What is the best tip you remember seeing in the Tips section?

[socallefty]

I did a search and there have been threads 10-20 years ago on what is the Best Tip players have received. Thought I would start a new thread focusing on what is the best tip you remember seeing in the Tip section here on TTW? So tips from real life or other coaching videos, books and online sources don’t count. What comes to mind?

 

[Rosstour]

Think about getting the hips in position so you don't get stuck on the back foot. Was just recently

 

[Shroud]

Had my first real tennis lesson today (MTM)

Thanks FX. I'll keep going I guess. However I can never seem to understand exactly what he is saying. :) You are exactly right about the frustration. It just all felt terrible. And of course my elbow did not feel good at all. Though that is probably the racket and strings. On some it...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[tendency]

best tip: if you're serious about your game dont listen to anyone in here .. lol

 

[Rosstour]

best tip: if you're serious about your game dont listen to anyone in here .. lol

There are guys here who played/play in college and at least one who played on the Challenger tour...

 

[Dragy]

The best and most impactful tip I got specifically on these boards was Fade/Draw for groundstrokes, and associated features of arms and body movement/alignment by @5263 Chuck Tomlin.

 

[Dragy]

Also I learned proper serve basically from these forums, although YouTube videos were involved, I guess. So that’s kind of not a “single tip”, but me diving into the case thanks to people posting on here. Today they call my serve as best part of the game, and even “orgasmic”

 

[onehandbh]

Also I learned proper serve basically from these forums, although YouTube videos were involved, I guess. So that’s kind of not a “single tip”, but me diving into the case thanks to people posting on here. Today they call my serve as best part of the game, and even “orgasmic”

Do you have before and after videos of your serve?

 

[johnmccabe]

ISR vs pronation first comes to mind. I was forcing forearm pronation and getting injury. Learned from here that it's the shoulder. Then I saw Racquetflex had a video mentioning the same thing. I was convinced after that. That made a big difference for me.

There are a few other examples, forehand extension, kick serve swing path. Most of them went like this. I asked a question, posted a video, got tons of comments including the key piece of information buried in there, then I stumbled into a YouTube video or a coach clarifying it.

Learn to hit two different serves to each spot.

 

[Dragy]

Do you have before and after videos of your serve?

Here’s matchplay serving, playing MTB in final match (of small, 3-stage, insignificant rec tournament, yet very important to me) in Dec 2022.

I have also previously posted kick serves from actual sets.
I feel better now, 2 years later. Got a working wide slice, got a reasonably consistent flat heater.

Before was up to 2015 with (mild) FH grip and no spin. Guess I have no video from there.

 

[johnmccabe]

The best and most impactful tip I got specifically on these boards was Fade/Draw for groundstrokes, and associated features of arms and body movement/alignment by @5263 Chuck Tomlin.

I missed this part and can't seem to find it with a simple search. Would you mind posting a link? I'm using these shots from time to time, but still don't have enough consistency. Could revisit the thread a little.

 

[jxs653]

In a recent thread on volley someone said split step is not a single step but a series of steps and I took note of it.

 

[Dragy]

I missed this part and can't seem to find it with a simple search. Would you mind posting a link? I'm using these shots from time to time, but still don't have enough consistency. Could revisit the thread a little.

I’m not sure it’s somewhere in a single post, more of multiple discussions.

The idea is that you move towards the ball (from wider away) to hit draw, and your arm gets launched “through” the contact point at an angle; and you shift away from the ball for fade shot, pulling your arm across the ball.

Also the degree of wrist release or keeping it lagged is in the mix to achieve desired outcome in most natural way.

This gets very interesting application when hitting higher and lower balls, for example, whether you drive up (which is “away” from low ball) or stay low and “flow through the shot” — on lower balls. And whether you shift away in open stance on higher balls vs driving up and into the ball…

Hopefully you can get automated execution and intuitively apply optimal choices once trained and ingrained, but being aware of this stuff during long-term development allowed for some great improvements, for example, since that 2022 video I posted above.

 

[dennis]

The idea is that you move towards the ball (from wider away) to hit draw, and your arm gets launched “through” the contact point at an angle;

By 'you', do you mean your whole body? Do you have any video examples of fade and draw? I haven't come across the terms before.

 

[Dragy]

By 'you', do you mean your whole body? Do you have any video examples of fade and draw? I haven't come across the terms before.

Yes, your whole body.

You can familiarize yourself with the concept from the author:

Next Level Spin Production

The third and most specialized ability needed to complete the Shot Matching Cycle is to understand the “Fade vs Draw” spins

www.congruenttennis.com

For pro players examples, see Nadal typical CC rally ball, when he uses a lot of lift and spin, and the ball curves a bit like lefty slice serve as well. Extreme examples of draw are his banana shots.

Fore fade, you can generally examine most I/O shots from the baseline, where they run around and hit the ball hard and angled by “fading” it away from the opponent. Also, Casper Ruud, for example, hits a lot of his FHs as fade, uncoiling strongly, almost “overrotating” to some eye, not just on I/O drives:

 

[johnmccabe]

I’m not sure it’s somewhere in a single post, more of multiple discussions.

The idea is that you move towards the ball (from wider away) to hit draw, and your arm gets launched “through” the contact point at an angle; and you shift away from the ball for fade shot, pulling your arm across the ball.

Also the degree of wrist release or keeping it lagged is in the mix to achieve desired outcome in most natural way.

This gets very interesting application when hitting higher and lower balls, for example, whether you drive up (which is “away” from low ball) or stay low and “flow through the shot” — on lower balls. And whether you shift away in open stance on higher balls vs driving up and into the ball…

Hopefully you can get automated execution and intuitively apply optimal choices once trained and ingrained, but being aware of this stuff during long-term development allowed for some great improvements, for example, since that 2022 video I posted above.

Fade cross court and down the line draw feel a little unnatural to me. I don't quite know the correct set up position, i.e. how the body, contact point should be aligned relative to the target.

 

[Dragy]

Fade cross court and down the line draw feel a little unnatural to me. I don't quite know the correct set up position, i.e. how the body, contact point should be aligned relative to the target.

DTL draw is a good thing, because it’s easier to control the ball from sailing wide… You usually use it on dropping balls.

CC fade can be hit off high bouncers when you manage to get behind the ball, or hit it CC from the middle. I/I can be also taken as fade off high ball, also saves it from curving wide into the alley.

 

[nyta2]

can't recall specifics.. but regarding who, probably tips from @Serve Doc (led me to devouring all his vids) @J011yroger (have taken a lesson IRL) @JohnYandell (joined his website for a while)
there were a bunch of folks on here like ?20y ago that I thought were really good too (don't recall anymore)... before yt... when tennisone was my source of truth
if i had to pin it to one... i'd say footwork tips... i didn't know there were specific patterns for various situations back in the day (this is way before bailey tennis footwork - which canonicalized alot of what i learned)... also let me to realize how poorly coordinated my left foot (left side) was... (as a righty)

 

[user92626]

I’m not sure it’s somewhere in a single post, more of multiple discussions.

The idea is that you move towards the ball (from wider away) to hit draw, and your arm gets launched “through” the contact point at an angle; and you shift away from the ball for fade shot, pulling your arm across the ball.

Also the degree of wrist release or keeping it lagged is in the mix to achieve desired outcome in most natural way.

This gets very interesting application when hitting higher and lower balls, for example, whether you drive up (which is “away” from low ball) or stay low and “flow through the shot” — on lower balls. And whether you shift away in open stance on higher balls vs driving up and into the ball…

Hopefully you can get automated execution and intuitively apply optimal choices once trained and ingrained, but being aware of this stuff during long-term development allowed for some great improvements, for example, since that 2022 video I posted above.

I'm confused about the mechanics of hitting "draw" and "fade" shots.

Fade -- hit flatter, less strength like 60%, arm pulling across the body?

Draw -- hit spinnier, more strength ?

 

[nyta2]

I'm confused about the mechanics of hitting "draw" and "fade" shots.

Fade -- hit flatter, less strength like 60%, arm pulling across the body?

Draw -- hit spinnier, more strength ?

fade, hit inside of the ball... tends to curve, left to right, usually end up hitting his when getting a shoulder/head high ball, that i aim to the ad court (eg. inside out fh)
draw, hit outside of the ball.. curves right to left a bit... useful when hitting on the run down the line (fh) passing shots... eg. nadal banana shot, tends to curve into the court... i tend to hit this "naturally" on lower balls (knee height)

 

[Dragy]

I'm confused about the mechanics of hitting "draw" and "fade" shots.

Fade -- hit flatter, less strength like 60%, arm pulling across the body?

Draw -- hit spinnier, more strength ?

For “good” fade it’s not the arm:
- uncoil stronger, hitting side shoulder more towards the target, no “stop” of body uncoiling.
- shift your body away from the ball, even if generally moving forward.
- keep wrist more laid back, “hit the inside” of the ball.

For me fade shot execution feels like driving the racquet through/across the ball with body uncoil more than anything else. Draw shots feel like whipping the arm, with a degree of wrist release.

 

[Happi]

Dont think I learned much technical stuff here, that my coach did not allready address.

But Wardlaws directionals was an eyeopener for me, and other tactical aspects has been great esp for doubles.