All Blog Posts Tagged 'instruction' (33)

How to Hit a Kicker...

and why it is the Best Serve at the Recreational Level…

The notion that we should hit “through” the ball has been around for decades, but what does it really mean? Can we really hit through the ball? How long is contact? With lighter racquets and faster racquet head speeds, is this instruction still relevant? If you’re curious to see if this instruction should be sent to your recycle bin, read on.

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TennisOne's Joe Dinoffer says that the one-time joke on tennis pros used to be, “Racquet back, bend your knees, that’ll be twenty dollars please.” And I'm inclined to agree. At least in the old days, this was more or less the standard of teaching tennis. After all, it worked quite well for millions of players in the 1960s and '70s, didn't it?…

One is - what 99% of the people that hold a racket play. That one is to try and hit the ball over the net. The other is what most pros and some college players are capable of, and that is utilizing the entire body and playing an effortless, precise, powerful and "natural" looking game. It's time for all of us to elevate our teaching and playing and get more players in that second category. Everyone can play the game utilizing their entire body to stroke the ball - on all strokes! Help…

Thanks to my new cyber friend Dan Martin (creator of TennisAbides.com) for so many kind words in his review -- Steven White, Author

24 Mar

How many times have you heard “bend your knees and roll your shoulder!” when trying to improve your tennis game? Of course that’s only one of the hundreds of things that we are…

Every up-and-coming tennis player, I’m sure, knows those frustrating periods when his or her game simply stagnates or falls flat. That seems to be because tennis is a sport with various plateaus of learning. After playing a year or two, your game appears to be stuck on pause. No matter how hard you try, the same players keep on beating you and you never seem to get beyond the early rounds of a tournament. That happens to professional players too.…

As your level of play increases, simply keeping the ball in play may not be enough to win matches. The amount of control you have over the ball then becomes an important factor. Your shot placements can make all the difference. Maybe your opponent has good ground strokes and is able to effectively stay in every rally…

Some players like to camp out on the baseline and send back a steady stream of deep crosscourt shots. When you are facing such an opponent, never let him get in a groove – he’s just waiting for you to make the error that’s going to give him the point. Remember that most tennis matches are decided by who makes the least…

Raw, young, talented players can often hit a variety of shots but have little sense when it comes to shot selection. This underestimated and under-practiced skill is so important that it alone can separate the levels in tennis.

Your mind will begin to operate much like a computer. For it to be able to work…

GOOD READING: A new book for kids, "Bring Your Racquet: Tennis Basics for Kids" by Steven White offers some good advice for everyone's mental game.

"The first thing you should do if you ever find yourself choking is to slow down," White writes. "Slow down your breathing, slow down your walk, and, most of all, slow down your tendency to play fast. Attempt to clear your mind of all unwanted thoughts. Take a deep breath and recommit your thoughts to the challenge of the match. Long,…

Most of the points in a tennis match are over after only three or four hits. At every level, the majority of points are lost and not won. This means that most of the points are won due to errors rather than winners.

The best way to understand errors is to learn the four mistakes in tennis. They are:

• hitting the ball into the net
• hitting the ball over the baseline
• hitting the ball wide to the left
• hitting the ball wide to the…

As your level of play increases, simply keeping the ball in play may not be enough to win matches. The amount of control you have over the ball then becomes an important factor. Your shot placements can make all the difference. Maybe your opponent has good ground strokes and is able to effectively stay in every rally with you. If you have the ability to hit the ball short to him, high and low, in close and outside, then you will probably be able to discover more weaknesses as well as keep…

One of the best ways to gain control of a point in progress is accomplished by gaining control of the ball and the direction you want it to go. And although all of the great players in tennis history have learned the importance of quick feet, they have also learned that once they reach the ball it is equally important to use the correct swing to direct the ball with control.…

Nothing can hurt your game more than a negative attitude and a lack of enthusiasm for what you are doing. Ask your self a question. Who is responsible for your attitude? Well, I’m here to tell you that it is you and you alone. Strive to form positive thoughts in your head and in your heart whenever you walk on the court.

The fiercest opponent you’ll probably ever face in tennis is a “bad attitude”. Tremendous abilities can be wasted when a bad attitude sets in. It can block…

Teaching young children is not as easy as you might think. It can be very challenging. There are some adults, coaches and parents who are born with the gift of being able to communicate with children with great ease. For coaches and parents with less teaching experience where small children are concerned, here are some general principles that you should…

Although the traditional way of teaching youngsters is still the mainstream of introducing the game, a modern style of playing and teaching is beginning to raise its head even at the beginner level. The modern game is a variation that uses different techniques of preparation and ball striking. The recent explosion of “modern tennis” was and is still being created…

When was the last time you walked onto a tennis court just to hit a few balls with a friend or practice partner without having a specific purpose in mind? To make the most of your court time, my advice is to use your practice time wisely. You would do well to remember this very important point – “aimless hitting” produces “aimless play”. Balls that are directed…

The ability to play tennis at a high performance level is an acquired skill that takes years of experience to master. Acquiring the ability to teach the game with a high degree of skill can be just as difficult. In fact, helping other players to develop their skills can be more difficult than developing your own. Just because you were a better than average player doesn't mean that you have what it takes to promote the skills…

Tennis is a passion that dedicated players refuse to give up on. Many choose to combat the heat and continue playing during the hottest of summer months.…