"Keeping the Ball in the Court"

Problem:

You are playing a match and you are spraying most of your shots out.

Corrections:

* Make sure you are actually watching the ball with your focused vision, not your peripheral vision. Many players think they are watching the ball, but when asked if they see the spinning or rotation of the ball, they answer "No."

Listen for the sound of your opponent's hit to start preparing for the ball. Do not wait until the ball is bouncing on your side of the net.

* Shorten your backswing. Many players think they need to have a large backswing to be able to generate pace. Quite the contrary. Most of your pace is created by meeting the ball out in front of your body (early point of contact). Plus, with a shorter backswing you always have an option to block or punch the harder shots back.

* When returning a very hard shot, just block it back. When returning an average to slow shot, maintain the shortened backswing, but accelerate the racket head through to the finish of the stroke.

* Work on getting your body in better position. Get in position earlier so you are set and in better balance to hit the ball

Split Step When the Ball Bounces

Success in tennis depends on good movement. If you have feet of lead, it doesn’t matter how great your stroke technique may be. An easy way to prepare for quick movement is with the split-step.

To do this, bend your knees and get your feet shoulder-width apart—this will give you the low center of gravity you need on any ground stroke. Hold your racquet loosely in the middle of your body so you can quickly pull it back for either a forehand or backhand.

As soon as your ball hits the opponent’s side of the court--no matter where you are on your side--you should split-step, which will get you ready to move for the next shot. As you watch the ball come off your racquet and over the net, you have a short amount of time to move into proper position on the court. Think of the sound of your ball landing on the opponent’s side as the word “Ready,” and get your feet ready with a split-step. You’ll be better prepared

Clear the Net Comfortably

Watching the pros on television as they play at Roland Garros can be deceiving. While it appears that they regularly hit shots that skim just inches over the net, that’s not the case. Although the camera angles used for TV don’t show it well, the pros hit most of their shots several feet—and often several yards—over the net. This is a smart thing to do for several reasons. Good net clearance gives you:

Safety: Many recreational players think that hitting low over the net is an advanced way to strike the ball. While there are many times when hitting low makes sense (such as on passing shots), the pros know better than to build their games around low-percentage shots that just clear the top of the net. One easy way to add more margin for error to your game is to hit higher.

Depth: For the most part, the higher the ball goes over the net the deeper it will land in the court. Depth is one of the most important qualities of a well-played shot. Although you can hit deeper by hitting harder, it’s easier and less physically taxing to do it by aiming higher over the net.

Variety: Even though you may not have mastered spins or changes of pace, you can still add variety by occasionally hitting higher over the net than you normally might. You’ll likely discover that many of your opponents are bothered by high-bouncing balls, especially if they’re deep in the court and directed to their weaker side.

What You Can Learn from Lleyton Hewitt's Game

Everyone says that today's game, especially at the pro level, is all about power. I guess everyone forgot to tell the top men's player in the world. Lleyton Hewitt hasn't used a power game to win two Grand Slam titles and become the youngest player, at 20, to finish a year ranked No. 1. For the 5-foot-11 Hewitt, succeeding at tennis is not about bulk or brawn. It's about playing within himself, hitting high-percentage shots, covering the court, and rarely giving his opponents a free point. For years people (including myself) questioned whether Hewitt had enough game to win major championships. So much for us naysayers. And if his relatively simple style has gotten him to No. 1, think what it can do for you.

SECRET SERVICE

The most underrated part of Hewitt's game is his serve. He doesn't have an overpowering delivery and doesn't pile up aces, but he hits his spots well, especially on big points, and mixes up his spins and placements to set up his ground strokes. The result is an effective serving game that yields many cheap points and is tough to break.I remember saying before this past Wimbledon that if Hewitt could take care of his serve he would win the tournament. He did the first, and the second took care of itself. To Hewitt's credit, he has increased the pace of his serve since he started on tour and now routinely hits his first serves around 115 m.p.h. But it's the way he uses his serve more than its speed that makes it special. He puts the ball in the exact spot he wants; most of the time, that's to an opponent's weakness. Sure, he mixes up his serves to keep his opponent off balance, but when he needs to get a point he goes after his opponent's weaker wing. By applying pressure in a big moment, even without hitting an ace Hewitt gets a free point or a weak return. It's a strategy that every server, especially those lacking huge power, should use.

RETURN THE FAVOR

In my opinion, Hewitt has the best return of serve in the men's game. Agassi can be more destructive with his returns, but Hewitt puts more balls in play. And if you want to have a good return game, the first thing it's got to be is consistent. Hewitt has surprisingly long arms, which give him incredible reach on the return. He reminds me of Jimmy Connors in that if he gets his racquet on the ball, not only is it coming back, but it's coming back in a position that allows him to stay in the point. Even when he's at full stretch, Hewitt can hit a return that doesn't give his opponent an opportunity to hit a winner. He has great balance, quick hands, and he reads his opponent's serve well. It would be hard for the everyday player to suddenly acquire these traits, but you should adopt the mind-set that you're going to do everything you can to get your returns back in play. You don't need to take big risks or go for winners to be a good returner. You'd be amazed at how demoralized and pressured an opponent will feel if his serves continually come back.

FANCY FEET

People interested in seeing great footwork should pay attention to Hewitt's feet when he's not hitting the ball. He's constantly moving and getting himself in perfect position for the next shot. Because Hewitt stays so low to the ground he has incredible balance. Generally, when you're going after a wide shot or one that has you scrambling, by the time you get there you're going to be hitting a low ball. Too many recreational players stay upright when they move and have trouble with low balls. Hewitt's ability to stay low while on the run allows him to hit remarkable shots from awkward positions.What I also love about Hewitt's movement is the way he anticipates. He's obviously extremely quick, but when he's hitting a shot he's already thinking where his opponent's next ball is going to go. He sets up points so well that he can be thinking two, even three, shots ahead. So not only does he use his speed, he uses his head as well. And just as with the return of serve, when Hewitt tracks down a tough shot, he puts it back in a position where his opponent can't hurt him. Plenty of players can chase down balls, but they just loop them back in play. Hewitt always has a purpose with his shots.

LEADER OF THE PACK

How a player performs with a lead often determines his success. For instance, many recreational players think that when they're up a break and serving for the set they have to do something extraordinary to close it out. They get tight and miss shots that have been working for them all match. Lleyton Hewitt is a killer with a lead. That's because when he gets ahead he plays even more consistently than when the match was even. He sends a message to his opponent that if he wants to get back into this match he's going to have to raise his play because Hewitt isn't going to give anything away. It really puts pressure on the other player not to fall behind, which ultimately causes him to do just that. If Hewitt is trailing, that's when he'll come to net a little more or take a few more chances to try and even things up. But when he has the lead, Hewitt puts the clamp on his opponents with his consistency.

YOU CAN'T TEACH SPEED

If you look at Hewitt's game, there's no one shot that would scare an opponent. He doesn't have a forehand like Roddick or serve like Sampras, yet he's still an intimidating player. He doesn't have any holes in his game, but it's the intangibles that are Hewitt's biggest weapons. His speed and court coverage are tremendous. He gets to shots that no human has any business getting a racquet on. And he's steady. I don't just mean his strokes; I'm talking about his overall play and mentality. He doesn't hit many peaks and valleys. Most players have moments of sublime play, then mediocre periods. But Hewitt rarely dips. He just cruises along, and over the course of a long match that's what makes him so tough to beat. He challenges his opponents to play at an extremely high level throughout the match. Players know going in that it's going to take a huge effort to beat him.They also know that Hewitt gives nothing away. There are no easy games or sets against him. An opponent's 40-love lead can quickly become deuce. Hewitt could be down 5-1 in a set but his confidence and supreme concentration won't allow him to give up. Over the years people have given him grief about his yelling and fist pumping, but it's his intensity that gives him a mental edge. So while there are other players who may have more talent, he more than makes up for it with speed, tenacity, court sense, and sheer will. And when you put them all together, it makes playing Hewitt a daunting task.