Top Tennis Training

DonDiego

Hall of Fame
What? No activity for a week? Common guys, you can't start this and stay away fo so long :) (I'll blame it on bad timing with the launch of your latest course)

Anyway, I really like what you do, and I would have a question for Alex. Do you have any tip to share for us one-handers who struggle with the BH return of serve? More specifically, I use an extreme eastern grip on my topspin BH, and I find it difficult to quickly change grips during returns. It messes also with my forehand return, at a point where I stil return with 2 hands on the BH side, even if my one-hander groundstrokes are pretty solid.

Most people say the return is the 1st or 2nd most important shot, yet we rarely see online videos addressing this shot in particular. Thanks in advance!

EDIT: It goes without saying that I would LOVE to see a short clip of Alex practicing returns of serves on his BH wing.
 

Shroud

G.O.A.T.
What? No activity for a week? Common guys, you can't start this and stay away fo so long :) (I'll blame it on bad timing with the launch of your latest course)

Anyway, I really like what you do, and I would have a question for Alex. Do you have any tip to share for us one-handers who struggle with the BH return of serve? More specifically, I use an extreme eastern grip on my topspin BH, and I find it difficult to quickly change grips during returns. It messes also with my forehand return, at a point where I stil return with 2 hands on the BH side, even if my one-hander groundstrokes are pretty solid.

Most people say the return is the 1st or 2nd most important shot, yet we rarely see online videos addressing this shot in particular. Thanks in advance!

EDIT: It goes without saying that I would LOVE to see a short clip of Alex practicing returns of serves on his BH wing.
EE is a western fh. If you can return with a western then you dont have to change grips at all. Just hit on the same side of the string bed for both shots.

FWIW I use either a Western FH or SW FH grip for the return hitting EE or SW bh serve returns and its one of my better shots.

Here is a vid:


And FWIW, they DID say they would be gone for a while.
 

DonDiego

Hall of Fame
EE is a western fh. If you can return with a western then you dont have to change grips at all. Just hit on the same side of the string bed for both shots.

FWIW I use either a Western FH or SW FH grip for the return hitting EE or SW bh serve returns and its one of my better shots.

Here is a vid:


And FWIW, they DID say they would be gone for a while.

Thanks. I've seen that vid and I tried it. Problem is: I hit an eastern forehand :), so doing this messes up my fh returns.
 

Shroud

G.O.A.T.
Thanks. I've seen that vid and I tried it. Problem is: I hit an eastern forehand :), so doing this messes up my fh returns.
Sorry to hear that.

you might want to try to change to sw...

Or start out in the BH grip. I think a lot of returners do that too.
 

DonDiego

Hall of Fame
Sorry to hear that.

you might want to try to change to sw...

Or start out in the BH grip. I think a lot of returners do that too.

Truth is, I don't really see a problem with continuing with a 2hbh return and 1hbh groundstrokes. It would be nice to have a ''full'' 1-hander game, but if it hurts my return game, I'd rather stay ''hybrid''.
 

Javier92

New User
Just a personnal thought, maybe other ppl won't feel the same way but : I subscribed to your newsletter to have another way to be updated than following your YouTube channel, and I finally unsubscribed a week after.

You're doing very good work, very good videos, but you're sending waaaaaay too many reminder emails imho.

After a week, my reaction was "Yes, I f***ing know I'm missing the lesson with David Ferred !!! Don't worry I'll be fine though"

Maybe send a little less reminders, please. And keep up the good work, obviously.

Thanks.
 

DonDiego

Hall of Fame
Just a personnal thought, maybe other ppl won't feel the same way but : I subscribed to your newsletter to have another way to be updated than following your YouTube channel, and I finally unsubscribed a week after.

You're doing very good work, very good videos, but you're sending waaaaaay too many reminder emails imho.

After a week, my reaction was "Yes, I f***ing know I'm missing the lesson with David Ferred !!! Don't worry I'll be fine though"

Maybe send a little less reminders, please. And keep up the good work, obviously.

Thanks.

They all do it. I mean, the other guys with online courses. Most of them have read the same book on how to launch products, and yes, it's very annoying.
 

mrravioli

Semi-Pro
small price to pay for free content. these guys gotta eat too :p

Yep. I can live with that. I subscribed to some 5 online tennis instructors and many other sites sending me mails on daily/weekly bases. I create folders for each site and just leave them unread if I want and could check them all when I'm free. Now I've got more than 300 unread mails, 14 of them from TTT.
 
Question: What are your favorite or most effective serve drills to work on when on your own?

Also, there are times when no hitting partner, coach, or wall is available. Besides serves, and footwork/fitness stuff, are there are beneficial drills to do on your own like self-feeding balls stuff?

Thanks, and your videos are great.
Hi
For serve I always just worked on placement/spins/or technique changes
Always loved serve drills that work on getting you focused
I have been at tournaments before with no wall/hitting partner and warmed up by drop feeding myself.
You need big pockets and take out one ball at a time and I would toss the ball away from me and work on getting to the ball
All the best
 
Do you have any tips for getting into a rhythm?
At the start of the session start off in the boxes and focus for a few minutes on just tracking the ball all the time. I mean all the time. Hold that focus for as long as possible then do the same but add in breathing (exhale just before contact to stay relaxed during the contact point)
If you do these two things and put it into practice on the baseline, the timing should become pretty good and your focus on each shot will be high. Alert but relaxed
 
Another question about 1HBH, Simon. When I watch Grigor Dimitrov hitting a backhand, it looks like he's relaxing his wrist on contact and somewhat 'tossing' the racquet head. I've learned my backhand with the notion that I should somewhat lock my wrist when swinging through the ball and the racquet should be perpendicular to my forearm on contact and even in the follow through, but Grigor's wrist looks so relaxing and the racquet is sometimes nearly in line with his arm (which I tried and find it very hard to generate spin with). What's your opinion, Simon. THX in advance.
His wrist is relaxed however some other pros keep a firmer hand. Again it all comes down to individual style.
Experiment with a relaxed wrist then try a firmer one and see what works better
 
@Top Tennis Training

Have you got any tips on hitting an inside out 1HB from the deuce court?

I find this a very difficult shot to execute well because the racquet path seems unnatural compared to the direction in which you want the ball to go.

Here's an example of Fed hitting inside out but I've never seen him do it from a more acute angle eg. on the deuce side returning serve, and hitting say into the opposite corner.

It would be simply just adjusting the strings to the direction you want the ball to go in. I would try to hit more "inside" the ball on this shot and if you can get your bodyweight following the ball path that would help the weight of shot
 
Hey Top Tennis Training! Been following your videos for a couple of years and I really like them, there is some great hitting footage, and some very valuable advice in some videos too. Last year I moved out of my country to practice in a tennis center/academy, the head coach there coached top 10 guys in the world a few years ago and at times he's given me advice that I later heard in some of your videos haha. I really liked the new Ferrer videos, especially since he's one of my favorite players, since I think we have some things in common, like little talent but good physique and mental strenght hehe.

Here's a video of me playing, unfortanutely it's 1 year old exactly, and I've gotten much much better since especially since I moved, but still better than nothing, what do you think of my forehand? :

Here's an old vid of my favorite serve too, I think my kick was better then than now haha :
Hi

Looking at the serve video I noticed instantly that your back leg does very little for the power
Are you trying to use the platform (Federer) stance or trying to get into the pinpoint (Murray)?
That back leg is costing you power and lift from the ground.
I would work on getting that leg pushing off much more in either stance
 
You guys probably have posted some of the best instructional videos around the YT. Top notch all round, nothing more to add really.

Assuming you guys are based in the UK, would be awesome if you guys could coach up in Scotland as we need some quality coaches up here! I play at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre quite a lot where I believe Andy Murray used to play there sometime.
I've played a few futures up there (Simon) also I think Alex might have won up there the title.
Nice club and great city. One year when I played there, rugby event was on and we couldn't get a single hotel that we ended up sneaking into the club minivan and sleeping inside it overnight. Very cold and only managed to get about 2-3 hours sleep the whole night. Played first match early that day and somehow won, then lost second match that day to a good French player. Funny trip
 
hey guys, following your every video..
i try to improve my serve all the time, but nothing really help my serve speed,
and also i never manage to make it flat. always sliced.
what can you make of my latest video? (sorry about that angle)
thanks.
Hey
I would work on getting more leg drive and trying to stay "tall" when making contact
Also it seems from this angle that you are very front
Maybe try to rotate more with the upper body to engage the trunk muscles more
 
TTT, I've been following your vids for a while. Great stuff! Please keep it going, and thx for coming on TTW to help hacks like me out :)
I'm particularly impressed with your opposite hand work (all strokes),... I've been working on my lefty fh (for my 2hbh),... I'd says it's up to the 3.5 level :p
Good work, keep it going. It does wonders for the dominant side
 
Just a personnal thought, maybe other ppl won't feel the same way but : I subscribed to your newsletter to have another way to be updated than following your YouTube channel, and I finally unsubscribed a week after.

You're doing very good work, very good videos, but you're sending waaaaaay too many reminder emails imho.

After a week, my reaction was "Yes, I f***ing know I'm missing the lesson with David Ferred !!! Don't worry I'll be fine though"

Maybe send a little less reminders, please. And keep up the good work, obviously.

Thanks.
Hey
Sorry for pissing you off with the emails
We have to do it that way, we track everything and many people need a few reminder emails just to open it even when they signed up for the videos the same day
 
They all do it. I mean, the other guys with online courses. Most of them have read the same book on how to launch products, and yes, it's very annoying.
When it gets annoying, very simple solution. Unsubscribe. But then you don't get our hidden videos we only send to our emailers
That's how we say thanks to our loyal emailers who put up with our constant emails
 

DonDiego

Hall of Fame
When it gets annoying, very simple solution. Unsubscribe. But then you don't get our hidden videos we only send to our emailers
That's how we say thanks to our loyal emailers who put up with our constant emails

You guys are the only ones left on my subscriptions list. I guess this speaks about the quality of your free stuff.
 
I would be interested in learning about how to get more power and pace on both the 2hbh and the 2nd serve? I seem to focus so much on topspin on these shots that I lose significant pace and power. Thanks guys! Big fan of your YouTube channel
 

DonDiego

Hall of Fame
I would be interested in learning about how to get more power and pace on both the 2hbh and the 2nd serve? I seem to focus so much on topspin on these shots that I lose significant pace and power. Thanks guys! Big fan of your YouTube channel

Yeah, I think Simon has a beautiful two-hander, which also does not seem too complicated. I would actually prefer a 3-minute course on ''Hit your backhand like Simon'' rather than the already existing ''Hit your backhand like Djokovic''. Seriously.
 

DonDiego

Hall of Fame
Well, I watched the vid and it's pretty good, actually. We're seeing mostly Simon, not Djokovic in it.

Quick question for you Simon if you have the time. I'm currently switching from a 1-hander to a 2-hander, and one thing I have trouble with is my preparation with 2-hands. I don't turn enough, I'm like semi-open stance. I then filmed myself and realized that I was preparing much better with the 1-hander -- when the ball bounces my shoulders are already fully turned, my foot are in a closed position (depending on incoming balls, of course), and my back is turned at a point where my opponent could read my jersey number if I had one. In fact, with 1-hand my right foot is past the left foot when I'm ready to hit, while with 2-hands it's not even flush (parralel) with it, I'm still semi-open.

So in essence: should both shots have the same preparation? Since I've been hitting with 1-hand for years and my muscle memory is already set up, should I simply focus on preparing just like I was still hitting a 1-hander (but obviously with two hands on the racquet and the right grips)? Does that make sense? Maybe Alex would have something to say also about this.

I know the rest of the shot, once you hit the ball, is different for both 1-handers and 2-hands, but for now I'd like to fix the first part. Thanks!

P.S. If anyone wants to weigh in on this, be my guest
 
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Well, I watched the vid and it's pretty good, actually. We're seeing mostly Simon, not Djokovic in it.

Quick question for you Simon if you have the time. I'm currently switching from a 1-hander to a 2-hander, and one thing I have trouble with is my preparation with 2-hands. I don't turn enough, I'm like semi-open stance. I then filmed myself and realized that I was preparing much better with the 1-hander -- when the ball bounces my shoulders are already fully turned, my foot are in a closed position (depending on incoming balls, of course), and my back is turned at a point where my opponent could read my jersey number if I had one. In fact, with 1-hand my right foot is past the left foot when I'm ready to hit, while with 2-hands it's not even flush (parralel) with it, I'm still semi-open.

So in essence: should both shots have the same preparation? Since I've been hitting with 1-hand for years and my muscle memory is already set up, should I simply focus on preparing just like I was still hitting a 1-hander (but obviously with two hands on the racquet and the right grips)? Does that make sense? Maybe Alex would have something to say also about this.

I know the rest of the shot, once you hit the ball, is different for both 1-handers and 2-hands, but for now I'd like to fix the first part. Thanks!

P.S. If anyone wants to weigh in on this, be my guest
I would try out your one handed preparation and see if it works better than what is happening now. A lot of players I spoke to have come to a similar conclusion on the two hander, try to feel the bottom hand dominates the prep phase and the top hand dominates the forward phase. Djokovic looks like uses this philosophy and Safin comes to mind also. Very simple preparation and no time wasted getting back into the power position. I'd also work on getting your top hand stronger by doing forehands while holding the grip on the same spot you do for your two handed bh. A great drill I use a lot is top hand forehand followed by a two hander and repeat that cycle. Another way is to get your partner or coach drop feed balls only when you reach the back position with the feet set up how you want them
 

DonDiego

Hall of Fame
I would try out your one handed preparation and see if it works better than what is happening now. A lot of players I spoke to have come to a similar conclusion on the two hander, try to feel the bottom hand dominates the prep phase and the top hand dominates the forward phase. Djokovic looks like uses this philosophy and Safin comes to mind also. Very simple preparation and no time wasted getting back into the power position. I'd also work on getting your top hand stronger by doing forehands while holding the grip on the same spot you do for your two handed bh. A great drill I use a lot is top hand forehand followed by a two hander and repeat that cycle. Another way is to get your partner or coach drop feed balls only when you reach the back position with the feet set up how you want them

Thanks a lot, much appreciated!
 
S

Sirius Black

Guest
Simon, what is the grip change like when you play ambidextrous? I'd love to see a video of you hitting from the front perspective to get a better look at it.
 

Booger

Hall of Fame
How much content do you have that teaches the one handed backhand? It seems like that's the shot that everyone wants, but virtually no amateurs have.
 

Digital Atheist

Hall of Fame
Greetings Simon and Alex;

I'm guessing you guys are probably currently at the Aussie open having a fine time (super jealous if that's the case)! I'll chime in and give you another big thumbs up; my favourite video is the killing short balls, where it goes over the different forehand footwork patterns and stances used relative to the situation.

I already have a thread on improving my serve where I've received some excellent feedback (in addition to the flaws I was already aware of), but I'd be crazy not to ask for your opinion. My question is more from a technical standpoint and you may even find it interesting. It has been pointed out that I supinate slightly before launching into the racquet drop, and I am wondering what effect this might have on power. Should changing this be a priority, or am I better working on the basics (toss arm extension, higher elbow, better leg drive)??

youtube.com/watch?v=8mqqZkZj3B0

youtube.com/watch?v=kFn26iDvWU8

Thanks!
 
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