COMMUNITY SPORTS TIPS: The five most common mistakes in tennis

We all love the game of tennis and all of the benefits it adds to our lives:  good health and good friends in a social or competitive atmosphere.  I want to share with you a list of the most common mistakes people make and the recommended adjustments. See if this helps you enjoy the game just a little bit more and puts you in the “W” column more frequently.

Trying to hit winners every time: First, let’s understand that in every match you will hit winners but even at the professional level, as great as these young men and women are, they normally will only hit 26 to 30 winners in a two and a half hour match.  Now imagine how many balls they hit in that period of time and you will see it is not a very high percentage.  The professionals play to stay in the point.  They do not let their opponents force them into mistakes.  During the course of the point there will come a time to strike but that is never on the first ball.

Aiming the ball just over the net: We will keep this simple, the net is an obstacle in tennis not something to line your shot up to.  It is equivalent to the water hazard in golf.  You do not want to clear the water by a little bit because your percentages are bad.  Likewise in tennis you need to clear the net by 2 to 4 feet so you are playing high percentage tennis.  Believe me if you lost your balls in tennis like you lose your balls in golf when you hit the hazard you would quit doing it and you would find yourself in the “W” column more often.

Not moving your feet: Tennis is a game of motion and transition.  There should be no standing between shots.  Hit your shot and move to the next shot and your transition will be smooth. You will be well balanced for your next hit.  When you stand between shots you become flatfooted and lose your momentum.  Pushers love to play people who just stand around so do not be that person.  You can stand and rest between points but not during the point.

Not following the ball: Tennis is a game of angles and the more you move with the ball the more you are cutting off the shot your opponent will hit next. 

Not watching the ball: Always keep your eye on the ball.  There is seeing the ball and watching the ball.  When you watch the ball you see it hit on your opponents side of the court, you see the ball off of your opponent’s racket which will tell you immediately if the ball is going to your forehand or backhand and tell you if the ball is coming shallow or deep.  This gives you a head start to your next shot and puts your opponent on defense.

That’s the Tennis Talk for now, until next time,

John

John Woods is the director of tennis at the Longboat Key Club and Resort. For more information, call 387-9151 or visit www.longboatkeyclub.com.