Return Of Serve Variety – Your Key To Wining Tennis Matches Part 3

I took my kids to Maddame Tussauds the other day to see the waxworks.

They were keen to look around and see who they could spot and couldn’t wait to get to the Michael Jackson statue.

The thing that struck me most as I walked around was this.

I see people with as much movement as the dummies when they are waiting to hit a ball.

This is crazy and this is why.

I mentioned and illustrated a couple of things in two other posts HERE and HERE which highlighted what variety in its various forms could do for your tennis game and how it would help you win more tennis matches.

Both of those were mainly concerned with tennis strokes.

But you know me by now and you will know what I think about just basing your game around your tennis shots.

With that in mind here is something you can do that will have a massive impact on your game even before you hit the ball.

So many people stand in the same place to return serve (first & second) every single time – BIG mistake.

This actually limits your returning options and here’s why!

What I see is that many players at club level (esp the guys) can hit a tennis serve with a fair amount of speed (with a flat serve) but with limited accuracy.

So if that’s the case, you need to stand as far back as you can/need to until they start serving aces out wide (if they can).

The same goes for the server who just slices their serve.

You need to move in and across to cut off the serve untill they start to serve bombs down the “T” (middle).

Can you see how you can soon juggle things to get the best “fit” for YOU??

You may well be the one who is returning, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a say in what serve the server will hit.

With you moving around and adjusting your return position, you will force the server to think about what to do with the serve and that for many people with limited accuracy can be a massive problem.

Just move around until you suss out where their strong serves are.

You can then position yourself to cover those most of the time and get them to try and hit their “weaker” serves more often – A Primary Principle of my Beat All The Tennis Players You Want Matchplay System.

Try it and see.

Another example of how to improve your game without adjusting any of your shots.

Which is the model?

Being A Success At Tennis Is All About Knowing Yourself

This is just a follow on to the previous post HERE

You probably need to read it for some background.

Anyway, following on from the last post, here is some more stuff behind it.

You have got to realise that variety and accuracy are the most important weapons you can develop – even more than pace.

Look at this years Mens final at Wimbledon.

As brilliant as Roddick was (and he was) we all know that he has the fastest recorded serve in the World – yet Federer out aced him by serving 51 aces in the match.

We all know about the pace of Roddicks tennis serve but believe me Federer has the “best” serve purely down to the ability to hit the “spots” again & again when needed.

So pick out a shot in your game that you can exibit a lot of variety and accuracy and work on it.

Try this drill.

Play tennis points with a partner and you are not allowed to hit the same variation of that shot twice in a row.

That doesn’t just mean spin, but can also be length, speed, height, direction.

I include the serve in this – you cannot serve the same serve twice in a row.

I am going to go more into this in an upcoming series – “The Match Winning Variation Quotient”

Use it and tell me what you think.

Be The Tennis Player You Are Before You Try To Be The Tennis Player You Are Not

The tennis player is I’m afraid not on a level playing field!

We are not all created equal with similar amounts of tennis skills and even if we are someone else is physically more gifted.

Even if you can overcome that, you find someone else has better tennis mental strength………….and so the list goes on!

But, wait a minute.

Even before you start worrying about how you measure up against others, there are plenty of other things to worry about.

For example, do you make the most of your own game?

Do you know your strengths and weaknesses?

Do you understand them well enough so that you are able to make your strengths as strong as they could be?

Can you see that maximizing your tennis strength or tennis strengths (if you are lucky enough!!) could actually rank pretty high, if not at the top when it comes to things that you might need to do to move your tennis game on?

If not, then think about it for a minute.

If you do then carry on.

I was working with a player recently.  I watched her play some singles and asked her about the tennis match I just watched.

She then proceeded to explain the match in terms of what her opponent did and didn’t do.

When I asked her about what she was able to do during the game I came up against a baffled silence.

I then asked her about what she thought her strengths were and whether she was able to implement them in the game and again I got some puzzled looks.

“I don’t really know” she said, “I never really think about things that way!!”

So Bang!

Out goes the No1 Principle from my “Beat All The Tennis Players You Want” Matchplay System, which talks about trying to impose your tennis strength onto your opponent.

If you don’t know what it is, how can you impose it?

Anyway, I thought she played the volley and played around the net prety well and wondered why she didn’t do it more.

She said, she thought she had a good volley but felt a bit strange because all the other ladies tend to play from the back of the tennis court.  She also felt like she was put off when she was passed or missed a volley.

I agreed with her but told her she didn’t set the points up well enough and that was the real reason why her net play was a bit “sketchy”.

This is what we did (and you can do the same if your net play could/should be your A game).

You serve and play out the point – BUT!!

You have to get to the net by your 3rd shot or you lose the point.

This will force you to serve well enough to get to the net straight away or get your opponent out of court to allow you to hit a telling approach to get “in” on one the following balls.

Of course she messed up early on, but pretty soon she began to think about what it took to get to the net on “her terms” from the beginning of the point and sure enough things were soon falling into place.

So pick something in your game that you know is a strength and work out how you can work things so that you can get yourself  in “that” situation more often in matches.

Remember that Beat All The Tennis Players You Want 1st Principle of Tennis Warfare – Deploy your weapons & work out how to diffuse your opponents weapons!!

It can only be a good thing.

How The Tennis Net Can Help You Play Better Tennis

Most people think that the tennis net is there just to divide the court in two.

But, in reality it is a lot more than that.

It can really help your “court geometry”.

For example, if you get pushed wide, often the best place to aim is actually straight over the band in the centre of the net.

This is for several reasons.

1. The net is at its lowest point here (3 feet as opposed to 3 1/2 feet at the net posts – with single sticks).

2. This will give you a cross court shot which is the longest area of court and means you are less likely to hit out.

3. It gives you a visual cue as to where you should be aiming the ball – which is important when you are pushed out of position and in a rush.

Next time you get pushed wide give it a try.

The Sun Shines On Andy Roddick But Costs Him The Wimbledon Title Thankfully For Federer

Just some further reaction to the Wimbledon Mens final between Andy Roddick and Roger Federer.

Apart from the fact that there was nothing between them for nearly 5 hours, was there an extra factor that ultimately decided the match?

Was there a non-tennis related intervention that decided this tennis match?

If you don’t know what I am talking about, think back to what became the last couple of games.

I don’t know if anyone else noticed but because of the time of day, Roddick ended up at the sunny end of the court.

You could see that the ball was coming from Federer, out of the shade into the bright light and into Roddick.

Roddick was also looking into the sun to an extent and the question is whether Federer played on that or not??

Whatever you think, it was clear to me that the sun factor along with a sudden drop in footwork speed forced the two shanks off the frame that cost him the match.

Did anyone else notice that?

Was that a factor?

Did Federer play on it?

What do you think??

Federer Grabs Record Grand Slams At Wimbledon But Roddick Steals The Show

Well, quite an afternoon we had at Wimbledon.

We all turned up expecting a smooth ride as we hailed the most successful male player of all time in terms of Grand Slams (overtaking Pete Sampras) as Roger Federer came to pick up the prize and get himself back to World No1 (overhauling Rafa Nadal).

What nobody expected was the chalenge from Andy Roddick (the man who had won just 2 of the pairs 20 previous meetings).

His form was very good going into the final with impressive wins over Lleyton Hewitt & Andy Murray, but still no one gave him a chance against Federer.

In reality what we saw was a match where Roddick was at least the equal of Federer for most of the match with more to his serve than just speed and groundstrokes that had a consistency & purpose we had probably never seen before.

He looked every inch the all-court player we never thought he could be.

In tennis circles the feeling about Roddick was: Serving level – Top 5, Groundstrokes – Top 100, Volleys – Top 250.

Now with game plans in place, a focus and discipline to execute them, the extra fitness and no doubt the thousands of repetitions on the court to improve and deliver the shots he has for me and many others put himself back in the mix of things at the top of the game.

I am not saying “I told you so” but check out my post from last week…….HERE

I keep saying to you, to get better at playing matches – get some matchplay strategies in your head and get fitter!!

Only then will the technical work you do begin to pay off.

This is exactly what Roddick did.

Quick note – my package of Matchplay Report & Fitness Planner are still reduced until later on when I get back to put the price back up so get over HERE if you want them and save $20.

What if – Roddick would have made that easy volley at set point in the second set tie-break??

What if Federer had served 5-10% less well in the match (he tied the record no of aces in a match – 51).

What if………………….???

A small word but often makes a massive difference.

I don’t want to ignore Federer because what he has done has been/is fantastic, but it needs to be said that Roddick has been the one to re-invent himself as a serious Grand Slam contender and must be looking forward to the US Open.

Here is some inside info that  pretty much nobody knows – so don’t tell!!.

Roddick came off court after the match yesterday with the feeling…..”I’ll never lose to him again”

He knows he was close and for once can see the light – not at the end of a very distant tunnel but right in front of his face.

For more info on the 2 reports I mentioned above -

Matchplay System

Ultimate Tennis Fitness

Wimbledon Semi Finals Reflection

Just got back after Wimbledon today

2 great matches!!

First match – Federer looking ominously back to his best ever.  It’s funny what a difference a month can make!!

Second match – Andy Roddick plays a match like I never thought he could play!!

Great control and consistency and of course serving – dare I say, the complete package.

Andy Murray played some inspired shots at times but just couldn’t get at Roddicks serve enough.

Yet another example of winning tennis matches not just being about technique, it was the execution of a great game plan that won the day for A Rod and should make for a great final.

I still think Federer has too much “in the locker” though!!

What do you think??

How can Roddick beat Federer?

Don’t forget, if you haven’t got your hands on my Playing On Grass Court Report yet, then you can grab it…….

HERE

Federer Murray Haas Roddick, Why Am I excited About Wimbledon Today?

Well, semi finals today at Wimbledon.

Roger Federer against the man that probably should have beaten hin a couple of weeks ago at the French Open (how that would have canged things!!!) and Andy Murray vs “A Rod” Andy Roddick.

If that wasn’t exciting enough, that’s not the reason why I am excited.

I have centre court tickets for today!!

Often seen as the best day to have centre court tickets, I have 2 and unusually know I am guaranteed to see play because of the roof (even though the weather is overcast).

But that’s not the reason!!

The reason I am excited is that a great friend of mine who has been working for/with Andy Roddick is over with Andy’s mum for the match today.

I haven’t seen him for a couple of years and am really looking forward to it.

Oh by the way go and grab my Playing On Grass Report.

Not only will it help you with your grass court game but it will help you on whatever surface you play on.

You can grab it……..

HERE

Killer Grass Court Tactics