What Will Happen to me?

[Solek]

Hi, I'm 26 and have been taking private tennis lessons for just a month know. I live in NYC so I am only able to afford one lesson per week (one hour). Eventually, my teacher will pair me with someone to practice with for an hour a week once I get the basics down. After that I will join a league/ We've been mostly working on my mechanics / forehand/ backhand. I feel I've made some pretty good progress but can't quite control my shots yet. During the week I've been practicing my strokes and have started doing push ups. My teacher ordered a Volkl DNX4 racquet for me which seems quite nice. Is there a better way to practice without having to go to a court by myself? How long will it take me at this rate to become a very proficient player. :evil:

 

[Puma]

You know, thats a very good question. To be honest, no one knows the answer to that question. The reason is there is really no definition to what a proficient player really is. I think for you, the real challenge will be the love of the challenge itself.

It takes a great deal of time to become a decent player. Or I should say, it takes a great deal of time to become a competitive player at your level. Your level may be 3.0 at first. Then you become a 3.5. But, you can bet at some point you will level out or hit the wall so to speak. It is at that point that you will face your challenge. And it takes time to do so. It takes time to overcome whatever weaknesses you have.

good luck and have fun

 

[Solek]

yes, it's going to be a great challenge! one of my other questions was what should i be during the time between my lessons? oh, and could someone recommmend a good bag to carry one to three racquets and shoes/ change of clothes etc.?

 

[Geezer Guy]

... How long will it take me at this rate to become a very proficient player.

At just 1 hour a week, it's gonna take awhile.

Maybe with limited resources there's not a lot you can do about it right now, but once spring rolls around you've GOT to get out and hit more. If you can do it, 2 hours a day every other day would be a great start. Minimally, hit against a wall or better yet find a practice partner. Taking lessons is a good start, because it'll get you started with good basics and a good foundation to build on, but you NEED to get out and practice what you're learning.

 

[Geezer Guy]

(and once spring rolls around all the sporting goods stores will load up with tennis supplies. they'll have tons of bags to choose from.)

 

[Solek]

Are there any exericises or something I could do when i can't make it to a court?

 

[user92626]

Are there any exericises or something I could do when i can't make it to a court?

There are plenty of things you can do outside a court that will help you tremendously.

Exercise running court length distances and bending, exercise the major muscles that are involved in forehand and backhand. Practice sprint.

Practice mental skills - ability to hyper up yourself at will. There's a reason why pro's scream 'c'mon', etc. And, how you handle everyday's anger, disappointment is the same as how you handle the game's.

Practice air swings with visualization -- look at a match on TV and imagine how you would handle all the shots coming your way, or at least the basic ones. When you get to a court, it will only take relatively a little adjustment. I kid you not. Good players basically have a good anticipation skill, react quickly and do correct strokes fast!

 

[Solek]

I've been doing push ups is this a benificial exercise?

 

[1012007]

but you NEED to get out and practice what you're learning.

X2. Theres not much point if having lessons and not playing outside them. Its best to practise, get good, then have coaching.

But if your technique is really bad at the start have lessons before you get into a habbit you cant get out of

 

[Koaske]

I've been doing push ups is this a benificial exercise?

Not necessarily. While it does develop your core muscles, it doesn't help you getting fast and explosive power.

 

[Tennismastery]

You can speed up the learing process by reading, watching videos, and basically "studying tennis"...

The key to reaching your "potential" will be to make sure you are learning methods that are NOT mediocre...that is, methods that simply get you out hitting balls over the net with minimal pace, spin, or placement, that gets you playing tennis quickly.

Consider tennis like piano: learn the right way from the start. It takes a little longer but worth it for a lifetime of skilled, proficeint tennis. Don't play "chop sticks" for twenty years just because it is easy to learn at first.

There are many web sites and good books on tennis. It is important that you KNOW what you really are trying to get your body to do. People who visualize and study tennis learn far more quickly than those who might take more lessons but don't take responsibility to study and understand the game. Be a critical thinker and ask questions about tennis to your pro.

Set goals too. Short term and long term. Have prerequisits for each goal. (What you are going to do to reach each goal.) and set time frames for each. You may need to adjust such goals but you will have a much more clear "blueprint" or map and a clear destination in mind.

Good luck!

 

[Mountain Ghost]

Practice!!!

Taking tennis lessons is great, one hour a week is plenty, but not playing in between them is just wasteful. You say “eventually” your teacher will set you up with someone to practice with for an hour a week, then a league. Well, why the RUSH???

Tennismastery’s “Study Tennis” advice is right on, but while his piano analogy is somewhat comparable to your situation, even the process of advancing from “Chops Sticks” to something requiring more proficiency DEMANDS substantial time ON THE PIANO itself . . . not just taking lessons, reading books and websites, watching videos of pianists or doing “off-site” finger exercises. There are always REGULAR on-the-keyboard practice/playing sessions in between those piano lessons.

If I read you correctly, you have once-a-week lessons, a nice $200 (or whatever) racquet and no one to practice with. At this point, ANYONE who can hit you balls from the other side of the net should be your next best friend . . . even if it’s a ball machine.

How long will it take to become a “very proficient player” the way you’re doing it? Long enough to make your tennis pro a LOT of money.

MG

 

[user92626]

If I read him correctly (hehe communication is another obsession of mine), he asked ....

" Is there a better way to practice without having to go to a court by myself?" And "Are there any exericises or something I could do when i can't make it to a court?"

He can't make it to a court, how is he gonna practice?

"Study tennis" is a nice suggestion but is that exercise ?


Solek, push ups would help you tremendously. If you do them correctly your arms will look like Nadal's. However, you still need to address other muscles tennis requires.

 

[chess9]

I tell my students to practice 4 to 5 hours of stroke work between lessons. Most of them are lucky to get 1-2 hours of practice.

Use a backboard, mirror, ball machine, videos, cds, dvds, or whatever to practice. Just standing in front of a mirror, practicing your swing mechanics, can be helpful for many people.

Good luck.

-Robert

 

[Solek]

I have been constantly practicing my mechanics in my apartment. i hope this helps. i will continue my push ups regiment and maybe get into yoga. soon i should be able to play 1-2 hours outside of the lessons soon. i hope.

 

[SalParadise17]

There's no shame in a wall with pavement around it ;-). I use it a lot and the best thing about it is that it cuts down the time you have to react, your footwork will improve. Best of all, YOU'LL BE HITTING! Keep working.

Sal

 

[user92626]

Pavement walls are very good for testing and practicing mechanics. Rallies lasts as long as you can hold on. Can't say that about human partners. If you suck, less distance to chase down balls . However walls can't help you with serving. :twisted:

 

[Tennismastery]

If I read him correctly (hehe communication is another obsession of mine), he asked ....

" Is there a better way to practice without having to go to a court by myself?" And "Are there any exericises or something I could do when i can't make it to a court?"

He can't make it to a court, how is he gonna practice?

"Study tennis" is a nice suggestion but is that exercise ?


Solek, push ups would help you tremendously. If you do them correctly your arms will look like Nadal's. However, you still need to address other muscles tennis requires.

While push ups, weight training, conditioning all will help with the strength/enduance/flexibility, etc., they don't in and of themselves improve one's tennis game. Improvement is the ability to hit more effective shots more consistently and defend more effective shots more effectively. This aspect comes not from push ups or pull ups, but from the understanding of what such "effective" shots are and then working to emulate them with feeling, control, and consistency.

But, you're right that the "study" of tennis is not exercise in the physical sense. (I do consider exercising the brain in terms of visually and cognitavely interpreting what skilled tennis shots look like among other things.)

Shadow swinging in front of a mirror, practicing grip exercises that develop a feel for the racquet...These include bounces up and down, alternating bounces, catching the ball on the strings, bouncing balls down on the edge of the racquet, etc. All of these improve the hand/racquet relationship and helps players gain comfort with uncomfortable grips like continental which is typically not a familiar grip and yet, a very important grip for the serve, volley, overhead, slice and two-handed backhand.

Hitting on a wall can be good or bad. Simply hitting balls over and over, while will improve a player's timing and reaction, it can also ingrain bad habits that don't reveal themselves when simply hitting on the wall. Like hitting on a ball machine, if you are working on poor form, (wrist, poor footwork, or improper swing patterns), you will only get good at being bad!

Be very careful in making sure that anything you do is directed to the concept of more progressive play and nothing short of this will create elements that will very likely need to change.

 

[Rickson]

Is there a better way to practice without having to go to a court by myself? How long will it take me at this rate to become a very proficient player. :evil:

That's up to you and how badly you want it. You could become really good in about a year if you play your cards right, but make sure it's a year of learning proper form and keeping away from bad habits.

 

[Solek]

Well... now I've started to practice a bit more consistently... 3-4hrs a week plus a 1hr lesson. so i took care of the practice aspect i think. i've continued doing push ups and practicing my form/strokes in my apartment. are there any excercises or things i could do to add to or compliment this routine. anything i could else i should be doing?

p.s. - tennis in nyc is pretty expensive especially during the offseason when there are no free public courts. just an example... an hour at a nice indoor clay court in manhattan can run you from 100 - 160/hr. private lessons can run from 110-210/hr. luckily i've found a nice club in brooklyn which is about 50% less than the aforementioned prices. sheesh! i don't care though my friends i will press on and succeed! :twisted:

 

[Rickson]

Well... now I've started to practice a bit more consistently... 3-4hrs a week plus a 1hr lesson. so i took care of the practice aspect i think. i've continued doing push ups and practicing my form/strokes in my apartment. are there any excercises or things i could do to add to or compliment this routine. anything i could else i should be doing?

p.s. - tennis in nyc is pretty expensive especially during the offseason when there are no free public courts. just an example... an hour at a nice indoor clay court in manhattan can run you from 100 - 160/hr. private lessons can run from 110-210/hr. luckily i've found a nice club in brooklyn which is about 50% less than the aforementioned prices. sheesh! i don't care though my friends i will press on and succeed! :twisted:

I'm in NYC, but not the city part (Queens). Let me know if you want to hit around.

 

[Solek]

Sure. Let me know. Where do you play?

 

[Rickson]

Sure. Let me know. Where do you play?

I play in Queens and Nassau County. Hit me up and we'll figure out a good time to hit.

scanscape@yahoo.com

 

[doogoshly]

i only recently started tennis again and i think i've improved a lot primarily because i would practice the mechanics at home. i would go through the motions of forehand, backhand, serves, slices etc. when i get to the court, obviously they wouldn't be dead on, so i'd have to make little tweaks, but being able to rely on good form has helped me improve my game.

 

[nyc]

luckily i've found a nice club in brooklyn which is about 50% less than the aforementioned prices. sheesh! i don't care though my friends i will press on and succeed! :twisted:

That's great! Continue to do some drill sessions - Prospect Park Tennis Center offers some at a reasonable price, and try to get on a USTA league team asap. This will give you match experience and is a cheap way to play tennis in nyc, btw.

 

[colababy]

I'm in NY too and I am maybe a 2.0...I only play once a week at the USTA. Manhattan is way too expensive. Court time is about $100 an hour. My bf is nice enough to teach me, and I am doing a clinic. Solek, I recommend the USTA. It's one of the last stops in Queens on the 7 train, so it's kinda far.

I think what happens to most people is they stop playing when they move to NYC. To start playing in NYC? It's a very difficult thing. I wish I had some pointers too. My bf says to move out of this city, lol.

 

[Solek]

thanks for the suggestions... i'll look into the usta i currently play at the prospect park tennis center. does anyone know of any free courts that are decent that won't be crowded once the season starts? championship tennis looks kinda good on the upper eastside. it's 40/hr... any thoughts?

 

[thursdayisgod]

The unfortunate thing about tennis compared to other sports is that it is incredibly technique based, and there is no substitute for time on the court.

Hitting against a backboard is the best thing for a beginner. You have to develop timing and muscle memory if you want to advance. Put in as many hours as you can.

As for lifts, follow a program like Ripptoes (google it or go to bodybuilding.com), it's an athletic program that is very popular. It's built around compound free weight lifts (lots of squats and power cleans) that leaves plenty of room for cardio.