Wall hitting - why the ball goes sometimes low

Cap

Rookie
When I hit the wall I try to damage the wall by making the paint chip or making the particle board splinter. If there isn't any paint, I focus on breaking strings. I think of wall practice as hitting drives for reps at an indoor range; trying to train that muscle coordination, explosiveness. This is a bad idea if your technique is flawed in a way that'll lead to injury, or if you're trying to become languid like @sureshs. But if you're training to hit hard, it's a great way to make that full speed swing more automatic and less efforted later. It's literally exercise.

As far as calculating ballistics after the ball hits the wall, I have no idea why anyone would care. If you don't know when you've hit the ball cleanly and with good shape, you shouldn't be worried about reducing the amount of time you spend on a court. Get some lessons or hit more or whatever, but don't tell people that they're wasting time. Armchair warrior neckbeards.

Anything with a racquet in your hand is additive. OP is spending his time well.

Yes, that is one reason I am using during warm-up or kind of cardio workout. Hitting hard and try to move my feet (not good at that though yet).
I hope my techniques is good enough now, to not screw it up or injure myself :)

Second use case which makes sense for me is slower controlled hitting to a target as @ubercat mentioned above (great reminder tip), working on precision and consistency.
 

ubercat

Hall of Fame
And if you want that super intensity serve angles and hit the return on the first bounce. Ball speed wise that's like playing a D1 player.

The other use case is is hit short angled balls on the rise low over your painted net that simulates trying to hit passing shots off volleys.

By the way as a mongrel junk baller I find passing shots work with either hitting them hard or hitting angled slices with lots of side, softer the better. You should practice both because if the volley is good sometimes just an abbreviated touch stroke is all you have time for
 
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ubercat

Hall of Fame
Heheh I think I see now why the young guys hate playing me. One guy described it as a 15 round pillow fight. Another complained that every bloody ball had 'something' on it.

My double's partner complains about both the moon balls and the short slices and then conveniently ignores all the serves that she can't return and the ones are ripped past her when she goes near the net. In fairness to the young guys if I let them play their power game and get into a rhythm I would get smoked. And still with all my old man tricks I lose plenty of matches to them.
 

Cap

Rookie
And if you want that super intensity serve angles and hit the return on the first bounce. Ball speed wise that's like playing a D1 player.

The other use case is is hit short angled balls on the rise low over your painted net that simulates trying to hit passing shots off volleys.

By the way as a mongrel junk baller I find passing shots work with either hitting them hard or hitting angled slices with lots of side, softer the better. You should practice both because if the volley is good sometimes just an abbreviated touch stroke is all you have time for

Good one, I have to try the return! I was serving to the wall just to warm up my shoulders, but catching the ball and go over several times. Return makes this even more fun :)
Thanks!

I practice short angled / DTL shots by hand-feeding, here I kind of agree I need to see where it lands into the court. It is lot more feel shot.

For passing shots I go with hard topspin all the time, but love slicing volleys short angled (when it makes sense).
 

ubercat

Hall of Fame
Oh dear...
Mate what are you going on about?

Remember you can serve as hard as you like into the wall. You don't have to worry about that serve going in.

If you really are Superman well then serve from closer in and try and hit the return on the rise. You will 'ace' yourself lots.
 

ubercat

Hall of Fame
"practice short angled / DTL shots by hand-feeding, here I kind of agree I need to see where it lands into the court. It is lot more feel shot."


Slightly different use case. Yours is variety in a rally. Good stuff.

Mine is what I have seen players much better than me do in defence. Hit a tiny drifting slice away from the net guy.

Note that's defence. On attack they have a ton of power.
 
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ubercat

Hall of Fame
I like to serve 10 feet from the wall to work on my D1 volleys.
TBH It isn't hard shots that defeat good net players. At least that's not what I see at 4 to 5 level. It's mainly a lot of spin and good lobs especially to the BH side.

We got killed in dubs a couple of weeks back by these guys who were way better. I was hitting full power forehands straight at them and they were just dispatching them but they netted quite a lot of my drifting slices.
 

Cap

Rookie
"practice short angled / DTL shots by hand-feeding, here I kind of agree I need to see where it lands into the court. It is lot more feel shot."


Slightly different use case. Yours is variety in a rally. Good stuff.

Mine is what I have seen players much better than me do in defence. Hit a tiny drifting slice away from the net guy.

Note that's defence. On attack they have a tone of power.

Got it, I am always offense minded even though usually got defending under pressure lot more time than get a chance to attack.

I would like play opponents like you more (before we start) and I am sure I would regret / hate it during our hitting :)
Played classic pusher friend last autumn, same scenario. I was confident before we started to make it short win, but lost in tiebreaker. That reminds me to arrange a replay with him once outside clay courts be ready.
 

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
Well sure, if you only want to set your ceiling on being as good as Agassi.
Phil?
american-tennis-player-andre-agassi-with-his-brother-phil-at-the-atp-players-awards-party.jpg
 

PKorda

Professional
You do realize that there's tennis outside the US? It appears that everyone here is a 4.5-5.0 without even playing. Must be certified from all that wall hitting!
There's an old expression "better to be sure than to be right", think that applies here.
 

Cap

Rookie
You do realize that there's tennis outside the US? It appears that everyone here is a 4.5-5.0 without even playing. Must be certified from all that wall hitting!

I am from Europe (Czech rep.), I can only guess what my level would probably be in US (3.5 / 4.0?), but that doesn't mean you cannot describe your level differently.
I am also curious who is standing behind strongly opposed wall hitting. Both my coaches here see values in wall hitting.

I would describe myself as: inter-mediate player, who aspires to advanced level.
I started seriously practicing 2 years ago, when decided change very crappy one-handed backhand (right hand) for left hand forehand.
I joint a local club last year and in few weeks (when clay season starts) should be playing my first team competition season on club's B-team at 3rd class (2nd lowest level in CZ).

What about you?
 

ubercat

Hall of Fame
Well the other thing you can do is footwork patterns. I taught myself a reverse pivot defensive shot. By hitting balls onto my shoes off the wall. And that thing has been really handy in matches. Still not rock solid but coming. I mean obviously live partner better and if you have a fancy ball machine with spin and oscillation better. But partners don't want to drill. And I know people with those fancy lobsters who don't use them.
 
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Cap

Rookie
Well the other thing you can do is footwork patterns. I taught myself a reverse pivot defensive shot. By hitting balls onto my shoes off the wall. And that thing has been really handy in matches. Still not rock solid but coming. I mean obviously live partner better and if you have a fancy ball machine with spin and oscillation better. But partners don't want to drill. And I know people with those fancy lobsters who don't use them.
I have old Tennis Tutor ball machine with spin and oscillation, looking forward for better weather to use it again (on days where I don't have a partner).
 

Cap

Rookie
Simon was my ideal target for my improvements when I decided, kind of proof it can be done. Him along with former pro Cheong-Eui Kim (video below).
But realistically I don't think I get even closer to Simon level.

Kim:
 

toth

Hall of Fame
I like groundies wall practise with two bounces better.
More times, i can care more about the technique.
 
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