennis:

At around 3:55: "I also like to think that you wanna get the ball anywhere from 3-4ft over the net so you can get more length in the court. MOST OF US WHEN WE TRY TO HIT THE BALL HARD WE HIT IT A LITTLE FLATTER AND LOW OVER THE NET AND IT DOESN'T GET VERY DEEP IN THE COURT AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T GET AWAY FROM YOUR OPPONENT AND LEAVES YOURSELF VULNERABLE."

There Agassi's coach said it, what I've been trying to say here. I think that's exactly my problem, I often hit hard but low over the net and often probably short and straight at em. They're not troubled by the pace nearly as much as they'd be troubled by good depth and/or high bounce, or by having to run more for the balls. I gotta change my strategy, stop hitting hard and flat.

 

[webtennis]

Our skill level goes through cycles.

Some days good --- some days not so good. What helps me get back on track is to focus on 'spacing'. Footwork that consistently creates that spatial distance away from the path of the incoming ball so that we're not reaching or jammed at contact.

And then get yourself into the best tennis fitness you can. What you do off the court for your game --- in the kitchen, sprints, stretching, etc., will dramatically change your confidence.