1. Just the thought of hitting “hard” will make you tense up and grip the racquet tightly. This does the exact opposite or what you are trying to achieve – it takes away your power.

2. Tension (level 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5) in the hand can cause the feet to not move appropriately.

3. Inappropriate footwork will not allow you to get into the correct position.  This in turn will not let your hands be in the correct place to use your natural “kinetic” chain that creates a powerful and effortless flow.

4. In turn, these factors can make you grip the racquet even tighter and lead to a tenser swing and faster frustration.

Little kids hit the ball hard even when they have little or no muscle. Because they cannot “muscle” the ball, they find a relaxed grip tension and rely on their natural timing to swing the racquet so the momentum of the swing generates the power. They also use the speed of the incoming ball to reflect the opponents power right back at them.

Your ability to swing easily and naturally begins with the “eyes”.   Seeing the ball well (see the rotation of the ball) helps you to accomplishes this:

1. Keeping the mind and eyes on the ball not the opponent is primary.

2. Once you see the ball well, you will understand “where” the ball is coming and “how” fast it is coming.

3. This will allow you to positioning your feet correctly for the direction you want to redirect it and help you know when to prepare your swing toward the ball.

4. Grip tension is about a #2 on a scale of 1-5 which keeps the tension out of the swing. This tension will allow you to “naturally” use your powerful “kinetic” chain to meet the ball without fear and create the best speed “you” can generate.

5. It is difficult to judge the speed of your own shots.  Most players assume their ball is slower that their opponents – this is not always true.

The eyes are the timing device for the body’s coordination. Most stroke errors and footwork errors are a product of the “disconnecting” thoughts experienced prior to the ball getting to the point of contact. Those thoughts influence your ability to get your feet into proper position and your hands to move the racquet to the point on contact.

Here are some simple techniques to help with tracking skills:

1. See the spin on the ball as it comes over the net.
2. See the “shadow” on the ball. The light, natural or artificial will cause a shadow on the ball.  Seeing the sunlight and the shadow creates a balance in the mind.
3. Count as you contact the ball by saying “one” then count “two” as you contact the ball to develop better tracking and focus skills.

Want to discover more power?  Ease you grip tension, track the ball early and to the contact zone and use your kinetic chain to produce a natural power.

• Begin with the End in Mind /caption]When you begin a point, you need to start with the end in mind.... where do you want the ball to go? You have to select a target. Once you have selected a target...down the line, down the center, cross court or an angle, you can begin to choose the......
• The 3 Parts of a Ground Stroke - "TTF" What are the basic parts of a forehand or a backhand ground stroke?  Many factors may go into the essentials of successfully beginning and completing either ground stroke. Footwork & positioning of the feet and the body for the stroke Grip tension Tracking of the ball Intended target and direction......
• Racquet Mail: Defeating the Inside out Forehand Racquet Mail: I have a question regarding how to counter the inside out forehand. I'm a 4.5-5.0 player with an all court game, with a two handed backhand. Lately, I have been having trouble with one high level opponent who grew up on clay courts. Typically, we rally a few......
• A Handful of Strategy… [/caption] When you are involved in a match and need help deciding what to do, look to your hand for the answer.  Make a fist and then follow these simple directions: P = In Play Stick up the thumb - the most important part of the hand which stands for......
• Ball Machines – Using them for Doubles Practice [/caption] Ball machines are great for practicing your doubles shots – if positioned correctly. 5 things NOT to do when using a ball machine: Do not place the ball machine on the baseline in the center of the court Do not have the ball machine oscillate from deuce court to......

• 13 Quick Tips for Better Tennis There are a lot of tennis tips and tricks floating around out there, but many are complicated and complex, and not at all easy for you to implement on your own without a dedicated trainer to walk you through them. The following article is designed to go over some quick......
• More Tips for Your Tennis Game These tips should help you improve your tennis game in various ways. Combine them, or try different tips one at a time until you're happy with the results. 1 - Learn how to vary the length when you make a backswing. You need o learn how to tailor the......
• 6 Great Home Uses for Power Pressure Washers Power pressure washers are handy pieces of equipment for home use, and some models are made for commercial use, as well. Unless you plan on running a pressure washing business, however, you can get away with a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment that can you use to do a large......
• Determining Tennis Racquet String Tension The string tension for a tennis racquet is a topic that is commonly misunderstood, but that does not make it any less important when it comes to making your racquet the best that it can be. Do you know what racquet string tension you should be using? When it really......
• Tips For Improving your Tennis Game Serve - This is the first in a series on improving your serve through different tennis playing tips. Top ranking players tend to exhibit far fewer variations in terms of their style and their form in their serves than any other type of stroke in the game of tennis.......