Quantcast
nodot nodot
Wild Cards
May 2012 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

 
My Hero
By Tony Severino
Certified Instructor 4A
Professional Tennis Registry

Tony Serverino Photo
Tony Severino

I need a hero! Not an uncommon want, but I need one nevertheless. Not any hero will do so I have chosen one that I think I know well, and that hero is you. Yes you!
 
I have selected you as my hero!
 
You, who hits your forehand consistently long.
 
You, who hits down the line wide of the alley, too often.
 
You, who fails to keep the third ball in play in a rally.
 
Yes you, who serves into the net and follows with a double fault long.
 
And you, who spins in the same serve consistently, without variation.
 
You, who has trouble returning serve.
 
You, who fails to use the non-dominant hand to block the sun.
 
Are you still with me, my hero? Not into denial? Good! Let's talk.
 
What are we going to do about that forehand that too often goes long?
 
How about if we develop a top spin stroke and let physics help us out? Or, just get the ball back in play and not try to win the point on every exchange.
 
What can we do about that down the line shot that too often goes wide? Maybe if we aim to place the ball inside the far sideline, the same distance as we are standing inside ours when we hit the ball, it will help.
 
You know if you can return the ball at least three times your chances of winning the point escalate. Maybe if we concentrate on getting the ball back the third time it comes over, and go from there it will help.
 
Master Professional Ken Dehart, PTR and USPTA, notes that when you think "Don't double fault," the term is planted in your mind without the negative. And what happens? It might help if you concentrate on just the contact point of your serve. Then, the outcome is fairly predictable. You shouldn't have to worry about the net or the service box. It all happens up there at the contact point.
 
What can we do about that serve, always the same, always spinning, always the same pace? First of all, it shows a lack of confidence in your serve. It's very predictable and its main purpose is to just get the point started. But you have to make capital of the advantage the serve gives you. As you know, a good serve starts with the body's rhythm, a smooth transfer of power from the knees thru the torso, shoulder, arm and wrist to the racquet head. It's called the kinetic chain. Take dancing lessons or Tai Chi or go to the local fitness center to get the body flowing rhythmically. Truly, it don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing.
 
What can we do about the return of serve, which is notoriously mediocre at the recreational level? Until recently it wasn't taught at all and even now only sparingly by too few instructors. What might help first off is to not try to win the point with the return. Controlling the direction of the return is most important, so a full swing is counter productive. Perhaps a blocking swing will work better. Placement! Control!
 
Even before that, what is happening on the other side of the net?
 
When you watch the server's racquet contacting the ball, you learn a lot already about the point. Next eye the bounce and mentally think "bounce." That will tell you even more. And next, of course, the way we teach the kids is to say "hit"; we teach grown-ups to breathe out with a healthy "huff." At this point remember control of direction is paramount.
 
What can we do about the lob up in the sunny sky? Oh my.
 
You know the old guys are going to do it every chance they get, so get used to it, but show them that ploy won't work. Put up the non-dominant hand to block the sun and casually execute your overhead.
 
By the way, your non-dominant hand has a role in virtually every tennis shot you can name. Think about that. Or check the January 2000 Wild Cards archives for the article "That Other Hand."
 
Wow! What a hero! But that you are, because you play this game, maybe not so well, but with such enthusiasm. And that's why this game is so great.
 
And that's why you are my hero.
 

 


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