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updated April 16, 2010
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Apr. 16, 2010
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Find the ball: no backswing
Your opponent hits the ball.
First:
fitness; you must get in position so you have a chance at returning the ball
Second:
eye-hand coordination: find the ball with your racket. Before you can hit the ball back, you must get the ball on your racket or your racket on the ball. They mean the same thing. Ideally you contact the ball on the sweet spot of your racket. We’re talking eye-hand coordination. To facilitate your eyes and hands working together, keep your racket in front of you - in your field of vision. The mental image that you want is catching the ball like a baseball player; your glove is out in front of your body tracking the ball. Tracking the ball. Use your racket, just like a baseball glove to track or stalk the ball with the idea of having the ball contact your racket on the sweet spot. Once you “catch” the ball you can
Third: technique; push the ball back over the net with a full follow through.
from “Play better tennis in 2 hours” Oscar Wegner
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Mar. 19, 2010
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Australian doubles formation
Changing your formation for a point in doubles may get you an easy point. Odds are in your favor if you are more confident playing the formation than your opponents are receiving it.
The server's partner stands diagonal from the receiver. (Normally the server's partner stands in front of the receiver). To be confident using the
formation, practice it with your partner. Play entire games using the formation to see what works and what doesn't. When you use this formation, you will almost always "force" your
opponents to go for the "new" target, the empty lane in front of them. To hit this target they must change the direction of the ball and hit over the high part of the net. Some ideas and
clues that might suggest using Australian formation are:
- the receiver is winning the point with a good cross-court return
- server's partner is not comfortable at the net and you want to force the return to the server
- Ad court, the server's forehand is much better; "force" opponent's return to server's forehand
- In a long service game, you need a quick point. Your opponents will be forced into a new return that changes their confidence from the grooved return they've been using.
- Server's partner is poaching well. Combine the new formation with a planned or signaled poach. You know where the return is going - go get it.
Server's responsibility is to cover the new target, the empty lane. Consequently, adjust your serving position to increase your ability to cover the likely
return.
Celebrate your team tactic with "G'day mate!"
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Mar. 12, 2010
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Push - engage and follow through
from "Play Better Tennis in 2 Hours" by Oscar Wegner
Imagine a big can full of water. This can is as
tall as your neck and 2 feet on each side. Now you're task it to push the can of water over. You walk up to the can. You engage it: make solid contact with your hands. You set the rest of your
body in a stable stance and you push the can over. How does this relate to tennis?
- no back swing: we don't slap at the can before we engage it
- stable stance
- find the ball: in the same way you engaged the can, you engage the ball
- push it over: using our big muscles, and joints: hips, shoulders, push the ball over the net with a big relaxed follow through.
The only moment of "tension" is as we engage. As we make contact we stabilize our hand, wrist arm . The rest of the motion is a relaxed extension of
the purposeful contact.
Test it for yourself: drop and hit the ball over with no backswing. Contrast that with drop and hit with no follow through. Try to hit the service line "T". Which
technique gives you consistency and accuracy?
Push it over.
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Mar. 2, 2010
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Observe - observe your self
from "The Inner Game of Tennis" by Tim Gallwey
During a tennis game we have a
steady stream of chatter in our heads. Seldom is this chatter constructive. Usually it's unsolicited advice or criticism about a technical component of our game: "stay down" "watch
the ball" "move" "get your racket back" ... Who is saying this? Let's call her "self 1". Ask self one to "be quiet" and give him something to do like
"where am I contacting the ball in relation to my body?" "how does my follow through, relate to ball
placement?" (more ideas below) Tennis is a complex physical action. Talking is also a complex coordination of several body parts. We don't instruct our lips, mouth and tongue to form words.
We think the words we want to say and all the "parts" automatically work together to do what we ask. Tennis must be the same way. If you focus on your "lips" your
"conversation" will be stilted or gibberish. Thousands of years of genetics have prepared you for tennis. Keep your analytical side occupied:
- which opponent is going to hit the ball?
- watch them for clues, body position, racket face, - what shot are they likely to hit?
- where's their shot going? "left" or right" "drive or lob"
- look for the seams or number on the ball
- position of my racket face on contact
- watch the ball for rotation, spin, "junk" (play the ball after the bounce)
- play "bounce hit" or "flashlight" or "shoulders"
observe, mitigate (self 1), Play Great !
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Feb. 26, 2010
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recovery - renew and restore energy
To build capacity, we must push
beyond our normal limits. Stress is not the enemy in our lives. Paradoxically, it is the key to growth. In order to build strength in a muscle we must systematically stress it, expending
energy beyond normal levels. Doing so literally causes microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. At the end of a training sessions, functional capacity is diminished. But give the muscle twenty-four to
forty-eight hours to recover and it grows stronger and better able to handle the next stimulus.
We build emotional, mental and spiritual capacity in precisely the same way that we build physical capacity. We grow at all levels by expending energy beyond our ordinary
limits and then recovering. Expose a muscle to ordinary demand and it won't grow. With age it will actually lose strength. The limiting factor in building any "muscle" is that many of
us back off at the slightest hint of discomfort. Any form of stress that prompts discomfort has the potential to expand our capacity - physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually - as long as
it is followed by adequate recovery.
Improve your tennis game by "stressing" your technical abilities, your physique (read "core"), your mental game or your
communication.
Apply the growth formula to grow your game: stress, grow, recover
material heavily borrowed from "The Power of Full Engagement" by Jim
Loehr principle 3, page 13
click here to visit his High Performance Institute web site
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Feb. 21, 2010
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anticipation - how to be fast without being faster
Reacting as
quickly as you can to the direction of the ball allows you more time to get to that ball. When is the balls direction determined? When your opponent hits it. At the moment of contact, the angle of
their racket sets the ball in motion in a particular direction. Your job then is to:
- watch your opponents and determine who and where they are likely to hit the ball
(if you turn around to watch your partner hit the ball, you rob yourself of time to catch
this important information)
- split-hop just before the ball is hit
- immediately decide "left" or "right" "up" "back"
- explode in the direction of the ball
(lead with your head and shoulders and take a big first step)
- keep moving: once you get to the ball, take adjustments steps, play the ball after the bounce: keep your racket in front of you "stalking" the ball
- recover: keep moving: forward to attack, back out of no man's land, sideways to center your position in the middle of possible returns
The bad news is genetics plays a role. Your natural speed and dexterity and for anticipation your hard-wired "observe-react" neural pathways are what they are.
The good news is you can get physically faster with training and better technique. (a Zball is great for practicing big step) And you can get better at anticipation with practice. A great drill
is to verbalize the direction of the ball as soon as you can. Pros know immediately, beginners know when the ball is upon or past them. Most of us know about as the ball passes the net.
Watch, decide, explode - anticipation
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Feb. 12, 2010
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game plan - have one
When you are playing to win, have a game plan.
Implement your plan to win points and games. If you are playing doubles, agree with your partner on your game plan. The advantage in having a game plan is you can analyze the results of your efforts
into "are we executing the game plan?" and "is the game plan working?" Obviously you must first execute a game plan to know if it is working or not. In doubles, a good game plan
with which to start is "no unforced errors". When you cross over after the first game, review: "Did you win the game?" "Why did you win?" "Did you execute your game
plan?" If you didn't win the game and your game plan was "No unforced errors", then how many unforced errors did you have? If you had more than one unforced error, you didn't
execute your game plan. You can't give away two free points and win many games. If you executed your game plan and you lost the game then you may think about adding to it or changing it. Maybe
add "and hit down the middle" Agree with your partner, again, on the game plan.
Formulate, evaluate, congratulate yourselves
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Feb. 6, 2010
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Learning; tennis as a vehicle
Think of a time you stretched the
limits of your body with weight lifting, yoga, gardening, or other intense workout. Your body is sore from the stress of additional demands. Your body reacts by building more muscle, flexibility and
strength to accommodate the additional demands. Research shows our minds are the same way. We must stress our minds and bodies to stimulate growth and development.
To improve your tennis game,
you must stress your game with new strategies and new technique; learn a new shot, practice a new doubles formation. Use rules to turn your games into practice learning situations. Use drills to
intensify your practice sessions. Set limits, to sharpen your focus, "let's get 10 consecutive shots in - just using a doubles lane".
Stress & Grow
(ideas from "The Power of Full Engagement" by Jim Loehr link to his High Performance Institute
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Feb. 2, 2010
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Connect with your partner
Doubles is all about getting your partner
in the point. Court position beats stroke production every time. That's why the best doubles players are not necessarily great singles players; Daniel Nester or Mahesh Bhupathi for example.
Professional doubles players connect after every point and you'll be a better doubles team if you do too. Hand touch, racket tap, knuckles thing, chest bump, you decide with your partner before
the match starts and do it every point. You'll find it's hardest to do when you need it most, immediately after an unforced error. Use this ritual and it will develop into quick adjustments
in your game plan or give you a chance to call a play for the point.
In addition to agreeing on your connection, it's great to agree on what's helpful to say to each other. "Come
on" "let's go" are a bit dry, generic and over used. Imagine you are the server's partner. As the receiver gets into ready position, the receiver's partner
says to the receiver, "down the line". Did that change your position, attitude or anticipation? Maybe that's their "code" for safe cross court
return.
"Switch" "Bounce it" How is your team going to communicate other important information?
Perhaps you develop communication strategies for your entire USTA
League Team.
Doubles is a team sport: connect, communicate, WIN!
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Jan. 30, 2010
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Drop shop guidelines:
Has you opponent fallen down?
Is their foot
stuck in the back fence?
If you can answer "yes" to both these questions,
then a drop shot might be the right shot.
It's so tempting to hit that ball that just
dribbles in the opponent's court forcing them to run like crazy only to double bounce or better yet set you up with a floater put away.
Practice your drop shot. Get good at it. Determine where you need to be in the court to hit an effective drop shot. Then, especially in doubles, remember the mantra, "consistency placement power". Your shot arsenal, and hence a good shot to select, includes more dependable shots than your drop shot. If
you are still insisting to hit a drop shot consider:
Are you inside the service line?
Are your opponents pushed back, preferably behind the base line?
Can you afford to lose the point?
Is
your team ready to respond if they get to your drop shot and do something brilliant?
In short: drop your drop shot.
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Jan. 23, 2010
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Show your name:
Imagine you're wearing a jersey on with your name
printed across the shoulders. Your "job" is to show your name to your opponent twice on every shot.
First: on your unit turn. When you coil for the shot, get your hips and shoulders turned.
Second: on your follow through. When you finish
that stroke completely, your entire relaxed body will carry through and wrap around.
Get your body in your shots.
Give 'em the shoulder (s).
(courteously, of course: USTA Code #1)
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Jan. 20, 2010
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Unit turn: for more consistent ground strokes
Remember the mantra of
successful tennis: "consistency, placement, power". Consistent tennis wins points. Consistent ground strokes come from good fundamentals.
First:
get to the ball, take your adjustment steps, adjust while you see what happens after the bounce, adjust again and now
Second: do a unit turn. Instead of "backswing", turn your entire upper body unit. A unit turn
- takes your racket back
- keeps your head centered over your body: balance and both eyes on the ball
- coils your body involving your big muscles in the shot
Third: find the ball with your racket and push it over with a big follow through.
This abbreviated back swing is ideal for quick action like return of serve. It
will also help you when you're "off" to get back in the swing of things. A big backswing comes naturally as your skills improve and you add more power to your shots.
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Jan. 13, 2010
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Inside-out forehand: what, why, how, where
What: inside-out
means the ball that is going to bounce closer to the center, inside of the court than the outside lines, hence it's an "inside" ball.
Why: Most tennis players have
more confidence in their forehands than their backhands. Run around your backhand to hit the shot in which you have more confidence.
How: Move quickly to get in position, load up your
hitting leg, same side as your hitting arm, hit a full topspin forehand with confidence.
Where: cross court, outside, or down the middle (especially doubles) or down the line if your
opponent is way out of position. Inside-out typically refers to hitting angled cross-court. Choose the target that implements your game plan or play you have for that point.
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Jan. 10, 2010
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Mini Tennis: dynamic stretch and great drill
Start your tennis time
with a warm-up: dynamic stretching. Dynamic means movement, as opposed to a static stretch like a forward bend or other standing stretches. You want to give your muscles and body a chance to prepare for the sudden and quick motions of tennis. Some of the benefits and ideas of mini tennis are:
- start close to the net and keep the ball in the service court to minimize the amount of running (remember, we're warming up for full running)
- get your feet going: light bouncing, exaggerate your adjustment steps, keep adjusting 'till just before
you hit the ball
- use and exaggerate complete strokes especially your unit turn, preparation, and follow through to get the correct motion and warm up your core.
- use heavy spin to get your feel going and keep the ball in the shorter court
- Take a step back every time y'all get five balls in a row with no errors. If you make a mistake then you start that set over again. Let's say you are on the 1st set of
five and on the 4th ball one of you hits the ball into the net. You start over at "1". It takes 7 sets of five to step back to the base line.
- Drill part: When you can use complete strokes and keep the ball in the service courts, that's ball control. This is your short ball angled put-away shot.
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Jan. 8, 2010
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Kitchen Tennis: wii does not count
Here some exercises you can do at
home to improve your tennis game:
- ball toss: (1) pick a spot on the ceiling and practice getting the ball exactly where you want it. A service ball toss is really more of a ball lift. You raise the ball up and let
go. The more you mimic your serve the more effective this practice is. Visualize the court, place yourself at the base line, do your coil and toss. (if your ceilings are too low to actually toss
a ball then toss with no ball or go outside) (2) learn to juggle with your toss hand. (Thanks for the juggle idea Fred)
- attack with the edge: practice your service motion (without your racket). When you would contact the ball, is your thumb pointed at the top of your head? You want to hit across
the ball starting with the edge of your little finger and across the palm of your hand.
- follow-through: finish your strokes. Watch the pros and do what they do. Finish with your elbow under your chin. Swing your arm in a relaxed manner from contact point through to a
complete finish. One handed backhand: open your chest; fling both arms in opposite directions, one continuing past the target and the other behind you.
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Jan. 3, 2010
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"mine" "mine": Be a "Nemo" seagull
"Finding Nemo" is a very cute animated family movie about a father clownfish, "Marlin" ultimately rescuing his son, Nemo. There are many interesting and enduring characters.
Competitive and tenacious seagulls compete with each other all the time repeating, "mine" "mine" "mine" "mine" "mine".... This is a great attitude to
have when you are playing net. If you try for more poaches, you'll be amazed how many you get. Every shot is yours. You're closer, you have the put-away angle, go get the ball. Your partner
has hit a few cross court groundstrokes, your opponent is having to stretch low for a ball; look for clues, close the net, be the gull, get the ball.
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Dec. 31 2009
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Plays from your play book
Coaches develop playbooks which they
share with the team. All the team members learn the same plays. In the huddle, the play is called and everyone knows their part. Now it's a matter of execution. Tennis doubles is a team sport
too. You're using plays whether you're verbalizing them. "I'm serving to their backhands." "I'm returning cross-court". "If I get a forehand and we're up
0-30, I'm returning down the line". Develop and use plays. Play as a team to win. Have a game plan, an overall strategy your team is agreed upon to win the set. Use plays to win a point.
Details of a play might include intended placement, serving formation, receiving formation, poaching or not, serve & volley, who's getting what. Develop plays. Call them in your huddle.
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Dec 30, 2009
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After tennis stretch
The good news is playing tennis provides
the cardio component of a sensible exercise regimen. The bad news is research shows a sensible regimen has three parts: cardio, stretching and weights. When you get onto the court, do some dynamic
stretching to get your body warmed up. Mini-tennis is a great dynamic stretch. After your games, take 5 minutes to cool down and stretch out. Take a walk around the court. On each corner or side of
the court do a simple stretch for a 40 count. Stretches like: cat, cobra, dog, forward bend, lunge, sun salutations, triangle or warrior. You're playing with people committed to fun and fitness.
Help each other develop a post-play stretching ritual and it will become another healthy habit.
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Dec 28, 2009
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Practice with purpose
Hone your existing skills and develop
new skills. If you just repeat what you know, you are at best grooving a good stroke. If what you know is poor technique then you are grooving a poor shot. You can practice while you play with a
little cooperation from your group. Play, "no second serves" to pressure "first serve in". Play "receiver must lob" to work on overheads and topspin lobs. Play
"receiver must hit cross court" to work on angles and server's partner poaching. Play "server must serve and volley every serve". Clinics and ball machine are great for
hitting 100 angled volleys.
Play with purpose: agree on a rule to force uncomfortable, learning situations.
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Dec 27, 2009
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Keep your feet moving; (or for you physics aficionados: which state
are you in?) Newton's first law starts, "Every object persists in it's state of rest or uniform motion..." Newton probably discovered this playing tennis. He noticed how much faster
he was getting to the ball when his feet were ALREADY going. So: sway, take little steps, do split hops, run in place, tap dance, just keep moving. The only restriction here is Code 34: "Any
movement or sound that is made SOLELY to distract an opponent..." (emphasis mine). If the soles of both your shoes are in contact with the court, you are "at rest" and you will have to
"change your state" to get into the game.
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Dec. 25, 2009
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Stay Positive: The next shot is more important than the
last mistake. Some positive rituals are:
- say what you wish you had done: "I'm hitting down the middle." is better than saying "that was poor shot selection". saying: "punch the volley"
is better than saying "Don't swing at volleys"
- Do the correct thing. For example if you didn't follow through, take a couple of shadow strokes with a complete follow through to reinforce the positive shot
- Complement your partner on everything they did right. For example, they missed an easy volley, in your between point ritual you might say, "great poach move, right target
too, keep it up"
- Increase your focus and observation to limit your self-talk; you don't have time to berate yourself if you are looking for the seams of the ball or eager to poach "this
ball is mine" or shifting your focus from opponent to opponent looking for clues "who's getting the ball" "what's their target" "my shot is into that open
court"
- restate the game plan instead of apologizing
- stand tall, adjust your strings, evaluate your strategy
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Dec. 23, 2009
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Full wrap for power
Finish your ground strokes, forehand and
two-handed backhand, with your racket wrapped over your shoulder. Hold your finish and check to see if your arm is wrapped so your elbow is under your chin. One trick here is to hit relaxed. Your
relaxed arms will naturally want to carry through the momentum of the kinetic chain. Power comes from the angular momentum of your entire body. Your hand and racket are at the end of the chain. Think
end of a bull whip or end of a line of people on roller skates or a turning water skier. In tennis we have loaded legs, coiled hips trunk and shoulders that create snap in your strokes – if you
let the whip crack.
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Dec. 22, 2009
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After the bounce – play the ball After the ball bounces, you
set up to hit your shot. All the time up to and until the ball has bounced is preparation time.
You exploded in the direction of the ball as soon as it came off your opponent’s racket
– right?
You got to where the ball is going to land and you’re taking tiny adjustment steps (love the sound of shoes squeaking on the court) to put the ball exactly in your strike
zone – right?
Now – the ball bounces – you make your final adjustments, load, and hit it back. You have so much time. Try this in a practice: as soon as the ball bounces,
(yes I’m talking about on your side before you hit it) turn a complete circle before you hit the ball – it will show you how much time you have. (On a slow ball you can turn 2 circles)
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Dec. 21, 2009
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Down the middle
Many times down the middle is great shot selection:
- The net is lower in the middle.
- Opponent(s) then have to create their own angles.
- Force communication errors in doubles when both or neither player goes for the ball.
- If you serve down the middle, and your doubles team is focused on covering the middle, the correct focus, your opponent has a small target on either side of the court to hit a
winner.
- Many players hit well on the run or stretched out, down the middle can create those awkward “at the body” situations.
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Dec. 19, 2009
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Discuss: strengths and weaknesses
Each of us has strengths and
weaknesses. If you are playing to win, do some analytical work in the warm-up. Evaluate yourself to determine what feels good and doesn’t. Analyze your opponents for strengths and weaknesses.
If you are playing doubles, after the warm-up and throughout the match, as you make more discoveries, talk to your partner about playing to your strengths and their weaknesses. Do you play the same
every day? Of course not! And neither does any one else. You may know "Betty has great slice serve out wide". On a particular day you might observe "John can't hit a backhand
volley to save his life." Adjust and Strategize to play your combined strengths to their weaknesses.
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Dec. 16, 2009
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Put your 1st serve in play.
Think about receiving serve:
do you feel differently about “getting” a second serve?
Stay offensive and seed an additional element of challenge; put your 1st serve in play.
Especially in doubles, it’s your responsibility to get your partner in the point.
Your partner is better prepared, has higher energy and thinks “oh yeah” when you get your 1st serve in. (And your partner knows where the serve is going because y’all planned it in your between points ritual.)
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Dec. 15, 2009
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Consistent: you are getting the ball in the court and forcing your
opponent(s) to hit an extra shot.
Placement: you are placing the ball into the empty quadrant and forcing your opponents
- to run
- to hit awkward shots
- to recover their positions
- to communicate with each other
- Now you may hit out with more power. Consistency, placement, power
If power reduces your consistency or placement, then you have to go back (at least one step).
Winners are gratifying. Staying in the point wins tennis games.
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Dec. 14, 2009
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Consistency, placement, power
Consistent: you are getting the
ball in the court and forcing your opponent(s) to hit an extra shot;
(remember all those easy put away volleys that went into the net)
((the opposite of consistency is beating yourself by
hitting unforced errors - giving away free points))
Go for more on your shots by placing the ball. Aim at least 2 feet inside the lines.
Even in doubles there is an empty quadrant; ¼ of
their court empty; place the ball there.
Successive placements will create huge open spaces for a winner.
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Dec. 13, 2009
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Consistency, placement, power
is the mantra of successful tennis
players: age 4 - 104, NTRP 0-7.
If you get the ball back one more time, you might win the point.
In doubles, 90% of your shots need to be good.
Yes, you need to hit 9 good shots before you
hit an unforced error.
Doubles is all about getting your partner into the point.
If you're struggling, count how many shots you hit in a row before you hit an unforced error.
If your
team is struggling, count consecutive good team shots.
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Dec. 12, 2009
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Serve: Hit your second serve harder
That's right! You have
probably heard, "You're only as good as your 2nd serve." And now, "Hit your second serve harder". How's that going to work? What about double faults? The trick is: you
have a dependable topspin serve for a second serve. Your 1st serve went out. (If your 1st serve went into the net see the "keep your head up" hint.)
If you want your 2nd serve to go in, then you have to hit it harder so it will spin down into the court. Hit a "harder" second serve and maintain your aggressive
attitude.
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Dec. 11, 2009
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Serve: Keep your head up
The day of your first serving lesson you
heard "keep your head up".
What does that mean? If you keep your head up, your serve will clear the net.
If your serve goes into the net, you dropped your head. Here are some
hints to clear the net on your serve.
(1) watch the ball; watch the ball until you see empty space where the ball was.
(2) change your focus to the sound your racket makes at contact: watch the
ball until you hear "schickkkkkkk" the sound of your strings dragging across the ball.
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Dec. 6, 2009
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Serve: Attack with the edge of your racket:
Hitting up on the ball
is the key to serving You have to clear the net. A good visual for hitting up is to imagine you are going to hit your toss with the edge, the side edge of the frame. You want the ball to travel
across your stings from one side of the racket to the other (topspin / kick) or diagonally across the strings (slice or spin serve).
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Dec. 4, 2009
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Have a ritual; have a target
Your serve is totally in your hands. Start your serve, especially your second serve with your service ritual. If you don’t have one, ask your pro to help you develop one uniquely you.
Secondly, have in your mind where the serve is going. Just like life: to get where you want to be, put your destination in mind!
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Dec. 2, 2009
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Bring your fencing skills to the net:
Why is volleying like sword
fighting?
- keep your racket up and in front of you, protecting your self
- make little, 1 inch, powerful parries to direct the ball
- recover quickly to parry the next thrust
- keep your sword up, if you over swing, you will be defenseless to the next attack
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Dec. 1, 2009
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raise your strike zone
- Find some space in front of a mirror or get your oldest child, or spouse to be your mirror and watch you.
- relax your arms, keep them relaxed while you spin in one place.
- Let your relaxed arms rise with the angular momentum of the spin.
- See where your hands rise to and settle? - ask your observer
(When was the last time they saw you spinning like a kid?)
- Where your hands hover as you spin is your strike zone.
Use your speed and agility to get in position to hit the ball in your optimal strike zone.
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Nov. 30, 2009
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Split hop:
Everything you have heard about a split step is true:
- take one every time the other team is preparing to hit
- center your body weight; ready to explode in the right direction
(read right direction "any direction". You'll know the right direction when they hit the ball)
- keep on your toes, literally, ready to move
Hop instead of step. Keep your momentum going, mostly forward.
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Nov. 29, 2009
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Feel the ball.
Think about touch between 2 people:
you can
touch a person or you can stroke them One is a touch; the other is prolonged contact skin to skin. (Try it now on your self: touch -- stroke) You can touch the ball with your racquet. Or you can
brush the ball with your strings; prolonging contact with the ball. The result of brushing the ball is greater feel, control and ultimately - power. Make your strokes into strokes.
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Nov. 28, 2009
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Walk up to the net
Thinking about your serve (service box looks big from
here?)
focus on the service line
as you walk backwards toward the baseline
notice when the entire box disappears below the net
You must hit up on your serve to clear the net!
You
have to be 8 feet tall to hit down.
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