Attn: Jake Nelson
BeFIT TIMES
befittimes@earthlink.net
July 10, 2003
TENNIS CORNER
By STAN…THE TENNISMAN- STAFF WRITER
Winners vs Consistency
You need to hit with consistency
to win at tennis. Hitting winners is fun, but not as fun as taking home a trophy for your efforts. Have you ever played against
someone who “hits everything back”? It’s hard work isn’t it? Frustrating, exhausting and makes you
want to smash everything as hard as possible. After loosing you secretly hope you never have to play him again!!!
With some training and practice
you can be a winner. The goal in tennis is to be the last one to hit a ball over the net, in the court. All the rest of the
training and practice is aimed at making that happen. If your ball does not get in the court then you will loose. After you
master getting the ball back you can work on placement, depth, spin, and power.
Jerry White, head pro at Flint Canyon
Tennis Club, reminds us of the Dennis Van der Meer theory that you need to know 5 elements of the game. And to be really good
you will master them in order: Get the ball in; place it at just the right spot on the court; get it deep; add spin; then
add power. Wow! What a game? It will take time and months of good practice but
you will be pleased with the results.
Arthur Ashe believed, “For
club players, I have a comfortable rule of thumb. If, on every point you play, you hit the ball in five times, you are not
going to lose any matches”.
The great coach Dick Gould writes,
“…on percentage tennis, to make your opponent hit the ball. This is the first and foremost rule in tennis for
the advanced as well as the beginning player. Concentrate on keeping the ball going back to your opponent. Don’t let
him off the hook by trying an unnecessary shot and missing or getting caught out of position. You need only hit the ball in
court one more time than your opponent to win the point. And if you keep the ball in play, you apply pressure on your opponent
to hit a placement to beat you”.
Tip of the month:
Learn to play under control. Play
with a consistency first. Give yourself time to develop the point to find the right opportunity to become aggressive and hit
a winner. Consistency and control will help you win matches. Watch for the U. S. Open on television.
For further information or instruction,
contact Stan Carter, USPTA certified professional, at the Flint Canyon Tennis Club: 818-790-3355 or 213-321-8699. You are invited to visit www.StanTheTennisman.com or email questions and comments to Info@StanTheTennisman.com.
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