The basic strategy of tennis is accuracy and not strength. If it were a matter of hard-hitting and brute strength it stands to reason that the heaviest and strongest player would win, while actually quite the reverse is true.
Accuracy — the ability to return the ball to any desired portion of the court — that is the secret of tennis.
There is a player who is able to place the ball, with any of the strokes, within 2 feet of the spot where he wants it to go. He isn’t a hard hitter. It doesn’t have to be. But he is a champion. He is an exponent of developed accuracy.
The speed of the ball a secondary, for the very simple reason that without accuracy speed results in netted balls and errors and ultimately wasted energy.
Accuracy is achieved by keeping your eye on the ball.
This is the first and most important step of all: learning how to keep your eye on the ball.
The easiest way to learn how to keep your eye on the ball is to learn how to properly catch the ball.
So put down your racket for the moment and take a position about 5 feet behind the baseline. Place your hands on your knees, as a baseball player does, and assume a comfortable crouch, ready to start off quickly in any direction.
Tennis balls are now hit to you easily from the other side of the net. Keep your eye on the ball sitcoms over the net, bounces in the court; watch it and watch nothing else until it is safely in your hands. You should actually see the ball into the fingers or hands.
Now do the same thing with only one hand, the right-hand (or the left, if you are left-handed). Once the ball, catch it, see it actually enter the fingers of the hand.
When you succeeded in doing this, you have learned how to keep your eye on the ball. Never forget it. Never stop keeping your eye on the ball. Make this a subconscious action. Make it your tennis law.
Now, having caught the ball, throw it directly back to the server. You’ll discover immediately that in order to make an accurate throw must be on balance, and not off-balance. You’ll discover that, as the throwing motion is made, there is a tendency to topple over sideways. Also, you’re apt to overrun the ball. The slightest extra movement, causing you to be off balance, will result in an inaccurate throw.
With little quick steps, however, always maintaining your balance, you can adjust your catching position so that it fits in smoothly with the throwing motion.
This, the quick little steps you take to adjust your position, is called footwork. It is the second most important factor in tennis. In fact, footwork or adjusting one’s position constitutes the real exercise of the game. It’s not our of what we’re doing out here?
This footwork naturally must be done ahead of hitting the ball. If you get to the ball in time, your swing or stroke, will be smooth, graceful, and accurate. If your footwork lags you’ll still be chasing the ball when you strike at which means of the off-balance and you’ll probably make an error with your stroke.
Summary:
- you have trained your eyes to watch the ball.
- You have become used anticipating the direction of the balls hit to you, and to the different kinds of bounces to come off the court surface.
- You have learned how to adjust your position while still retaining your balance
- you’ve discovered that from a comfortable position it is easy to throw back the ball. The same rule applies to hitting the ball with a tennis racket.
The time it takes the average beginner to learn these two most important factors in tennis
- how to watch the ball
- and how to adjust one’s position
is approximately 7 minutes.
Naturally, and only seven minutes, you cannot expect to have mastered these two points. That will come only with time and patience.
