NCAA Rules Limit Winter College Practice

College tennis is a tricky deal for the motivated coach and the unmotivated player. In junior tennis, things were easy. Distractions were limited. Parents made sure kids made curfew, ate properly, did their homework, and planned their days for them. In college tennis, things are easy when you are in the playing season. You really don't have much time between class, fitness, tennis, eating, homework, and checking your Facebook. Distractions and a lack of motivation are really not factors because your coach and team will apply enough subtle pressure on you to simply not "let go of the rope."

However, every year college coaches struggle with the time period between mid-November to early January. The NCAA wisely limited practice time to 20 hours per week during the playing season (this includes your fitness, competition, and practice sessions). When the fall and dual-season are not in action, the NCAA limits every player and coach to 2 hours of tennis skill instruction per week and 6 hours of fitness from mid-November to Thanksgiving. Only 8 hours a week! Once December 1st rolls around, coaches, fitness trainers, and players are not allowed to allowed to work with each other. The players are free to do as they wish.

Now one might wonder why the NCAA would do such a thing. The reason is to protect the kids from coaches who abuse the system (# of hours on the court). Afterall, kids are in school to pursue an education and they need to be given time to study. I'm sure in many cases, coaches in the past forced boys and girls to practice without any regard for their academics (I have no proof, but I'm sure it happened).

Now that you know the history behind these rules, the time between December 1st and January 7th is a tricky time for every college coach and player. The coach is stressed out because all the gains made during the fall could potentially be wiped out without consistent upkeep to the players game. The players are stressed out about finals and might be a little burnt out from the fall season. Let's brainstorm: What are some good ways to keep the players motivated during this time period? Tournaments are not easy to come by during this time.

In the picture above, here are some potential scenarios to how many hours you would need to practice everyday for 6 days a week for 5 weeks to accumulate close to 100 hours. Most people would be surprised how many players fail to surpass 100 hours. Parents long to see their children, spoil them with turkey and sweets, and taking vacations to warm locations. Kids want to catch up with old friends from high school. There are many forces and distractions at work which can distort your tennis priorities (did I mention New Years Partying!?!). Parents sometimes do not drive the kids as hard as they used to (maybe because of perspective or maybe because they are satisfied). Parents might see the end of the road is near, so what's the point.

Whip The Ball For Better Topspins

When trying to develop monster topspin shots off your ground strokes, it is important to visualize a whip. A whip is thicker at the handle and tapers down towards the tip. When snapped, it can create speeds surpassing the sound barrier (cracking sound). Your body is similar to a whip in design: your trunk/torso is generally thicker and moves slower. However, your shoulder, biceps and forearms are considerably smaller and, therefore, move faster.

Once you start uncoiling into a shot - particularly the forehand - the momentum generated travels through your arm towards the racket. Here is where things get interesting: although your arm moves in one direction following its natural path, the wrist often snaps (or, some say, forearm rotates) in order to generate topspin (a deviation from the normal angular momentum of the arm). This "snap" is a slight (for some, not so slight) brushing of the ball which creates the spin. However, to do so, the wrist must deviate somewhat from the natural path of the arm (obviously, it still remains attached to it) while holding on to an object (racket) about half its weight (human hand weighs between 22 and 30 ounces). 

The issue that we're dealing with is control of the racket. In order to have a good topspin it is important to have a strong grip (although not choking the racket) as well as a strong forearm in order to commence the topspin motion. Remember that momentum = Mass times Velocity. In this regard, although the hand (tip of the whip) weighs less than your body, it's also moving faster thereby creating momentum in a certain direction. To "break away" from its natural path, a greater "force" is necessary (i.e., forearm and hand strength). Tennis players, like baseball players, have understood the importance of hand and forearm strength for decades. Some have squeezed broken tennis balls as a way to cross-train; others have lugged around forearm builders such as clamps and pulleys.

One of the best way to develop forearm-grip strength for tennis is to practice a lot of drop-feeds where you are isolating this portion of your body. Try to LIFT the ball 6 feet over the net by BRUSHING the ball (rather than scooping it). Once you get the concept, you can transition to slightly more sophisticated workouts such as hitting against rapid-fire balls on the ball machine (minimum of 300) or hitting 1000 volleys in a row against the backboard. The key is to "feel the burn" in your forearm and develop grip and forearm strength. This concept is particularly important for female players. Unlike guys, girls tend to not be gym rats and they don't often play sports which require arm strength (e.g., baseball or football). Therefore, although girls generate a great deal of force with their torsos, shoulders and arms, they tend to fall just short of mastering the topspin due to their relatively low forearm strength. As a result, a lot of female player tend to have flatter shots and a lot of teaching pros perpetuate this mistake by teaching the shots that they see on TV rather than addressing the physical issue. 

Nevertheless, things are starting to change and some players have broken away from the general mentality. Take, for example, Samantha Stosur. When she first started on tour, she was a very good player but her shots lacked the "bite" necessary to penetrate the court. Take a look at the size and definition of the arm, particularly the forearm (note: size is only one indicator of strength but it's not exclusive).

Now take a look at the picture on the right taken in 2011. Forget about the racket finish - we are only using this picture to point out the definition of the arm, specifically the forearm. If you watch Samantha play now, you will notice that she plays similar to a male tennis players: not just powerful shots (Venus and Serena have been doing that for years), but shots with heavy topspin. 

Given the pace of the game, these shots would not be possible without forearm and grip strength. Therefore, rather than making excuses as to why you're not hitting decent topspin, take the initiative and start improving yourself physically and then see how it goes from there. With modern technology (lighter rackets; more powerful strings; awesome gym equipment), there's absolutely no reason why you should not be able to generate monster topspin groundstrokes.

Of course, don't forget about the other components of the shot (e.g. footwork, balance, torso, preparation, etc.) and to practice, practice, practice. Before you attempt to tear phone books and crush rocks (and destroy fluidity and range of motion in the process), know that this is only a small piece of the puzzle (Stosur's as well as yours). However, when encountering obstacles in the development of these shots, keep in mind the strength ratio between your body/arm and forearm/wrist. 

It's not about Forehands and Backhands, Stupid! [Redux]

Yes, Karsten Braasch was ridiculously good given his unorthodox shots. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't pursue "clean" strokes; just don't become consumed by this quest. At some point, "it is what it is" and you're just going to have to figure out the best way to win. 

Or how about Monica Niculescu? Not bad for WTA top 30. Before you judge, please check out her preparation, intensity and movement. If it helps to avoid the distraction, cover the top of the video and just focus on her feet. How many of you who would like to play D-1 can move like that?!

Go Forth and Let The Children Be Your Guide

Great movement, intensity, passion and focus (eyes) coupled with clean strokes for her age. You don't have to watch pros to learn proper fundamentals; watch this girl. Awesome! Keep up the good work and good luck, Solana. 

As The Wind Blows

Given that California is currently experiencing some massive windstorms, we thought that we would provide you with some tips for playing tennis in the wind or using it to your advantage:

1. Since drilling in the wind is frustrating, windy conditions are great for playing points. Therefore, rather than performing repetition-type drills, find someone to play sets against and use it to get better.

2. Wind requires even better footwork than usual. The ball tends to swirl around until the very last second so it's important for you to constantly strive to position yourself for the optimal shot. 

3. This may be obvious, but try not to aim for the lines (or even inside the lines). If you aim for the lines and the ball is moved by the wind in a ten foot radius, there is a great likelihood that you're going to miss. Instead, aim for the middle of the court and have the wind move the ball for you. That same 10ft radius will be inside the lines.

4. Even if it's not natural for you, try to approach the net (either serve and volley, chip and charge or off a ground-stroke). It's difficult to be precise in the wind so your opponents will have a more difficult time trying to pass you. On the other hand, you will be better positioned to knock balls down into the opponent's court and, therefore, not be affected by the conditions. 

5. Use slices for two major reasons: (A) your opponent will have to bend her knees and move her feet even more than usual increasing the chances that she will miss (hitting a skidding ball is hard enough under normal conditions); and (B) slices (well-struck ones, anyway) tend to not have such a high arc when crossing the net - therefore, the wind will not have the opportunity to affect such shots. As always, however, don't attempt this shot for the first time in a match and under windy conditions. Practice, practice, practice beforehand. 

6. Not aiming for the lines is not just for groundstrokes but also for the serve. The kick-serve and slice serve are probably your best bet under these conditions. First of all, determine which one of your serves requires a lower toss - that should be your "A" serve. As above, a lower toss has less chance of being affected by the wind. Once you figure out this aspect, make just slight adjustments to vary the intended target - the wind will take care of the rest (the ball will "sail" with the direction of the wind). For example, slice/kick down the T, middle of the court, or out wide. Sometimes, it also helps to be sneaky - by not putting a lot of pace/spin on the ball, the wind will play with it, making it swirl and, consequently, difficult and frustrating to return. When hitting serves against the wind, we have found that a slice serve tends to penetrate better than a kick or flat serve. When the wind is behind you, try to kick the serve more so that the ball explodes on your opponent and he has trouble generating pace from above his shoulders. 

7. If you know that your opponent has trouble with "dinkers" under normal conditions, these problems will be magnified by the wind. Don't rip the ball with a lot of spin (since such shots will penetrate the wind and will be easier to handle); use only enough pace and spin to maintain proper ball control. Give your opponent a wobbly ball to hit against and allow him to self-destruct. 

8. Remember the "10 and under play" or the sneak-attack. This is where you lob a high-topspin ball and, while your opponent is backing up and trying to figure out how to best handle it, you sneak in (wind may drown out your footsteps) and knock your opponent's shot out of the air. It works once in a while, particularly against some inexperienced players who back up for every ball. 

9. Keep tabs of the shift in wind; check out the swaying of the trees, blowing of the dust, or puffing of the net or windscreens. Remember to make proper adjustments when changing sides. If, on one side, you're facing the wind, chances are that you will be over-hitting when you change ends. Therefore, remember to add more spin. Conversely, when you change from side where the wind was behind you to one where it is in front, add more pace.

In addition, if the court has a drainage "tilt" (which can either be side-to-side or end-to-end, depending on the set-up of the facility), it may be exacerbated by the wind; see if you can use it to your advantage by sliding the ball with the wind into the low part of the court and having your opponent get even more out of position. 

10. Wind may be beautiful for sailing but when it comes to tennis it's all ugly. Therefore, expect to play ugly and win ugly. Under these conditions, it's all about getting the job done, not making the highlight reel.