 |
This page requires Flash player to view. Please download it here |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Proper positioning before striking the ball is a key to power. Footwork is of paramount importance in tennis. Stay on your toes and keep moving in between shots. Study your opponents and learn their patterns. If they like to volley at the net, try to play the ball deep and keep them off balance. Focus on the ball during it's entire flight from toss to strike. Maintain depth by playing deep. By keeping your opponent deep along the baseline it's more difficult to be hurt by quick volleys. |
|
|
 |
 |
|
Andre Agassi once described a men's singles match as "a perfect life struggle—two guys, out there by themselves, trying to figure it out." This apparently elemental battle is in fact comprised of technical and mental behaviors that recreational players can apply to their own games—if they know what to look for. Here, top coaches, commentators, and world-class players break down these small yet significant moves.
Footwork Is Paramount
Pay close attention to a match and you'll see that hitting a tennis ball effectively is mostly a by-product of deliberate choreography. "It's tempting to think tennis is a hitting game," says Mary Carillo, a commentator for CBS and ESPN, "but at heart it's really a movement game."
One good way to study footwork is to take your eyes off the rally and focus strictly on one of the players. This way you'll see how much effort pros put in after they've made contact with the ball. After 2008 U.S. Open finalist Andy Murray strikes the ball, he doesn't stop and observe his hit. Instead, Murray bounces on his toes, keeping balanced and alert so he can efficiently move to his opponent's next shot. According to Carillo, "It's those tiny adjustment steps that help a player get organized so that the ball can get struck properly."
Novak Djokovic is also a good player to watch in this regard. His disciplined footwork just about always puts him in position to take a firm, forceful swing. Note how he completes his stroke in a way that leaves him properly balanced and upright for the next shot.
But don't confuse footwork with footspeed. Certainly, pros like Murray, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and last year's women's finalist Jelena Jankovic can sprint to the ball when the situation demands it. But it's their ability to get in place for the point of contact—that is, able to get their feet and legs in place to take the most efficient swing possible—that makes them exceptionally proficient.
The Eyes Have It
One of the first pieces of instruction every player ever hears is head-smackingly simple: watch the ball. Still, the eyes of a recreational player typically wander, the ball arriving at the racket like a space shuttle suddenly splashing down. Pros track the ball with hawklike vigilance from the second it comes off the opponent's racket. They know that tiny clues such as the position of the racket face and the hitter's body will foretell the ball's spin and direction.
As the ball continues its flight, pros are watching its movement and preparing for its landing. Once they commence their swing, their heads move down along the ball's path. Five-time U.S. Open champion Roger Federer does this exceptionally well, his head remaining riveted on the target area well past the point of contact. When serving, players such as Andy Roddick keep their eyes up and glued to the ball rather than dragging their heads down after making contact.
"When you keep your eyes on the ball you are less likely to disrupt your technique," says veteran ESPN commentator Cliff Drysdale. "The pros don't lift their head and body off the ball too soon. They have faith in their swings and know they'll be ready for the next ball."
Manage Energy
Over the course of a tennis match, more time elapses between points than during them, and the best players use this to their advantage. As five-time US Open champion Pete Sampras once said, "You need to have a certain kind of amnesia out there, to forget the things that don't matter and remember the things that do." The pros are superb at filing away data from the previous point without succumbing to negative emotions. Instead, they gather their energy. Nadal, for one, will never let himself be rushed between points. Check out how methodical he is before starting his serve—gathering the balls, bouncing one prior to taking his swing, making sure the opponent knows precisely who's dictating the tempo.
ESPN analyst and veteran coach Brad Gilbert pays close attention to how a player either speeds up or slows down between points. "Sometimes you can tell if a guy's not really into competing if he's losing and rushing after a point," says Gilbert. "That's one of the things I love about Nadal. You have no idea from his body language whether he's winning or losing." Keeping a poker face is a great way to let your opponent know that nothing will faze you.
Depth Over Pace
While certainly pros hit the ball harder than recreational players, it's their ability to generate sustained depth that's even more telling. "When you keep the ball deep it's very hard for your opponent to hurt you," explains two-time U.S. Open champion and former USA Network commentator Tracy Austin.
The key to generating depth is hitting the ball with significant clearance over the net. It was thought that Jimmy Connors' flat drives were constantly clearing the net by just a few inches. But research revealed that his shots were consistently at least four feet higher than net level. Nadal's shots, often hit with excessive topspin, go even higher.
You'll also notice that in baseline rallies pros most frequently hit the ball crosscourt, primarily because the net is lower in the middle—and there's much more space to hit into. But because the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, when the ball lands short in their court and there's an opening to end the point, the pros will go down the line.
Recognize Patterns
Every player has certain shot combinations they love to play. This is exceptionally important on big points: 15-30, 30-30, 30-40, or any point that can close out a game. You, too, should learn to have confidence in the plays that work best for you. A go-to combo for Nadal when serving to the ad court, for example, is to hit a serve wide to the backhand and then move to his right and strike his massive forehand. Federer is a master at hitting service returns with little pace, which deny his opponent an opening to attack. Because of her strong serve, Serena Williams will often look to strike an ace, while Jankovic's down-the-line backhand is her money shot. "At the pro level, it's really about execution and maximizing your offense," says Sampras's former coach, Paul Annacone. "So you've got to have confidence in your ability to run the shots that work for you. In Pete's case, it was about using his athleticism and moving forward to take charge of the point."
Take a Stand
Court position is another revealing factor. Tennis Channel commentator Leif Shiras says, "If there are styles you want to emulate, then it's vital to see where those players station themselves during the point." An aggressive baseliner like James Blake, for example, tries to get right on top of the box or inside it so he can jump on the ball and take time away from his opponent. Earlier in his career, Nadal tended to patrol several feet behind the baseline, but one of the keys to his Grand Slam wins at Wimbledon and Australia has been his ability to step closer and control the flow of a point.
You can also tell a lot from court positioning when players are returning serve. Nadal's longer backswings indicates that he prefers receiving from behind the baseline or perhaps just inside it on second serves. The best place to judge positioning is from behind the court. Says Shiras, "From that perspective, you're able to grasp the full geometry. . . You can really see how players use the space of the court to put themselves in charge—or for that matter, scramble—when they're put into a tough spot."
Over the past twenty-five years, the work of Oakland-based Joel Drucker has appeared in dozens of print and broadcast media outlets, including Tennis, ESPN, Tennis Channel, HBO and CBS. His first book, Jimmy Connors Saved My Life, is considered by Sports Illustrated to be one of the five "must-read" tennis books.
Photography credits:
- Olga Besnard
- Stocklight
- Anthony Correia
- Jonathan Larsen
- Tiberiu Stan
|
|
|
|
 |
|
