Quantcast
nodot nodot
Wild Cards
July 2001 Article

Latest Wild Cards Article

Wild Cards Archives:
2004 - Present
1998 - 2003

Tennis Server
HOME PAGE

Do You Want To Be A Better Tennis Player?

Then Sign Up For A Free Subscription to the Tennis Server INTERACTIVE
E-mail Newsletter!

Tom Veneziano You will join 13,000 other subscribers in receiving news of updates to the Tennis Server along with monthly tennis tips from tennis pro Tom Veneziano.
 
Best of all, it is free!

Tennis Features Icon TENNIS FEATURES:

TENNIS ANYONE? - USPTA Pro John Mills' quick player tip.
 
TENNIS WARRIOR - Tom Veneziano's Tennis Warrior archive.
 
TURBO TENNIS - Ron Waite turbocharges your tennis game with tennis tips, strategic considerations, training and practice regimens, and mental mindsets and exercises.
 
WILD CARDS - Each month a guest column by a new writer.
 
BETWEEN THE LINES - Ray Bowers takes an analytical and sometimes controversial look at the ATP/WTA professional tour.
 
PRO TENNIS SHOWCASE - Tennis match reports and photography from around the world.
 
TENNIS SET - Jani Macari Pallis, Ph.D. looks at tennis science, engineering and technology.
 
MORTAL TENNIS - Greg Moran's tennis archive on how regular humans can play better tennis.
 
HARDSCRABBLE SCRAMBLE - USPTA pro Mike Whittington's player tip archive.
 
TENNIS EQUIPMENT TIPS.

Tennis Community Icon TENNIS COMMUNITY:


Tennis Book, DVD, and Video Index
 
Tennis Server Match Reports
 
Editor's Letter
 
Become a Tennis Server Sponsor

Explore The Tennis Net Icon EXPLORE THE TENNIS NET:

Tennis News and Live Tennis Scores
 
Tennis Links on the Web
 
nodot
Wild Cards
 
Green Dot
 
Tennis Warehouse Logo
 
Green Dot

 
nodot
To Improve Performance Start...
by Marvin L. Gay

  1. Preparing your tennis stroke early! As soon as you sight the ball off of your opponent's racquet, make a "snap" decision as to which of the three basic strokes you intend using for your return: prepare the appropriate forehand, backhand, or overhead "return stance" and move toward the ball. As you come into your comfortable hitting range, begin executing your stroke, making contact with the ball just at the perpendicular point of your "forward foot" instep. Beginners run to the ball, get ready (prepare) to hit the ball, then they try to hit the ball. Come on, follow me. You're no longer a beginner, you're a tennis player on a "competitive team!" Remember to prepare early!

  2. Standing on your toes just before and during each point! Starting on your toes, rather than flatfooted, gives you a "momentum boost"; a "burst of energy" that can give you the needed edge to win more points, more games and subsequently, the match.

  3. Following the ball (and moving in its direction), once it has been put in play, wherever it goes from wherever you are on the court! Many players make the mistake of claiming a certain territory on their side of the net and they look to play only the balls that come into that region of the court. This is far from the way to play effective doubles. Your ball is any ball that you can effectively "put away" and "win the point" or hit in a manner (setting up the next shot for your partner) such that you put your opponent in trouble. Remember, tennis is a very mobile game. Avoid claiming a region and parking there to watch your partner play!

  4. Setting the shot up for yourself and for your partner! Too often a doubles player plays as though he/she has no help and has to win each stroke and point all alone. It's not possible to hit a winner each time you hit the ball, but it's usually possible to hit a "setup shot" for your partner, if you remember you're part of a team. "Set him/her up," and he/she will do the same for you, when the time is right.

  5. Covering for your partner! Often a stroke will put your partner off the court, or at least, out of position. When this happens, be ready to play the "safe" ball to the "safe" spot on the court that gives your partner time to recover. This will often be a lob to the back court, preferably to a deep corner. If your partner is pulled out wide, move toward them as many steps as they were pulled out. This covers the hole that is created by your partner's move to the outside (to play a ball). If your opponents lob over your partner, be ready to drop back while switching sides to play the lob and let your partner move into the space you left. The premise here is that your partner was likely moving in when the lob came and cannot change directions easily. The un-lobbed upon partner can more effectively move to the ball in this situation.

  6. Visualizing your strokes before you hit the ball! Take mental pictures with your photographic memory "in practice." Allow your sub-conscious mind to "play" the game; there really isn't enough time during a point to think and execute; instinct and habit must become your friends on the court.

  7. Anticipating your opponent's next shot! We've come full circle... we're back to EARLY PREPARATION!

  8. HAVING FUN!!!


If you wish to provide a comment to the author of this Wild Cards column, please use this form. Tennis Server will forward the comment to the author.

Green DotGreen DotGreen Dot

Wild Cards Archives:
1998 - 2003 | 2004 - Present


If you have not already signed up to receive our free e-mail newsletter Tennis Server INTERACTIVE, you can sign up here. You will receive notification each month of changes at the Tennis Server and news of new columns posted on our site.

This column is copyrighted by the author, all rights reserved.


 

nodot
nodot
Google
Web tennisserver.com
nodot nodot
The Tennis Server
Ticket Exchange

Your Source for tickets to professional tennis & golf events.
 
SAI Team Tennis Tournament Tickets
 
Dallas Open Tickets
 
Delray Beach Open Tickets
 
ATX Open Tickets
 
BNP Paribas Open Tickets
 
Miami Open Tickets
 
Credit One Charleston Open Tickets
 
US Men's Clay Court Championships Tickets
 
Wimbledon Tickets
 
Infosys Hall of Fame Open Tickets
 
Atlanta Open Tickets
 
Mubadala Citi Open Tennis Tournament Tickets
 
National Bank Open Women's Tennis Canada Tickets
 
National Bank Open Men's Tennis Canada Tickets
 
Western & Southern Open Tickets
 
Winston-Salem Open Tickets
 
US Open Tennis Championship Tickets
 

 

Popular Tennis books:
 
Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis-Lessons from a Master by Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison
 
The Best Tennis of Your Life: 50 Mental Strategies for Fearless Performance by Jeff Greenwald
 
The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
 
Most Recent Articles:
 
October 2022 Tennis Anyone: Patterns in Doubles by John Mills.
 
September 2022 Tennis Anyone: Short Court by John Mills.
 

 

 

 

"Tennis Server" is a registered trademark and "Tennis Server INTERACTIVE" is a trademark of Tennis Server. All original material and graphics on the Tennis Server are copyrighted 1994 - by Tennis Server and its sponsors and contributors. Please do not reproduce without permission.

The Tennis Server receives a commission on all items sold through links to Amazon.com.

 

Tennis Server
Cliff Kurtzman
Editor-in-chief
791 Price Street #144
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Phone: (281) 480-6300
Online Contact Form
How to support Tennis Server as a Sponsor/Advertiser
Tennis Server Privacy Policy