Roger Federer

The average length of a point in a match is about 4-7 seconds.

The tennis court is 3.5 feet longer cross court than it is down the line – safer shot with more court space and less movement to recover-to the middle of “possible returns”.

The tennis ball travels faster and bounces higher when the temperature is hotter and the air is dryer – like in Phoenix, Arizona.

Tennis balls become heavier when there is more humidity in the air, there is more drag on the ball and it travels slower through the air.

The term “heavy ball” refers to the amount of pace on a ball. It is the kind of ball the pros hit when they play.

“Pace” is the combination of spin and speed – like the pros hit.

“Racquet Back” does not refer to taking the racquet back but moving the outside foot near the ball toward the sideline.  This move opens the hip and the shoulder – which gives the appearance of “taking the racquet back”. It is not an isolated move with the shoulder.

“Ready Position” in tennis is similar to the position of a praying mantis as he prepares to attack his prey.

“The net” wins more points than your opponent.  Most errors in tennis are made into the net.

“Return of serve” should resemble an approach shot more than a ground stroke – especially for club players.  That is achieved by starting back so you can move through the return of serve.

“Footwork” – the pros average 10-12 steps between each shot they hit.

“Grip Tension” – the pros use a very light grip tension when they hold the racquet.  On a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the tightest, they typically use about a 2 to 3 grip tension level.

You only play 10-12 minutes in an hour and half tennis match – tired yet???

“Attention Deficit”- most error are a result of lack of attention rather than technical weakness. On a scale of 1-10 your “attention” level should be at 8-9 or 10. Attention levels of 7-6 or 5 will result in “unforced” errors. Attention levels of 4-3-2 or 1 means you will probably hurt yourself or someone else.

Photo Credits: Squeaky Knees

• Ken DeHart Presents “Strategy and Tactics of Tennis” at Missouri Valley USPTA USPTA Master Professional, Ken DeHart was the kick-off speaker at the 2009 Missouri Valley USPTA Conference at the Homestead Country Club in Kansas City, Missouri. Ken presented a 4 hour continuing education course on Strategy and Tactics to more than 80 tennis teaching professionals and high school coaches attending......
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• More Tennis Tips pt 2 ... Continued from More Tennis Tips pt 1. This is part two in our weekly tennis tips series. Here are some more invaluable tips that will help you improve all aspects of your tennis game. Now you should draw your racquet back and away from the net and make......
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• Footwork & positioning of the feet and the body for the stroke
• Grip tension
• Tracking of the ball
• Intended target and direction of the ball
• Desired spin and arc of the ball

However for the stoke itself, here are 3 key components:

1. The Preparation or Turn – getting the racquet in a position to prepare for the second step
2. The Contact or Touch – the impact moment where the racquet and the ball make the connection.  The preparation of the racquet to approach the ball from above or below will help determine if the ball is to be contacted with underspin or topspin.  The racquet angle and direction of the  racquet face at the moment of contact with decide the direction, arc and spin of the ball as it leaves the racquet
3. The Finish – the continuation of the racquet motion following contact until the racquet has sufficiently de-accelerated

A simple way to remember is to have “TTF” forehand or backhand (Turn, Touch and Finish).

Photo Credits: marragem

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• 5 Winning Keys to Lobbing, pt 3 Welcome to our third and final part of Keys to Lobbing. Number five, the last tip in this set is below. 5. 7 Tips to practicing the lob 1. Practice tossing the ball up, letting it bounce then directing the lob to a 9 foot by 9 foot area in......
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• Tennis Glossary pt6 Error - This is a shot that did not manage to make it across the net, or that landed out of the court, and this will result in a loss of the point. Face - This is the racquet's flat area, one that is formed by way of the strings......
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78 feet long – 36 feet wide for doubles and 78 by 27 for singles

Love- Score when a player has no score

15- Score when you win the 1st point
30- Score when you win the second point

40 - Score when you win the third point

Duece- Score when both players have won 3 point

Add– Score when a player has one the next point after duece, Add-In if the server won it –Add-Out if the receiver won the point

Game- When a player wins 4 points and is ahead by 2-points. Or when two players have reached a score of DUECE, one player wins the next point for an ADD-IN then wins the next point for GAME

Serve – Stroke used to put the ball into play. You get 2 chances to put a serve into the service court to start a point

Return of Serve - Stroke used to return the servers serve to play out the point

Ground Stroke - Stoke (forehand or backhand) used to return the ball after it hits the ground

Volley - A shot used near the net (similar to catching the ball) before it touches the court

Overhead - Stroke used near the net (similar to a serve) to smash the ball out of the air and above your head

Rally – Term used when players hit the ball back and forth in practice or a match

Have Fun!

• SJSRC Annual Wooden Racquet Tennis Social /caption]Each year, around the 4th of July and Wimbledon, SJSRC Director of Tennis Ken DeHart goes into his storage and pulls out a selection of wooden tennis racquets from his collection of over 2,000 old tennis racquets, gathers up some interesting books on the history of tennis, orders some white......
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3. 5 Tips on where to Lob

1. Always aim lobs  over the opponents backhand side (notice if they are left handed)

2. Few players have the strength or timing to power a backhand overhead – even on a short lob

3. This tactic forces them to decide if they want to go for a dangerous angle or defensively put it back into the court – which keeps you in the point

4. If they choose to let the ball bounce to hit it, they are now forced deeper into their court and must play a backhand ground stroke. As a high ball bounces, there is a blind spot as the ball passes in front of your eyes from out of the air to on the ground. The high backhand requires and earlier point of contact than the forehand so they must retreat even further behind the ball to have a powerful point of contact.

5. If the lob is played to the forehand overhead is almost always struck more powerfully. From this side, the arm can reach further back than on the backhand side. Players may even reach back and does a “sky hook” like a hook shot in basketball.

4. 11 Tips on when to Lob

1. To start the match – In doubles, on the first two points of the match – lob the return when the serving team is looking into the sun. This allows you to get the return of serve into play using the largest space you can find against their best serve.

2. To confuse – A well placed lob makes the receiving team have to switch positions and often retreat to the service line which give you time to organize to attack

3. To take away a powerful ground stroke – The lob makes the server not able to use their forehand in the deuce court off your return. Instead, they have to chase the ball down and hit a high bouncing backhand in the ad court while their partner is forced to switch from the ad court over to the deuce court.

4. If the lob is deep, it allows you to move forward so your team has now captured the net and gone from defense to offense with one simple shot.

5. To buy time – the lob allows you to get the ball up so you have time to recover into a better position to play the next ball with a shot you may prefer.

6. It gives you a bigger and safer target to aim for – the sky

7. It makes your opponent anxious to attempt to put the “easy” ball away before you can assume an offensive position in the court

8. To take over the net position – a deep lob that bounces and forces your opponents back near the baseline. This will allow you and your partner time to come up to the service line. From this position you will be able to determine if they are going to try to lob. You will now be able to play an overhead or close in if they try to drive the ball from deep in their court.

9. To defend against an Australian formation or “Modified I” formation – if the net player in the Australian position plays too close to the net, it becomes easy to lob diagonally crosscourt to the deep corner to defeat this alignment.

10. To defend against an aggressive poaching team – it is difficult to poach or have an all-out attack on the net if the receiving team keeps lobbing down the line or looping crosscourt when are in a total offensive scheme.

11. To defend against a fast closing serve and volley player – if the server closes too fast it becomes easy to lob over their head as they have to stop and back up to play the deep lob return. It is difficult to close quickly when the server has to retreat and change directions to cover a deep lob over their partners head. The server is now forced to play a high backhand in the ad court instead of a low forehand volley or ground stroke in the deuce court.

Photo Credits: 1

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