Getting in Shape

So when I planned to play in the USPTA Nationals on Marco Island, Florida this September I had a plan in my head to “get in shape” and take this tournament serious. That meant I would play against some of the club members – not too much better than me so I could still experience the “thrill of victory” without too much “agony of defeat”.

Thanks to Reno, NT, Ted, John, James and a few of my lessons that I got to hit with during the week. I was ready, ha ha. Surprisingly, I was playing pretty well and with the help of Dr. Omara and the guys at the score clinic, I was able to rid my body of knee, hip and a few other pains. I was suddenly experiencing the ability to move decently on the court and get to balls again.

To be honest, I was playing the best I had played in about the last 3-4 years on a consistent basis – until Tuesday morning when I felt especially fast and decided to go get a shot that I would have in the past not been able to even think about running after. After the 5th step at a speed that was blinding – for me at this time in my life, I felt it – the right hamstring. I hit the ball, grabbed the hamstring and kept running into the next court – only because I couldn’t stop.

Oh well, the best laid plans of mice and Ken. Off to the score clinic to see what kind of damage I had done. It actually felt more like a big time cramp in a specific area than a tear. I had torn the left hamstring earlier in 2009, so I had a reference point.

Poor Dr “O”, he knows when I come in he is in for another – guess what I have. Like most of my members at the San Jose Swim & Racquet Club I wait until I have a big problem to seek help. I get more for my money that way??? And I usually like to wait until I have several aches so I can get them all treated at the same time. Only problem, the doctor doesn’t have all day to treat just me. Why not, am I not important? I mean after all I think I am – it’s broke can’t you fix it – NOW?

In his best doctor voice he says, “Ken, what did you do now?” I tell him my sob story and tell him how well I have been playing, I leave in 3 days to go play, can you fix me, now and sorry I haven’t been in to see you in months. First it is E-Stim, another treatment, some investigative research on the area, some Graston Technique treatment, some stretching and ice. Good news, it is a strain and not a complete tear.

Ice – ice baby is the recommendation, no rapid acceleration or deceleration and how many times can you get in to see me before you leave on Thursday? I have a day and a half to work that in plus: get out the newsletter, string 8 racquets, get my presentation ready to speak on Hilton Head, pack my suitcase, answer 47 emails, do the draw for the Ace Cancer Tournament and teach 12 hour Tuesday and Wednesday.

Whey, got most of it done, saw the Dr. 2 times and got to the airport a by 6:30 Thursday morning – thanks to my wife, Karen. The leg feels good, even after 9 hours going from San Jose to Atlanta. I am waiting in the Atlanta airport for my last leg of the flight – Atlanta to Hilton Head. I should arrive about 10 pm, get a rental car, find my condo I am staying at and get ready to attend workshops all day Friday and Saturday with a 3 hour presentation I will make on “59 Best Drills and 25 Corrective Techniques”. I hope to practice on Sunday and have the hamstring feel great, fly to Ft Meyers, Florida, drive an hour to Marco Island, get to the hotel at 1 am, I get some sleep and be ready to play my match sometime on Monday as well as attend an 8 hour High Performance Training Course and meet Kameron and Karen who will be arriving from Disney World around noon.

Ah… the life of a tennis pro! Wouldn’t trade if for any other job in the world.

• Serve and Volley or Rush and Crush Formations These players love to get to the net at any cost, hit strong volley winners and overheads. Don’t be afraid of the charging team. Reasons for the serving team to use this formation: 1. The serving team is both good volleyers. 2. The serving team has good overheads and likes......
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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.

Photo Credits: 1

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Playing the Score

Practice your singles and doubles match with altered scoring situations:

1. Start all games at love 30, 30 love, 30 all, 15-40 to experience the  pressure of being ahead, tied or behind with no room to play lose points.
2. Start all sets at 2 all, 3 all or down 2-4 and serving to feel the pressure of set scores that create no wiggle room for unfocused play
3. Play best 3 out of 5 tie breakers using the 10 point tie breaker used in place of a third set.  Use this in place of regular sets for challenge ladders and tie breaker experience (first to 10 points by 2 wins the breaker)
4. Play best 3 out of 5 tie breakers using the 12 point tie breaker used at 6 all in a set (first to 7 wins the breaker).

Situational Tactics

1. You can only score while serving.  If you lose the point the opponent serves until someone scores a point from that side of the court (deuce or ad court).  Like the old system of volleyball scoring, this situation teaches the players how to win while serving.  *Regular games and sets are played using this scoring or you may use some of the altered scoring scenarios from “Playing the Score” above.
2. Players must serve and volley both first and second serves.
3. Serves can only go to the backhand in both the deuce and ad courts, only to the forehand or into the body for a designated numbers of games to work on placement of the serve
4. Players only get 1 serve per point – no second serve.
5. All players must serve from the sunny side of the court each game.
6. Serving from the sunny side of the court, the servers must serve underhanded, side arm or some below the shoulder type of serve.
7. Servers must play with only a specific type of serve: slice, topspin or flat for a specific number of games.  This helps the players get lots of experience in practicing a particular type of serve.

Photo Credits: 1

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