Learning tennis is a complicated and fairly difficult thing, the ANZ Hot Shots program has changed traditional coaching methods to bring more fun and playing the game more prevalent.
However, there are some great tips to help you along the way. They are not to create shortcuts but to help remember lessons learnt and to be used alongside a coaching program.
Here are three good tips you can take into your tennis eduction, try to fit them alongside your practise games and take them into your sessions with your tennis coach. These three tips are based on the fundamentals of tennis, and you can build your games up from there.
Learning To Keep Your Eye On The Ball
It seems pretty obvious, but one of the most important aspects of playing tennis is keeping your eye on the ball at all times. Many players only watch the ball on their own side of the net, and when the ball leaves their side of the court, their focus drifts more to the opponent.
A good drill to aid your concentration is to stand behind the baseline with no racket and get balls hit to either side of you, watch the ball carefully until it is nestled into your hands, make this a subconscious action.
Tennis Tip Number 1 is “Always Keep Your Eyes On The Ball”
Get Your Racket Back As Quickly As Possible
Before any shot, the backswing of the racket comes first, not footwork. Get your racket immediately behind you as you move towards the ball. Later on as you progress you will start to have to return some very fast balls so you will not have the time to move your feet, get into position, then prepare your shot.
With your racket back first you can hit some of these fast balls without moving your feet.
Tennis Tip Number 2 is “Get Your Racket Back As Quickly As Possible”
Move Your Feet
Once you have addressed eye contact and racket swing, you are now able to pick up your opponent’s return and hit it back. It is now imperative that you start moving your feet as soon as you possibly can.
Moving your feet quickly will get you into better position for returning the ball, it must be done almost simultaneously as getting your racket back whilst watching the ball intensely. How far you develop as a tennis player will largely depend on this third tip:
Tennis Tip Number 3 – “Move Your Feet”
These three basic tips will help with the foundations of your game, they might seem fairly obvious but often players lose focus of what they are doing, and get caught up in too many tactics and strategies.
Talk over these tips with your coach or at your Hot Shots lessons and see what feedback you get. Also take them into your match play and you will be amazed at how your game will improve.
