‘THE RECTANGULAR TENNIS COURT that we know today was introduced for the very first Wimbledon Championships in 1877, when the current dimensions of 23.77 by 8.23m (78 by 27ft) for the singles court were agreed (see p.86 for full court measurements).
‘Tennis was originally played on grass but it is now played on a variety of court surfaces, the majority of which are synthetic. The different surfaces produce different conditions of play, which can have a marked effect on your game.
SPIN CourT MARKINGS Spin adapters can be fitted to apply ‘Tennis lines are boundary lines and SPU te Ber The
: : ; | internal oscillator are named according to their Radic a crearesaneeen function. For example, the L : 3 : soir, pattern of shots baselines and sidelines limit in length and the depth and width of widths your drives and volleys, restrict the depth of your service. Dpgres Net
Singles sideline Doubles sideline
GRASS CEMENT Grass is a fast-playing surface but is Plays fast or slow depending on the texture difficult to maintain. Artificial grass is easy | of the top surface. When it is left rough the to maintain and can be fast or slow. game will be markedly slower.
CLAY ASPHALT Plays slow. Its top surface of fine or coarse Bitumen-based court needing little upkeep. sand requires regular maintenance. Plays faster when sprayed with green paint.
THE NET PROBLEM SOLVING the type of shot you play. It provides you More than just a barrier strung across the with a problem for each shot and you have court, the net dictates your strokeplay and to find the best solution.
Posts 1.07m (3ft 6in) high and Centre0.91m Singles sticks 0.91m (3ft) 0.91m (3ft) outside doubles sideline (3ft) high outside singles sideline
PICK UP TUBE BALL MACHINES Retrievers/dispensers like this hold 18 balls Ss : : and make practice Modern ball firing equipment is play easy. The flared highly efficient. Even basic machines end picks up balls and can be fitted with accessories that the tube can be hung vary speed and depth, make the ball on a court fence. spin and simulate a complete matchplay rally.
PNEUMATIC BALL MACHINE Powered by pneumatic propulsion, a ball machine such as this one holds 135 balls and will fire them every 3 seconds at speeds of up to 33m (ll0ft) per second. It measures 96.5cm (38in)x 56cm
(22in)x 33cm (13in).
or 12-second 8 Pep : intervals. SET Pw ee!
WORK-OUTS Weighing up to 14.5kg easy tO Manoeuvre On Court.
Exercise your muscles and limbs for general fitness to gain strength, stamina, speed, and flexibility on the court
SIT-UPS Sit with back angled at an incline and your palms folded across the chest, knees flexed. Sit forwards, head and repeat.
PRESS-UPS Support your weight with your palms under your shoulders and your body straight out. Without letting your legs touch the floor, breathe in and bend your arms. Now breathe out and straighten your arms again.
STRENGTH, STAMINA, SPEED, AND FLEXIBILTY are the four major fitness factors for tennis, and each requires an exercise routine.
1. For strength and general fitness start off with the Super Six bodyresistance exercises shown here. ‘They are easy to do, so fitting them in to regular circuits should not be difficult. 2. For stamina, run several times a week. It’s great for your heart and lungs. ‘Iry a few 800m (1/2 mile) jogs when preparing for the weekend. 3. For speed, do short, sharp sprints on the court from sideline to sideline and you'll soon be running down every ball when you rally. 4. For flexibility do a daily stretching routine.
LEG-RAISE Lie flat, keep your knees locked and raise your legs to about 45°.
Lower your legs slowly; repeat ‘Try not to touch the floor with your feet.
STEP-UPS Step up with a your left foot on
TM toa bench about 50cm (20in) high, forwards.
Perform each exercise as many times as you can, resting 45 seconds between exercises. Half of each maximum you can do will be the right number for the first month. Go through your whole routine twice without resting. Note how long it takes you so that you can measure your progress. Set a new programme in the following month by completing maximums again and then halving them as before.
DOUBLE-KNEE JUMPS Stand with your feet together. Crouch down and then leap in the air, bringing your knees up to your chest. Repeat non-stop.
SQUAT THRUST Support your weight with your
\ knees between your arms. Thrust backwards, straightening your body forwards again.
Doing press-ups is a great conditioner for your arms need to lock-out your arms fully, or to dip too low.
try doing this one on your fingertips.
18 e PREPARING FOR THE WEEKEND
SEQUENCE ‘Try the stretches in
2, 3, 8. Remember to breathe normally. Do not hold your breath.
Stretching is the best way to stay flexible for tennis. Spend between 10 and 20 seconds on each stretching exercise, taking it easy and enjoying the stretch. Go through your routine a second time, holding for a slightly longer and more progressive stretch. Spend 15 minutes stretching.
1 BODY TURN Sit with your left leg straight and your right hand resting behind you.
Bend your right knee and cross your right foot over your left leg, placing it by your left knee. Bend your left elbow and place it against the outside of your right leg above your knee. Turn your upper body and look over your right shoulder, resisting the turn with left elbow pressure.
2 TUMMY STRETCH Lie flat on your stomach with your arms and legs straight out. Slide upright on your palms.
4 MIDDLE AND LOWER LEG STRETCH
(Hamstring|/calves/ achilles) Stand about 30cm (1ft) from a wall and lean forwards on to it, resting your head on your stretch your left leg backwards, keeping forwards.
3 ARM/WRIST STRETCH Support your weight as shown. ‘Turn your hands so your thumbs are outside and your fingers point towards your knees.
5 UPPER LEG STRETCH (Hips/hamstring/groin) Take a large step forwards with your left leg, bending your knee and keeping it directly above your ankle. Keep your right leg extended backwards, heel off the floor. Lower your hips, applying pressure to forward movement of body weight.
6 KNEE STRETCH (Front upper leg/quads) towards your buttock.
other leg.
7 ARM CIRCLING Swing your arms round together in slow, full circles.
Repeat in opposite direction. Now clench your fists and repeat 5 circles each way.
POSTURE ———— Leg straight. Hips towards buttock.
your body. Jog around the 4 tennis court 5 times and on SUPPORT «— 4 your last 2 circuits add ge ee Keep your right knee E side-skips and running e+ a straight to support your backwards. body weight as you a 8 HIP CIRCLING bend your left knee — a Stand with your feet apart, and vice versa. hands on your hips, knees slightly flexed. Push your hips forwards and rotate. Circle in both directions.
How you hold the racket determines how you play the game
THE FEEL THAT YOU HAVE of the ball when it hits your racket strings is communicated to you through your grip.
‘True grips — like the styles of play they encourage — are either Eastern, Western or Continental. Here are seven basic grips for both beginners and better players to select from. If you are just starting, try the Eastern grips for groundstroke play and your first sessions on the volley, and the Modified Eastern for your first attempts at serving. Ultimately, you should graduate to the Continental grip for all serve and volley play. The Modified Continental grip, also known as the “Chopper” because you hold it like a hatchet or small axe, is also ideal for spin serving.
SUPER SERVING When you can serve most balls over the net and get 50 per cent of them in, you are ready to tackle the Modified Continental
— the best grip for all-round serving. It also provides more freedom for wrist action.
QUICKFIRE VOLLEYS As soon as you're happy up at the net, try playing both forehand and backhand volleys with the Modified Continental grip. With no time to change your grip at the net, sticking to one grip makes sense.
Place the “V” between your thumb and first finger to the left of centre on the top plane, with the knuckle of your first finger on the upper right slant or its bottom edge.
EASTERN BACKHAND GRIP Place your “V” in the upper left slant and your thumb across the rear plane. The knuckle of your first finger is on the upper right slant.
Place the “V” between your thumb and first finger in the centre of the top plane. Wrap your thumb naturally around the handle.
ball.
FINGER Spread your first finger slightly up the handle like a trigger finger, with its large knuckle on the rear plane.
DOUBLE-HANDED 1 With the playing hand “V” between the Continental and the Eastern Backhand grip, place your support hand above it in an Eastern Forehand grip, with the heel nestling in the “V”.
HAND-HELD The racket is a natural extension of your hand — tennis evolved from Jeu
“game of the palm”).
and fingers round | the handle.
“V" SHAPE Check that the “V” between your thumb and first finger is to the right of centre of the top plane.
Keep your wrist behind the handle and the heel of your hand at the butt end of the racket. Never choke your grip.
No need to change your grip after playing a forehand drive; just add your support hand above with a second Eastern Forehand grip. ‘This makes racket support easy to begin with.
SEMI-WESTERN FOREHAND GRIP Place your “V” on the upper right slant of the racket and bottom plane.
Get to grips with the basic stances and hitting positions to help
Basic STANCES, HITTING POSITIONS and the various spins you can use are fundamental to learning how to play tennis. The key to improving the technique of your strokeplay is to begin from a sound stance. Accurate judgment of the ball’s flight plus early racket preparation and footwork will bring you to the point of impact, with your bodyweight perfectly balanced and your racket face correctly angled, for the shot you are about to play. Your shot selection and the type of spin you use for ball control are also fundamental to how quickly your game will progress and how well you play.
EYES Watch the player striking the ball to pick up visual clues about the nature of your opponent’s shot.
Face the net with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees flexed, and your weight over the balls of your feet. Hold the racket centrally so you can play any stroke with equal ease.
head by lightly holding it at the throat with your non-playing hand.
handle with a forehand grip (see p.20).
SIDE VIEW When waiting to volley, crouch down to get your eyes in line with any oncoming Sm shots from your FEET Sy opponent. Keep your Feet shoulderom elbows away from width apart for stability. Knees flexed to lower the centre of gravity.
freedom of movement.
players lift the racket straight into the throwing position. This is only really necessary if you are having trouble with the timing of 4 your service. j grip is for advanced t Be \ serving with the first finger spread for added control of the racket head.
EYES Keep a careful watch on the position of your opponent.
Hold the ball against the racket strings and bring your arms down together a little way, as you gather momentum before parting them by the front leg.
Be mentally keyed-up, but try to feel relaxed and well balanced before you begin. Note your opponent’s position and decide on the type and direction of service you will use. (See also p.47.)
FEET If you are serving in the right court stand close to the centre mark. When you serve from the left court stand 30-60cm (1-2ft) further away from the centre mark to angle your serve more sharply.
In groundstroke play the ball has two flights: the first as it leaves your opponent’s racket and the second after the ball has bounced on your side of the net. When you begin to play tennis anticipating the second flight can be difficult. Try to judge where the ball will bounce and position yourself so that you are able to make a controlled return. Avoid rushing straight towards where it will bounce. The service also has two flights but the volley only one.
DIFFERENT STROKES APPROACH SHOT A stroke is the action of hitting the ball, while An approach shot is a shot describes the flight and eventual any shot played prior destination of the ball after impact. Many to moving up court to tennis shots can be produced from different volley. You can strokes, such as a backhand slice approach approach cross court shot (see pp.80-81). Here are some shots to or down-the-line or use in game situations. down-the-centre.
CROSS COURT AND gee DROP SHOT DOWN-THE-LINE A shot played to land Cross court shots are ; just over the net played diagonally, i.e. with very little right court to right bounce is called a court. A down-the-line drop shot, and is shot is hit parallel usually played to the sideline. with underspin.
PASSING SHOT ee CHIP SHOT A passing shot is A chip shot is a short when the ball is hit blocked shot played past your advacning with underspin and opponent and may aimed to land at be hit cross court or your opponent's down-the-line. feet or angled wide of him.
THE HIT ARM Left arm extended for balance. ‘Try to be perfectly balanced, with your weight well down as you move forwards into a shot. In this example, the player keeps his wrist firm and his racket head above wrist level, as he plays a low volley.
Feet well apart and stepping into the shot to create a low centre of gravity so adding stability to the shot.
that you apply to the ball has a considerable affect on how the ball travels through the air and bounces. The spin itself will be affected by whether the ball bounces off the court or your racket strings.
SLICE SERVICE The hit, right, shows the impact position of the slice service. The racket face has been angled to control the ball with sidespin.
The angle of your racket face has a direct bearing on the outcome of the shot.
encourages it to spin backwards.
face plays the aN ball down and encourages it to spin forwards.
A flat racket face plays the ball straight ahead before gravity pulls (S) it downwards. SSS SSS
Air GC) Velocity resistance ale resistance ~ ~O Velocity Air a ll resistance
The top of the ball spins forwards against air resistance, forcing the ball down. When you play topspin shots aim higher over the net than for a basic drive.
If the right hand side of the ball spins against air resistance, the ball swerves to the left and vice-versa. Sidespin is good for serving and approach play (see pp.80-81).
UNDERSPIN The bottom of the ball spins against air resistance, which forces the ball upwards. Underspin shots need to travel much lower over the net than basic drives unless you are playing an underspin lob (see pp.74-5).
Understanding the course at a glance
‘THE COURSE COVERS TWELVE skills, divided into two days of applied study and practice. The basic groundstrokes, service and service return are covered on the first day after you have developed a feel for ball and racket. The second day is devoted to the volley, lob and
~ smash, and the matchplay skills of approach play, serve and volley. By the end of the first day you will be playing out points and by the end of the second day you will be ready for a game, set or even a practice match. Different people progress at different speeds, so don’t give up just because you are behind the clock.
SKILL 1 Basic Ball Sense 1 28-31
SKILL 2. Forehand Drive 1-14/2 || 32-32
SKILL 3. Backhand Drive 1-14/2 ||. 368-43
Double-handed 1 SKILL 4 Batrnand 142 44-45
SKILL 6 Service Return 1 56-59
Clocks appear on the first page of each new skill. They highlight, , through the blue coloured section, how long you might = 4 spend and show where a particular skill fits in your day.
For example, check the clock on rd p.32. The grey segment shows that
1 hour has been spent on the f previous skill, and that now
1'/: hours is advised for Skill W 2: Setting Up, as shown by the blue section.
9 straightforward, while 5 bullets (eeeee)
" are given to the most challenging skills.
Each skill is given a points rating according to its degree of difficulty. One bullet () denotes that the skill is comparatively
MICRO-MEN D ‘The series of micro-men, alongside @ each skill, highlight number of steps involved. Blue- Q coloured players identify the photographic step.
SKILL 7 Forehand Volley 1 60-63
SKILL 8 Backhand Volley 1 66-71
SKILL 9 Lob Defence 1 72-75 = |
| SKILL 11. Approach Play 1 80-81
Volley Ne: practice \ e—~s tip wy
Definition: Developing your natural reactions to a moving ball in order to perform simple skills
‘THROW A TENNIS BALL back and forth with a partner to test your reactions and judge your ball sense. Begin your session with easy throwing and catching exercises on your own, and then play throw/ catch with a partner. Progress from fairly static exercises to on the move practices. Set each other challenges — like “first to do 10 ina row’ — to inspire greater efforts and improve concentration.
OBJECTIVE: To develop and apply ball sense when driving, serving and volleying. Rating ® to e® according to your natural ability.
Throw a ball back and forth with a partner and catch it before the bounce. Now bounce the ball off the court midway between you, catching it as it falls towards the second bounce between knee and —\ waist height.
DEVELOPING ABILITY Stretch your abilities by throwing a ball to each other simultaneously, as the players are doing here. Start by throwing the ball straight across to each other, catching on the volley, then try bouncing the balls down to each other. When this becomes easy, try throwing straight across while your partner bounces his ball down, and change the pattern every few ne seconds by calling “switch”. ey
HAND Palm open with the fingers together.
Using the palm of your hand to strike the ball, develop the basic groundstroke timing of hitting the falling ball between knee and waist height a comfortable distance from your body. Try to get a rally going against a wall or over the net with your partner, using the palm of your hand to strike the ball.
PALM TO PALM As you take your playing hand back with your palm open and your fingers together, drop a ball to the side and in front of you. Swing your arm forwards away from your body with a lifting action and hit the ball with the palm of your distance away.
DEVELOPING BASIC SKILLS Short or mini tennis is ideal for developing your ball sense skills and is a good game in itself. It is played on a badminton-sized court — 13.4 x 6.1m (44 aes x 20ft) — with the tennis : Sane centre-net height at
80cm (2 ft 7in). Rackets are short, soft foam or low compression.
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Scoring is on “first to 11 points” basis, with a 2-point lead required after 10-10. As a cheaper version of tennis, it’s popular for teaching children how to graduate to the full size game, but adults can also develop hand-eye co-ordination skills from it.
Ball sense exercises are vital for improving the habit of doing these exercises whenever you have some free time.
1 Chuck a ball in the air and catch it as it falls. Catch with both hands and then with your playing hand only. 2 Throw a ball up with your left hand and catch it with your right and vice versa.
hand and eye co-ordination. Try to get into
3 Bounce the ball off the court and catch it as it falls, at first with both hands, and then try with one hand. : 4 Bounce the ball higher off the court and turn a full circle before catching it.
A FLEXIBLE APPROACH ‘Try playing other games to improve your ball sense. Basketball is a good conditioner, and will add flexibility to your movements.
With your partner facing away from you, call his name and then throw a tennis ball towards him. He must turn quickly, react to the ball and catch it. Now it’s your turn. You must not turn untul your name is called.
EYE CONTACT Listen for your name, turn quickly and look for the ball.
HANDS Seek out the ball with both eye and hand contact.
HIPS Improve your sense of balance by twisting from the hips rather than turning around.
MORE SKILLS When the basic act-react exercise becomes easy, delay calling until after the ball is on its way. Develop it even further by waiting until the ball has almost reached your partner before calling.
‘To get you used to altering your angle of racket face as well as to strengthen your wrist, try bouncing the ball up off the strings, then flip the racket head over so that the next bounce comes off the other surface of your strings. Keep flipping the racket face
Use a natural grip and hold the racket out before bouncing the ball up off your strings.
BEAM BOUNCE Bouncing the ball off the racket head’s edge or beam is the hardest
_ Copies: f bounce exercise to master. Keep eo ere ee your grip very steady and just make c= _—Shoulder-width apart See ; Eas pes slight upward movements of the 4 Fo and your knees : CAF set A a racket head to gain complete slightly flexed. : Se control of the ball.
—— SWINGING, THROWING, AND PUNCHING ——
STREAMERS Attach paper or cloth streamers to your racket to practise the 3 basic actions in tennis — swinging, throwing and punching. The streamers show you that racket head speed is needed for throwing and swinging while punching requires hardly any. Swinging is used in groundstroke play where pace has to be generated to return the ball swiftly. Throwing is needed for serving, when maximum racket head speed is needed to impart pace to an almost still ball, and for overhead smashing. In volleying, punching is used to redirect the power of the ball towards its new target.
Definition: The most natural groundstroke which can be played from both a closed and a semi-open stance
1 @ ‘THE FOREHAND DRIVE is the major groundstroke Zia } for both the beginner and the advanced player.
J Like warriors of old carrying swords in their right 16 hands and shields in their left, tennis players have a
. natural urge to attack the ball
= on the forehand side. If you feel this natural urge, go for it and develop an aggressive approach from the beginning. Remember: a tennis player without an attacking forehand drive is like a gunfighter without a gun.
OBJECTIVE: An all round attacking stroke that dictates play from the back court and sets up net play chances. Rating ®
AIMING, TIMING AND CONTROL —_ fa 7 i Rectan . Arcing flight guarantees good margin for error.
SHAPE OF SHOT FOOTWORK To hit your forehand and backhand drives | Position yourself sideways-on to the ball deep to the far baseline, aim another net’s_| by simply turning on your right foot and height, or roughly 1m (3ft), over the net. stepping in with your left. Practise your footwork and shadow your groundstroke FORMING A LOOP at the same time. Relax your elbow at the end of the take back and let your racket head form a natural loop to add rhythm and speed. CMM
SHOULDER AIM At the preparation, turn your shoulders until your non-hitting shoulder is aiming at the oncoming ball. This helps you to lineup the ball and improve your timing and control through the hitting zone.
Drop balls for each other to hit over the net and then progress to throwing balls underarm to simulate an opponent’s shot.
If this goes well, graduate to hitting some cross court drives to each other, from baseline to baseline. When you can doa
10-shot rally, have a go at 20, always trying to hit deep into each other’s forehand corners. Move back behind your centre marks between shots to keep on the move. Beginners should start from midcourt, moving back as their skill improves.
B Buddy C Cross court forehand
GRIP Use the “Shake hands” grip and finger up the handle for extra racket head control.
As you turn away release your non-playing hand for balance. To provide a postive feeling of lift in the forward swing let your racket head form a natural loop.
‘Turn sideways-on from the ready position, release your nonplaying hand and flex your knees as you take the racket back early at the hitting height. At the end of your take back start to form a loop with your racket head.
KNEES ‘Turn on your right foot and let your knees bend.
Be ready to step in as your forward swing begins.
Step in with your left foot - 5 Ve and swing the racket head up to meet the 4 ball as it falls 3 between knee RACKET and waist A ft ARM’S height. DISTANCE
Really extend = your racket arm 2 at the hit. If you = hit with your elbow bent you are too close to the ball and may lose power and control over your shot. HEAD Keep your head steady and eyes on the ball.
shoulder powerfully into the hit.
oh, FIRMNESS SWING : Squeeze your grip ACTION and keep your wrist Swing the racket hip to achieve perfect stroke play.
firm at impact.
Transfer your weight forwards over your bending left knee to create a sound hitting platform.
more than Play deep drives cross court to your opponent's forehand corner or downthe-line to his backhand corner or go for an angled cross court drive (one that bounces near the service line and sideline).
make the hit.
, FoLLow THROUGH Keep your head steady as the racket finishes head high.
through the hitting zone with a powerful lifting A action. Keep the fF racket face steady as it follows the ' ball’s flight.
Keep your wrist firm and first finger spread for extra control.
TOPSPIN FOREHAND DRIVE Applying topspin to your forehand drive can put your opponent off-guard and is a useful accessory to your basic forehand attack. Use a full Eastern or Semi-Western grip (see p.20). Use the following 3 basic actions.
TAKE BACK Take the racket back at about the hitting height and form a deep loop as you join the forward swing. Keep your wrist action freer than for the basic drive.
In a sweeping motion, let the strings brush up the back of the ball to impart severe topspin.
* KEEPING STABLE Shift your body the hitting zone. FOLLOW THROUGH Your right foot will Sweep the racket up high. Let your stabilize and swing through when you naturally regain the ready position.
elbow bend as the racket head finishes across the left shoulder.
SKILL 2 FOREHAND DRIVE IN ACTION
Static work is good practice, but when it comes to competing generally, a more dynamic approach is required. This on-the-move sequence shows you how to prepare your racket and position your feet as you approach the hitting area. The hitting platform is solid, yet the movement flows from start to finish, allowing you to run on for your next shot or recover to your previous base.
Play forehand drives deep to your opponent’s forehand and backhand —e TAKE BACK comers to pin him in the backcourt.
Aim your shots cross court and wait for him to switch to a down-the-line drive, then it will be easier to return the ball.
make your shot all in one.
and set off with either foot, adjusting your footwork as you go.
A useful ploy is to hit angled cross court drives, as shown here. The shot landing near the sideline and out wide for his return, opening up the court for your next shot.
MOMENTUM On wide balls let your back foot swing through FOLLOW THROUGH after impact, using it to Finish with your basic follow launch you off towards through, but if you are in no your next location. man’s land you may have to lower your trajectory and stay down to keep your shot in court.
UNWIND Sound positioning parallel to the ball’s flight will result in a natural unwinding movement as you step into the ball.
Definition : Groundstroke partner of the forehand drive
@ 2 le - ‘THE BACKHAND STROKE has a much neater and 4, : ft less energy-sapping take back than the . a K ) forehand. A sound grip and full body turn will enable you to uncoil into the hit like a striking rattlesnake. Use the full Eastern backhand grip.
OBJECTIVE: Initially to offer sound as a counter-attacking weapon.
Rating with grip change. HEAD Keep your head
& back.
From the ready position, face the net from behind your baseline. A Hold the racket in front, supporting it at the throat 4 with your non-playing i hand, and ready for an instant grip change.
GRIP Start with the “Shake hands” (Eastern) forehand grip, changing your grip by feel.
KNEES Keep your knees relaxed, bending your back knee more as you turn away. THE GRIP SWITCH
Steady the racket and turn your playing hand inwards around the handle till the “V” FEET between thumb and Balancing forwards, turn on your —_es \i forefinger lines up with the left foot, letting your weight move wena racket’s inner edge. on to it as you take back the racket.
‘Turn your shoulders more and shift your weight on to your left foot. Keep your support hand at the racket throat as you bring it behind your left hip.
Pivot your whole body around, and try to get your hips parallel to the flight of the ball, as you take the racket back at about hitting height.
‘< POISED TO HIT 7 ey Complete the take back with your back facing towards the net. Your spare hand still supports the racket and your weight is poised, forwards as your body Ss \CZp “2% uncoils and your right \ y foot steps in.
AWKWARD APPROACH FOOTWORK If the ball is coming at you, step away from its flight with your front foot. As you transfer your weight on to this foot, lean away from the ball so that you can extend your racket arm fully at the hit. Stay with the ball in the follow through as you return the ball along its original flight path.
If you find it hard to get your shoulders far enough around to put any real power into your hit, try standing with your back facing the net. Get your partner to drop the ball to your side and behind you at racket arm’s distance. Watch the ball over your shoulder as you turn and step in to do the backhand.
STANCE Look over your hitting shoulder at the oncoming ball.
GET DOWN Let your back knee bend as your shot.
From the ready position, turn on your left foot and step in parallel to the ball’s flight with your right foot as you hit. The key to sound footwork is accurate placing of your rear foot as you reach the hitting zone.
Step 4 ae P RACKET 3 THE HIT ANGLE
Maintain your Release your support hand, and eee make a shallow loop with high follow the racket head to ry, through. ensure a low to high A eg forward swing as 2 you step in.
From above; note how the hit occurs out in front but racket arm’s distance away in the sideways-on position. Your backhand grip will give you a feeling of solidity at impact and provide a natural racket face angle for lift and direction.
backhand grip and e* a firm wrist will ; develop a backhand drive.
ae ff * BALANCE After releasing hand from the racket, extend it for balance.
track it to the hitting point with your eyes.
Keep your head still.
ANGLED HIT Hold your racket arm straight at impact with your wrist locked. Your racket face should be angled back slightly to encourage lift.
back toe on court.
FEET Step your front foot in parallel to the ball’s line of flight to ensure a solid hitting platform.
Give yourself plenty of room to swing out and turn your hitting shoulder until your and up to meet the ball. Begin the step in back faces the net. With your racket and forward swing together. Joining the prepared behind your rear hip you are back and forward swing with a shallow ready to uncoil with power and accuracy. loop, swing your racket from low to high through the hitting zone. FRISBEE You can develop “uncoil” power by POWER throwing a frisbee back and forth to your The easy power in the backhand comes partner. Then try sending a racket-head from the uncoiling or unwinding action of cover skimming over the net from one your body and playing arm. To deliver baseline to the other with the same power with control pivot on your back foot | backhand movement.
Really feel your racket head lifting through the ball in the direction in which 4h you are aiming.
RACKET ARM q Hold your racket " keep your head down until the stroke is complete.
STANCE Keep sideways-on throughout the stroke, recovering to your ready position, facing the net.
Finish off your A Player Rt backhand with P B Buddy your racket C Crosscourt arm extended backhand in front of you above head height.
WEIGHT BUDDY PRACTICE Stay down on ; : the shot by Practise swapping
: backhand drives cross keeping your weight court. Go for a 10- to 20-difficult, drop balls for contact adds each other or feed balance to your vr them by hand or from ie follow through. $3) your racket.
Back-toe court forwards over your bent front as stabilizers.
ELBOW ACTION After pivoting on your back foot and preparing your racket close in to your body, let your elbow move out as you straighten your arm in the forward swing.
The ability to combine your turn and run with your stroke preparation and positioning in he hitting area can be developed through regular practice. This sequence illustrates how the player’s fluidity of movement saves time and energy — producing apparently effortless shot-making. With the on-the-move backhand drive added to your groundstroke repertoire you will now be master of the back court.
OFF THE MARK e————} Push down against the court in the opposite direction to the way you wish to go. This will create a reaction force that will send you in the right direction.
TIMING Timing relies on perfect footwork and positioning. When initially playing your on-the-move backhand, hit the ball as it falls from the peak of the bounce. As you become more skilled you can take the balls nearer to the top of the bounce.
Ifa ball is coming at you, step away from its flight path with your front foot. As you transfer your body weight onto this foot, so that you can fully extend your racket arm at the hit. Then stay with the ball in the follow through as you return the ball along its original flightpath.
ball, take your racket back higher than you would fora basic drive, but still keeping it around hitting height. Bring your racket head up to meet the ball with the full face of the racket. Follow through by fully extending your racket arm in the direction of your shot.
hitting area.
Approach the ball on a curving run to get behind and parallel to its line of flight. Start your take back early, using a simple sidestep to reach the
Definition : Ax optional groundstroke partner for the forehand drive
1 e fis ‘THE DOUBLE-HANDED BACKHAND is a perfect ey eee ; : q option for young players who lack physical strength and % A for older players just starting out. The two-handed stroke LX will encourage you to attack the ball with topspin and provides a feeling of greater strength and control.
OBJECTIVE: A counter-attacking stroke. GRIPS : Grip 1 (change)
Step 1 ey 2 — TAKE Back THE HIT
As you pivot, add —_ Step in with your your other hand right foot, swinging and take your your racket to racket back below meet the ball in yourintended e frontofyour . hitting height. if - leading hip. iif
GRIP Powerful twohanded grip provides you with strength and control.
HEAD DOWN MOTION ‘The racket head Let your points downwards. racket sweep ee the WEIGHT BALANCE a Weight has Weight gathered over shifted flexed knee of back leg. forwards on to
Support your racket with your spare hand and turn your playing hand inwards until the “V” shape between thumb and first finger is on the inner edge of the handle (see also Grips p-21). Slide your support hand down to form a lefthanded forehand grip above the right hand. Ready position Backhand change
Step 3 FoOLLOw THROUGH HEIGHT e Finish high for topspin effect.
Allow your body to uncoil fully as you drive through the ball. Rotation finish will add extra topspin jfor increased control, é but you must stay Kc down on the shot to maintain pace. WRIST ACTION A firm-wristed swing with arms extended in the direction of your shot places emphasis on pace rather than spin. Whipping the racket head with a pronounced wrist action will impart more topspin to the ball.
For more pace with slightly less spin, follow through more in the direction of shot, as with the basic backhand drive (see p.41). TOPSPIN
High elbows produce brushed topspin for greater control.
Back foot stabilizes finish.
front knee.
Definition: The crucial stroke of the game because it begins and can ge every point oe ‘THE SERVICE IS THE MOST DEVASTATING 5 / stroke in tennis. From a motionless — and c 4 seemingly harmless — beginning, the well-
7 timed service will fire tennis balls into your Q { ~ opponent’s court at cannonball speed. From your ankles upwards, you should feel a gathering of momentum rising rhythmically through your body, as your legs, hips, stomach, back, shoulders, playing arm and wrist create a chain reaction of power that results in an “anatomic” explosion at impact. Go for a modified Eastern forehand grip to begin with, graduating to the Continental grip.
OBJECTIVE: To dictate the run of play and set up winning situations.
Rating eee to eeeee depending on natural ability.
‘The service action is simply an overarm throw. If you can throw a ball, you can serve.
1 From behind the baseline take turns with your partner at throwing a ball over the net towards the baseline on the far side of the court.
2 Make it bounce near the line or even hit the fence before it bounces.
3 After about 5 throws each, throw your next batch of balls into one of the diagonally opposite service courts.
4 Still taking turns, throw 5 to the right and then 5 to the left service courts. If you still can’t send the ball far enough, turn your shoulders a bit more to increase your distance.
GRASPING ACTION To hold a ball, grasp it with your non-playing hand between your thumb and all four fingers. To hold 2 tennis balls grip the first ball with your thumb and first 2 fingers and hold the second ball against your hand with your third and fourth fingers. Then hold the ball or balls against the racket strings.
eg AIMING i” See where your opponent part of the court to aim. Then look at the balls as you begin to serve.
Stand behind the baseline, sideways-on to the net with your feet shoulder-width apart. a Slightly flex your ie knees with weight poised on your back
Keep your arms relaxed, ready to swing apart. RACKET FACE Hold the ball or balls against the centre of the racket strings. STANCE
Face your opponent sideways-on to the net, within 50cm (1 '/2 ft) of the centre mark.
GRIP Use the modified forehand grip to as your game improves.
Flex your knees and keep your weight on the back foot. Point your toe towards the right-hand arms part.
FEET Place your back foot parallel to the baseline, feet shoulder-width apart.
EYES * Look up along your left arm at the ball.
Point the hitting face of your racket head downwards and create a diagonal line from to ball.
parting them at the hip. Let , the racket swing past ie your body and x i transfer your weight over your gf 4 flexed knee.
ARMS Fully extend your throwing arm before you release the ball, letting your shoulders turn slightly, and keeping the elbow of your serving arm flexed as you take back the racket behind you.
transferred on to the front knee push your hip forwards to establish a sound hitting platform.
FRONT FOOT Keep your front foot anchored to act as a Keep your back foot in launch pad.
transference.
1 Take up the service stance, holding 1 ball against the strings. Move both arms down a little way together for rhythm.
2 Part them, letting your racket swing back while you stretch up with your left arm to place the ball up to about twice the height of your outstretched arm.
3 Keep your hand up and catch the ball as it drops. Practise over and over again until the ball falls directly into your hand without your having to move it.
Stand a ball’s width behind the baseline and within 50cm (1'/2 ft) of the centre mark. For feet placing, visualize a line drawn across the front of your toes aiming to your target area.
FOOT FAULTS The most common foot fault is treading on the baseline with the front foot before striking the ball. Chief culprits are transferring weight too late or standing with feet too close together in the serving stance (see pp.23, 47).
PLACE-UP PEAK Point the racket head and placing hand up as the ball reaches its peak.
Place the ball up in front of you and a little to your right. As you release the ball, bend your racket arm and lift your racket until the tip points skywards. At the completion of Cw; the place-up, both p N your arms ear should point (i Pm (
Forehand grip initially, but adopt the Continental grip as soon as you can, because it provides much greater scope for developing the necessary serving skills of wrist snap and racket arm extension.
Keep the racket arm away from your body and its elbow high as you prepare to drop the racket head into the throwing position. FLEXED KNEE Your front knee should be as you move forwards.
Keep the back foot firmly in contact with the court.
)) \ 7——* SHOULDER By keeping the left shoulder high you will create a rising line through the shoulders for-maximum thrust.
Your outstretched place-up arm will drop away when to meet the ball.
Don’t stop, but feel a pause at the height of the take-up, then let your racket head drop downwards smoothly oe a into the throwing : 4 position deep between your shoulder (e ELBOW blades. y, | Keeping the racket clear of PISTON POWER your body, relax the throwing position.
Think of this position as a cylinder and your racket as a piston. The descending racket gathers velocity and accelerates as it comes up, gaining maximum speed just before the hit.
Use the practice wall to improve your basic strokes. When practising a serve, stand behind a line 5-6m (15-20ft) from * KNEE the wall. First hit a few serves down, Maintain the ANCHORING * then work on different aspects one at a balance over your The trailing leg time — like place-up and weight shift — bent front knee stabilizes your before putting them back into the whole prior to the throwing position as stroke to measure your progress. racket launch. momentum gathers.
i RACKET THE Hir Hit the back of the ball with Straighten your legs and launch P the middle of the racket head up. Your the strings. body will be fully 4h] stretched out at impact, with ny ral STRAIGHT ARMS the toes in You should be striking the ball at full racketcontact with ; ae arm’s reach in line with the ground. your hitting shoulder. Practise placing the ball STRETCH «a little to your right so that your racket arm is fully extended straight up from your shoulder. At the hit, the place-up arm drops away to help balance the body.
Develop a catapult effect by fully stretching your right side.
racket head up to meet the ball.
Even the flattest of serves should carry some topspin for control, so try to LEGS develop the feeling that you are hitting Straighten your up, through and over the ball. This will legs at the hit, improve both your accuracy and your with your back foot no longer anchored and ready for follow through action.
margin for error over the net. A ball served with a slight arcing flight also enlarges the target area.
SKILL -e RACKET SWING RECOVERY = Let your racket swing As your weight comes down, let
‘ past your left side as your your right knee bend to assist your /] left hand swings back to recovery back behind the baseline i aid your balance. to rally, or to act as a first powerful step of your forward run if you are moving in to volley.
EYES Keep your eye on the ball as you follow through.
After impact allow your racket to swing down past your left leg in a full follow through, > while letting your right | » \ foot swing across , Us at the baseline to
WEIGHT Finish the basic serve with your weight firmly on your right foot.
PERCENTAGE SERVES Aim to get 70 per cent of your first balls into court and maintain the tactical advantage. To achieve this, practise serving at three quarter’s speed, not flat out. i When you can serve either or down the centre, against right or lefthanded players with consistency, you will
Left service court, be good enough to Right service court, right-handed receiver Ves of your right-handed receiver A Forehand, B Body, C Backhand SEIvICe games. A Forehand, B Body, C Backhand
Keep straight atimpact.
back foot will swing forwards to turninat recovery when the hit. FEET POSITIONS yourracket Stand more sideways-on follows through for the slice serve by moving down past your your rear foot back slightly. leftleg asin the Place the ball up in front of basic serve. you and a little to your right.
RACKET FACE SECOND SERVICE ‘Theracket strings The slice service is the cutting edge of should cutaround the your service firepower. The slice delivery right side of the ball swerves sharply through the air before at3 o'clock. and after the bounce, staying low as it takes your opponent out of court. Sidespin makes it safe, so it is ideal to GRIP , use as your second serve. Use the flexible, wrist-snapping Continental grip. ; np Flat serve Slice serve
FOCUS Keep your head steady and your eyes focused firmly on the ball.
Turn your shoulders more for the slice than the flat serve. After the shoulders have turned in, the racket face is angled at impact (above right), while the full face of the racket meets the ball in the basic serve (above left). Practise brushing your racket strings up, across and around the outside of the ball.
SHOULDERS Allow your shoulders to
Although it is delivered from a specific on-court position, the service is not a static stroke. It may be on the spot, but from conception to completion the service should flow smoothly through many stages of on-the-move action. Here the service has been strung out to create a picture of the continuous movement that is vital to the serve. Imagine you are the server and place the stages one on top of the next — then see yourself serving across the page as your stroke flows with perfect rhythm on the move.
PREPARATION STANCE Stability is enhanced by Push down into the court with standing with your feet a your back foot, thus controlling good distance apart and the exact speed and direction your knees slightly flexed. of your weight transference.
SHAPE OF SHOT The ball travels in a slight arc from behind the baseline into the service court diagonally opposite. After bouncing, the ball will probably reach the far baseline during meee flight. a ttt
2 serving courts as shown. Serve 2 of your score.
POWER RHYTHM Build power into your serve by ‘The continuous rhythm of initiating movement through the the on-the-move serve creates muscle groups in your legs and by momentum that can be used following an upward use of your joints. in serve and volley play.
SKILL DAY 1 g SERVICE RETURN@®
Definition: Second only to the service in matchplay importance *
‘THE ABILITY TO CONSISTENTLY RETURN the serve is a practised art and has a great effect upon the outcome of every point. It is tactically vital to return every serve effectively but the serving strengths of your opponent govern the type and quality of your reply. You must, therefore, learn to adapt your basic groundstrokes to counteract the height, speed, spin, and placement of the serve.
Initially, when returning serve, use your basic forehand and backhand drives and then adapt them to play the featured returns.
OBJECTIVE: To keep the ball in play and to take the initiative from the server. Gps: Basic Eastern forehand and backhand
Blocked returns are played with a short take back and volley-like punch. Stand just inside your baseline and take the ball early.
Block through the back of the ball, aiming deep to the far baseline to nullify the server's advantage.
Keep your wrist firm and spread CONTACT your first finger for extra control. Meet the ball early and out in front of your body.
POSITION Step across with your front se 2 foot and block forwards. tS I ——
Keep your eyes focused on the ball at impact.
underspin.
‘The chipped return is very useful against high bouncing serves. Move inside your baseline and make a short, high take back, chipping down through the ball as it rises between waist and shoulder height.
FOOTWORK Feet can be parallel to or slightly across the line of flight of the ball.
ALTERNATIVE VIEW ‘This shows the importance of meeting the ball well in front of your body with your racket arm straight. Note the player’s % stability at impact, and how ; his racket stays with the ball K k after contact. | ?
1 COUNTER-VOLLEY 2 The service is delivered down-theline to your backhand from the right court (1). As the receiver, move
: : forwards inside your baseline and chip your return low at the feet of court for a passing shot.
6 bh SURPRISE RETURN 2 ]/ In 1, the ball is served to the backhand from the left court and the server runs forwards to volley, expecting the ball to be blocked, topspin lobbed return (2) catches him flatfooted as he moves in.
Return diagonally cross / court or down-the-line.
Move forwards inside your baseline and form a short low take back before stepping in to sweep your racket head up the back of the ball, imparting heavy topspin.
vertical at impact, remains open in the IMPACT high follow through. Take the high bouncing serve on the rise. This one is being met at about shoulder height.
GRIP Use your basic Eastern backhand grip for this shot, playing the return with a firm wrist. Here the shot is played firmly with a brushing action. STANCE Play your topspin lobbed return from a sideways-on position.
Step into the shot so that you can stay longer with the ball for extra control.
to counter-balance your hitting action.
CONTACT Meet the ball with a flattened out swing at shoulder height.
After returning serve with your basic drives you will have no difficulty adapting them to make the high and = — STANCE low driven returns featured here. Try ae ee ‘ ; : your racket back them out on court, concentrating on ge re : : quite high. the actual hit and following the technical pointers given.
HIGH DRIVEN RETURN The stance is much straighter than for the low driven return.
LOW DRIVEN RETURN ‘To return a low bouncing serve to your backhand, get down to ball level and step positively into your shot. Meet the ball with a slightly angled racket face to encourage lift.
TACTICS After a short length serve (1), take the ball early and hit it down the sideline or cross court (2). The server is unlikely to approach the net behind a poorlength serve, so your attacking return should put him on the defensive and let you move up court. If he serves even shorter, angle your return to produce a winner.
Definition: 70 p/ay the ball during its first flight, before is g ‘THE VOLLEY SHOULD BE PLAYED like a boxer’s jabbing a, punch. Advance towards the net and jab your racket 3 hs head forwards to meet the ball before it bounces. Both e forehand and backhand volleys are short, punched IY strokes that travel on a line from high to low, compared to the low to high swings of their equivalent groundstrokes.
OBJECTIVE: ‘To hurry your opponent into making his next shot and, whenever possible, to place the ball beyond his reach from close quarters.
COUNTERBALANCE Always use your spare hand to balance your movements. EYES +——-= Concentrate on watching the ballas you grab it with firm controland accuracy.
falls towards the <= ground.
The forehand volley action is just like catching the ball with your playing hand. Stand on FEET opposite sides of the net to Step ery shane stabilizing the throw youa ball underarm at movement with shoulder height. Reach in your back foot. forwards and grab it in front Ling of you, as shown here. en your partner, about 3m (10ft) y Dh pipers, back. Ask your partner to eed : hae 4
Keep your take back short, getting your racket head behind the ball and slightly above your intended hitting height. Use the forehand grip and keep your wrist firm.
Released left hand points / towards the Jf oncoming ball.
Pivot to your right until your racket is t level with your shoulder. Release your left hand from the racket throat as you , turn and keep your weight on your IY back foot.
SUPPORT Left foot steadying yourturn butready forstep-in action. BACK TO THE WALL Put your partner against the wall and feed some balls to his forehand side. As he turns, the wall will restrict his take back. This set-up is a great way to cure “big swingers” on the volley.
EASY BALL WIDE BALL BODYLINE BALL ‘To return an easy ball, Pivot to your right and ‘Turn on your left foot and turn on your right foot and step well across with your then step back with your step forwards with your left foot when you realize right to get sideways-on left foot, parallel to the the ball is some distance before leaning your line of flight of the away. Rotate the upper weight forwards as you approaching ball. body to maintain balance. volley the ball.
Punch your racket head forwards to meet the ball AY face of your racket strings. between waist and shoulder height.
RACKET ARM Straighten your racket arm at the hit. Punch down and through the ball. THE GRAB-
Meet the ball higher and closer than you would in ground stroke play. Try to play the ball at eye level.
positively over your bent front knee.
DIRECTION Step in parallel or slightly across the ball’s line of flight.
Develop the accuracy and control of your forehand volley by regularly practising against a wall. Stand 2m (6ft 6in) away from the wall and practise the movements of volleying — turning, stepping forwards and punching the ball against the wall with your racket. Stay close to the wall to limit your take back and improve racket-head control.
TARGET PRACTICE When you can keep a 10- and then a 20-shot rally going, try aiming for a target marked on the wall: this will further develop your accuracy. Regular practice against a wall will also strengthen your wrist.
CFOsscourt From a sound net position, volley deep down the Z ae oan sideline or across the court to pin your opponent N-he-line in the back court; or try an angled cross court volley to place the ball beyond his reach.
In a volley the ball has only one flight; try to meet it above net height and aim your volley straight into your opponent’s court.
Step 3 == es eee Spree FOCUS FoLLow THROUGH Head steady and eyes on the ball.
path of your racket adds underspin for k shot control. Your s 3 follow through & should be short.
Keep your racket arm straight and the racket head above wrist level.
powers through.
FOREARM Use the forehand (“Shake hands”) grip, with first finger spread and your elbow well away from the body. Go on to the Continental grip as your skill improves.
LOWER BODY Bend the knees for good stability and a low centre of gravity.
BACK FOOT Your back foot comes forwards when the stroke is ~) complete to aid recovery.
FRONT FOOT Maintain a solid hitting platform in the follow through.
FOREHAND VOLLEY IN ACTION 7 Next to the smash, the volley is probably the most decisive shot in tennis and can be the match-winning shot in your repertoire. As soon as you have mastered the basic skills of volleying from the net position, you should start from further back and then practise running forwards to play your volleys on the move.
Always carry your racket in front of you like a sword, ready for instant action.
Here the player is splitos stepping in order to read the height and direction of his opponent’s shot before he moves to intercept the ball. SELF CONTROL
Resist the temptation to take a swing at the ball when you are volleying on the move.
LOW FOREHAND VOLLEY HIGH To play a low volley even passably well BACKHAND you must crouch down, bending your VOLLEY knees, so that you can keep your wrist firm and your racket head level. Move into your low volley by stepping forwards and across with your front foot, angling your racket face slightly to apply some underspin as you punch through the back of the ball.
In order to play a high volley really well, position yourself sidewayson, otherwise you down into the net or play it wide of the sidelines. High volleys need strong arms to punch the ball powerfully at shoulder height, so keep up your fitness training (see pp.16—-19).
PACE Control is vital so pace is imparted by playing forwards to the ball and not by the length of your take back.
Definition: Like the forehand volley it 1s a short, punchlike stroke played mainly from the forecourt
-e ‘ YOU May FIND that the backhand volley is easier to kK play than its counterpart on the forehand side,
2 9 because when you take up the sideways-on position } your playing arm leads the way and encourages positive T action. As with all volleys, the major problem is time — you may have less than half a second to make your play. The natural crisp punch of the backhand volley makes it just the job for those quickfire volley rallies at the net where play is all reflex.
OBJECTIVE: To minimize the time for your opponent to play his next shot, and to win the point or force a defensive return. Rating ee
Try volleying againsta practice wall, standing about 2m (6ft 6in) away.
This shortens your stroke and .) improves your racket-head control. y Keep a 10-, then a 20- shot rally rae. going to begin with and then aim develop greater accuracy. Start but later on return to your ready position between each volley. GRIP Start with the Eastern backhand grip, graduating to the Continental forall volleying when you become more proficient.
EYE CHECK SHOULDER TURN In the take back with your eyes focused on | Avoid getting caught square-on at the net, the approaching ball, you should be able to | and so dragging the ball down, by getting see the outline of your racket head in the your hitting shoulder well round as you corner of your eye. Try this by shadowing pivot sideways-on to the oncoming ball. your stroke. Stop when you complete your | Also keep your racket quite close to the take back, and see if you can spot your body and your elbows flexed so that you racket head while still looking forward. can make an in-to-out punching action.
EYES Step 1 Look forwards atthe ball. TAKE BACK from yourready position and take your racket back level with your left shoulder while you support the kK racket atthe throat with your non- } playing hand. +
WRIST | % RACKET Keep your wrist firm \ ; Supportthe racketat inthe backhand grip. ; the throat with your ; non-playing hand.
5 ae , Keep the racket head a above hitting height.
Flex yourknees slightly, with your back foot forminga firm base for hitting.
more.
BALANCE Keep your weight poised onthe back leg ready for FOOT e transferon the hit.
to take the weight shift.
SKILL Step 2 RACKET ARMe (~), THE HIT Extend your playing arm, lock your wristand Releasing your left hand, step keep your racket forwards and across slightly face steady. with your right foot, as you punch your racket head fk forwards to meet the ball, using the full e face of your 2 racket strings. T
SUPPORT Release your left hand to aid balance.
behind and slightly above the ball. Punch the racket head forwards and down through the back of the ball. Squeeze your grip, lock your wristand keep yourracket head up.
Meetthe ball between waist and shoulder height.
weight fully over yourbentfront knee atthe hit.
to, or slightly across, the line of the ball’s flight.
NON-PLAYING ARM Left hand out for balance. |
Let your racket head follow POSTURE *———Xu pits Lean your whole body af througha short distance to forwards as you play nN — ' . complete the hitting through the ball. eh zone,extendingyour , . racket arm as you Le playrightthrough ae the ball. The ran a slightly downward action of the racket with its bottom edge leading willapply some underspin to the ball for added control.
Keep your feet apart to aid stability and lower your ‘ centre of gravity. AG
STEP-IN Acontrolled stepin helps you to stay with the ball
ANGLED VOLLEYS | \ A Angled backhand Volley the ball deep into the corners of your j \ volley \ B Deep backhand fo) t’s i ially fi the midt pponent’s court, especially from the mid-cour| Sillegs area. When you move in closer there will be opportunities to play angled volleys. Aim to volley straight most of the time, remembering that when | you do volley cross court you must be decisive as it opens up a possible down-the-line passing shot for your opponent, or even a wrong-footing cross- / \ court angle —if he can run down the ball.
SKILL 8 BACKHAND VOLLEY IN ACTION
Backhands are usually seen as defensive strokes, but this is not the case once you have mastered playing the backhand volley in action. Develop the sequence in the same way as you worked on the forehand volley, starting from further back and then moving in quickly to volley.
Here the player demonstrates the importance of getting well down to the ball and of transferring bodyweight into the shot. The slightly angled-back racket face at impact suggests that the player has played a first volley just inside the service line and will now move in closer to the net, looking for the kill with his second volley.
STEP-IN The non-playing hand is released and the racket head is punched down through the back of the ball. ‘
CONCENTRATION Watching the ball is fundamental to the success of your on-the-move volleying skill, so keep your eyes on the ball all the way through the shot.
EREPARATION ————] Always have your racket ready to make your forward play. On the high volley take your racket back higher than for the basic volley to maintain the feel of high-to-low action.
It is more difficult to attack a low ball than one above the net but you do not have to play defensively. Bend your knees, getting your eyes down to ball level, then step in and punch your racket head under and STANCE through the ball. Lead with the bottom edge of the racket to apply underspin and play the backhand volley create lift for net clearance. Success with your feet well apart and depends on a firm wrist and a controlled body well balanced. racket head, held at or above wrist level.
Definition: Groundstroke that sends the ball high in the air. Predominantly a defensive shot
Ly ‘THE LOB IS NOT SIMPLY a last line of defence for SS (\ tossing the ball high in the air and praying for a miracle. Use your lobs like paratroopers, drop them fc behind your opponent’s front line of attack and close in on the net yourself as he scampers back to base on the defence. Don’t wait until he’s camping out in the forecourt either — an early lob can play havoc with his confidence. ‘The lob is a fuller stroke than the drive, with a lower take back and a higher finish.
OBJECTIVE: Impenetrable defence and surprise counter-attack. Grip: as for the forehand and backhand drives. Rating eee taking your racket back as you turn sideways-on. Relax the elbow of your playing arm jee
Begin your stroke like a drive, “A at the end of the take back, letting your racket form a low loop. Step in and start to swing the racket head forwards in a steep upwards path.
GRIP Use the Eastern (“Shake hands”) grip, and keep
STANCE Step in on to your flexed front knee as you begin the forward swing from the take back. Get down and loop low.
Keep your head steady and your eyes on the ball.
Left hand comes back but still acts as a stabilizer as you turn into the hit.
your racket face, let the racket
Leading with the bottom edge of tl
E leading hip. Squeeze your grip at impact to steady your wrist. Time your swing to meet the ball between knee and waist height as it falls.
PLATFORM Your left foot ANGLE provides a sound Keep the racket hitting platform, face angled aiding the height back for lift — and depth of but not too your lob. much or the lob will fall short.
sit into the shot.
Point the left hand towards the ball to help keep your balance.
The drive-like beginning of the lob can often catch your opponent off guard, impact, let your racket swing up through the hitting zone, as you really stay with the ball, sending it high in the air.
Finish the stroke with racket above head.
The basic lob carries a little topspin by virtue of the steep low to high swing and the racket face angle. It should travel in an even arc, clearing the net by about 7m
(20ft), and land just inside the opposite baseline. You should get a fairly high second flight after the bounce.
SKILL 9 BACKHAND LoB IN ACTION
Perform a basic backhand lob by simply adapting the backhand drive and producing a similar stroke to the forehand lob. Switch to your backhand grip, using your spare hand during the take back. Here the player has moved wide from a central base to play an advanced defensive lob with underspin, to counter an opponent’s net attack. The player’s speed to the ball combined with his racket control at impact have produced a perfectly measured lob that can easily turn defence into attack.
Generally, lob deep as short lobs are snapped up by net players. Lob over your opponent’s non-playing shoulder to his backhand corner because the smash is more difficult to play if you have to é move diagonally backwards to reach the ball.
Here an attacking backhand lob is played diagonally (A) and a deeper forehand lob is played down-the-line (2). The backhand lob can be played with topspin to make the ball bounce sharply away from your opponent.
CONCENTRATE Keep your eyes on the ball throughout the hitting zone and watch to see the effect of your lob.
Beautifully balanced in the follow through, the player has complete control of his movement, his racket and the ball. The basic backhand grip has been used to play this advanced on-the-move backhand lob.
MOBILIZE e Having tracked the ball’s flight and mentally marked your opponent’s point of aim, move off quickly in a diagonally forward run to intercept the ball shortly after the bounce.
RACKET ANGLE Having decided to play the ball early with underspin, prepare your racket with a HITTING PLATFORM short high take back as you Get right down to make the shot, approach the hitting area. with your legs wide apart and a low centre of gravity. With the racket face angled back, underspin is then applied.
Definition: The aggressive antidote to the lob yi y, ‘THE OVERHEAD SMASH IS a roving assassin waiting 2 to pounce on, and eliminate, any weak lobs put up el by an opponent who is under siege from your net attack. When he uses defensive or offensive lobs in an ® attempt to break out of his predicament, you must smash deep using an overarm action similar to the serve.
OBJECTIVE: ‘Yo maintain an attacking initiative and to win points outright.
Step 2 Point Up POINT UP Straighten your left arm and point up at the falling ball. Pivot sideways-onand lift your racket head up by bending your elbow. Bieake oe AIM Look upalong yourarm atthe ball.
ELBOW Keep your elbow high and your racket poised to drop into the throwing position.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart for stability.
—_ throwing position.
CONTACT POINT e— fee tC) POOLWORK <> Hit the ball ahead of you
SIDE STEP ‘To line up smashes quickly you need to keep sideways-on to the ball as you position yourself behind and below the ball. Footwork for the side skip, or side step, is simple. Just turn and move with a sidetogether-side foot action.
atracketarm’s reach.
Start with the modified Eastern grip and progress in time tothe serving grip.
CROSS OVER Footwork for the cross over needs practice but it teally keeps you sidewayson. After turning, cross your left foot in front of with your right.
Repeat until you are in position.
NATURAL INCLINE Stretch and incline
Fully extend your racket arm as you throw your racket head up to ay meet the ball, with the full face of the racket strings. Hit the ball out in front of youand finish” [ the stroke like a service.
From close in on the net you can angle your smash or make it bounce over your opponent’s head.
From further back, smash the ball deep and try to maintain your attack.
your whole body.
SHOULDER IT Let your playing shoulder turn powerfully in tothe hit.
and legs straight.
stabilizes the basic smash atimpact.
tiptoes atimpact.
‘The jump smash epitomizes on-the-move action, yet below, the player is very still in mid-air as he smashes the ball. This type of smash is ideal for overcoming any lack of reach you might have and for dealing effectively with deep lobs that might otherwise have left you stranded in the forecourt. In order to play the shot really well, you must develop speed and agility to move backwards ina . sideways-on position and power in your legs for leaping high in the air. On court, turn sideways-on as soon as the lob goes up and use the split step for your run-back.
FOLLOW THROUGH LEG ACTION After hitting up and over the ball, Let your right leg swing past your left ina land on your left foot and follow scissor-like action when you throw your through in similar fashion to your racket head up to meet the ball above and basic smash. in front of you at full racket-arm’s reach.
The smash can only be used against lobs or high bouncing balls, so develop an attacking game that forces opponents to put up defensive lobs. Aim for your opponent’s backhand corner — if he begins to anticipate this, turn your wrist more and slice your smash to his forehand corner. High lobs should be smashed after the bounce, but use a jump smash with balls you would not otherwise be able to retrieve. If inside the service line, try angling your smashes towards the sidelines.
FLIGHT POSITION As you become airborne, let your racket head drop into the full throwing position and keep your left arm out for balance.
TIMING With your racket head prepared, jump off the back leg to smash the ball before it can dip behind you.
2 crucial to the success of any attack. Allow your
Definition: A modified groundstroke for net attack
3 . position and the height at which you play the ball “4 to dictate the stroke, but shorten the take back for extra control. Having reached the forecourt use the volleying skills that you have already mastered.
OBJECTIVE : To set up opportunities for decisive volleying.
Rating ee Grips: As for groundstrokes firm swing from the iE shoulder, slightly , e down, through e the back of Al \ the ball.
Meet the ball in front of you with your wrists locked and your racket face tilted back.
FOOTWORK Having prepared on your back foot, step crisply forwards and slightly across with your front foot as you make the shot.
RACKET SSS SOI SS pale ge FoLLow THROUGH head rise as you finish the stroke.
You should be totally committed part of a continuous move towards a sound position.
SPLIT-STEP Follow the line of your approach shot in, but splitstep (see p.82) as your opponent makes his play. Be sull, attentive, and on balance as the ball is struck.
WRIST Keep your wrist steady in the hitting zone and in the short follow through.
BALANCE To volley successfully behind approach play get your weight forwards into the hit and keep your body steady at impact.
ball at the highest point possible.
Definition: A two-pronged attack to end points swiftly
‘THE SERVE AND VOLLEY 18 a decisive tactic that can fl give you control of the net area. As with approach shots, it is accuracy, pace and depth of service that pA dictate subsequent volleying success. Give yourself time to reach a good position; serve at three quarter speed to your opponent’s weaker stroke, applying slice for extra control.
2 OBJECTIVE: To put pressure on your opponent.
Rating eeeee Grips: Serve and groundstroke o/) service type and o ! direction. Pin-point a Fe S| your forward run YA and try to reach a destinaton inside your service line before the ball is returned.
PLACE UP Place the ball up further forwards to develop more or hurry your serving action.
As your back foot swings across the baseline when you serve, it becomes the first step of your forward run. Cross your service line in about | +, six steps and be ready to fp “3S 4 play a volley that will el y E>» keep you on the offensive. NG
Split stepping is simply interrupting your forward run by planting your feet shoulderwidth apart to regain a basic ready position. Split step early in order to be perfectly balanced for instant lateral movement.
The illustration above shows that the player can move to his right, to cut off a cross court return, or to his left, to backhand volley an attempted passing shot down-the-line. Here the volleys are played from a deep position.
If playing from a deep position, aim to volley towards a corner, keeping o your opponent back while you
\ short high returns with Jed aggressive volleys.
Keep your wrist firm and your racket head up as you meet the ball well out in front of your body.
Serve and volley success relies heavily on basic volleying technique, so always keep your eyes on the ball, your knees bent and your weight forwards.
From the split step, get down, step across and sit-in to those first volleys.
Now you have had some practical experience of tennis, here are some rules and basic playing procedures
Now you HAVE COMPLETED THE COURSE, try the games and advanced strokes described on the following pages. If you are keen to progress further, join a tennis club. This is an ideal way to develop your game and mix with others who have similar interests.
OF THE eR TRS SCORING The first point is 15, the second 30, the If the score reaches 5-5, then play third 40 and the fourth point won makes it | continues until one player is 2 games game. The server’s score is called first, i.e. ahead. Matches are normally the best of if the server wins the first point, the score 3 sets, but can be the best of 5.
is 15-“love” (15-0), except in a tie-break when the player ahead is named first. If TIE-BREAK each player has 3 points (40-40), “deuce” Tie-breaks are used when the score in a is called and one player must gain 2 points | set reaches 6-6. Scoring is numerical and in a row to win. The first is an “advantage” | the first player to win 7 points, with a 2 point, but if the next point is lost, the score | point margin, wins the game. The player returns to deuce. A set is decided when who serves first in the tie-break serves for 1 one player wins 6 games with a margin of point only and service then alternates each at least 2 games. 2 points. Change ends after every 6 points.
Always use the correct playing procedure. Toss a coin or spin a racket to decide who serves first. The winner of the toss can choose to serve, receive, take an end or can ask his opponent to choose. If you choose to serve, your opponent decides which end of the court to receive from for the first game. Serve from behind your baseline, starting in the right court for the first point, the left court for the second and so on. The service ball must be struck before it bounces and must go over the net and land in the service court diagonally opposite. If you serve a fault, you can serve again but a double-fault gives your opponent the point. A receiver can stand anywhere in his court but cannot volley the serve or let it bounce twice. Alternate serving and receiving throughout the match and change ends after every odd-numbered game.
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Tennis is a game where tactics and positioning are vital if you are to be successful.
You've learned the strokes, now play the game!
PRACTICE IS IMPORTANT, but the object of any course of instruction is to get you playing the game as soon as possible. Over your weekend you have learnt to play many different strokes, but it is only when you actually play matches against an opponent that you can determine your strengths and weaknesses. Your natural abilities will dictate how you initially approach matchplay and you may find that you prefer to play either a baseline or a volleying game. Tactically, tennis is a game of control and the player making the fewest mistakes is likely to win. While striving to make as few mistakes as possible is a sound approach, it can lead to a purely defensive game.
Attacking play produces winning shots that unsettle the rhythm of the defensive-minded opponent, so try to combine the two styles mixing defence with attack as the game dictates.
‘Tactically, the area behind and up to your baseline is the backcourt, the area between your service line and the net is the forecourt, and the area in between is no man’s land.
i i a of Rs! betes ee NO MAN’S COURT AREA LAND The doubles court is If you have to play the same length as the a shot in no man’s singles, but 2.74m land, play itand get (9ft) wider. The out fast or you may service courts are the be caught with the same size for both ea as eee ball at your feet and games, but use the Backcourt No man’s Forecourt no time to play your alley in doubles land next shot. when rallying.
Play the shot, then move to the centrepoint — midway between the 2 extremes of your opponent’s return.
Use a good tactical shot to ensure your next centrepoint ts close. ‘fe The volleyer below f. centrepoint.
TACTICAL OPTION. The receiver (below) has returned the ball down-the-line and a bit short, so opening up the possibility of a wide-angled crosscourt response. As he runs to take up a central position well beyond his centre mark, his opponent plays the ball down-the-line for a wrong-footing winner.
DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT! A danger with the centrepoint tactic is being caught out on the way to your next centrepoint. This need not happen if you are still and attentive whenever your opponent is playing the ball. Here, the server plays a wide service to the righthanded receiver who replies with a deep crosscourt forehand return so that his next centrepoint is quite close. If the receiver had chosen to play down-theline, the position midway between the possible replies would be been a metre or so beyond the centre mark.
A ream game between two pairs of tennis players where strategy and tactics are of the utmost importance
IN CONTRAST TO THE SINGLES GAME, doubles is about team work, and you must work together. ‘Iry to play level with your partner, aiming to get to the net quickly and to remain there until you have won the point. If you are in doubt about placing a shot during the rally, aim between your opponents, so creating possible confusion about which one of them should play the ball. A successful doubles team places far more emphasis on team work and tactics than on the sheer physical strength that is associated with the singles game.
One person plays in the right court, the other in the left. Each player is responsible for the shots in his half. If you to that area.
SERVER’S PARTNER ‘Take up an attack position in the other half of the court 2.7m (9ft) from the net and halfway between the centre line and doubles sideline.
From here you can play aggressive volleys and smashes.
SERVER Assume the service stance halfway between the centre mark (see p.14) and your nearest doubles sideline. This position will give you the best opportunity of covering all of the
When receiving, start from the baseline area, while your partner in which court keep these positions for the set.
RECEIVER ‘To return first services your receiving position should be the same as for singles play but when returning second services move forwards inside your
RECEIVER’S PARTNER Stand just inside the service line, halfway the net or retreat behind the baseline. You can also counter-volley if the server’s baseline to take up a more attacking position.
partner intercepts your partner’s return.
PLAYING THE DOUBLES GAME When serving, try to get a high percentage of your first serves into court. Sacrifice speed if necessary, but depth and accuracy are vital. When receiving, keep your returns low over the net, unless you are playing a lob, and aim 80 per cent of them cross court away from the server’s partner. If following in behind your serve or return is difficult try playing a groundstroke or two before advancing.
COURT POSITIONS ‘These two diagrams illustrate the 4 basic positions for the attacking and receiving teams before the start of a point.
Technically more difficult strokes that demand a higher level of skill in matchplay situations
ONCE YOU HAVE MASTERED THE BASIC TECHNIQUES of strokeplay, you will be keen to have a go at the more advanced strokes in order to further develop your playing skills. If you have started a fitness training programme, established the habit of daily stretching and joined a tennis club for regular practice sessions, these will not be such difficult skills to master. An advanced stroke is one that, when compared to the more basic strokes, has a greater degree of difficulty in either matchplay performance, or technical execution, or both. However, if you have methodically worked your way through the weekend course you will be well equipped to tackle these three advanced groundstrokes. You may have a flair for one of them and will be able to use it in your matches. There are many other advanced strokes that you can use in singles and doubles play, including the topspin serve and the backhand smash. With practice, plus advice from a coach, you should soon be able to master them.
STANCE Crouch down, with your left hand out for balance. FOREHAND HALF-VOLLEY
The take back must be short and low, with your racket head at wrist level. Let your knees bend as you turn on your rear foot and get down low to meet the racket head in line.
and back knee low.
with even more concentration when playing
The angle of your racket face is crucial. ‘Tilt it back and push the racket head downwards under the ball. This adds underspin to the ball, which is deflected up and off the racket strings and drops just over the net e with very little 9 bounce. Follow
Release the non-playing hand for balance.
‘Transfer your CONTACT body weight into Meet the ball at the shot over waist height and bent front knee. have your racket face open.
TAKE BACK ‘Take your racket back about head high, with your racket face angled back to apply underspin.
Keep your back toe in contact with the court to provide stability.
| ‘This is an attacking stroke which requires perfect timing. The ball is played in an outwards and upwards brushing action to produce the topspin effect. Use your full backhand grip and take your racket back below your intended hitting height.
Step in parallel to the ball’s flight and, with your weight well forwards over your front knee, swing your racket head steeply up through the back of the ball with the racket face almost vertical. As the racket swings on, let your wrist roll the face over slightly.
Racket face angle is crucial — if it is too open, underspin, instead of topspin, will be applied.
e Alley The area of the court between the singles and doubles sidelines, also known as the “tramlines”. Approach shot A groundstroke played just before you approach the net to volley.
Backcourt Incorporates no man’s land but is tactically the area behind the baseline from which the baseliner plays. Backhand For right-handed players this is a stroke played on the left hand side of the body, with the back of the hand towards the net. ®Baseline The line at each end of the court that runs parallel to the net and marks the boundaries lengthwise of the playing area.
Block Short punched groundstroke used to return a fast travelling ball.
Centre mark A 10.16cm (4in) line that marks the centre of the baseline.
- Centrepoint A mid-point between two angles of a possible shot.
eChip A short underspun ground stroke usually played to return a spinning serve or high bouncing ball. ®Closed Applies to racket face angle.
Continental Name of the service grip that originated in Britain.
®Cross court A stroke played across the court from right court to right court or left court to left court.
@Double-handed A player who keeps both hands on the racket handle during the forward swing of the racket.
Down-the-line Shot played approximately parallel to the sidelines as opposed to cross-court.
Drop shot A shot played short, dropping into the forecourt — which bounces close to the net.
Eastern A basic tennis grip originating on the East coast of the USA.
First flight The initial flight of the ball after it has been struck by the racket.
Follow through refers to the continuing travel of the racket after the ball has been struck .
Foot fault A fault called when a player steps on to or over the baseline while serving, before actually striking the ball.
Forecourt The area of the court
) between the net and the service lines.
Forehand A stroke played on the right hand side of the body for right handed players and on the left hand side for left handed players.
Groundstroke A forehand or backhand stroke played after the ball has bounced.
Half-volley A groundstroke played immediately after the ball has bounced. Hitting area/zone The general area of the court where you strike the ball. Hopper The container for balls in a ball machine or a separate basket for holding large quantities of tennis balls.
Left court The area to the left of the centre line from the net to the baseline.
Let When play is interrupted a let is called and the point replayed. When a service let is called, only the service in question is replayed. Lob A ball sent high in the air.
Loop In groundstroke play the racket forms a loop as backswing and forward swing are joined in one continuous movement.
Love In tennis scoring love means nothing, hence love-thirty is 0-30.
@No man's land The area between the service line and the baseline.
Non-playing hand The player’s supporting hand — vital for balance.
Open Refers to racket face angle when a greater hitting area is presented to the ball.
Palming the ball Hitting or playing the ball with the palm of your hand.
Place-up The ball toss during the service.
R @Rally An exchange of strokes after the service has been delivered. Ready position A position of readiness adopted to receive the service, which acts as a starting point for all groundstrokes and volleys.
Return Primarily the stroke that returns the serve but can be used to describe any shot during a rally. Run the ball down To chase a ball that is some distance away.
eSecond flight The flight of the ball after it has bounced.
@Service The stroke used at the start of each point.
eService line A service boundary line. eSet There are six games in a set and three or five sets in a match. Shadowing Going through the motions without hitting the ball, hence
“shadowing the stroke”. e“Shake hands” Refers to the basic Eastern Forehand Drive grip. Sidelines The boundary lines of the court lengthwise.
@Sidespin When one side of the ball rotates against the air resistance, it is forced to swerve to the opposite side; e.g. a ball approaching with left hand spin will swerve from right to left.
Sideways-on Applies to being parallel to the approaching ball’s flight. Spin The way that a ball rotates. eSplit step Assuming the ready position before changing the direction of a run.
Stay with the ball Refers to following through in the direction of your shot after hitting the ball.
Sweet-spot The central position on the racket face for producing the perfect shot.
eSwinging The forward action of a basic groundstroke.
Take back The preparation of the stroke prior to the forward swing.
Take-up The preparation of the racket in serving and smashing prior to the racket head being lowered into the“throwing” position.
The “T” The central area where the centre line joins the service line.
Tie-break This is a point scoring system designed to shorten the length of a set. It is usually brought into operation when the set score reaches six games all.
Volley To volley the ball is to hit it before it bounces.
eWestern An American type of grip that finds the palm of the hand more underneath the handle than behind it. @Wide-body These are rackets that have a very broad side-on dimension . eWrong-foot This is to send an opponent the wrong way.