One Bounce To The Fence

The great coach Harry Hopman was a firm believer in telling you where he wanted the ball to land and how it should travel there. (Harry was also a firm believer in putting 50 boys at the top of the building and the first one down was your "man"). He strayed away from technique whenever possible because he understood there were many different ways to hit the ball. Throughout tennis history, players have consistently demonstrated slight variations in their technique, but what always remains true is where the ball lands and how it travels there for the type of shot you are trying to execute.

If Andre Agassi asked you to practice tomorrow, would you be able to give him a solid practice? Any top level junior, college player, or minor league professional would give him a great practice. In the warmup, Andre shouldn't be moving too far too the right or left, or front or back. A common issue that arises with aspiring players is the lack of control. Often times, the ball you hit will bounce twice before it reaches the opposing baseline. If Andre were hitting with you, he would have to move into no-man's land and scoop this ball at his ankles.

A good habit to get into is to be aware of this issue and try to get the ball in one bounce to your practice partner (If you are hitting the ball short on purpose, that's another story). One way to develop a deeper, heavier rally ball is to try to get the ball in one bounce to the fence. It takes more height and/or power to have the ball travel in one bounce to the fence.

Another simple equation to consider:

HEIGHT (over the net) + SPIN = DEPTH

There is nothing more frustrating to a good player than having to run into no-man's land to scoop balls from his ankles in the warmup. A ball should never bounce twice before the baseline in the warmup. In addition, there is nothing more frustrating than working on your volleys from the baseline. Although good players should be able to handle ankle scrapers in no-man's land, on the run forehands, and volleys at shoulder height from the baseline- but this isn't an "ideal" practice for a world class player in warmup, let alone anyone at the local club.

Go practice your control, Harry Hopman style, and get the ball to the fence after one bounce.

Build a Foundation - Practice Consistency

Andy Scorteanu is the Director of Tennis and Fitness at Monterey Country Club in Palm Desert, CA. He is also the head of ASTA - the Andy Scorteanu Tennis Academy ( www.astennisacademy.com ). As a player, Andy finished his junior career as #1 player in Southern California and attained a top-30 NCAA Division 1 ranking at Fresno State University. He has competed on the professional circuit and served as hitting partner for Pete Samras, Martina Hingis, Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Dmitri Tursunov and Jim Courier.

Do you find that you're practicing like a champ and playing matches like a chump? Is your coach constantly feeding you balls? Well maybe that's the problem. Leave the basket a home and grab a can (3 balls max). Perfect practice makes perfect, so hold yourself accountable and learn how to keep the ball in play. Many times, coaches feed balls to the players in order to work on very specific shots. These drills are tailored to elicit focused footwork, preparation and ball-strikes under narrow circumstances. However, in live-ball scenarios, the players find that their balls are going everywhere but in the court. What does this teach? No magic will bring the ball in the court. Often times, the mistake happens because the player was unable to adjust to a specific speed, spin or trajectory of a "live" ball. As a result, players, specifically juniors, need to learn how to hit against the "unclean" shots from their peers (the same ones they will face in a match condition). Doing so will not only make them better players but also better practice partners which in turn will make them a sought-after commodity for other players looking to improve (and more playing = better resutls). In addition, in today’s game, the ball is struck harder partly because of technology (racket/string) and more physical strength. At the end of the day Federer, Nadal, Murray & Djokovic have 20 ball rallies (repeatedly). Work on precision and consistency first; pace comes later in your tennis career. STOP trying to hit like the professionals when you're just starting out; control your impulses. When you get older, power is easier to come by than control. Remember that you are not a professional until you, in fact, are one. Pros have hit millions of focused shots and can control the ball at a high pace (or any pace, for that matter) and spin. By rallying against players your own age, you will learn to play within yourself and will manage to hit the ball at a pace that you can control CONSISTANTLY within a designated area (precisely, Watson).

ASTA Love it. Live it. Breathe it.

Practicing Against Adults To Understand a Different Dimension

Depending on the area in which you live in, playing against adults may or may not be an acceptable method of training. If you're fortunate enough to live in SoCal or Florida - and assuming that you're somewhat dedicated to the sport - you will most likely play against kids your age rather than adults. These player would benefit a lot, in my opinion, from being exposed to different age groups, levels of play and styles. Some older players may have been good in their day but they may have lost a step or two. Play against them and see how they construct a point. Other players may be dinkers, pushers, serve and volleyers (not something that is seen too much on the junior circuit), drop-shot artists and straight-up hacks. Be it in local leagues, shootouts, men's/women's nights, normal matches or adult tournaments, seek to play against them and see how you measure up. You will often be surprised to see that some of these guys "can really play". Some may be difficult to beat particularly if they play without pace (and rely more on placement) or you play them in the wind or on slow clay courts or fast grass courts. Also, they have a completely different outlook on how to play the game and how to dissect the opponent. Their games are, often, more about breaking down the opponent's weakness(es) rather than hitting pure winners so picking apart their opponents' likes/dislikes is a huge factor. 

In addition, if you're struggling to find a hitting partner your own age, maybe someone who's older may be more inclined to take up the challenge. Older players are, generally, more passionate about the game - they're not playing because the parents make them - so they will have a more positive outlook on the whole thing and may also give you with some good advice about tennis, school and life. If the only player that you can play against is older and not very good - this happens a lot in cases where juniors live in areas that are not tennis centers (e.g., remote areas of mid-West or PNW) - use this player as a backboard. Hit everything to him no matter what he throws at you and run every ball down. Also, play games where he covers the half-court and you have to cover the whole court or even singles PLUS doubles alleys. Your primary goal here is to develop your "rolodex" of plays and players and use it for future reference later on; knowledge and experience breeds confidence.

Tennis on a Budget

Tennis is an expensive sport. Between the cost of rackets, shoes, strings, balls, coaching, entry fees, travel and club membership fees, the expenses can run into thousands of dollars. Is it all worthwhile?! Depending on your goals and commitment it may be. It is disheartening, however, to invest so much in developing as a tennis player and not get much out of it simply because you did not put in the extra effort.

Unfortunately, a lot of parents rely only on individual lessons in order to develop their kids' games. This is simply not enough. Although many aspects of the game can be taught, there are numerous components that can only be LEARNED (i.e. discovered).

Your coach can tell you how to hold the racket but only you can determine how to use the stroke in a match. Many players, however, never really learn how to "teach themselves" or how to "self-soothe" when things don't go their way in a match. They rely on constant coaching in all aspects of the game and, therefore, become automatons without any artistry or true passion for the sport. 

In addition to not being self-sufficient, many players end up playing their coaches' (or parents') version of the sport rather than their own. Furthermore, since coaches are, for the most part, authority figures, a lot of the workouts follow the "do as I say not as I do" routine. Often times, and depending on the tone and message, this can result in burn-out, dissatisfaction or outright tanking ("just to get back" to the parent/coach). 

On the other side of the equation are the players who do things completely on their own without any outside guidance. These players possess a great passion for the game and practice, whether by choice or by necessity, a lot on their own and in their own way. Of course, what they lack sometimes is structure and, perhaps, a good grasp of the fundamentals. Some of these player become quite good in their own right although it's tough to say whether they have maximized the potential. 

I believe that the best way to grow into an accomplished player would be include components from both "classes" of players: those who rely on private coaches and those who learn the game on their own. In effect, this becomes "tennis on a budget". By having some structure, the players are assured that they have proper fundamentals (what's "proper" is debatable). However, by doing things on their own or with little supervison, the players can also maintain the artistry and independence to develop one's own sense and place as a tennis player. After all, the players are not playing "for their coaches or parents" but for themselves. 

Practically speaking tennis on a budget is a blend that not only spreads the pressures and responsibilities but also minimizes the costs. In addition, the players are forced to become honest with their intentions. If they are passionate about the game, they will do things on their own in order to improve. If they are not, then no-harm, no-foul but "at least we're not fooling ourselves" or using tennis as an excuse to not study or pursue some other objectives. Although everyone's finances and goals are different, a developing player (e.g. 14+) can easily follow a disciplined routine (such as one outlined in the example below) and still manage to attain a reasonable level of success:

1. MON: 2 hours on the ball machine (FH; BH; Volleys); 30 min running/jumping rope; 30 min abs/weights. On the ball machine, work on power ("hit the ball like it owes you money"), consistency and placement. Move the ball machine around the court and learn to hit from anywhere to anywhere. Maintain good, light footwork in between shots with particular emphasis on the 3-4 "dance" steps immediately before the shot. 

2. TUE: 1.5hrs sets/points (can be a match or some adult/junior league); 30 min serves. 30 min of bike; 30 min abs/weights

3. WED: 1 hour lesson; 1 hr points/sets. 30 min running; 30 min abs/weights.

4. THU: 1 hour clinic/group-split lesson; 1 hour on ball machine. 30 min jumping rope; 30 min bike.

5. FRI: 1 hour sets; 30 min serves. 30 min stretching. 

6. SAT/SUN: tournament. NOTE: I ALWAYS recommend that the player does not rely solely on the matches provided by the tournament (i.e., don't just play your match, get in your car and drive home). Try to find a handful of players againt whom you can play a couple of practice sets AFTER the tournament match; go for a run; jump rope; do some drills with another player. Get the most out of that tennis-specific environment particularly if you're from an area that doesn't have a lot of high-caliber players to practice against. 

Again, this is just an example of a "clean" routine where the player is receiving just enough instruction so that he doesn't get too far off track but also sufficient independence in order to develop the game on his own and learn how to make adjustments independently when things go wrong in a match. Of course, the foregoing requires some dedication and discipline from the player but, then again, that's the point. In addition, there is a concern in some schools of thought that without constant instruction, the player will lose his stroke (or develop bad ones). Another school of thought, however, believes that the player is more likely to pay attenion in that 1-1.5hrs of instruction than if he were to participate in private lessons day-after-day. One cannot discount teenagers' ability to "tune things out" when they hear the same thing over and over again. 

Will this schedule produce future Nadals and Federers? Maybe, maybe not. But it will certainly result in more passionate players - in player who take charge of their games - as well as people who are capable of taking charge of their lives and being more disciplined in all pursuits. 

Sword and Shield Concept

When starting to play tennis more competitively, it is often helpful to understand the sword and shield approach. The sword and shield concept is derived from gladiator fights in old arenas. Fighters were pitted against each other bearing various weapons although the weapons of choice for most were the sword and the shield. The sword was, mostly, used for attacking the opponent (see below) and the shield was, mostly, used for defending. Now, that's not to say that the shield could not be used to bop the opponent over the head or the sword for deflecting a thrust, but generally each device has its role.

Tennis is, in many ways, a modern gladiatorial contest (except, if you lose, you get ice cream on the way home). In this regard, it could be helpful to remember that your forehand is - usually (not always and not for all) - your weapon and the backhand is (again, usually - not always) your shield. Generally speaking, players tend to practice their forehands more and even consciously or unconsciously rally or feed with the forehand side. So that side develops faster than the backhand. In addition, with most players prefering a double-handed backhanded, the two arms can't swing as fast together as a one-armed shot would. Yet, when playing matches, these same players seem to have the same expectations from their backhands as they would from the forehands. They go for just as much power and just as many risky winners. Unless the player has truly worked to develop the "two-sword fighting technique" (see below), my normal advice is to treat one shot more for defensive/consistency purposes an the other for attack.

Now, defensive doesn't necessarily mean pushing. You can certainly press the opponent around the court with your "shield". However, your primary goal should be consistency and penetration. Move the opponent around the court with safe but penetrating shots in order to expose the court for the forehand/kill-shot. As you get better, your backhand will become more of a "sword" and you will be able to hurt your opponent more with it. However, if you only manage to practice 1 backhand to every 4 forehands, try to be smart with how you use your shield in a match. If it's solid enough, the opponent will wear out his sword by hammering against it and you will be in a better position to attack when he's fatigued.