taking my game to the next level

[tennispal]

hey guys

im on the varsity team at my high school. this year i was on the top of exhibitions, but the offseason has just begun. im looking to improve a lot this year and possily play high doubles or low singles next year. i am a hard worker and i love practicing everyday.

this is my game:
im a solid counterpuncher. my best shot is my backhand, i can dictate with that shot. my forehand is a lot weaker (not inconsistent, but i tend to spin it too much and it gets attacked). my serve is mediocre (topspin-slice or slice on first, kick on second), but i am good on returns. I am athletic and quick, i play really good defense (good lobs, anticipation, etc.)One of the things that im really good at is passing shots, esp. from the backhand. i have good footwork. I am ok at the net, even though i dont transition that well.most of the time i play pretty passively, and use finess instead of trying to dictate or overpower the opponent.

Im trying to do this:
develop serve as a weapon
work on attacking game and transition game, work on dictating rallies
work on the slice (big fed fan right here )
work on net game and forehand
and basically to take my game to the next level, possibly becoming more of an all-courter

as ive mentioned im not afraid of hard work, and im organized. ive started to plan out what i want to accomplish this offseason. if you guys could give me some tips about how to achieve these goals or stuff i need to develop, that would be great! basically, the question is this: how do i take my gam to the NEXT LEVEL?

 

[5263]

What's really good is the way you are so clear on what you want to accomplish and seem pretty sharp about your strengths and weaknesses.

I think at this point it would help you to focus on whether you intend to play singles or doubles. This focus could really help your improvement in the chosen area, while not really hurting the other, should it be where you end up.

If you can take lessons and/or drill with a good group, you will make faster progress usually. If this will be self study, then pick one area at a time and learn as much as you can about it, while continuing to practice your overall game. There are some real good people on here, like Jolly, Bill, LuckyR and TM, who can answer your questions as they arise. Each area that you master your knowledge in, will put your closer to your goal.
Keep up the great attitude and approach. good luck!

 

[5263]

I recommend focusing on getting that FH up to par first, so that you can be solid off both wings.

Yes, keep hitting serves and working on volleys, but it helps me to focus mainly on one area at the time.

You might want to do something like focus on the FH for 3 weeks, then focus on serve for 2 weeks.
Then focus on volleys < 1st volley position and ideal volley position> for 3 weeks, then focus on serve for 2 weeks.
Then focus work on transition game for 3 weeks, and back to serve for 2 more weeks.
Then back to work on that FH again, sort of cycling thru things keeps it from getting stale and really keeps great focus to your efforts.

Make sure you work on your core and agility drills that go about 8-12 seconds, with 15 seconds rest, cycled in sets of 6-10 to keep that cardio up.

 

[tennispal]

I really dont know whether ill be playing singles or dubs. while it is way more likely taht i will be playing dubs, i might play singles if my ranking goes up enough

i really like your idea of cycling through different weeks of training. however, i think 1 week intervals might be better. i kinda came up with this scheldule:
1st week: fundamentals, footwork, taking ball early, slice
2nd week: second serves, forehand
3rd week: Serve and volley, transition game

so for ex. the 2nd week when i play practice sets i would use mostly second serves and try to run around backhands to dictate. the 3rd week in practice sets i would be as aggressive as possible and SV on most first serves.

i have several concerns with this approach, however.first off, i am really scared that one week of focusing on one area will throw off my game. for example, i may lose my amazing backhand or lose my sense of playing style(which i guess is unavoiable bacuse im trying to mold a more aggressive style). also, i can do the stuff when i play same level or lesser players. but when i play better players should i stick with it?

 

[montx]

You sound to me like your already on the NEXT level so I dare not give advice. One thing though is to find a coach that might be able to work with you.

 

[5263]

The key word here is focus! Don't quit doing an all around tennis workout. You must keep all of the parts of your game up and running pretty sharp.

I'm just talking about some focus for the time you spend learning.
One very good pro suggested to take the 1st 30 mins to work on the focus area ea. training day. He also suggested to end on your strengths, so that each time you left the court feeling confident and sharp.

sample Practice-
15 mins- physical warm up(not hitting) and active stretch
10-15 min- hitting warm up

30 min- Focus area training FH ---- 10 min on how to hit it and 20 min of practice work

20 min- pattern work (includes rally patterns and approach to volley patterns)
10 min- serving
10 min- returning
30 min- drop point rally / point play
10 min- interval sprints

With this approach, I'm pretty sure 1 week is not enough to accomplish much for a shot like you FH or serve, which you are clear that they need some technical work.
But it will keep your game sharp and overall improving, with the focus area getting some real good work, early in the session when you are most alert.

 

[dakels]

Short answer, it sounds like you need some weapons. Often a good counterpuncher is one who has some solid weapons which they wait to unload. If all you are doing is countering and not punching, you are the one who will be getting dictated on.

I'm going to guess that you probably have some decent swings but they lack "bite". As a singular theme you may need to look to present more depth and power, especially on the forehand. I see many young players who have this fantastic spin which is great, but they do not transfer enough power or depth so the balls are too easy to attack. Stepping in and transferring more weight behind the ball will turn sitters in the opponent's wheelhouse, into eye level loopers and short angle kickers.

There is a ton of advice on this board about these tactics and approaches to incorporate them into your game.

I highly suggest drilling as much as possible.

 

[tennispal]

5236,
very insightful sample scheldule. however, how would one do this with a practice partner. my regular partner is my brother, and i dont think he would want to follow the scheldule with me. Namely, while i am working on my forehand and technical stuff, what does he do? its not like i am a pro and he is only there to help me improve. any insight on this?

 

[fuzz nation]

I recommend you pick up your own ball hopper, fill it up, and network like crazy to find some fanatics like yourself who want to work on their games. Trust me, they're out there. Ask a teaching pro for people they know, approach people at the courts for input (be polite!), and get in touch with coaches in the area for some leads.

In terms of approaching a pro, they'll be a lot more likely to help you when you help them - get a lesson or two for your forehand, serve, and transition game. If you try a clinic with other players, you can talk to them about hitting partners, too. The serve is one of the things that really requires a trained eye on you to help with development - you're synchronizing a whole lot more with that shot than most others. If you get a lesson, insist on spending part of it on your serve.

I'm a high school coach and at your age, a spin/kick serve with good placement is an invaluable weapon. I've seen the local champs use it over a big heavy heater with great success. It's reliable, tough for opponents to return aggressively, and takes a lot of pressure off their second serves. If you get into more doubles, the slice and kicker will pave your way to the net.

I'm not saying that you need to make a huge investment in terms of cash. Put your recently used balls in the hopper and it will eventually fill up. As far as lessons go, a great alternative to some expensive private lessons could be simply finding a college player who wants to make a couple of extra bucks in their spare time - they can teach you a ton of good stuff. Certified pros are trained to teach effectively, though and should be able to give you very good bang for your buck. Again, lots of these leads will come from your diligent networking.

 

[5263]

I'm sure your brother will let you have the 10 mins where he gives you easy feeds to incorporate the technical things you want to groove into that new FH, then for the other 20 mins let him hit what he wants;

just tell him to make sure that 95% of them come to the FH side for your you reps.

that should work.

 

[Nellie]

I think it is important to know who you are as a player. Too many people get obsessed with playing like pros - trying to always develop the big weapons. You will notice no shortage of requests on the board for help developing power, but rarely for help with developing improved footwork.

If you are a faster, more consistent player, use your strengths as a weapon.

You will notice that Nadal spins in serves and forces errors, espicially when he's down.

Try some of his training techniques - 1) get in great shape by running; 2) work on getting every ball back -that means in practice, never letting the ball get past you, even if it is way out - keep the rallies going; 3) always get your serve and returns of serve in the court;

Regarding your forehand, I bet if you took a couple of lessons, it would improve really fast - forehands are relatively easy strokes to learn, and even little kids with good technique will put some zip on the shot. Regarding yoru serve, you may improve through practice/growing. For now, work on getting it in and placing it better. Against most, 50 MPH at the T or at the side line is a winner. If anything, you can practice for more spin.

 

[5263]

you got it Nellie.