Insider Tennis Strategies And Tactics

Improve Your Tennis Game With Insider Strategies Of The Top Players.

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Advanced Tennis Strategy For Match Play

How do you define insanity? Well one way is to describe it is to repeatedly do the same actions but expecting a different result each time, very much like playing tennis in fact. Playing tennis is very strategic, and if you find your self losing in quite spectacular fashion, is it time to change your tactics.

The mistake that many players make is not adapting their style of play to try and match their opponent. They come into the match with a game plan and stick to it religiously, even when it is blatantly not working. I have a few tips here for you to consider implementing next time you walk out onto a tennis court. These could well have the desired effect and result in you winning the match.

If you play from the baseline and are facing a player who plays as the net you need to play them at their own game and try to get to the net first. Those players who love to rush the net are attackers, and don't like defending. By keeping them at the baseline and making them play in a away they aren't comfortable with also give you the mental edge.

You've probably guessed by now that all these strategies are basically finding your opponents Achilles heel and exposing it. Those players who are slow around the court need to be made to run all over the court so they are exhausted.

Your opponent literally won't know what's hit them when you play them at their own game. They will think they know your game and now you've caught them completely off guard and they are way out of their comfort zone. So next time you walk onto a court be aware of your opponents weaknesses or style of play so that if they start beating you it's easier to change your strategy and really confuse them.

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USTA's High-Performance Tennis: The Serve [VHS]

Great servers dominate the game of tennis with consistency, accuracy, power, disguise, and variety. Learn the technique of the top pros and apply it to your game! USTA's High-Performance Tennis: The Serve video features the top servers in the game,Pete Sampras, Venus and Serena Williams, Marat Safin, Richard Krajicek, Lindsay Davenport, Lleyton Hewitt.

Shot with a high-speed camera capable of producing super-slow-motion images, the video gives you an unparalleled ability to analyze every facet of serving. With this footage you'll be able to see precisely how top players deal with each phase of serving. You'll learn how to study the serve and improve your ability to analyze serves for yourself or your players.

The Serve takes you through the four phases of the serve: preparation, loading, hitting, and follow-through. Super- slow motion, stop action, graphics, and superb instruction help you analyze every facet of the stroke and see exactly what elements are needed for a dominating serve. Replays from numerous angles during U.S. Open television coverage allow you to see the servers' technique and see how to transfer that technique to the court.

Price: $29.95

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How and Where to Hit the Tennis Ball

How to hit it is described in tennis as 'technique'

Technique is learnt so you will be better in a match.

The first thing you will need in a match is to get the ball over the net and into the court.

The following basic advice will help you get the ball over and in when you are hitting forehands and backhands - otherwise known as ground strokes.

1. Hold the racket in a way that is comfortable for you. On the forehand, a good way is to hold it with the palm behind the handle (imagine you were hitting the ball with your palm, then put the racket there).

On the backhand, you can use two hands or one hand. If you use two hands, probably best to have your dominant hand at the bottom and your supporting hand just above it on the handle, though not overlapping.

2. Watch the flight of the ball. Move to where it will be after it has bounced and after it has stopped rising. Reading the flight path of the ball is vital to move to the right place. ...The right place involves the following...

3. Stance - for beginners on the forehand and backhand, sideways on is good enough.........tennis is a moving game so try to get your shoulders sideways to the ball, even if you can't get your feet sorted out!

4. Contact point - try to hit the ball ...

a) comfortably at the side of your body,

b) slightly in front of your body

c) between waist and shoulder high

5. Swing the racket at the ball .........from low along to high...make sure the strings are pointing where you want the ball to go as you swing - it is a bat and ball game, so use the bat to direct the ball!

To serve, the following advice is the basic stuff:

- Stand sideways on to the net.

- Throw the ball into the air so that it hangs nicely in the area where you want to contact the ball (see below for where that is!). The throw-up is also called the 'placement' coz that's what it should really be.

- The action of hitting the ball should be very much like a throw.

- Try to contact the ball in the middle of your throwing action at full stretch, slightly in front of you, and above your hitting shoulder. This sounds easy! Trouble is you can't do it if you've just thrown.... or even placed (!) the ball backwards and three feet away!

If you get to the net, volleys are without hitting the ball, and the action should be a simple blocking action. Because you are at the net, you can use the power.

Where to hit it

A 'tactic' is a plan to win the point.

There are five basic tactics.

First is to keep the ball in play - by getting the ball over the net into court. If your opponent can't do this and you can...you will win. If they can though...

.... Try to make your opponent move in order to hit the ball. Try to get them off balance or at least hitting on the move and test their skill on the move.

Whilst doing this...you will be better placed to hit each ball if you maintain a good position on the court before and after each shot. Be like a goalie defending the gaps - do not get caught out of position to one side of the court or stuck half way between the baseline and the net.

Once you can do the above tactics successfully, try to play to the weakness of your opponent ...this might be their forehand, but is usually their backhand.

Equally, use your own strength/s as much as possible. If you can use your strengths against their weaknesses... would be a fiendish plan to bring off.

Gavin Dye is the Author of ?Tennis For Everyone-A Beginners Guide To Tennis". now available online at his website, http://www.tennis-supply.com

The Mental Aspect of Tennis

This article will take its departure in tennis, but please keep in mind that many of the psychological tips I present can be applied to any other sport and loads of everyday situations.

There are basically two different phases: 1) Before you get on to the court and 2) when stand head-to-head with your opponent. We will call the first phase "Pregame" and the second phase "During-game".

I personally train 7-17-year-old Danish tennis players and teach them the different psychological tips you are about to read about, with great results. I can also tell from my own experience that I have beaten players with much better precision and techniques than me, only because I master the psychological aspect of the game.

Phase 1:

This phase is all the time you spend outside of the court, and the 60 minutes before an important match. The mind is an incredible tool you can train to improve your tennis performance because you can't overtrain when you are developing your psychological skills. This means you can get one step ahead of your opponents because while they just recover from a hard day of training, you can keep improving your game by training the most important organ in tennis: your brain, and thereby your mind.

The minutes before a match are very important because, as your muscles and joints, your brain has to be "warmed up". There are many different ways of preparing mentally for a match. Some listen to music, others stare into space thinking tactics, but the important issue here is to find the right state of mind. Rugby players have to be pumped up before a match. That's why you see them shout and push each other around to get in the right mood. Golf players, on the other hand, needs to be very calm and must therefore make sure to stay self-possessed and not get overly excited before going on to the golf course.

Phase 2:

The During-game phase is also very important. This is the part where you can lose everything if you can't control the psychological aspect.

You can train your whole life to master the perfect smash, or make the perfect serve, but if you doubt yourself for just a second, the hundreds of hours spend training has been wasted. You know this from your own game; for instance the situations where you have to serve a second serve against a match point. It suddenly becomes much harder to serve because you know that if you make one little mistake you will lose the whole game. This is where you will need certain techniques to keep you calm and control the psychological aspect that, in situations like that, is out of balance.

On the other hand, if you know how to stay focused, even when you're under pressure, you can win a lot of points and even beat opponents that should be able to beat you. As Boris Becker once said "The fifth set is not about tennis, it's about nerves". If your mind is occupied with anything else than how to play the next ball you will easily be distracted and lose focus. The techniques for training this are actually very simple and easy to learn, but represents a huge advantage if you can master it.

Bad days?

Hundreds of hours of practice can become worthless because of one small oversight. It's like pit stops in formula 1: They can spend millions on cutting 0.1 seconds of a lap, but if the pit crew screws up, all that money is lost. "A good tennis player never has a bad day!" - That's what my coach once told me. At first I didn't really pay attention to it and merely thought it was something he said to motivate me, but as I got better I started to understand what he meant and that he wasn't just talking rubbish.

"Bad days" do not exist! Well, think about it. If you play regularly, your technique will not become worse suddenly from one training to another (if so, you badly need a new coach;) ), on the contrary it will only get better every time you train. Your amount of muscles will be approximately the same and you will probably be just as physically fit from one week to the next, so what causes your performance to vary from day to day? Well there are a lot of answers to this question, but the most important one is: Your mind! The more self esteem you play with, the better you play. First time you make a bad serve you think "well, that happens" if it happens again you think "not again!" Third time you are already in the line of thought that says "I'm must really be having a bad day" and when that happens you are for sure going to have one. So what you need to think is: "Bad days do not exist!"

If you want to read more about the mental aspect of tennis, please read my other article on squidoo: http://www.squidoo.com/mental-aspect-of-tennis

Tennis Lesson Tips - Exercises to Improve Your Game

Playing your best on the tennis court requires strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination. All of these things can be approved upon with the right exercises, thus making you stronger, faster and able to play harder and longer sets.

There are a lot of things you can do to increase your overall playing ability:

-Practice slow bursts of exercise like sprinting, jumping and fiercely swinging the racket.

-Allowing yourself minimal recovery periods during exercise. Tennis is a fast-paced game that lends itself to very little downtime on the court.

-Run using a lot of lateral movement.

-Work on increasing your endurance for longer playing times.

There are two main categories of fitness needed for improving your tennis game:

1. Physical - your fitness level, flexibility capabilities and strength are all important in order to play the best possible game.

2. Mental - coordination skills, and tactical ability are both needed in order to play tennis well.

So, what types of exercises should you be doing in order to play better and ward off injuries on the court? Try a few of these to both improve your play and your endurance:

Shuttle Sprints:

Run from the baseline to serving barrier and back again as fast as you can.

Ball Retrieval:

Place a line of balls along the fence, then run as fast as you can, picking one up at a time and running back to place it in the basket. Time yourself to see how fast you can do it.

Ball Drops:

Have a partner hold balls and drop them without notice while you try and grab them before they bounce on the ground.

Balloon and Foot Balance:

Blow up two balloons and try and keep them in the air by either hitting them with your racket or by using your foot. It may sound easy, but it isn't!

Ball and Shoulder Catch:

While looking straight ahead, have a partner drop balls over your shoulder as you try and hit them with your racket into the net.

Improving your tennis game requires a strong upper and lower body. To strengthen your lower body, try a few of these easy exercises:

-High knee run.

-Leg squats.

-Front and rear lunges and walking squats.

For a great upper body workout try these simple strengthening exercises:

-Punching.

-Three-quarter presses.

-Speedball.

-Swinging.

-Tricep dips.

Before attempting any of these exercises, be sure to stretch properly both before and after your workout to avoid injuries, pace yourself. Remember, it takes time to build up your body strength and endurance. Start with a 30 minute cardio workout three times a week, then when comfortable, add a day or two of strength training in addition to your regular exercise routine and watch your game on the court improve!

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How to Play Tennis - the Mental Game

Learning how to play tennis can be either a wonderful or a very frustrating experience. It depends on whether your approach and expectations to the game are realistic and whether your coach and his way of teaching the game of tennis are the best for your starting level of play.

When you start learning how to play tennis you probably don't know much about it. You've seen how good players play and they seem so effortless and the game seems easy. You decide that you want to try it too and enroll in one of the lessons at your local club.

There are 2 main areas when you are still learning how to play tennis:

- Technique (footwork, body, arm action)

- Tactics

And here are the main mental points for these two areas of your beginning lessons:

1. Be aware - when you learn how to play tennis you are soon overwhelmed with lots of information. This can cause you to lose focus on most important things - depending on your coach's instructions. Listen to your coach and do as he/she tells you to. Sometimes it's your arm movement, sometimes focusing on the feel of the racquet, sometimes on your movement. Be aware of what is happening so that you may correct that.

We coaches often come to the situation when the player wants to hit the ball in court while our main concern is correct form. And sometimes we don't care about form and just want the player to develop feel and put the ball in court but the beginner is still focused on the correct form. So stay with your coach's instructions and be aware of the outcome.

2. Don't take the game too seriously and don't try too hard - it's only a game. You are already too tense at the start since you don't feel which muscles you need and which you don't. So you use too many of them. If you add to this a too serious approach and you try too hard to hit the ball in or to please your coach, you will slow down your improvement and lose all the joy and fun when learning how to play tennis.

3. Accept mistakes as a part of this game. There will be probably quite some mistakes at the beginning. Don't let that discourage you, it's only feedback. You learn from them. You need mistakes, without them you can't explore your limits. And remember your tennis abilities have nothing to do with you - your inner self. There is no connection unless you make one.

4. Be patient and willing to wait before results come. Your brain and body need many repetitions before they adapt. Wait and be patient. You'll soon know how to play tennis. :)

5. Here are some mental qualities that lead you to success, regardless of your skill level or area of your involvement:

a) Focus on what you want instead of what you don't want

- playing better instead of not playing bad

- serving in the court instead of not making a double fault

- hitting an »easy« ball in rather than hoping that you won't miss again

b) Be decisive - when you decide what you want to do (hitting down the line or crosscourt, hitting close to lines or more in the middle, playing more attacking shots, playing more volleys, ...) do it. Stay with you decision. Decide quickly - remember: he who hesitates is lost.

Even if your decision turns out to be wrong, you'll get some feedback. When you are indecisive and don't decide what to do, you don't know when will such a situation present itself again.

c) Be courageous - there are many situations in the game where you'll feel the fear: of missing, of making a fool of yourself, of winning, of not improving ... There is only one way of beating the fear - courage. Doing the right thing regardless of your emotional tendencies. Just do it. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Learning how to play tennis can be a very fun, exciting and rewarding experience. Follow these mental steps when learning and playing and you are on your way to becoming a mental master of this beautiful game.

Tomaz Mencinger is a sports consultant and a tennis coach. Learn how to play tennis and many more tennis tips at his website http://www.tennismindgame.com.

Keep Tennis Strategies Simple

When you play a game of tennis have you noticed how easy it is to make your tennis strategies too difficult to put into match play. You may try to hit your powerful forehand straight down the line when it is more practical for you to hit cross court so that the ball goes over the lowest part of the net? Here are a few tips to help you keep your strategy simple and allow you to focus on executing your shots without thinking too much about your tactics.

Put all your energy and focus into hitting one more ball over the net than your opponent. It is an interesting fact that most rallies are won because of your opponents errors; therefore it is a great idea to just get the ball over the net and back into play. If you manage to get the ball back into play then your opponent is the one who is put under pressure to return the ball back into play. At that point your opponent may make an error and lose the point.

When your opponent hits a cross court shot to you on a diagonal, hit it back cross court. Remember that the net is lower in the middle and you have more space in which to hit when you hit cross court. If you decide to hit the ball straight then you will have to change your directions on the ball, this is much more difficult and risky to achieve. It is easier to send the ball back in the direction in which it came. This is particularly true on the return of serve. Put the ball back deep cross court, and your odds of winning the point will be enhanced.

You have an opponent who hits straight up middle. How are you going to cope with that? Use topspin to clear the net safely and pin your opponent deep in the back court from where it is difficult to attack. You can change the angle slightly to move your opponent around, but do not go for the corners and hit the ball out. If you want to go for the corners, build your rally up so that you can adjust your swing to make those areas without too much risk.

You are engaged in a rallying your opponent from the back court, just keep the ball going back deep in the direction from which it came. Do not be the one to change directions. Be patient and wait for your opponent to make that error, keep your cool and play it simple.

If your opponent hits the ball short and it bounces near the service line, come forward and hit the ball down the line. You are not trying for a winner on this shot, but just putting the ball back in an awkward place so that your opponent may make their error.

Get your first serve in, you may need to take the pace off your serve a little to improve your consistency, but keep it simple and you will develop your serve quicker than you might think.

Keep your strategy simple especially when the going gets tough, review the tips I have given you and put them in to practice. Remain focused and have fun introducing the tips into your game.

How to Play Tennis For Beginners - Everything You Should Know

How to play tennis for beginners

Tennis psychology is nothing more than understanding your opponent's mind, and understanding the effect of your own game on their mental viewpoint. You react differently in different moods and under different conditions. You must realize the effect on your game from whatever form your reaction takes. Does it boost your efficiency? If so, go for it, but never show it to your opponent.

Does it take away your concentration? If so, either remove the problem, or if that is not possible try to ignore it,

Once you have understood your own reaction to conditions, study your opponents, to decide their ways. Like attitudes react similarly, and you may judge men of your own type by yourself. Other attitudes you may try to compare with people whose reactions you know.

A person who can control his own mental ways has a good chance of reading others. You can only control your own mental tendencies after examining them carefully.

You have to know yourself and how you react in certain ways and then try to figure out your game the best way possible for you.

When two players are at the same level, as far as tennis skill level goes, the main factor in any match is the mental outlook. Tennis is about understanding the values of a break in the game, and turning it to your own advantage.

We hear a lot about the "shots we have made." Very few understand the importance of the "shots we have missed." The science behind missed shots is just as important as that of made shots, sometimes a miss by an inch is of more importance, than a return that is killed by your opponent.

Tennis match psychology is intriguing, but easy to understand. All players start with the same chance. Once a player establishes a lead, his confidence builds, while his opponent worries, and his mental confidence becomes weak. The only object of the leading player is to maintain his lead, thereby building his confidence.

When learning how to play tennis as a beginner....

The first and most important point in match play tennis is to know how to lose. Don't be a sore loser! This is the first great law of tennis, and the second is to win modestly like a sportsman.

The object of playing tennis is to win, but no one likes a player who doesn't win fairly. If you do lose, at least you have the assurance that you have given your all.

The most important thing in tennis is the play,a respectable lose is better than a hollow victory. Always remember to have fun!

Above all, never change a winning game.

Always change a losing game, since, as you are getting beaten that way, you are no worse off and may be better with a new style.

I trust that I have provided some enlightenment to the beginning tennis players as well as the seasoned veteran. More informative tips and strategies can be found at http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-play-tennis-for-beginners

James Pritchard has been studying and playing the game of tennis for several years. Learning how to play tennis for beginners is not difficult if you have the right guide. More powerful and informative tips, can be found at http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-play-tennis-for-beginners

Tennis Tactics That Will Get You a Killer Serve

When it comes to tennis tactics, the service is the most devastating stroke in tennis. From what is a motionless and apparently harmless beginning, a well-timed serve will fire a tennis ball into your opponent's court at cannonball speed. To serve effectively, you should feel the motion gathering and rising through your body from the ankles up as your legs, hips, stomach, back and shoulders create a chain reaction of power.

Good serve tactics concentrate on three things:

The service stance
The grasping action
The throwing action.

The grasping action relies on you grasping the tennis ball in your non-playing hand between your thumb and all four fingers. If you want to hold two tennis balls at once, grip the first ball with your thumb and the second ball against your hand with your third and fourth fingers. Then hold the ball or balls against your tennis racket strings.

To take up a correct service stance, stand behind the baseline sideways on to the net with your feet shoulder-width apart. Slightly flex your knees with weight poised on your back foot. An effective serve tactic is to watch where your opponent stands and decide at which part of the court you therefore wish to aim. Then look at the ball against your racket strings as you begin to serve.

Keep your arms relaxed and your knees flexed with your weight on your back foot. Point your toe towards the right hand net post. Place your back foot parallel to the baseline. Use a modified forehand grip to begin with. graduating to the Continental grip as your tennis game and tennis strategy improves.

For more on killer tennis tactics and other insider tennis tips and strategies CLICK HERE.

Avoid The Biggest Mistake You Can Make In Choosing A Tennis Partner

Do you want to play better tennis? Then choosing the right tennis opponent could be the most important decision you make...

Winning tennis means playing better! This requires you to play with a multitude of different players.

If you continue to play with the same opponent over and over you'll anticipate exactly where and when the ball falls. By playing with different opponents you'll encounter different strokes, new tactics, and varying strategies.

It is even better to play as much as possible against those who can beat you at the game. This will give you good experience and help you learn new techniques.

Your ego may be telling you to play with those you can "beat the pants off", but it does nothing to enhance your game of tennis.

When your opponent is a person with a lower skill level than yourself you are forced to play an inferior game in that you don't practice your most needed strokes, but only what is necessary to win the game.

The only way to improve on your game when playing with a less skilled player than yourself is for you to remember to practice on your weakest strokes. Such as, if you are weak at the backhand, then try your best to get your adversary to put the ball as needed for you on the court, so as to practice your backhand stroke.

I recommend that you learn to play tennis with as many different people as you can, and to play league and tournament matches as well. The greatest of all players will strive under pressure and play their best when competition is tough.

Tips To Becoming A Better "Winning Tennis" Player

My Winning Tennis #1 Rule:

Practice makes perfect.

Determine Your Tennis Goals

Will you play for fun, play for keeps, or go pro? The answer to this question will determine the mental toughness level that you'll need to strive for.

Start Compiling a List of your Tennis Goals

You should write down on paper all your tennis goals. Start with at least 5 mental goals in areas you want to improve on.

Create a Tennis Journal

Carry a notepad or notebook in your tennis bag so that you can write down any strengths or weaknesses about your game. Was the strength of your volleys lacking? Did you hit all your backhands late? Analyze what winning tennis strategies worked and document them for future reference. This will help you learn from your mistakes and build on your successes.

Good luck on the court!

Get Winning tennis tips and tactics for outwitting your most wicked opponents and winning tennis!

Copyright 2005 ? Lissy Donovan

Tennis Psychology - The Foundation Of Winning Tennis

The field of tennis psychology is not just common advice and tactical or mental tips. It is based on general and sports psychology and then applied to tennis specifically.

There are many common elements in the psychology of tennis which can be found in other sports too. An athlete that wants to perform at his peak needs to learn:

1. How to refocus

Many players start the match with good concentration but they drop their level of concentration because of disturbing outside events, pressure situations, emotional reactions to various events and so on. A player needs to learn how to quickly and effectively refocus to be able to play his best tennis.

2. How to control his arousal - to manage his intensity and body energy

A player's arousal can be too high or too low and in both cases he is not able to play his best tennis. Arousal affects his body and mind abilities - a player may have too much muscle tension and his decisions are usually not tactically intelligent.

Learning to find the »ideal state« is the key in controlling one's arousal and one of the most important aspects of tennis psychology.

3. What elements of the tennis game can a player control

A player may get upset (and it happens often) about an event that he cannot control or even influence. For example - the noise of the planes flying over the court, windy conditions, court conditions, his opponent's luck and so on.

By being focused on these events he wastes his energy which could be used on elements that he can control - his attitude and effort, how he intends to play, ...

4. How to control his thinking

Negative thinking affects players much more than they are aware of. It affects body abilities in two ways - being aware of them (feeling tension) and being unaware (the pendulum experiment); moreover it evokes negative feelings - emotions that cloud the player's judgment and affect his body abilities - again.

By being more and more aware of what he is thinking a player can then change his thoughts to a more positive and solution based thinking. The awareness of our thoughts is quite a challenge in the psychological approach to tennis.

5. How to use imagery

Imagery or visualization is extremely useful in almost all aspects of the tennis game. A player can improve technique, strategy, physical abilities and his mental preparation of certain events. Another use of imagery is when a player misses a shot and then quickly sees in his mind how he hit the ball correctly.

Using imagery is an incredibly efficient technique, not only in the psychology of tennis but in everyday life too.

6. How to build confidence

Confidence is one of those elements where tennis psychology can help really quickly and with very simple tools. A player who is not confident will hesitate in his decisions, will be afraid to take risks and his shots will usually miss by just a little. Doubt can be seen in reality as small misses that happen regularly.

When a player builds his confidence he is able to play at his best and doesn't lose his hope when a big challenge appears.

7. How to find and get rid of limiting beliefs

Limiting beliefs are one of the most limiting and troublesome aspects of human's psyche. They are mostly deep in the subconsciousness and are sometimes hard to find. A limiting belief for example is when a player believes that he is not good in tie-breaks and he will then self-sabotage himself in those crucial moments to prove himself right.

Having no limiting beliefs means that the player is in total acceptance of everything that happens. Outside events are just events with no meaning. The player accepts them and deals with them.

8. How to empty the mind - Inner Game principles to enter the zone

There are three main principles of the Inner Game - quieting the mind, non-judgment and trusting the body. The player must first learn to apply them in training. And when he experiences these effects in training he knows what to look for in the match. He then plays the inner game - how to perform at his peak.

These are the fundamentals of tennis psychology and by understanding these principles and applying them daily a player develops mental toughness. He knows how to apply the tools and as a very positive side effect gains a lot of self confidence.

He now knows that he has ways of dealing with his own mind and that most of his competitors do not. He is aware that he has the edge in the most stressful situations in the match and that gives him inner strength and belief that he can persevere through tough matches.

Tomaz Mencinger is a sports consultant and a tennis coach. He teaches tennis players how to apply tennis psychology to make their mind their best ally. More resources on mental tennis game at his website http://www.tennismindgame.com

Tennis Lessons - Books, DVDs, And Videos To Improve Your Tennis Games

Nowadays, it is fairly easy to get and find resources to help improve your tennis games. This resources, besides hiring a instructor come in the form of books, dvd's and even videos. Just type "tennis lessons" on Google or Amazon and you will find large selection of these items. This article will outline some of the more popular resources available today.

The books, dvd's and videos presented are designed for and will benefit both beginners and advanced tennis players alike. One might call it a collection of resources to help enhance the level/s of your tennis games and for an overall enjoyment and satisfaction for the game.

1. How To Play Tennis: Instructional Videos For Tennis Beginners. This lesson is best for tennis beginners. It consists of 49 step-by-step tennis instruction videos covering all 6 basic strokes in tennis:

# forehand groundstroke

# backhand groundstroke

# serve

# return

# forehand and backhand volley

# overhead.

The videos cover all the basic strokes listed above and offer playing tips to jump-start your tennis game. Plus a whole lot more.

2. Tennis Stomper: The Ultimate Tennis Training Rolodex. Featuring 57 Tennis Specific Exercises Incuding Over 150 Photos, Step-by-Step Descriptions, Plus A 33 Minute Video

3. Tennis Mind Game Tennis EBooks. About Strategies And Mental Toughness That Will Help You Win Even Against Your Toughest Rivals.

4. Insider Tennis Strategies And Tactics. Improve Your Tennis Game With Insider Strategies Of The Top Players. Improve your tennis game with insider strategies of the top players. With insider tennis strategies you will be understanding tennis so well - you'll outsmart anybody, anywhere, anytime!

5. Renegade Mindset Techniques For Tennis - Mental Game Mastery. Cutting-Edge Tennis Psychology Technique. This is a mental game mastery with cutting-edge tennis psychology technique. You'll find out why most players will never reach their true potential and how you can quickly and easily transform your game, leaving your opponent dazed and confused; they'll be begging to know your secret!

Again these are just a few of the most popular tennis lessons available online today.

All rights reserved. Article may be re-printed as long as the content remains intact, unchanged, and the link remains active.

Ness Dorig has written many articles about sports and recreation and is a webmaster of a website offering news and information regarding tennis lesson resources to help improve your tennis games. If you're interested in learning more about tennis lessons be sure to check it out.

Master The Serve Through Tennis Conditioning Drills

For many people, the toughest part of tennis is mastering the serve but tennis conditioning drills can simplify matters. Most amateur tennis players cannot even dream of having the eighty miles per hour serve that Serena Williams does because they do not know how to put a power behind their serve that will not pull a muscle. The key to strength and stamina lies in a player's commitment both to tennis conditioning drills and to health maintenance from a healthcare professional.

Keep these tips in mind

Because tennis is a game that insists on such intense hand-eye coordination, what many novice players resort to the any-kind-of-form will do as long as I return the ball. Unfortunately, that mentality along with a lack of tennis conditioning skills results in the leading tennis injuries of tennis elbow, wrist strains and rotator cuff tendonitis. While most experts agree that many injuries among amateurs occur during the serve, they also recommend some simple tactics to prevent them.

Know your limit in game play as well as during tennis conditioning drills. Do not attempt to play while tired and therefore not as focused on proper form and technique.

In relation to your strength and size, use the appropriate sized racquet as well as handle grip size

When serving, make sure the arm is at an angle to the body at more than 90 degrees

Do not have a loose, fluid motion to your swing. Instead, be firm in your grip and follow through steady on every swing keeping your wrist taut. This will help you guide the ball and place it where you want it on your opponent's side of the net.

Make sure to engage in tennis conditioning drills that focus on strengthening your abdominal and back muscles. The power in the swing of a racquet comes from the core body strength and not from the wrist, a mistake a lot of novice players make in their game play.

More you can do to help your game

Sometimes, some mistakes that happen on the court, a twisted ankle, an overused and misused wrist, require chiropractic care. Chiropractic medicine can also act as a preventative agent due to back realignments and joint adjustments that help with balance and posture. Players new to the game of the tennis have to take the initiative to do the tennis conditioning drills and get the healthcare necessary to gain a successful game technique

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Tennis Tips. Avoid Tennis Injuries and Increase Your Success by Improving Your Physical Fitness

Having played tennis for over ten years now, I have always been looking for effective ways and tennis tips to improve my game and my overall enjoyment of the game. In previous years, I found that with the rapid bursts of acceleration, frequent side to side motions, lunges and stretches common to tennis, I suffered from repeated injuries, especially in my neck/shoulders, knees, back and calf muscles. Also, I found that if I played long matches in the summer heat, I was very susceptible to cramping in my legs and hands, which always seemed to happen at the most critical point in the match. These injuries and cramp issues were seriously impacting my enjoyment of tennis. It was at this point that I decided to do some research.

After talking to many people and lots of 'Googling', it turns out that I was making the very common mistake of playing tennis not just for enjoyment, but as my primary method of keeping fit. This is a big mistake and the primary reason I was so prone to injuries. My wife (also a keen tennis player) and I decided to join our local gym and seek out the advice of a fitness professional. Fortunately, we found a personal trainer who did lots of research on tennis related exercises and conditioning and so we started on a program to improve our overall fitness. This is one of the best tennis tips I know. The exercises were specifically targeted towards the muscle groups important to tennis players. After several months, I found that my overall strength, agility, speed and stamina had improved to the extent that I was now starting to win a lot more of my tennis matches. My weight also decreased, which meant that I was faster on court and there was less stress on my knees. Perhaps more importantly, I was not suffering from the repeated injuries and cramp problems that had plagued me in the past.

Of course, overall fitness is not the complete story. Proper diet, nutrition and a good mental approach is also important. Another key aspect of improving your game is to take lessons from a good tennis professional. Many people omit this vital step and think they will improve just by playing a few games and watching the US Open on television! Not only has my tennis pro. helped me improve my shots, but he has improved my understanding of strategy, shot planning and the importance of a good mental approach (how to play the big points!). Getting lessons early on in your tennis life will stop you developing bad habits and improve your game dramatically. So this is the big picture. My purpose in sharing this article is to introduce you to the concepts I will be expanding on in more detail in future articles. I intend to cover specifics of fitness, nutrition, better tennis shots, understanding the mental game and the tennis strategies that have helped me so much in the past. So please watch out for upcoming tennis tips.

Jeff Binns is a semiconductor engineer living in the Boise area. Besides being a researcher in semiconductor materials, he has a keen interest in euphonium playing, classical and brass band music. He is also very passionate about tennis and has been studying development techniques and taking lessons from a certified tennis professional to improve his game. Jeff created his blog to share key tennis tips and development strategies that he has found most useful in taking his tennis to the next level.

Tennis Tips

Beginner Tennis

Winning Tennis Tips - from Warm Up to Match Point

There are probably thousands of tennis tips, but here are 10 great ones that begin at the warm up and end at the match point.

Tennis tip #1

When you start your warm up before the match you first need to get used to the conditions and your feel and form for that day. It's not realistic to expect that you'll be feeling superbly well every day.

So check the conditions - windy, sunny, hot or something else and adapt your shots and tactics accordingly. Then check your feel for the ball and racquet, your general mood and look to improve on them.

Tennis tip #2

When you start the match you furthermore need to get used to your opponent's play. Most of the players don't play the same in the warm up as they do in the match. So you are very likely to see and feel new speeds and spins of the ball.

Don't panic if you can't adapt in the first minute. Your brain is getting the information, unless you're too emotional. Remember previous matches, how you found your timing on returns or volleys or whatever caused problems at first.

Just watch the ball well and notice what is happening - are you late, too far, is the ball too high and then gradually adapt. Don't force it - it will happen if you are relaxed.

Tennis tip #3

The most important shots which define how the point will be played are the serve and the return. If you have a weak serve and return, then you'll be on defense the whole point.

A good serving tip is to first find your serve. Don't blast your first serves in the match at your full power. Start at 75%, then increase the speed and see where is the best feeling and percentage of shots.

The same rule applies to returns - start with medium paced returns down the middle and then add speed and placement when the match progresses. The main goal of the return on the first serve is to get it back deep down the middle and on the second serve to make your opponent run - so preferably a cross court return.

Tennis tip #4

The game is obviously based on forehands and backhands - hence "groundstrokes". You need to find them also when you start the match. Start with long cross courts 2-5 feet over the net and aim 5 feet from both side and baseline.

When you find good length, start utilizing short cross court and down the lines shots to make your opponent run.

Tennis tip #5

The same principle applies to volleys and overheads. It may take you 10 or 20 minutes before you play your first volley or overhead, so don't expect a perfect shot. Or maybe you can expect it but don't get too upset if it doesn't happen.

Actually if you often play at the net you're maybe aware of this fact: you need to develop the feel and timing for your volleys too. You might play a couple of poor volleys or overheads first but don't let that discourage you.

You're showing your opponent that you are not afraid to come to the net and you are also adapting to his shots. Imagine how good it will feel when you hit excellent volleys and overheads towards the end of the set.

Tennis tip #6

This is actually a summary of the above mentioned tips: first deal with the tennis game and conditions on a given day. And when you get reasonably comfortable with the tennis game and conditions, start thinking and dealing with your opponent. This is my primary tennis playing tip whenever I start the match.

Tennis tip #7

Now you are trying to figure out how to outplay your opponent. Ask your self - where are his weaknesses and where are his strengths? Look to exploit his weaknesses with your strengths and try to avoid your weakness against his/her strength.

It sounds so logical but in my experience I don't see many players actually thinking logically on court. They are usually too emotional. You need to learn how to get out of emotional states quickly and start thinking smartly and positively for the next point.

Tennis tip #8

When you finally see what your opponent's weaknesses are you must first check with yourself whether your level of play realistically allows you to play certain shots. If you your opponent moves very slowly towards the net, is you drop shot reliable enough to use it?

Don't change your game too much or into areas that you don't master. Adapt your game so it is very difficult for your opponent, but stay in your limits.

Tennis tip #9

If you did a good job using the above mentioned tips, you are now probably ahead in the match. This is one of the biggest traps in the game. You might try to defend the lead. You'll start thinking: "I don't want to lose this lead now."

And since our brain does not understand the word NO, it hears: "I want to lose this lead now." and it will help you do it.

Does this sound familiar? You need to think what you want: "I want to finish the set." or "I want to extend the lead."

Tennis tip #10

You are now at match point having played masterfully through the whole match. There are many mind traps here. See if you fall into one of them:

- If I miss this opportunity, I won't get another one

- If I win this, it won't be fair. He/she is actually a better player.

- I don't want to make a double fault now.

- This is it. (and you make a historic event in your mind about one point in a tennis game)

If any of these thoughts enters your consciousness, smile at them, say: "Yeah, right." and then play your match point decisively and with courage. Then go shake the hand of your opponent. :)

Tomaz Mencinger is a sports consultant and a tennis coach. He shows tennis players how to improve their game with winning mental tennis tips that make their mind their best ally. More resources at his website http://www.tennismindgame.com/

Sports Psychology and Tennis - How and Why to Hit a Great Drop Shot - 18 Tips For Tennis Players

A drop shot is a thing of beauty and it can be a powerful weapon in every level of tennis. Being able to hit a well disguised drop shot on your forehand and your backhand can be a great asset for you and for your tennis game.

As its name implies, in this shot, the tennis drops over the net and stays low to the ground. It usually has little or no pace. This shot is all about touch, feel and accuracy.

Here a some suggestions for mastering the shot that can help you to win more tennis matches:

1. Soften your grip so you can feel the ball and develop the touch you need to execute this shot.

2. Turn sideways toward the net.

3. Keep your head very still throughout the stroke.

4. Hit this shot as far away from your opponent as possible.

5. Effective drop shots will bounce three times in the service box.

6. Disguise your shot by setting up as if you are about to his a ground stroke.

7. Use a continental or western grip when you want to hit this kind of ball.

8. Practice hitting the drop shot off different kinds of balls.

9. Use a short back swing and a short follow through.

10. Do not use this shot when you are well behind the baseline. This is a low percentage shot.

11. Use this tactic when you want to draw your opponent into the net. Then you can pass them or lob over them.

12. When you are close to the service line and your opponent is at the baseline or behind the baseline, consider the drop shot.

13. This kind of shot is a good tactic against taller players who don't like to bend down for a low ball.

14. The drop shot is a great tactic for changing the pace and the geometry of a tennis match.

15. This kind of shot can neutralize a hard hitter who likes to stay behind the baseline.

16. A drop shot is a great tool for a player who is losing power and velocity from his or game and who wants to develop a balanced and well rounded attack.

17. Experiment with this shot during a match. If it works well, continue to use it.

18. An effective drop shot can frustrate an opponent and give you a psychological edge.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.StayInTheZone.com. He is also the author of Zone Tennis. He has coached many top tennis players and can be reached at 888 580-ZONE. To get a free copy of his book and learn more about how he help tennis players, visit his site.

Match Your Tennis Shoes With The Tennis Court

Tennis is an astounding game which combines the technical, tactical and mental skills. The players can rule the hearts of the fans with their styles and skills only when they comfortably settle down with the right pair of shoes. The pair of shoes which the player uses always goes hand in hand with the tennis court. This article gives you some valuable tips to select the perfect tennis shoes that match the tennis courts.

Each different surface influences your style of play to the maximum extent and they also demand the proper shoes to be wore to play on them. There are three different types of tennis courts. They are hard courts, clay courts and grass courts and each have their own characteristics which demands unique shoe designs. Now let us analyze the various tennis courts and the shoes which are going to match them.

CLAY COURTS AND GRASS COURTS

The clay courts and grass courts are more or less similar in their nature. There are also synthetic grass courts. Grass can cause the ball to bounce much lower, making grass courts a field of advantage for those who make quick, low shots. The clay can vary in color from sands, to red, to green or gray depending upon where it is built and the supplies available in that region. The clay courts are nice and soft on the feet, but the clay courts need to be watered regularly to keep the clay from blowing away. Then, the clay also has time to dry before the court is opened to its members the next day.

To win on the clay court, the shoes play an important role to the goal. Tennis players who play primarily on soft court surface should select tennis shoes that are comfortable and provide good traction. Durability is less of a concern when players are on soft surfaces. It is also vital that the tennis shoes have a smooth, flat sole because the knobs and bumps found on the soles of shoes can damage clay and grass court surfaces.

HARD COURTS

The hard courts are commonly made by using the substance called as rebound-ace. This substance is hard, and it is found in many courts throughout the world. It consists of a basic layer of asphalt and/or concrete that is topped with acrylic paint that is combined with sand to get a semi-sticky, grippy, consistent surface. Tennis courts that are made of Rebound Ace have a predictable bounce and speed due to the fact that the court is uniformly created of the same hard materials. To that end, it's a good place to begin playing tennis so that you can get the feel of a consistent surface.

Tennis shoes for hard court play typically offer an extremely durable outsole, a leather or synthetic leather upper for strength and are designed to provide good lateral support and stability for tennis-specific movements. Tennis players who play on hard court surfaces should choose tennis shoes that are durable and resistant to stand up to the wear and tear of playing on concrete. Repeated play on hard courts will wear the tread off the soles of tennis shoes and loss of tread leads to loss of traction and increased slipping. The part of the tennis shoe that covers the toes should have extra protection on the outside as well. Thus, the hard courts demand more durable tennis shoes.

Olivia Thomson gives vivid articles for Shoecapital an all in one place for the latest fashion pop ups in shoes. Get more stuff on The Tips for Shopping Canvas Tennis Shoes at shoecapital.com

Couple Your Tennis Training With the Right Knowledge

When you are undergoing tennis training, there are at least two things that you can do. The first is of course to practice, practice and more practice. The other thing that you can do is to find out how you can improve your tennis training.

When you tie in some knowledge with your actual practice, you improve. The improvement is gradual because your brain assimilates information gradually, and it is not surprising if it takes repetition to do that.

Then again, there is no use in too much information that makes it hard for your brain to digest. If it cannot seem to take in, chances are, it takes in nothing.

But not so, if you feed your brain with bite sized information such as what is popularly called tips. As you read and as you practice, so does your brain gradually assimilates. This reflects in your practice. That is how your practice can improve over time.

These tips cover different areas of physical, technical, tactical and mental. But again, since you are presenting to your brain organized information in absorbable amounts, it will work. But believe it or not, the biggest difference that you can make to your tennis training may lie in your mental preparation.

You need these tips to improve your tennis training. These small adjustments will show in your game. There is no point practicing while repeating your errors, when you can wise up and improve.

You need to find out how to survive 29 critical situations that can occur such as how to deal with anxiety off and on court, be in control of your emotions so that you don't mess up the game and what if your opponent seems really good on that day. In other words, you need to equip yourself with the winning mentality; you need to be in control of your own emotions, you need to be positive and you need to be focused.

Eric Smith is a blogger, marketer, merchant and web site owner. He has a blog created to help a person with tennis at http://improvetennismindgame.blogspot.com/

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Controlling Your Emotions

I recently answered a great question about keeping your cool on the tennis court. Basically the question asked: “How can we keep from going crazy after stupid errors out on the court?”. I’d like to share my answer with the rest of you because I know many of you reading this can fall into the trap of getting negative while playing tennis!

This is a really good topic. So many of us tennis enthusiasts take our game very seriously, so seriously that any kind of failure or mistake becomes inexcusable. I battled with this while I was in college and wish that I had learned how to deal with it then, I had so many practices and matches that made me just miserable on the court, it was really a shame. Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject:

This is kind of an obvious thing, but something that I think many of us lose sight of since we take the sport and our improvement so seriously. None of us play professionally, whether or not we win is not going to have any bearing on our income, livelihood, success in life, or if our friends and family love us any more or less at the end of the day. It’s awesome that people love tennis so much that they take it seriously and really try their best to reach their full potential, but at the end of the day it’s just a game, something that we should all be doing for enjoyment! It sucks being so hard on yourself, it’s really not fun at all. Be realistic about the implications of your performance that day and lighten up a little bit. I wish I had started practicing this earlier in life.

Next I’d like to make the statement that emotional and physical reactions to both good and poor shots on the tennis court are habits, they’re practiced and learned whether you’re conscious of it or not. Somebody that I teach with recently had a great quote during a clinic: “If you practice being negative, you’ll get good at being negative. If you practice getting angry, you’ll get good at being angry. If you practice being positive, you’ll get good at being positive. What do you want to be good at on the court?”. Many of us fall intro the trap of thinking that when we hit a crappy shot we have to be disgusted with ourselves. Well, it’s your choice. You can make the choice between focusing on the negative emotions and feelings, and projecting those on the court, or to let those feelings pass and move on to the next point you have to play with a level head. I’ve recently started to make a habit out of smiling and making light of my errors, especially the really bad ones. Have a sense of humor about it. It’s not that I’m actually “ok” with screwing up, I’d obviously rather not, but heading out onto the court I know that errors will occur, and I want their occurrence to affect my game play as little as possible that day. Make a conscious effort to practice being positive on the court. It will improve your game.

Why will it improve your game? Because nobody plays well when they’re angry. Almost always getting angry and frustrating becomes a terrible cycle on the court. An error is made, your emotions go south, the next point is played with a poor attitude and another error is made furthering that crappy outlook on your game and the match. I’ve only ever known ONE player who honestly played better with a chip on his shoulder and angry at himself or his opponent, it’s an extremely, extremely rare trait. Break the cycle by forming new habits and having more positive emotions on the court.

Lastly, I’d like to reiterate something that I mentioned before: you’re going to make errors. It doesn’t matter how good you become, you will never leave a tennis court without making unforced errors. I’m not pointing this out to be negative or a pessimist, but rather to make sure that you all have a healthy expectation on yourselves out on the court. So many tennis players make those inevitable errors and immediately focus on how stupid they were to make a mistake, as if they’re above it and too good for such things. This kind of attitude will only set you up for frustration and a constant feeling of failure which is simply unrealistic. When errors happen immediately give yourself positive feedback, tell yourself specifically what you’re going to do better next time you get that same shot or are in that same situation on the court. It’s not the end of the world, errors are all just part of the game of tennis, nobody plays without them.

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Maximize Movement

Many people claim that the serve is the only shot in tennis that you control from begging to end – of which I won’t necessarily disagree with. However, each player can control their footwork and the aggressiveness of their movement. While a person’s energy will ebb and flow depending on the day, each person is still capable of giving 100% of what they can on every time they play.  It’s imperative to understand proper movement and the pressure it puts on your opponents.

Learning how to correctly move on a court is much more important than any single shot a player might hit. By being able to recognize where to move to on the court, and the speed it takes to move to the shot, puts pressure on your opponents to do more with their shots. Tennis is a sport dictated on time, those who maximize their time while taking the most away from their opponents will prosper.

Frequently, Club players cite difficulties with their mobility. However, that is only a small part of the equation. Even those players whose movement is above average often fall prey to bad footwork. One misstep per shot in a rally leads to off-balance play and limited shot making. More importantly, instead of dictating play the player becomes reactionary. Here are a few tips to help improve your movement on the court:

Split Step: Right before your opponent makes contact on every shot including the serve, you should take a small balanced hop. This action allows for quick movement in any direction.

Large Steps: Use large steps initially to get to the ball as fast as possible. The quicker a player can get to a shot, the easier it will be to take control.

Small Steps: As you approach the ball shorten up your steps. Using small steps allows for you to adjust to the ball and hit the ball in your contact zone all while staying balanced.

In conclusion, proper movement before and after your opponents hit the ball gives you an unbelievable advantage.

View the original article here

Taking movement to the next level

I would like to address a question I was asked in reference to my last blog, “Movement is easy to understand, but tough to do right. It’s one thing to see it and know when each step type should be used, another to be able to feel it on court, and yet another to do it instinctively.

Any suggestions for going from one level of knowledge to the next?”

It’s correct to say that movement is easy to understand and tough to do right. This is in part because there are numerous steps to learn, correct patterns of movement, and more importantly, breaking through some of the counter-intuitive principles of associated moving correctly.

For instance, people understand that it’s faster to take large steps to the ball, but fail to realize that it’s not economical to take one last large step and effectively lunge to a ball. They don’t make the connection of the wasted energy and time it takes to do a lunge than take the extra 2-5 small steps to be on balance when they hit. I’ll often tell clients that if they feel like they can get to shot in 5 steps, to try to take 10. In essence, it forces them to break through their own psychological barrier.

Psychological barrier aside, people don’t understand how important maximizing time is while hitting. Many people from about a 3.0 level and up can hit decently when a ball is fed directly to them, but as soon as they are forced to move, their strokes diminish quickly. This is in large part due to people trying to time their movement to meet with the ball instead of getting there quickly and giving you the time to hit. If you’re timing is off by even the slightest margin, you’re going to be out of position for the rest of the point.

One of my old coaches used to tell me to just sprint to the area where the ball is going – I didn’t need to be exact, but to get to the area as fast as possible to set up for the shot. Since my game was and is based on foot speed, it instinctively made sense to me. Now as a coach, I try to teach the benefits of this mentality.

In terms of learning, it’s important to understand the movement, the patterns, the correct steps etc… but also the causation – what causes you to get out of position during a point.  Once you have a firm grasp on those aspects, just going out and doing it will really help you get a feel for what is correct and moving you from one level to the next. I remember when I first hit with Ian, Jason and the other guys on the team at Ferris – I had the strokes to hit with them, but I was nowhere close to being in the correct position to play points with them. I ended up feeling like a rag doll. After about a week or so of struggling to maintain my competitiveness, I started to be as aggressive as I could be with my feet. The subtly of being a passive observer to a conscious decision to be aggressive allowed me to play my game with them.

Am I advocating playing with better players? To an extent yes – they have a better grasp of the importance of time and from a movement perspective, it might mean taking a beating or two before you start to understand the subtleties as well.

View the original article here

Good Tennis Instruction, Poorly Applied

So often I see and hear tennis instruction that just doesn’t make any sense. Recreational players can latch onto this poor information without knowing the difference and I think it’s really a shame. Below is a post on the ET forums from a new member, he gives a perfect example of what I’m talking about and then I answer his question!

“The other day I was exploring one tennis website and came across the explanation of Mogul move:

“Contact Move: The body becomes elevated after the hit where the hips shift powerfully sideways and both feet turn and finish pointing in the direction of the target. Again, weight moves sideways after contact and spinning or rotating the hips will cause the ball to be dumped into the net. Hit off a moving unstable stance, the secret to the Mogul Move is staying down throughout the shot instead of jumping or lifting on contact. ”

So how to do it? Only hips should move sideways but the weight should not?

This move is mostly used for a wide forehand, which is a headache for me. I’d really like to master it. In my practice, more often than not, I either dump the ball into net or hit the ball very long. Can someone explain to me why weight moving sideways and rotating hips will cause the ball to be dumped into the net?”

“You’re describing things that I often read online, things that just don’t make any sense. I think you’re asking a really good question: why will moving your weight sideways while rotating your hips cause the ball to go into the net? This is a perfect example of somebody online trying to teach something pretty advanced to recreational players, and claiming that it will fix a problem that is much, much more fundamental in nature.

Any groundstroke will only really hit the net for one of three reasons:

1. The racket face is too closed at contact, the strings are facing down towards the court.

2. The racket didn’t lift the ball enough, it didn’t start low enough before contact, or didn’t finish high enough after contact. The swing was too straight, or maybe even downwards.

3. The ball hit off the frame, poor contact, it didn’t travel as it should have.

That’s it. Put me in any position on the court, with my feet in any stance, my momentum traveling any direction, my hips turning either direction, using any grip, and I can make the shot. Period. Now, any of those things may cause good technique to become more difficult, and can INDIRECTLY cause you to miss a shot by throwing you into poor mechanics, but which direction your hips are turning, and which direction your weight is moving has nothing to do with the direction that the ball travels.

Is the footwork described a good thing, can it improve your game and be beneficial? Yes, absolutely, I’m not knocking the idea of the mogul move, or saying that it’s wrong. All I’m saying here is that you should be careful what results you’re expecting to get out of instruction like this, and saying that doing a mogul move correctly or incorrectly will either cause you to make or miss forehands is just plain wrong.”

Next time you read tennis instruction online simply ask yourself “does this make sense?”. If you can’t answer “yes” then leave it alone, the vast majority of differences between different levels of tennis players are the basic, fundamental parts of the game. Anything more complicated than that shouldn’t be paid attention to most of the time.

View the original article here

Tips for beginners tennis

Without the first learning movement and developing skills for your success, you should take lessons in the databases of tennis for beginners. Whatever the talented how can you be, regularly practise is the only way to stay in shape and build technique tennis.

-For example:

-Here are two basic types of stroke for people just learning the game:

1. Groundstrokes:

(a) tennis player (or student) learning for beginners must groundstrokes are very important to maîtriser.Un groundstroke begins with a mild, short-term backswing.

(b) an option for you would also use a few shortened on club.

(c) use the regular follow-up.

(d) extend the backswing at a slow pace.

(e) drag the handle to the handle.

(f) souvenir, in Basic for beginners, that you first drop power tennis!Then, make your food short drop is fine and finally, after falling short power, you will supply your racket.

(g) of course, you must start the inside line service - and you can return to the pace of increase.Begin slowly and generally try to finish with a run.

2 Overheads:

(a) Snowshoeing must start at the point of contact, and once more slowly, a plue swing can be presented.

1. The student should be instructed to stay close to the net - and take his time, then start to go back.

2. Be sure to begin your students with a right of incredibly soft-stream of snowshoeing.

3. You can show them some higher flow at first - but do not too much at once.

4. In particular for young children, keep your brief and productive lessons as possible.Attention span a child does not take too many longtemps.Et you do not want to fail as trainer by losing attention votre.Sessions with young students student cannot exceed 30 minutes in the fois.Souvent, it is good to develop lessons several times a week.

If a student is having trouble with exercises - make and don't forget to work with individual students at their own levels of compétences.Tennis for beginners is sometimes more challenging with some people than others.

Similarly, if your students seems to be "natural" and will have no problem with his or her exercises - challenge the more - first more advanced exercises.

Always work on a technical says, make sure that your student has the exact shape and bodylines and uses movements good! about lessons, your plans always depends on what students or students are able to turn faire.Par, establishing a comprehensive program of tennis for beginners is almost a waste of your time - because you never know what kind of talent will be confronted with.

Anne Clarke written numerous articles for Web sites about gardening, parenting, entertainment, education and maison.Son background decoration includes education and the jardinage.Pour more articles for tennis and tennis and lines education guidelines, please visit the tennis for beginners.

Tennis Video 101

Digital video has revolutionized so many aspects of our lives in the past decade, including how we learn and interact as tennis enthusiasts. It wasn’t so long ago that the only way we could view video of tennis players was either on TV or by checking out tapes at your local library. Nationally recognized tennis pros and coaches would often times come out with instructional videos as well which you could purchase from the backs of magazines or at tennis conventions.

These days absolutely anybody with an entry level camera, entry level computer, and connection to the internet can become a star on the tennis court. Below I’ve outlined the top 5 components of creating your own videos so that you can receive the best feedback and instruction possible. Follow these instructions and your videos will be a pleasure to watch instead of a pain.

Digital video doesn’t cost an arm and a leg anymore. In fact, you can now get full HD quality video right to your computer screen for less than $200. Hands down my favorite way of shooting high quality digital video on the cheap is the Flip UltraHD camera. This camera fits completely in one hand, takes two hours of HD quality video, and can be had for as little as $155. For examples of the video quality coming from this camera check out the point play analysis shown in the Video section of Essential Tennis.

The Flip Cam isn’t the only option for HD quality video at a cheap price. Take a little around Amazon.com and you’ll be surprised how many different companies are jumping on board to give us tennis players a wide variety of hardware.

Sounds like a no brain-er, right? Well believe it or not people submit videos of themselves to me that were shot without the use of a tripod all the time. Do your viewers a favor and make a small investment in one of these incredibly useful devices, otherwise you’ll have myself and other tennis enthusiasts reaching for the motion sickness meds faster than you can say “action!”. This does not have to cost a lot of money! People are always surprised when I tell them that they can pick up a tripod to do the job for under $20, but it’s true. Here’s a link to a full sized tripod on Amazon that costs only $16 with shipping included. A favorite of mine is also the “Gorillapod” mini tripod that has flexible arms to wrap around things like a fence or net post. This is really cool when combined with my little FlipCam, especially since it only costs $17 on Amazon.

Your video camera is able to “see” a certain amount of space on the court and where you place yourself within that space is your framing. I often times see stroke videos where the subject is literally on the other side of the court, barely taking up any space in the frame. This makes it extremely tough to pick out technique keys and give good feedback to players. On the other hand, if you’re looking for feedback on strategy and point play you want to be able to see as much of the court as possible, which means both players are going to take up much less room in the frame. It totally depends on what you’re trying to get information on, strokes or point play. Do your viewers a favor and put a lot of thought into setting up your camera and tripod properly so that everybody can clearly see what you’re trying to show them!

Stroke technique videos: fill the frame as much as possible without leaving it constantly. Point play videos: place the camera to see as much of the court as possible. At the top of the back fence pointing down is definitely the best.

One more thing about framing your shot for stroke technique. In my opinion the two most useful angles to view tennis strokes from are either directly to the side of the player (90 degrees to the right or left) or directly behind the player looking forwards towards the net. Pointing your camera towards you from the other side of the net or skewed off to the side at a random angle makes it a bit more difficult to give the best technical feedback possible.

Have you thought about editing your technique or point play videos? I’m not talking about color correction, chroma key, or anything else fancy like that. What I suggest is simply cutting around your most important content to make it easy for your audience to watch. When editing out all of the dead time in a typical 6-4 set there’s actually only 6-10 minutes of actual play time. Not only will it be that much easier and faster to watch, but when all of the points are back to back it’s much easier to pick out patterns in the match play without all of the time searching for balls and taking water breaks in between. Just like tripods and cameras, it’s not necessary to spend a lot of money to get this done. In MacOS iMovie is definitely the way to go, very easy to use and included with the operating system. If you’re a Windows user then a great free option is Windows Movie Maker.

Obviously YouTube is the most popular way to put your videos up for the world to see. Some tennis players don’t want their content to be available for just anybody to see, however. Within YouTube are a vast array of privacy settings, including ways to create private links that only certain people can access. It’s totally up to you how public or private your videos will be. Keep in mind that YouTube limits the length of your uploads to only 10 minutes, and file sizes have to be within 2gigs. Alternatives to YouTube include blip.tv, Vimeo.com, and Viddler.com.

Once your videos are published to a video hosting web site make sure to drop by the Forums at Essential Tennis to receive free feedback from certified tennis professionals!

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Overhead Footwork and the Three Step Drop

Moving backwards is not something that us humans do very naturally. This makes sense of course since our bodies are designed to move forward. What does this mean for our tennis games? Moving back to cover a good lob is very often a huge weakness for tennis players, especially doubles players who spend a ton of their time up at the net. In my experience very few recreational level players move correctly when trying to get back towards the baseline for an overhead and this causes lots of problems when even a relatively easy lob gets hit up into the air. Don’t be this person! The lob is the highest, slowest, most defensive shot in tennis, not something that you should be fearful of or afraid to hit. Hopefully this quick article will give you a good idea of how to best move in a backwards direction to cover even the best lob and give you more confidence when you’re up at the net.

I want you guys to check out this youtube video of Jay Cutler demonstrating a “three step drop”. The three step drop is a series of steps used by high level football quarterbacks to get themselves off the line of scrimmage quickly and efficiently. The quarterback makes this move to give himself some space to work with and also to buy some time between himself and the oncoming defenders trying to make his life miserable. This guy is a professional athlete, he definitely knows how to move, even backwards away from his own end zone. Obviously his tips on where to hold the ball aren’t applicable to us, but I want you to pay very close attention to what he says about his feet and how he moves them.

Jay begins in essentially a “ready position”. Tennis players should be in a little bit wider of a stance than he demonstrated but everything else is identical: knees bent, facing forwards, and hands in front. From this position he turns himself to the side by bringing his right foot back around his left to put himself into a “square” or “neutral” stance. This is absolutely critical and where things break down for players who are poor at moving back for overheads. Not only does turning to the side give you a much wider base to move back from with your feet but it puts your body in a strong position to hit an overhead from as well. Imagine trying to hit an effective serve in a stance that starts you off facing the net head on, it just doesn’t make sense from a technique perspective.

From this sideways position Jay uses two different types of steps: a cross over step and a shuffle step. In my opinion as long as you get sideways to the net and lead with your right foot either type of step is perfectly fine to get yourself back underneath a deep lob. The cross over step will definitely get you back more quickly than only using a side shuffle, but it definitely takes some more coordination and athleticism to use. Try them both out, as well as combinations of each to see what feels most natural to move you back towards the baseline. When I get an easy lob I only use side shuffles to make adjustments while turned to the side, on a tougher lob that I’m really having to work for I’ll use one or two cross over steps at the most and then shuffle steps from there, just like Cutler did in his demonstration.

Check out the image at the top of this article of Favre and Rodgers as well (can you tell who my favorite football team is?). The images of both players show them in the middle of a cross over step. While their shoulders are perpendicular to the line of scrimmage their hips are actually facing back towards the opposing end zone. This is why they’re able to get back off the line so quickly, it’s almost like running backwards, but with their upper body sideways ready to throw. As I said earlier this takes a lot more athleticism and coordination, but definitely give it a shot. Moving back this way for an overhead is the ultimate in speed and balance.

Get out there on the court and practice this! With some time and repetition you’ll be moving back more quickly and in better balance in no time.

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Tennis-tips for learning tennis - depth is King

Focus on the depth

Keep the ball in the back Court is really your No 1 weapon at this stage of your career.

As the former French Open Champ & Player tennis world no. 2 Michael Chang said "depth is King".

And he should know, as he retained only the top ranking and played against Wimbledon and US Open tennis immortals Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras.

It was also really the precursor to some of the major players players today as Rafa Nadal.

Anyway, what this trick tennis can do for you in the real world tennis is (and this is where it really counts)-

It will keep you at the point of hitting more and is that we all know at this stage, keeping many hits in court is not always easy.

Will ask for your opponent to knock an extra 1 or 2 shots each point that they may feel uncomfortable with and will often lead to mistakes.

Remember what is said in the rules of tennis - "winner of the point is the last person to hit the ball in court" - consistent depth will help you to be this person.

To help achieve this, use the large rectangle formed by the line of service, line basis and singles sidelines as your target.

Spend 5 minutes before your next practice/lesson etc and look over the net and keep watch as you walk towards it referencing.

Dropping a few balls for yourself and strike them over the net to get the ball in this "back box".

You can even try to add in this simple rating system in order to add a little fun and pressure.

Give you yourself 5 points if your decision-making exceeded and land a service dialogs.

Assign you yourself 10 points if your decision-making exceeded and land in the rear area (the rectangle we discussed previously).

You score zero if the ball does not go on the net.

You also mark zero if the ball is going too deep and filed beyond the baseline thus as if it is too broad and fails in the intended or completely out of court.

Keep a note of your scores for say 10 plans and see how long does it take to regularly reach 100!

As your scores go up, this will be your game.

Tip

The largest error that most players at this level is that they hit the ball too low and therefore possibly in the net or too short if they take it.

Your ball when struck the baseline must be approximately twice the height of the net it exceeds.

As you hit the shot with some topspin, the ball should fall comfortably into the Court on the other side of the net.

Practicing this drill (on forehand and BACKHAND), with a partner or on your own will pay large dividends for you in the future as it will teach you on how to hit the ball and where it lands.

Try it today.