Quantcast
nodot nodot
Wild Cards
June 2007 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
The Short Hop Technique
by John W. Naprstek, Sr.

When you are caught while at the service line or even closer to the net and know you will have to handle a very hard short hop, you must use NO backward or forward motion of the racquet head because there isn't time! Also, the racquet head motion induces more chance for mistiming. Simply block the ball back.

As such low bouncing balls rise to contact your racquet face, the mirror effect dictates that the balls will leave your string bed on the rise. With practice you will be able to adjust your racquet for the placements you want to make.

When the ball arrives on your forehand side, stay in balance while turning or hopping sideways as you position your left foot forward. Lean way over -- those with young enough knees should drop down with the right knee close to or even touching the court surface. Extend the racquet sideways with the head perpendicular to and touching the court surface and in line to intercept the ball. Be sure to hold it with a solid grip. With a friends' help feeding you short hop balls (not easy), you must practice and you will soon get the "feel" of how much if any to lay the face back to clear the net with your return.

Then, whether the ball contacts the court very close to your racquet face, or many inches in front of it, you must be sure you are ready to jerk the head straight up very fast -- coinciding with the ball striking on the court! Some balls that strike the court even further in front of your racquet will rise with a high bounce and your racquet head will also need to rise high enough to meet them!

You will be AMAZED at how many balls you will catch right on your sweet spot, even on the somewhat higher bounces, and with practice you will be able to then add some drive to your "catch and return" efforts.

If you need to return on the backhand side. it is best to utilize the two-handed grips that are not generally recommended when close to the net. Two handed strength is needed for these short hops!

With practice, you will be able to place these shots very well by angling the racquet head a little forward or backward.

If a ball is driven at your feet so hard that you have no time to squat down, you should just thrust your racquet head down to block it and pray a little!

Remember, anytime you are able to get a ball back over the net, you afford your opponent the opportunity to make an error, especially if they are "out of position" because they didn't expect the ball to come back!


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