At the Net

Thanks again for the great tips in this video together with Jorge Capestany.

Now on the 2 tip you mentioned to change to bh grip with the hand holding the frame of the racket and that it is a mistake to change grip with the hand holding the grip.

Why is that? I saw you pulling your shoulders upwards in the video.

In other resources I read that you can do what you suggested or change grip with your dominant hand and just holding the frame with your support hand.

Many thanks for your comments on this.

How to Change Grips Quickly at the Net

The non-dominate hand is the key to a grip change. When moving to the the left, the left foot moves first toward the ball on balls that are close to the player. As that happens, the left hand places the racquet behind or above the in-coming ball. That allows the dominate hand to move to a new grip position based upon the height of the in-coming ball and your intention for the shot.

My racquet should rise above the incoming ball to create a downward and forward movement into the ball for more spin and speed (action) on the ball I am volleying.

Ken DeHart
SJSRC Director of Tennis
PTR & USPTA Master Professional

Photo Credits: ataelw

• Racquet Mail: Trusting Your Strokes This is the first of hopefully many Racquet Mail posts. I received an email with a question about trusting your strokes, and wrote this article in response. Trusting your strokes is a skill that is obviously quite mental in nature. In my program, called Defeating the Monsters in your Mind,......
• Little Known Facts That Influence Your Tennis Game [/caption] 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......
• The Psychology of a Winner: Improving Your Practice They say practice makes perfect. I say "perfect practice makes perfect.” Practice is just the first thing you have to keep in mind when you're aiming for that win on the court. This begs the question then on how do you improve your practice? Look to the four tips below......
• Ball Machines – Using them for Singles Practice Ball machines are great for practicing your singles shots – if positioned correctly. 5 things NOT to do when using a ball machine: Do not place the ball machine only on the baseline in the center of the court Do not have the ball machine oscillate only from deuce court......
• Winning in Practice, pt 2 This is part two in a two part set. Doubles Situations The receiving team must lob the return of serve and try to take the net at least twice in each game. This is especially effective when the serving team is serving into the sun. The serving team must play......

• Even More Tips to Improve your Serve There are a great number of different tips that you can employ for improving your tennis game, especially when it comes to serving. Right now, let us talk about the steps that can be taken to increase your serving capabilities. When you increase your ability to serve, you can......
• More Tennis Tips pt 3 ... Continued from More Tennis Tips pt 2. This is part three in our weekly tennis tips series. Here are some more invaluable tips that will help you improve all aspects of your tennis game. You should swing your racket back until the point where the tip is barely......
• 100 Quick Tennis Tips pt 3 Here are 100 quick and easy tennis tips to get your game going. We're going to spread this list out over a couple of posts to keep it interesting. Tip #25 - You are going to want to imitate the incoming ball's trajectory using your backswing. For example, if the......
• Poker Odds and Starting Hands Chart [ad#09_02_08] After reading this you may be interested in reading the Top 10 for Poker Table Etiquette Poker Statistics And Hand Probabilities Opening Hand Odds For Texas Hold'em AA ------------------------- 220-1 KK ------------------------- 220-1 QQ ------------------------- 220-1 Pocket Pair ------------------------- 16-1 AKs ------------------------- 331-1 AK -------------------------   110-1 KQs ------------------------- ......
• Get a Grip – How to Fix Your Swing By Fixing Your Grip Few players realize just how important their grip is when it comes to their swing. If you are not gripping your club correctly, you will not be able to effectively harness the power of your swing. You may slice, you may hook, but you will most likely get frustrated. Your......

Tennis Volley

Here are 7 questions you might consider before you start:

1. Is there 1 best grip?
2. What is the experience status of the player – beginner, intermediate or advanced?
3. What is the age of the player?
4. What is the physical strength of the player?
5. What are their aspirations as far as development of their game?
6. Will they practice new skills sets?
7. Do they want to change?

Which of the grips do I choose to teach:

1. Eastern backhand
2. Continental
3. Eastern forehand
4. Semi-western
5. Hybrid

You will need to evaluate several tactical questions to come up with the correct technical answer.

Here are 9 to consider:

1. Where is the position your opponent sending the ball from?
2. What is the height of the incoming ball you are receiving?
3. What kind of spin are you receiving?
4. What kind of speed are you receiving?
5. What is the position from which you are receiving the ball?
6. What is the position of the opponent as you send the ball?
7. Do you wish to stay in the point or finish the point?
8. What kind of spin are you going to send away?
9. What kind of speed are you going to send away?

Sample tactical situations you might be faced with – for a right handed player:

You are inside the service line and the ball you are receiving is coming to your right side but close to your body and between waist and chest high.

Options: Based upon the speed of the ball to be received you may choose:

1. Play a forehand or backhand
2. On a faster ball, use more of an eastern forehand grip to block or hit with some underspin into the open court
3. On a slower ball, use more of a continental grip, move away from the incoming ball to create better spacing and hit a short or sharply angled ball to your left
4. On a slower ball, use more of an eastern forehand grip, move away from the ball and play an inside out ball to your right

If the ball to be received were wide to your right, slightly below net height and barely reachable you may:

1. Switch to a heavy continental or even an eastern backhand grip to open the racquet face, maximize your reach and attempt to apply underspin.  This would help to reduce the speed of the ball, apply spin to direct the ball back up over the net and reduce the depth of the ball if the opponent were deep in the court.
2. You may firm up the grip a contact to get more depth with the spin if the opponent were wide or inside the service line and you needed to send it back behind him.
3. You may try for a sharply angled volley behind your position, softer return or deeper return – based upon you skill level, their position, you position and luck.

As you can see, there are literally hundreds of tactical factors to consider in choosing the technical skill.  It takes lots of practice balls to gain the experience to recognize the tactical situation you are in.  It takes lots of practice balls to develop the technical skills to execute correct option available to you in that tactical moment.

In receiving the ball, you might consider 5 basic questions:

1. Who is sending the ball?
2. What kind of ball is being sent?
3. Where is the sender?
4. When will it get to you?
5. Why would you choose that tactical option?

In sending the ball, you might consider 5 basic questions:

1. Who are you sending the ball to?
2. What kind of ball should you send?
3. Where is the ball to be sent?
4. When should you contact the ball?
5. Why should you choose that tactical option?

The 5 tactical factors you must consider are:

1. Get the ball in play?
2. Determine the direction – cross court, down the middle or down the line?
3. Determine the depth – short, middle or deep depth?
4. Determine the spin – underspin, sidespin or topspin?
5. Determine the speed – soft, medium or fast?

Summary:

All grips are correct – based upon the tactical position from which you are receiving the ball and the tactical position you wish to send the ball:

Forehand:

1. Continental on a low ball
2. Continental or eastern of a ball above net high
3. Eastern or semi-western on balls above the chest or head high
4. Eastern backhand on low wide balls
5. Hybrid grip between any of he above

Backhand:

1. Eastern forehand or continental on low ball
2. Continental or eastern backhand grip on balls above net high
3. Eastern backhand or continental on balls above the chest or head high
4. Eastern forehand on low wide balls
5. Hybrid grip between any of the above.

These options are by no means complete – have fun and develop feel for the racquet and ball through practiced discovery with your professional.

The ultimate goal is to prepare the racquet face to receive then send the correct tactical shot.

Ken DeHart

PTR & USPTA Master Professional
USA High Performance Coach
2 time PTR International Pro of the Year
Wilson Premier Advisory Staff
4 time USPTA Divisional Pro of the Year

Photo Credits: nsaplayer

• 12 Tennis Tips to Improve Your Game 1.) How to know if you are ready to start a tennis match?  As you warm up for the match, notice if you are able to see the spin on the ball before you meet the ball or if you can see a "yellow streak" into and out of your......
• What to do when things go bad? My forehand/backhand keeps missing wide? Select a target rather than just cross court. Select a safer target 2-3 feet inside the lines. Keep you eyes still until you see the blur of your racquet go past your eyes - looking up re-directs your shot. Align your feet to get......
• Ball Machines – Using them for Singles Practice Ball machines are great for practicing your singles shots – if positioned correctly. 5 things NOT to do when using a ball machine: Do not place the ball machine only on the baseline in the center of the court Do not have the ball machine oscillate only from deuce court......
• Little Known Facts That Influence Your Tennis Game [/caption] 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......
• Drop Shot – The Weapon of Choice With the game going to power, bigger and stronger players, the drop shot appeared to be the forgotten shot in tennis.  At one point in his early career, even Roger Federer chose not to use this questionable tactic in his match play.  Now, it is a signature shot for players......

• Tennis Glossary pt2 Net Cord - This is the cable that is responsible for supporting the net. Net Cord Judge - This is an official that is responsible for calling a let on service. This judge will sit up in front of the chair of the umpire on one end of the net,......
• 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......
• More Tennis Tips pt 3 ... Continued from More Tennis Tips pt 2. This is part three in our weekly tennis tips series. Here are some more invaluable tips that will help you improve all aspects of your tennis game. You should swing your racket back until the point where the tip is barely......
• 100 Quick Tennis Tips pt 1 Here are 100 quick and easy tennis tips to get your game going. We're going to spread this list out over a couple of posts to keep it interesting. Tip #1 - Before you pick up the game of tennis, you should absolutely make sure to consult a physician to......
• Tips for Serving Here are some more useful tennis tips for improving your serving game. If you want to make improvements in your ability to serve, these tips will prove useful. Tip #1 - Vary your procedure when you are serving. You are going to want to vary your procedure as well......

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......
• 3 Secrets to Winning Doubles, pt 2 [/caption] This is the second post of three consecutive posts on the secrets to winning doubles in tennis. Secret #2 "Tennis Dance" Where to move & when to move there! Dance of the server's partner: Find the middle of the service box, half way between the net and the service......
• 5 Winning Keys to Lobbing, pt 2 Welcome to part two of 5 Winning Keys to Lobbing. Below are tips three and four. 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......
• 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......
• 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......

• When do you know a friendship is over? The loss of some friendships hits at a visceral level. On the other hand some friendships just kind of drift away from lack of contact or interest(s.) When growing up, I had serial best friends. There didn't seem to be any reason why one friendship segued into another. It just......
• Tennis Elbow 101 If you are dealing with tennis elbow, knowing how to treat it or what to do about it is vital. Here is a look at what you can do when you are dealing with tennis elbow. If you want to alleviate a shoulder, elbow or wrist that is temporarily sore......
• 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.......
• Stringing Tension for Tennis Racquets One of the most commonly misunderstood issues when it comes to playing the game of tennis is tennis racquet stringing tension. Despite being commonly misunderstood, this is a very important consideration that you need to put attention into, especially when you are just getting started in the game of tennis.......
• More Tips for Your Tennis Serve Here are some helpful tennis tips that will give you some perspective on improving your serve. Remember that different tennis tips are going to help different players in unique ways. The true key is going to lie in your ability to try out different tips and techniques until you......

Trusting your strokes is a skill that is obviously quite mental in nature. In my program, called Defeating the Monsters in your Mind, we take a unique look at approaching the trust factor, like so:

First we need to have a definition of what mental toughness is. Mental toughness is the ability for you to perform a skill, based on what you know at the time, performing the skill accordingly without fear of failure or success.

The lack of trust begins when you do not have a clear cut picture for success. Your mind is not focusing on the shot, but is already worrying about the future and concerning itself with the consequences before they even have a chance to happen.

Before you are a competent rally person, you need to focus on the task at hand like so:

1 – Read the incoming ball,
2 – Make a decision regarding both speed and location,
3 – Move into a position allowing you to execute your shot, performing the skill,
4 – Allow your eyes to stay within the contact zone long after the ball has left,
5 – Allow your movements to continue after the shot, recovering and then preparing you for the next shot.

In the practice phase for your game, your focus should be on the execution of your shot. In the match, the focus will then switch to the result of the shot before it is made.

There are a number of drills available that will enhance your ability to perform in match play the same way that you would perform in practice, including:

1 – Looking for the spin of the ball as it comes toward you,

2 – Preparing for the shot as soon as you can see the spin. The sooner the spin is perceived, the more time you will have for preparation. This level of focus, which falls at 8 or 9 on a scale to 10, will allow you to better evaluate what your focus level is, which will help you determine what your practice level is.

3 – Count as you make contact with the ball, as well as when your opponent makes contact with the ball, allowing you to focus on it.

4 – Counting will also allow you to breathe. You can cause a lot of stress in a rally if you are not breathing. It is common for “choking” to occur where you freak out and go for a winner because you are not breathing.

5 – Make tennis an experience that is moving, by counting the number of steps after each contact, and before the next contact. Most professionals average at around 10 to 12 steps, though average players take 4 to 6 and beginners only average 2 to 4 steps.

The reason for dropped steps usually relates to:

- Not knowing you needed to take a specific number of steps,

- Beginning to worry about the shot’s future allows your feet to move less and legs to become tighter.

These are some of the most typical ways to conquer the monsters in your mind. If you have any thoughts relating to the fear of failure or success will impact your ability to play the game. The only way to control the future is by taking the right steps now. See the ball spin, count, and move, in order to stay in the present.

Photo Credits: 1

• 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......
• 4 Stages of Learning [/caption] Get the Competitive Edge with Ken DeHart Learning a new skill can be quite challenging.  There are 4 basic stages we often encounter to take a new skill from unawareness to an unconscious performance level. Stage 1 Unconsciously Incompetent – I didn't know I needed to know that or......
• 12 Tennis Tips to Improve Your Game 1.) How to know if you are ready to start a tennis match?  As you warm up for the match, notice if you are able to see the spin on the ball before you meet the ball or if you can see a "yellow streak" into and out of your......
• 7 Habits of Highly Successful Tennis Professionals 1. Be "Pro" Active Sure you have been teaching for years and may not need a lesson plan. But just as you would prepare to play a match, you still would need to review.  So, have a game plan for your student or opponent and think about your last......
• Drop Shot – The Weapon of Choice With the game going to power, bigger and stronger players, the drop shot appeared to be the forgotten shot in tennis.  At one point in his early career, even Roger Federer chose not to use this questionable tactic in his match play.  Now, it is a signature shot for players......

• Phil Mickelson Wins 3rd Masters Title Even though the spotlight over the last week has shone on Tiger Woods and his return to golf after a five month hiatus, Phil Mickelson is the golfer who walked away Sunday with his 3rd Masters title. Though Woods' first day was all the buzz at the beginning of the......
• Ground Strokes Guide pt 1 Unless you are playing well beyond the intermediate level, then more than 75 % of your shots made during play are going to be forehand ground strokes or backhand ground strokes. For this very reason, your ground strokes absolutely need to be your basic weapons and tools for winning on......
• Tennis Glossary Continued Here is a continuation of the tennis glossary of terms that we have been working on for some time now. Sidespin - Sidespin is imparted to a ball by drawing the strings of the racket along the ball horizontally as the ball makes contact, this creates a spin around the......
• Scott Wins Texas Open Adam Scott earned his first PGA Tour Victory in 2 years on at the Texas Open on Sunday, ending with a 14-under 274 and taking home the $1,098,000 prize pot. He defeated runner-up Fredrik Jacobson by one stroke. Texas is apparently a great place for Scott, as it's the only......
• Golf Glossary pt 3 Bold - This usually describes a putt that has been hit too hard, and therefore goes well beyond the intended target. It may also be applied to a shot that carries away too far. Borrow - What this means is to play a put just to the side of the......