WINNIPEG LAWN TENNIS CLUB : PRO TIPS
The 5 Fundamentals of Tennis
In order to improve, players must focus on perfecting the 5 fundamentals of tennis. Have you considered these?
- Grip - how are you holding the racquet? Grips vary depending on what shot you are hitting and whether or not you are using spin.
- Set-up - are you properly set-up (both lower-body and upper-body) before hitting the ball? There are several positioning of the feet depending on what shot is being hit. A player's upper body must also be set-up with the racquet back and the torso turned.
- Contact point - where in relation to your body are you making contact with the ball? There are three dimensions to the contact point: height, distance in front of the body, and distance adjacent to the body.
- Hitting zone - what is the path of your racquet during your swing? A longer hitting zone is preferable. Think of hitting 3 balls in succession during the same swing.
- Recovery - are you moving back into the proper court position after hitting the ball? You should be moving to different areas of the court depending on where you've hit the ball.
Serving
Key to a good serve is a good ball toss.
If one was not to hit the ball - would land approximately one foot inside the baseline and in front of the player's front foot.
Alex Lesiuk (WLTC) shows us how it's done!
If one was not to hit the ball - would land approximately one foot inside the baseline and in front of the player's front foot.
Alex Lesiuk (WLTC) shows us how it's done!
Tip: Set-Up
A player should be set up, with their racquet back and feet in position before the ball has bounced on his/her side of the court.
Shown: Li Na with her husband and coach Jiang Shan looking on.
Shown: Li Na with her husband and coach Jiang Shan looking on.
The Serve Return
Serve return: A player should shorten his/her back-swing when returning a hard serve.
Note how Novak Djokovic positions himself for a return of serve. Low. Well balanced. Racquet out in front. Square to the server.
Note how Novak Djokovic positions himself for a return of serve. Low. Well balanced. Racquet out in front. Square to the server.
Photos copyright Peter Somers 2012 - used by permission.