PRACTICE THE MOST IMPORTANT SHOTS THE MOST
When it comes to improving our tennis the thing that is most obvious is often the last thing we consider. Case in point, we all recognize that serve and return are the two most important shots in the game. They start every single point. There is no avoiding them. Yet, we so often spend the majority of our time on the practice court mindlessly exchanging baseline rallies. It makes no sense!
I attended the practice of my favorite player recently during a trip to Copenhagen. He and his partner were adjusting to the red clay and wanted to prioritize baseline rallies. After a good warmup, they played over 100 baseline points that started with a feed from the hand. They worked hard for over two hours.
My role on the day was to observe and give feedback afterwards. I was biting my tongue wondering why these two dedicated players weren’t starting each point with a second serve rather than a hand feed. They missed out on more than 50 chances each to practice the most important two shots in the game!
At the highest levels of tennis over 70% of the points last 4 shots or less. This statistic is for the very best players in the world. For more intermediate players it’s certainly much higher. Let’s challenge ourselves to back away from the grinding baseline practices. Rather, let’s gain confidence moving our second serve to multiple targets. Let’s feel comfortable mixing our positions for returns by taking some a little earlier than normal and some from further behind the baseline. You’ll be amazed at how adding these elements you can take your game to a higher level.
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