Category: Tennis Tips
Published Date: Jan 10, 2007
Topic: Power Comes Last
By: Your Coach S.R

Any one who watches a TV tennis match might think that Tennis is a game of high activity of power and punching volleys; Tennis is of powerful serves and deep hitting winners.

But if you analyse the full playing method, the power was not the first point of training and practice. The game involves hitting the powerfully inside lines and over the net.

The skill to perform can be developed only after constant and consistent training. The training has to be consistently hitting the ball inside the court with proper positioning and swing. Hitting hard is the last priority in tennis. If you are hitting hard at the beginning of your training stage without maintaining a check list on how frequently you are hitting the ball out be sure, you will be out of the tournament quickly.

Your training has to be on consistency, accuracy and power principle. Power comes as you grow muscles, as you mature in the game and as you memorize every stroke/ every motion. Do not inject power and make your swing style ugly - do now weaken your wrist power.

Hitting hard is the last part of your training schedule. Power is effective only if the fundamentals of your game are perfected.

Make sure you are developing your shots in this order of priority:

Get The Ball In: It seems basic, but getting the ball over the net and into the court is foremost. Nothing else matters if your shot goes out or in the net.

Control The Direction: The next skill you should master is the ability to place the ball to either side of the court. If you can get the ball in and learn to consistently control which half of the court it goes into, you’re on your way to becoming a good player.

Control The Depth: As you improve and gain consistency, learn to hit deep or short at will. This will enable you to construct points and move your opponent around with greater effectiveness.

Control The Spin: Once you’ve reached the intermediate level, it’s time to begin experimenting with spin. Hitting with topspin, under-spin, sidespin, or very little spin at all will add a new dimension to your game and give you a wider range of choices.

Control The Speed: Finally, once you’ve mastered everything else, you should begin to add power to your game. Though it’s tempting to hit hard from the get-go, it's vital to master the other skills first -- otherwise you’re building limitations into your game that will hamper your development over the long haul.

Until Next Time, Have a Good Play!
Your Tennis Coach - S.Rajagopal