Quantcast
nodot nodot
Wild Cards
May 2013 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 Puzzle
By Tony Severino
Certified Instructor 4A
Professional Tennis Registry

Puzzles are games to test one's skill and intelligence. Have you ever placed a piece in a jigsaw puzzle where the piece fits, but the immediate surroundings don't match? It just doesn't belong. And that is a puzzle. We wonder why.
 
Before you dwell on that puzzle, think about this. Doesn't it happen in tennis? You're playing a match which is testing your skill and intelligence. Everything seems to fit in place. Your shots go where you want them to go. You have pace. Service game is on. Volleys score points. Everything about your game seems to fit in place perfectly, except it doesn't.
 
Another one of those days? Maybe.
 
Are they better players? Maybe.
 
Or just playing better than you today? Maybe.
 
Maybe not!
 
We can take a clue from Sherlock Holmes who said: "There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact."
 
The deception here is you are playing well enough. The obvious fact is that a change is needed. Remember, champions adjust, which is another way of saying always change a losing game. At least modify it.
 
You have control. You have pace. Volleys are working well. Games are fairly close.
 
So what can you do?
 
Hmm!
 
Your serve is right on, so maybe try serving right at the opponent so s/he must move to hit the return. Making the receiver move out of the way to hit the ball makes for a more difficult return. Anything to either side is just putting it into their wheel house. Or take off some pace and let them supply the power. There's a saying that you are only as good as your second serve. You probably spin in your second serve. Try using it sometimes as a first serve. These changes will keep your opponent guessing.
 
Your shots are consistently accurate, so go for sharper angles. Make them work harder. Do you have topspin? Use it. Also a sharp chop shot forehand can be devilish to deal with. Go for it. Try to play longer points which means getting the ball back more than three times. Percentages rise in your favor after the third return.
 
Volleys can be improved with under-spin drop shots. Or aimed aggressively down the middle to take away sharply angled returns. You can't wait for opportunities to volley. You must make them. Set them up.
 
After a few games determine if the new puzzle pieces are starting to fit. As with the jigsaw puzzle, they'll snap into place. It's just a satisfying feeling. No fist pumping or facial contortions that put the ugliest gargoyle to shame. But a good feeling nevertheless.
 
If in the end you find the pieces still don't fit well, take comfort in that you tried your best and enjoyed a match well played. Your skill and intelligence were exercised.
 
That will fit any puzzle space.
 

 


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