5 things NOT to do when using a ball machine:

1. Do not place the ball machine only on the baseline in the center of the court
2. Do not have the ball machine oscillate only from deuce court to ad court
3. Do not use the ball machine to practice only your ground strokes
4. Do not stand still after each of your shots
5. Do not return random shots of the in-coming ball

5 things TO consider doing when using a ball machine:

1. Place the ball machine off center where the opponent might be when making a shot
2. Have the ball machine direct the shots where the opponent might hit based upon their position on the court or particular tendencies of a know opponent
3. If you wish to have the ball machine oscillate, have it direct he ball within the options available if it were playing from that position in a rally.
4. After each shot recover to a new position on the court based upon where you place your return of the ball then recover quickly based upon where the next ball is coming from the ball machine.
5. Direct each ball you receive back toward an intended target. Aim for a direction and depth using the appropriate spin as you send the ball back over the net.

There are many options to consider in planning your practice to improve the quality and effectiveness of you practice time with the ball machine.

5 things to consider when PLANNING your practice:

1. Getting advice from someone on how to adjust the ball machine and how to vary deliveries of the ball
2. The length of time you want to practice – half an hour or an hour based upon your goals, shots you wish to work on and conditioning level
3. Having a friend join in with you to practice volleys off your ground strokes, lobbing off your volleys when at the net or alternating hitting after a certain number of shots or pattern has been completed.
4. It also helps when it comes time to pick up the balls when the machine is empty so you can spend more time hitting.  That may include taking turns putting balls in the machine while either of you are hitting then rotating turns. Consider serving all the balls that did not make it over the net when you do have to pause to pick up the balls to work on your serve as part of your practice.
5. Write down drills you create or ask your tennis professional to suggest some drills that would be good for your singles game.

10 options to make your PRACTICE PRACTICAL:

1. Select real singles targets using the 4 squares on the opposite side of the net.  Square 1 is the deuce service court, square 2 is the space behind the deuce service court, square 3 is the space behind the ad service court and square 4 is the ad service court. This will help you with the direction and depth of your intended target and make your practice more practical.
2. Even though the ball machine is set to send the ball to you as a ground stroke, practice moving forward after your initial shot to play a half-volley and then moving in further to play a volley or two.
3. As you play shots moving in toward the net, select targets for direction and depth that you would actually use if your opponent were on the baseline where the ball machine is located and your were attempting to capture the net.
4. When you get to the net, recover back quickly and retreat back toward the baseline as though you were put on total defense by your opponent.  Pause to make a shot from your position and then retreat further back until you choose to advance forward again.
5. Vary the speed of your shots.  Use the 3 speeds mentioned in other articles: level 1 is slower and has lots of spin, level 2 is a rally speed and level 3 is as hard as you can hit – without missing.
6. Vary the spin of your shots.  Use varying degrees of topspin and underspin to improve your weapons in match play.
7. Vary the frequency of the shots delivered by the ball machine.  Allow little time between shots or too much time like an opponent who plays softly and slowly with their returns.
8. Vary the spin of the shots delivered by the ball machine to help you learn how to receive different shots that may be difficult for you in your matches.
9. Limit the number of shots you make without pausing.  Hitting 3oo balls in a row just because that is how many the ball machine holds is not effective not efficient practice.  After about 40 or 50 balls, use the remote and turn off the machine and reset some feature of the ball you are receiving – change the direction of the in-coming ball, speed, spin or depth of the ball.
10. Change your targets often.  Practice enough returns to specific targets until you feel comfortable with that target then move on to a new target that demonstrates your ability to control the direction, depth, spin and speed of your returning shot.

Ask your tennis professional to use a ball machine in your next lesson to see how it can be used effectively in your practice session.  Ball machines are great ways to permit repetition in receiving particular balls and learning a response to that ball.  Ball machines also assist in developing confidence in your strokes so you can use them in match play without having to think about “how” to hit.  This will allow you to focus more on the strategy of “where” to direct your shots and enjoy playing the game – TENNIS.

by Ken DeHart
USA High Performance Coach
PTR & USPTA Master Professional

Photo Credits: shortCHINESEguy

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What's the end goal?

The more options you have in the category of spin and speed, the more weapons you will have to defeat your opponent. For example, using under spin, some side spin or top spin can provide several options for controlling a point. Having options as far as the speed used to direct the shot you have chosen also provides another way imposing a tactical control during a point. Level 1 can be a loopy-spinny ball, level 2 is a rally speed that allows you to keep the ball in play and level 3 is as fast as you can hit and still keep the ball in play.

The ultimate end may be to win the match but within that is the end of winning the set, the game or the point. Regardless of the goal, begin with the end in mind.

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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!

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5 Handy Tips

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 “Get the ball in Play.

D = Direction With the thumb still up, extend the index finger and point which stands for “Direction” which has 3 options: down the line, cross court or down the center.

D = Depth With the Thumb and first finger still extended, the next and middle finger stands for “Depth” and there are 3 depths: near the baseline, near the service line and near the net. With depth you will add a special ingredient to help you – Height. Height stands for the clearance of  your shot above the net to assist the depth of your shot.

S = Spin The last two fingers are the controlling fingers.  The ring finger stands for “Spin” and spin helps to control the depth of the shot and there are 3 spins: topspin, underspin and sidespin.

S = Speed The last finger is really important.  The little finger has huge importance, it stands for “Speed” and there are 3 speeds: level 3 = as hard as you can hit – without missing, level 2 = a rally speed that enables you to keep a 10-20 ball rally going and level 1 = a loopy-spinny shot that everyone hates to play against.

While coaching may not be allowed on court, you can put the letters P, D, D, S & S on the tips of each of your 5 digits and in the palm of your hand write the word, “coach”.

The coach says, “If you need help, the answer will be in your hand.  There are 5 ways to control a match.  The first 3; in play, direction and depth are managed by the last 2; spin and speed.  Together that provide you with 13 options to solve the problem you are facing in the match.

Play = 1 option – over the net and in the court

Direction = 3 directions to aim the ball

Depth = 3 depths to play

Spin = 3 kinds of spins to impart to the ball

Speed = 3 kinds of speeds to use

You do not need to try all of these at one time. Individually or together they give you options and a focus point in defining a purpose or plan for the defeat of your opponent.

So the next time you are facing a challenging situation in a match, look to your hand for a “Handful of Answers.”

These 5 options make a great lesson plan if you are teaching others the strategy of the game or working on your own game.  If you or your students are unable to perform these 5 options, you now have a great “technical” lesson plan.  Teach and learn “how” to execute the strokes necessary to achieve the 5 strategies in the hand.

For other innovate approaches to playing and teaching “The Game”, go to www.kendeharttennis.com.

Send me questions about your game, training techniques or drills and I will give you weapons to develop a competitive game – regardless of your level.

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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

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Doubles Situations

1. 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.
2. The serving team must play out of the “I” formation or Australian formation.  Get use to using the formations so you will have confidence to use them in a match as well as experiencing how to return against the formations.
3. The receiving team starts with both players back. This takes the pressure off the receiver to make a great return to avoid getting their partner killed by the poaching player of fast charging net player
4. The serving team starts both players on the baseline. This formation helps when the receiver is killing the net player because they cannot volley or the serves are too weak.

Singles Situations

1. Players must serve, return and rally 6 balls cross court before the point can begin.  Serve to the deuce court and rally deuce court then serve to the ad court and rally ad court cross court.  Keep score like in a regular match.
2. Player serves and rally out the point.  If the ball lands inside the service line the striker loses the point.  You can also play that the short ball requires the receiver of the short ball to go to the net to play out the point.
3. “3 to win a major” – (with 3 players) one player will serve 3 points.  If the server or receiver wins all 3 points they win a “major point”.  If they win 2 of the 3 points they stay on the court and a third player comes on to replace the person who lost the 1 point and a new game is played. If they win 1 of the 3 they are the one replaced by the third player who will now play 3 points against the player who stayed on the court.  This stresses the difficulty in winning 3 points in a row.  (*when the score is 30-love there is an 80% chance the person with the lead will lose the next point and 65% chance they will lose the 4^th point as well).
4. “3 to win a major” – (with 2 players) one player serves and tries to win 3 points in a row to win a game.  If the receiver wins the point, they become the server and have 1 point while the former server loses all their points and starts at zero again.  Players keep games won and play out a set.

Situational scoring and match play can help to focus on specific skills necessary to improve ones tactical and mental approach to the game.  They also make great coaching opportunities. The shortened scoring and sets make great challenge match format that can be completed in a short period of time.

This form of altered play helps to make practice exciting and more challenging so players stay focused and do not experience “mindless” practice.  They get use to specific situations and proper responses to the score or situation so they play with a “been there before” confidence in actual match play.

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Reasons for the serving team to use this formation:

1. The serving team has one player who is “afraid” of the net.
2. The serving team has a player who is “afraid” of getting lobbed.
3. The serving team has a player who thinks they are playing singles and loves to stay back and rally for 30 balls.
4. The serving team has such a weak serve they can’t come in and the receiving team returns deep enough to never hit a short ball they can use to come to the net.

Reasons for the receiving team to use this formation:

1. The receiving team has a player who is “afraid” of the net.
2. The receiving team’s returns are too weak to put the serving team on defense.
3. The receiving team does not know how to chip or drop shot and come into the net to dominate play.
4. The receiving team is “afraid of the other team lobbing and their partner at the net does not know where or how to volley at the net to finish off points.

How to play teams that play one up one back:

1. Get to the net at all costs.
2. Direct your shots between them or past the person closest to the net who will have the least amount of reaction time.
3. If you get pinned back, keep the ball away from their net player with loopy – spinny balls.
4. Lob the net player and come in to an area about 2-3 feet behind the service line to allow you to play overheads, volleys or drop shots. Control the net and keep their team split.
5. Stay back and loop with them for a few shots then come into the net to volley the loopy returns out of the air – short angled shots.
6. Return drop shots to force the player who stayed back to come into the net then lob that player.

What not to do:

1. Avoid getting sucked into their style of play.
2. Do not miss the return. The server is staying back, slow down the return and loop it deep to them so they have no pace to hit back at you. This return is difficult to for the server’s partner to poach against – no pace and high.
3. Avoid easy errors and simple mistakes like trying to kill the volley “at the net person” – find the “valleys” to volley into.

Photo Credit: 1

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