Practice Tip - by Mark Roger
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICTURE BELOW .....
its really important to concentrate when you practice !
A lot of players feel that they play great in practice but just cannot find that magic in a match.
We have all been through that !
A good way to start turning that around is to practice like you are in a match, so try these few tips:
- Simulate your match by playing points that count - ie you win or lose the point as a result of your rally
- Start playing a game from different score lines - ie 30/30, 30/40, 15/40 etc and complete the games. Or play from different set scores ie 4-4, 30/30, you’re up 5-4 and serving etc and complete the sets - try to think of situations in matches that trouble you and start from there
- Play first to 15 or 21 and serve the whole time and swap, this will help teach you how to concentrate for longer
Learn to develop the same mental and physical rituals in practice that you want to use in a match.
You cannot expect it to happen in a match if it does not happen on the practice court.
- Have very specific outcome goals for your session. Write them down, review them continuously and make them your focus - not whether you are winning or losing points at this stage.
- Take note of how feel in practice: you are probably relaxed, more confident and not feeling much pressure. Guess what, we need the same person in your match!!!
- Has anyone ever hit back the perfect return but it just happened to be on a fault? Funny that don’t you think????
- Try to set up yourself for good practice to make for good match play!
Keep posted to this site for more new tips !
Happy hitting !
Mark Roger
" Tennis is mind over matter and at the end of the day - it just does'nt matter "
Stringing - by Mark Roger
The world’s best players get their racquets strung after each match
WHY ? ...... So they do not have to adjust their swings
If you don’t restring your racquet regularly it loses its playability: simply the ball does not come off the strings at the same trajectory as it did before. Hence the shots you hit do not clear the net by as much as and therefore land shorter, you may think at this stage that your racquet is losing power.
You end up changing your swing to compensate for this loss of power. After a new restring a lot of people can complain they are now hitting long but this is a result of not restringing their racquet on a regular basis and having to adjust their swing.
Did you know how much was involved in restringing your racquet ?
Let’s try to clear up some issues relating to how frequently you should restring your racquet and which type of string and tension are best for you.
How often should I get my racquet restrung ?
Well a general rule of thumb is to restring your racquet per the same amount you play per week. So if you play once a week, then restring your racquet once a year, if you play twice a week then restring twice a year and so on…
What tension should I restring at ?
The racquet tension will largely depend on you as a player. The looser you restring your racquet, the more power it will give you; but the tighter you restring it, the more control you’ll have. Be careful if you have arm/elbow problems as a tighter restring may do you more damage. Try to experiment with some different tensions and find one that suits you and stick with it. Remember that a racquet used frequently (ie 2 to 3 times per week) will lose tension and may perform differently - this means it’s time to get a restring so you can keep playing at your optimum level.
What type of string ?
Strings have different gauges (thickness) and this can also produce a different feel to hit with. A thinner gauge string may feel like it is more “playable” but will probably not be as durable, while a thicker string will more durable but not as playable. By playable I mean that you will feel the ball off your strings better, therefore giving you more control and finesse!!!!
Please fell free to contact us on 9901 3144 and talk to our String Doctors to see if we can give your game an edge !
tennis tips - by craig w smith
MAKE YOUR SERVE MORE ACCURATE
1/. Target practice (use a big target to start with (eg: chair)
and as you get better try a smaller target (eg: ball can).
2/. Practice your 1st and 2nd serves.
3/. PRACTICE ..... practice, practice
RETURN A FAST SERVE
1/. Move back (this allows you more time to get your backswing)
OR
2/. Block the return (use a more compact backswing and use the servers pace)
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR GROUNDSTROKES
1/. Eyes on the ball (watch the ball all the way onto your racquet)
2/. Move your feet (get into position for the shot then recover your court position ready for the next shot)
3/. Percentage tennis (hit high over the net and hit cross court)
4/. Topspin (the ball will dip after crossing over the net)
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR BALL TOSS ON SERVE
1/. Finger tip control (hold the ball with the tips of your fingers and thumb)
2/. Place the ball above you (with a straight arm by pushing the ball
up and not 'flicking' the wrist)
3/. Point at the ball (extend the arm up as long as possible before your swing on the serve)
Practice !
...... the more you practice the better you get
court of appeals - by JEFF SNELLING
ANY WAY YOU SPIN IT
During a doubles match, one of our opponents hit a high lob with backspin. It landed about two feet past the net. He and his partner retreated, leaving me with an easy drop shot. As I went to hit the ball, I realized the backspin was going to take it back over the net without me touching it. Our opponents claimed the point because I didn't hit the ball. Were they right ?
Trick shot artist Mansour Bahrami would have been proud of this shot, but next time don't just watch it, hit it. You can even reach over the net for a shot like this, where the ball has already bounced on your side of the court, provided you don't touch the net (Rule 25b). Otherwise, if a ball lands in a spins back over the net, the point goes to the team who hit the shot.
LATE LET
At 8-8 in a 10-point tiebreaker in an intense singles ladder match, my opponent and I ignored a ball that came onto our court. After I won the point, my opponent claimed he was hindered by the ball. I told him he should have immediately called a let. he wanted to replay the point, but I refused. I won the next point and the match. Was I right ?
Yes, you were. If your opponent had immediately called for a let, he would have been entitled to it. According to The Code Item19. " The player loses the right to call a let if the player unreasonably delays in making the call". The rules don't allow players to call lets depending on the outcome of a point.
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