Nuggets for Improving Your Tennis Game: The Grip
By: K. Rob Scott
Lets begin with the fundamental fundamentals...
The Grip
Back in the day (and I mean way back) the "handshake" grip was taught exclusively. Probably relative to golf which uses a laced version of the same handshake with the club. With this grip, the vee between the dominant hand's thumb and index finger is placed directly on top of the racquet handle. This "shake" is also known as an eastern grip.
Today, players at all levels begin and stick with what is commonly known as a semi-western or western grip. This grip is accomplished by beginning with the handshake grip and (keeping the racquet face vertical) rotating the hand clockwise around the handle until the vee is somewhere between two and three o'clock.
The semi-western and western grip have distinct advantages over their eastern ancestor:
Point of contact - the western grips now allow players to contact the ball way out in front of their bodies. This is good for two reasons: one, it allows a much more open body stance (facing more to the net) which allows better court mobility; and two, the distance to strike is increased, allowing the player to impart more spin and more power with a longer swing.
Strength in the swing - Because of the angle of rotation between the wrist and racquet, the player holds the racquet more firmly and swings more solidly.
Andre Aggassi and Michael Chang are perfect earlier examples of young up-coming players utilizing the new western grips.
I would strongly recommend to beginners: Don't listen to anyone tell you to handshake with the racquet.
I would recommend to intermediate players that just want to take the game to the next level: Start by rotating the hand back and feel the extra spin and power that you can generate. As you start to hit the ball further out in front of your body, you will notice your stance will remain slightly more open which, in turn, will allow you to move and react more quickly to your opponent's next shot.
Be well and play good tennis,
Rob
Rob Scott has played tennis for over thirty years and worked and coached as a teaching pro for tots, teens and adults. Read other helpful articles about tennis at http://help-my-tennis-game.blogspot.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K._Rob_Scott
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Emotional Focus
The Power of Focus - And How It Applies To Your Tennis Game
By Kyril Popoff
I recently delved into some research about a 2-day certification course I will be attending that helps high school level and junior athletes discover what it is they really want to get out of the sports they are playing, and how to help them train to attain the goals that they set for themselves. One of the trainers said, "The problem that most of our students have in sticking to a training program is that they focus on the process instead of the reward."
I had written an article on this very subject two years earlier, and found it fascinating that the same exact 'truth' would rear it's head again. (That's the way it goes with the truth - it will always cut through and define problems and point to solutions with extreme clarity.) Anyway, I would like to give you an example of what this trainer was talking about and how it applies to your tennis training. Here's the Scenario:
Meet Jessica. Jessica is a nationally ranked junior tennis player and is getting ready to graduate high school and accept a scholarship to a NCAA Div. 1 university next year. While she has done well, she really wants to improve and possibly play pro tennis someday. She, along with her coach, agreed that in order to do this, she must spend an additional 5 hours a week on the courts working solely on the areas of her game that they both agreed need improvement. This is in addition to the 12 hrs a week she is putting in on the courts just to maintain her game at its current level. She's been doing it for two weeks now, and doesn't really know if she's making any 'progress' on those weak areas of hers, but she tells herself she's going to keep slugging it out.
The alarm goes off at 5:00 am, and Jessica does not feel like going to the courts today. She thinks about it, and realizes that it's raining, it's cold, and she has to fight a ton of traffic just to get to the courts. Then, she'll have to do her warm-up work, stretch and do the dreaded drills that have not been going so well for her over the last couple of weeks. On top of it all she got to bed late the night before anyway and has homework she didn't finish. Jessica hits the snooze button, pulls the covers back up, and drifts back to sleep...
Meet Sarah. Sarah is a varsity level high school player and has never even thought about going on the pro tour. However, several colleges have been watching her and if she can make it to the State Tournament this year, her coach has told her that at least a partial college scholarship is all but certain. Sarah has thought long and hard about this, because her parents are not wealthy and she really wants to get an education. Sarah's been working on improving her weaknesses for two weeks. She slowly, but surely, has been seeing some improvement.
Her alarm goes off, and Sarah does not want to go to the courts. It's raining, it's cold and she's facing all the same challenges that Jessica is in regards to getting her morning training done. Sarah reaches over, turns the buzzer off on her alarm clock and...goes to the courts and gets in her morning training.
Now in this example...what's the difference? What is the magical ingredient that courses through Sarah's veins that makes her get to the courts? Sarah is not the nationally ranked top junior player that Jessica is. What makes Sarah go to the courts and what makes Jessica stay home? The answer may not be what you think. Believe it or not, these two girls are very focused, but in opposite ways. Remember what the trainer I heard said? "The problem that most of our students have in sticking to a training program is that they focus on the process instead of the reward." I have come to the conclusion that this trainer got it about 50% right.
Both these girls were focused on the process and the reward, but in different ways. The reason that Jessica hits the snooze button is precisely as follows:
Jessica, the girl who slept in, was focused emotionally on the process, and logically on the reward. In other words, Jessica was focusing her emotions on how difficult it was going to be to get the workout in, the weather, the traffic...and focusing her logic on the reward (i.e. "Yeah, so I may make it to the pros someday, but is doing all this really worth it?")
Sarah, on the other hand, focused on the process logically and the reward emotionally. (i.e. "Well, I might as well get in there and get this workout done...I just know it's going to feel so great to make it to the State Tournament and start getting scholarship offers!")
The lesson for you here is this: Focus your emotions on the reward, and focus on the process logically. Sarah has (perhaps unknowingly) figured out one of the secrets to getting what she wants from the game of tennis - and so have you!
To Your Massive Tennis Success,
Coach Kyril
Kyril Popoff is a former NCAA Div1 All-Conference Tennis Player, Instructor, Coach and Author.
His books include THE TEN LAWS OF TENNIS SUCCESS and FOCUS & WIN: WHY YOUR TENNIS GAME ISN'T WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE, & WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT!
You can sign up for Coach Kyril's Tennis Lessons, Tips & Tricks newsletter at:http://www.coachkyriltennis.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyril_Popoff
By Kyril Popoff
I recently delved into some research about a 2-day certification course I will be attending that helps high school level and junior athletes discover what it is they really want to get out of the sports they are playing, and how to help them train to attain the goals that they set for themselves. One of the trainers said, "The problem that most of our students have in sticking to a training program is that they focus on the process instead of the reward."
I had written an article on this very subject two years earlier, and found it fascinating that the same exact 'truth' would rear it's head again. (That's the way it goes with the truth - it will always cut through and define problems and point to solutions with extreme clarity.) Anyway, I would like to give you an example of what this trainer was talking about and how it applies to your tennis training. Here's the Scenario:
Meet Jessica. Jessica is a nationally ranked junior tennis player and is getting ready to graduate high school and accept a scholarship to a NCAA Div. 1 university next year. While she has done well, she really wants to improve and possibly play pro tennis someday. She, along with her coach, agreed that in order to do this, she must spend an additional 5 hours a week on the courts working solely on the areas of her game that they both agreed need improvement. This is in addition to the 12 hrs a week she is putting in on the courts just to maintain her game at its current level. She's been doing it for two weeks now, and doesn't really know if she's making any 'progress' on those weak areas of hers, but she tells herself she's going to keep slugging it out.
The alarm goes off at 5:00 am, and Jessica does not feel like going to the courts today. She thinks about it, and realizes that it's raining, it's cold, and she has to fight a ton of traffic just to get to the courts. Then, she'll have to do her warm-up work, stretch and do the dreaded drills that have not been going so well for her over the last couple of weeks. On top of it all she got to bed late the night before anyway and has homework she didn't finish. Jessica hits the snooze button, pulls the covers back up, and drifts back to sleep...
Meet Sarah. Sarah is a varsity level high school player and has never even thought about going on the pro tour. However, several colleges have been watching her and if she can make it to the State Tournament this year, her coach has told her that at least a partial college scholarship is all but certain. Sarah has thought long and hard about this, because her parents are not wealthy and she really wants to get an education. Sarah's been working on improving her weaknesses for two weeks. She slowly, but surely, has been seeing some improvement.
Her alarm goes off, and Sarah does not want to go to the courts. It's raining, it's cold and she's facing all the same challenges that Jessica is in regards to getting her morning training done. Sarah reaches over, turns the buzzer off on her alarm clock and...goes to the courts and gets in her morning training.
Now in this example...what's the difference? What is the magical ingredient that courses through Sarah's veins that makes her get to the courts? Sarah is not the nationally ranked top junior player that Jessica is. What makes Sarah go to the courts and what makes Jessica stay home? The answer may not be what you think. Believe it or not, these two girls are very focused, but in opposite ways. Remember what the trainer I heard said? "The problem that most of our students have in sticking to a training program is that they focus on the process instead of the reward." I have come to the conclusion that this trainer got it about 50% right.
Both these girls were focused on the process and the reward, but in different ways. The reason that Jessica hits the snooze button is precisely as follows:
Jessica, the girl who slept in, was focused emotionally on the process, and logically on the reward. In other words, Jessica was focusing her emotions on how difficult it was going to be to get the workout in, the weather, the traffic...and focusing her logic on the reward (i.e. "Yeah, so I may make it to the pros someday, but is doing all this really worth it?")
Sarah, on the other hand, focused on the process logically and the reward emotionally. (i.e. "Well, I might as well get in there and get this workout done...I just know it's going to feel so great to make it to the State Tournament and start getting scholarship offers!")
The lesson for you here is this: Focus your emotions on the reward, and focus on the process logically. Sarah has (perhaps unknowingly) figured out one of the secrets to getting what she wants from the game of tennis - and so have you!
To Your Massive Tennis Success,
Coach Kyril
Kyril Popoff is a former NCAA Div1 All-Conference Tennis Player, Instructor, Coach and Author.
His books include THE TEN LAWS OF TENNIS SUCCESS and FOCUS & WIN: WHY YOUR TENNIS GAME ISN'T WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE, & WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT!
You can sign up for Coach Kyril's Tennis Lessons, Tips & Tricks newsletter at:http://www.coachkyriltennis.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyril_Popoff
Beating a better tennis player.
How Do You Beat A 'Better' Tennis Player?
By Kyril Popoff
You mean there's more than one way? Yes, there is; and yes, you really can beat a tennis player who is supposedly a 'better' tennis player than you are. Before I tell you how, though, I want you to imagine this:
Imagine that you could stop time at the exact moment that your opponent hit a tennis ball toward you. Would that be great, or really great? Let's see what we could discover about what our opponent is going to do and exploit if we could magically stop time. First, we could discover the following:
• We could tell where the ball was going; this would allow us to get into position, and once we were in perfect position, we could 'start time' again and hit an awesome shot, because we'd be ready for it.
• We could analyze our opponent's position on the court, and decide where we wanted to hit the ball - obviously, to a spot on the court that would make it difficult for our opponent to return the ball.
• We could see what type of spin was on the ball, and be ready for it.
• We could see where our opponent's body position is relative to the center of the baseline, and perhaps try to 'wrong-foot' our opponent.
There are all kinds of things you could do, and in this 'magical' scenario they would all help us to win a match. There is, however, one thing that this scenario would allow us to do is 'steal time'.
What I mean by that is, even when you magically 'started' time again, the same number of seconds would continue to tick off, and we'd still have to properly execute the shots that all the above 'analysis' allowed us to be ready to hit.
There is, however, a way to steal time from you opponent. What I mean by 'stealing' time is giving your opponent less time to react than normal. If you and your opponent are both on the baseline, slugging ground strokes back and forth to each other, hitting the tennis ball at the peak of its bounce, the advantage will always go to the player with:
• More powerful & more accurate ground strokes
• Better movement
• Better physical conditioning
This is a given. Just watch a couple of early round matches on the slow red clay at the French Open and any doubts you may have will be swiftly removed. However, there is a way that the 'better' player can be beaten, if you can learn how to 'steal' the time they need to prepare for their next shot. There is one time-tested, match-proven, Grand Slam Tournament proven way to steal your opponent's time. The way to do it is to...drum roll please....ready?....hit the ball on the rise.
This is a sure-fire way to reduce your opponent's reaction time. Most players, however, back up when a tennis ball is hit deep into their court. Their logic is to get into position to hit the ball after it peaks, while the ball is traveling down, and into their 'wheelhouse' (approximately waist level). They are more comfortable doing this because:
• That's how they've been taught to do it, so they won't 'miss-hit' the tennis ball
• They've been fed thousands of tennis balls this way by their local tennis pro when they were first learning how to hit ground strokes.
• It's easier to hit the tennis ball on the 'way down' from the peak of it's bounce because the ball has slowed down, making it easier for the player to hit with their current level of hand-eye coordination.
• Since they've 'backed up' well behind the baseline to wait for the tennis ball to drop into their wheelhouse, the odds of hitting a ball 'long', past the opponent's baseline, decrease.
You could call all of the above reasons 'logical', but they won't help you beat a 'better' tennis player because of the following:
• Just getting the ball back over the net is not enough to beat a 'better' player.
• While you were 'backing up' behind the baseline waiting for the ball to fall into your wheelhouse to you could hit it, your opponent was recovering from their shot and moving back into position to get ready for your next shot. This will not help you to beat a 'better' player.
• Now that you're well behind the baseline when you hit your shot, it will take you extra time to get back into position for your opponent's next shot - and remember, they're already in position
for your next shot (that's one of the reasons they're the 'better player')! This again will not help you to beat a 'better player'.
Fear not, however. If we stand our ground on or just behind the baseline (6-12") during ground stroke rallies and hit the ball on the rise, all of a sudden a world of possibilities opens up for us. If you make sure to stand your ground and don't back up, then what happens is the following:
When you receive your opponent's shot, the ball will still be traveling through your wheelhouse, but it's traveling from the ground up, and it's moving faster than it would be if we let it reach its peak and start back down again. Here's how you benefit and your opponent suffers (Doom on them):
• Since you're now hitting the tennis ball as soon as it bounces up off the court, you are giving your opponent less time to react to your shot. (Tennis players are human beings, too; and most humans look for the 'easiest' way to do something, rather than the most 'efficient'. It's human nature; so most players, including so-called 'better' players than you wait for the tennis ball to bounce up and back down again before they hit it. Since this is the case, your opponent will not be used to playing people who hit the ball on the rise. They are not prepared for a tennis ball that comes back at them so quickly. This will help you to beat a 'better' tennis player).
• You are now in better position to react to you opponent's next shot, because your not six feet behind the baseline trying to get back into position; you're already there! Your 'better' opponent is used to hitting winners and forcing errors because again, most of the 'better' player opponents are behind the baseline waiting for the ball to drop into their wheelhouse. By being proactive and hitting the ball on the rise, you make your opponent work harder and harder to pull you out of position. This will help you to beat a 'better' tennis player.
To give you an idea of just how important hitting the ball on the rise is, and the dramatic results you can get by doing so, here's a list for you to look at. While not a complete list, here are some examples of former and current Men's Grand Slam Singles Tournament Winners who could - and did - consistently hit the ball on the rise:
Pete Sampras ( 7 Wimbledons, 5 U.S. Opens, 2 Australian Opens)
Roger Federer ( 5 Wimbledons, 4 U.S. Opens, 3 Australian Opens)
Jimmy Connors ( 5 U.S. Opens, 2 Wimbledons, 1 Australian Open)
Andre Agassi ( 4 Australian Opens, 2 U.S. Opens, 1 Wimbledon, 1 French Open)
In the last 33 years (since 1974), there have been 132 Men's Grand Slam Tournament Singles Winners, and the four men above account for a almost third of them. If you add the 20 combined Grand Slam Singles Runner-Up finishes they had, you're looking at 62 Grand Slam Singles Finals among those four players. That's almost HALF of the four yearly Grand Slam Singles Finals for a period of 33 years, shared by these four players - who all hit the ball on the rise. This statistic should open your eyes.
Why don't more players hit the tennis ball 'on the rise'? Simple answer: It takes practice, and timing, and faith, and persistence; in short, it takes work. But you can do it. Persistence is the key. If you can commit to it, and not rest until you get the results you want, you've won 90% of the battle; and a whole new - and better - game awaits you. There are several techniques I utilize when teaching my students the 'how' of hitting the ball on the rise that I do not have the space to fit into this article. Just remember that you don't have to get it perfect; just get it going. Start hitting the ball on the rise, and practice, practice, practice! Then watch that 'better' player wonder just why you're so hard to beat these days!
To Your Massive Tennis Success,
Coach Kyril
Kyril Popoff is a former NCAA Div1 All-Conference Tennis Player, Instructor, Coach and Author.
His books include THE TEN LAWS OF TENNIS SUCCESS and FOCUS & WIN: WHY YOUR TENNIS GAME ISN'T WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE, & WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT!
You can sign up for Coach Kyril's Tennis Lessons, Tips & Tricks newsletter at: http://www.coachkyriltennis.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyril_Popoff
By Kyril Popoff
You mean there's more than one way? Yes, there is; and yes, you really can beat a tennis player who is supposedly a 'better' tennis player than you are. Before I tell you how, though, I want you to imagine this:
Imagine that you could stop time at the exact moment that your opponent hit a tennis ball toward you. Would that be great, or really great? Let's see what we could discover about what our opponent is going to do and exploit if we could magically stop time. First, we could discover the following:
• We could tell where the ball was going; this would allow us to get into position, and once we were in perfect position, we could 'start time' again and hit an awesome shot, because we'd be ready for it.
• We could analyze our opponent's position on the court, and decide where we wanted to hit the ball - obviously, to a spot on the court that would make it difficult for our opponent to return the ball.
• We could see what type of spin was on the ball, and be ready for it.
• We could see where our opponent's body position is relative to the center of the baseline, and perhaps try to 'wrong-foot' our opponent.
There are all kinds of things you could do, and in this 'magical' scenario they would all help us to win a match. There is, however, one thing that this scenario would allow us to do is 'steal time'.
What I mean by that is, even when you magically 'started' time again, the same number of seconds would continue to tick off, and we'd still have to properly execute the shots that all the above 'analysis' allowed us to be ready to hit.
There is, however, a way to steal time from you opponent. What I mean by 'stealing' time is giving your opponent less time to react than normal. If you and your opponent are both on the baseline, slugging ground strokes back and forth to each other, hitting the tennis ball at the peak of its bounce, the advantage will always go to the player with:
• More powerful & more accurate ground strokes
• Better movement
• Better physical conditioning
This is a given. Just watch a couple of early round matches on the slow red clay at the French Open and any doubts you may have will be swiftly removed. However, there is a way that the 'better' player can be beaten, if you can learn how to 'steal' the time they need to prepare for their next shot. There is one time-tested, match-proven, Grand Slam Tournament proven way to steal your opponent's time. The way to do it is to...drum roll please....ready?....hit the ball on the rise.
This is a sure-fire way to reduce your opponent's reaction time. Most players, however, back up when a tennis ball is hit deep into their court. Their logic is to get into position to hit the ball after it peaks, while the ball is traveling down, and into their 'wheelhouse' (approximately waist level). They are more comfortable doing this because:
• That's how they've been taught to do it, so they won't 'miss-hit' the tennis ball
• They've been fed thousands of tennis balls this way by their local tennis pro when they were first learning how to hit ground strokes.
• It's easier to hit the tennis ball on the 'way down' from the peak of it's bounce because the ball has slowed down, making it easier for the player to hit with their current level of hand-eye coordination.
• Since they've 'backed up' well behind the baseline to wait for the tennis ball to drop into their wheelhouse, the odds of hitting a ball 'long', past the opponent's baseline, decrease.
You could call all of the above reasons 'logical', but they won't help you beat a 'better' tennis player because of the following:
• Just getting the ball back over the net is not enough to beat a 'better' player.
• While you were 'backing up' behind the baseline waiting for the ball to fall into your wheelhouse to you could hit it, your opponent was recovering from their shot and moving back into position to get ready for your next shot. This will not help you to beat a 'better' player.
• Now that you're well behind the baseline when you hit your shot, it will take you extra time to get back into position for your opponent's next shot - and remember, they're already in position
for your next shot (that's one of the reasons they're the 'better player')! This again will not help you to beat a 'better player'.
Fear not, however. If we stand our ground on or just behind the baseline (6-12") during ground stroke rallies and hit the ball on the rise, all of a sudden a world of possibilities opens up for us. If you make sure to stand your ground and don't back up, then what happens is the following:
When you receive your opponent's shot, the ball will still be traveling through your wheelhouse, but it's traveling from the ground up, and it's moving faster than it would be if we let it reach its peak and start back down again. Here's how you benefit and your opponent suffers (Doom on them):
• Since you're now hitting the tennis ball as soon as it bounces up off the court, you are giving your opponent less time to react to your shot. (Tennis players are human beings, too; and most humans look for the 'easiest' way to do something, rather than the most 'efficient'. It's human nature; so most players, including so-called 'better' players than you wait for the tennis ball to bounce up and back down again before they hit it. Since this is the case, your opponent will not be used to playing people who hit the ball on the rise. They are not prepared for a tennis ball that comes back at them so quickly. This will help you to beat a 'better' tennis player).
• You are now in better position to react to you opponent's next shot, because your not six feet behind the baseline trying to get back into position; you're already there! Your 'better' opponent is used to hitting winners and forcing errors because again, most of the 'better' player opponents are behind the baseline waiting for the ball to drop into their wheelhouse. By being proactive and hitting the ball on the rise, you make your opponent work harder and harder to pull you out of position. This will help you to beat a 'better' tennis player.
To give you an idea of just how important hitting the ball on the rise is, and the dramatic results you can get by doing so, here's a list for you to look at. While not a complete list, here are some examples of former and current Men's Grand Slam Singles Tournament Winners who could - and did - consistently hit the ball on the rise:
Pete Sampras ( 7 Wimbledons, 5 U.S. Opens, 2 Australian Opens)
Roger Federer ( 5 Wimbledons, 4 U.S. Opens, 3 Australian Opens)
Jimmy Connors ( 5 U.S. Opens, 2 Wimbledons, 1 Australian Open)
Andre Agassi ( 4 Australian Opens, 2 U.S. Opens, 1 Wimbledon, 1 French Open)
In the last 33 years (since 1974), there have been 132 Men's Grand Slam Tournament Singles Winners, and the four men above account for a almost third of them. If you add the 20 combined Grand Slam Singles Runner-Up finishes they had, you're looking at 62 Grand Slam Singles Finals among those four players. That's almost HALF of the four yearly Grand Slam Singles Finals for a period of 33 years, shared by these four players - who all hit the ball on the rise. This statistic should open your eyes.
Why don't more players hit the tennis ball 'on the rise'? Simple answer: It takes practice, and timing, and faith, and persistence; in short, it takes work. But you can do it. Persistence is the key. If you can commit to it, and not rest until you get the results you want, you've won 90% of the battle; and a whole new - and better - game awaits you. There are several techniques I utilize when teaching my students the 'how' of hitting the ball on the rise that I do not have the space to fit into this article. Just remember that you don't have to get it perfect; just get it going. Start hitting the ball on the rise, and practice, practice, practice! Then watch that 'better' player wonder just why you're so hard to beat these days!
To Your Massive Tennis Success,
Coach Kyril
Kyril Popoff is a former NCAA Div1 All-Conference Tennis Player, Instructor, Coach and Author.
His books include THE TEN LAWS OF TENNIS SUCCESS and FOCUS & WIN: WHY YOUR TENNIS GAME ISN'T WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE, & WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT!
You can sign up for Coach Kyril's Tennis Lessons, Tips & Tricks newsletter at: http://www.coachkyriltennis.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyril_Popoff
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