There is no such thing as a perfect tennis player – even at the professional level; there is always room for improvement. That said, I’ve listed just a few of my fave tips that can help improve your game.Some of these you may already know, and some you might not… and some you knew but forgot about. And all can help you win your matches!
Keep your eye on the ball
Always watch the ball go into your strings. Many recreational players look up to see where they’re going to hit the ball instead of watching the ball as they hit it, and when their eyes move up, their racket moves up too, which can cause those annoying miss-hits. Trust yourself to hit inside the lines and always keep your eyes on the ball as it is coming to you. Only after you hit it should you look down the court.
Keep your eye on your opponent
Once you hit the ball, DON’T watch the ball. Instead, watch to see how your opponent is positioning for the return. You’ll be able to immediately tell if they will lob, hit a regular ground stroke, or rush the net before they do it, thus giving you a couple of extra seconds to start preparing for it.
The early bird gets the shot
Get your racket back early. This allows you more time to prepare your shot and will help you to feel less rushed, especially against big hitters. This also also helps you to adjust for bad bounces or weird spins that sometimes happen on the court.
Footwork is key
When running to a ball from one corner to the other, take a couple of large strides large at first, and then switch to smaller steps as you get into position to hit the ball. Those quicker, smaller steps will not only help keep you from over-running the ball, but will also help you stay balanced and allow you to make necessary adjustments for bad bounces, wind, etc.
Be a lob queen – or king!
Defensively, lobbing can get you back into a point, but offensively, it makes for a great weapon. You will not only annoy your opponents but wear them out as well.
Go Deep
Always aim for the baseline when hitting your groundies. Hitting your shots too short in the court can set your opponent up to attack.
Serve big
Swing as hard at your second serve as you do at your first serve, but use more spin. The spin will keep the ball in the service box, while making it more difficult to return. If you are not confident in your serve, practice until you are. If you can win your serve every time, that is half the game!
Handle a big server
If your opponent has a big flat serve, DON’T take a big backswing. Take a step back and instead, keep your backswing compact and short. This will allow you more time to adjust and hit the ball.
Change it up
Use different spins on your shots to help keep your opponent off balance. Hitting the same shot and/or with the same spin every time will allow your opponent to get into a groove on their return shots. And if you can’t hit a slice or topspin… practice until you can!
Step into your shots
The forward momentum will help generate more pace on your ball, allowing you to hit the ball deeper and keep your opponent on the defense.
Hey Jen,
Tennis is an ideal sport for someone like me, although it’s been a difficult task to learn as I was a bit heavy, which I am taking care of as I am conditioning my body in the gym as well as learning tennis. I have learned that the gym helps to strengthen the body for tennis, it is helping me play for longer periods and have power in my serves.
By the way, nicely written post, some good tips for beginners.
~ Beth