By the Numbers: 10 amazing Roger stats

As the Mighty Fed heads into the 2007 season, here are some statistics that bear out his greatness. • Only player in the Open era to win 10 or more titles in three consecutive seasons (2004-2006). • His final point total last season in the ATP entry rankings was 8,370 points, 3,900 more than No. 2 Rafael Nadal. If Federer cloned himself and gave his clone his extra points, Federer #2 would have been a comfortable No. 3 in the world. • Reached 10 Grand Slam titles at the age of 25, the second-fastest ever. The only person to reach 10 faster? Bjorn Borg, who did it at 24. • Holds the record for prize money in a single season, with $8 million in 2006. The previous high was $6.5 million pocketed by Pete Sampras in 1997. • Has lost just 15 matches in the last three years. • In February, Federer will break Jimmy Connors' record of 160 consecutive weeks at No. 1. • He's had five win-streaks of at least 20 matches, and he's taking a 29-match win streak into the 2007 season. Since 1990, two other players have won 20 consecutive matches more than once: Pete Sampras (three times) and Stefan Edberg (twice). • In 2006, Federer reached 16 finals in 17 events played (his only loss before a final coming to Andy Murray in Cincinnati). He won 12 of those tournaments, which, in turn, makes him the first player since Thomas Muster in 1995 to win a dozen titles in a season. • Averaged just 1.2 double faults per match, which was best among ATP Top 50 in 2006.

Return the Kick Serve

When I was a kid (and some question whether I still am), I was a big fan of the SUPER BALL®. For those who don’t remember, it’s that plum-sized, brightly colored rubber ball, that takes crazy high-hops when you bounce it. It’s nearly impossible to tell which direction the ball will dart, and trying to catch one can make you look foolish and feel uncoordinated.

It’s a little like trying to return a heavy kick serve. If one of the toughest shots to learn in tennis is a kick, figuring out how to return one isn’t far behind. The ball jumps up and away from your strike zone, hindering you from taking a good crack at it. And if you’re trying to defend against an effective kick, it may feel like you need a stepladder to return it. Here are a couple of options when dealing with this potent weapon:

Let it spin out: If you’re not an aggressive player, you may want to move back well behind the baseline to allow the ball to reach its peak and start to drop down­many good clay-court players apply this tactic. A drawback with this strategy is that the kick serve pushes you wide of the court (out toward the doubles alley), but you will be able to take a big swing at the ball. And you’d better, otherwise your shot will land short and your opponent will gain control of the point. Another potential issue you may run into is if your opponent is capable of coming in behind his serve. Since you’re so deep, they’ll have plenty of time to get on top of the net and in excellent volleying position. That’s why I prefer to. . .

Move in and take the ball early: It’s always wise to mix up your return positions so your opponents don’t find you predictable. That being said, most of the time I find it best to move inside the baseline on a kick serve and make contact with the ball while it’s rising off the court. At this point the action on the ball hasn’t taken it out of the strike zone, and you don’t have to forfeit court position by moving back. It’s a trickier shot than letting the ball spin itself out, but it affords you the chance to be offensive with your return.

An Effective Backhand Slice

An effective slice can add some much-needed variety to your game. In today's game, and you see it all the time at the professional leve, players are most comfortable when they’re in a routine of hammering balls back and forth. They like to exchange shots hit from their strike zones, which is between thigh and chest height, and use some degree of topspin on a majority of shots. You can be successful playing this style, but it makes your game pretty predictable. If you work a dependable slice into your repertoire, though, you’ll add some variety to your attack. A slice is effective for many reasons. If you’re stretched wide, the slice can be a safe, defensive shot that will get you back in the point. When hit as a rally ball, the backspin slows the pace of the shot and keeps the ball low and out of your opponent’s strike zone. And when you’re inside the court, you can be more aggressive with the slice by driving a deep, low, skidding shot that you can follow to net. It’s also the spin you need to be successful with volleys and drop shots. Here’s a quick lesson on the slice for all skill levels. BEGINNER OBJECTIVE: Learn the proper swing path and keep your wrist firm. When players first learn the slice, they sometimes start by drastically swinging down on the ball. Although the basic motion is from high to low (opposite of the low to high you’re first taught for your ground strokes) and back to high, it’s actually fairly subtle. If you hack down severely on the ball, you may put a great deal of underspin on it, but the resulting shot will float and have little pace, penetration, or consistency. You never want to lose that feeling of hitting through the ball. The other thing to stress is keeping your wrist firm. Many players snap or flip their wrists, trying to get pace and spin on the ball, and end up suffering the same problems as those who chop down when they swing. For a penetrating slice, use a swing that moves gradually from high to low and back to high. This way you hit through the ball instead of chopping at it. In fact, the swing path of the slice is almost parallel to the court. One way to think of the motion is to compare it to that of a karate chop. You start with your arm bent, and you straighten it out toward contact with a gradual reduction from high to low, keeping a slightly open racquet face. That way you’re still driving the racquet through contact. INTERMEDIATE OBJECTIVE: Incorporate your bigger muscles into the shot and learn to cup the ball. Players who use their whole bodies when they swing are generally more consistent with their strokes. Take the serve as an example: A player who gets good body rotation and uses his shoulders and legs is going to have a more effective serve than someone who just uses his arm. Using the big muscle groups will sustain consistency for the course of the match, whereas using only the smaller ones will cause fatigue (which will lead to inconsistency). With the slice, it’s no different. To better control the ball’s flight path and add pace to your slice, cup the outside edge of the ball. If you cup the inside, the ball will float with sidespin. At this point in your development, you understand the proper swing plane of the slice. You can repeatedly use good technique, but if you’re relying on your arm and hand to power the shot, your slice will never have adequate bite or penetration, and late in a match, when you get tired, it could break down. So stepping into the slice with your legs and stretching your arms out (with your hitting arm moving toward the contact point and your off arm behind you) will involve your quads, chest, and back—your best power sources. Besides using your whole body to hit the slice, you also need to have good feel and control. That’s where “cupping” the ball begins to become important. When you cup the ball, you cut under and around the outside edge of it. If you’re a right-hander, you’re trying to cup the left corner of the ball (the opposite corner for lefties). This helps control the flight path and adds zip to the shot. If you hit the inside part of the ball, that means your wrist is ahead of the racquet face, which will result in more sidespin than backspin on the shot. It takes great talent to control this type of slice because the ball has a tendency to sail. Cupping the outside of the ball is a much more reliable technique. ADVANCED OBJECTIVE: Develop your shot awareness and begin to use your slice as a weapon. As I’ve mentioned, slice affords a player variety because there are several different ways in which you can hit it. At this level, you can call upon all your options, and understanding your positioning and status in the point will help you determine which slice to use. For example, being on the dead run and far behind the baseline would call for a defensive slice. In an even backhand rally from the baseline, you may choose to use the slice as a change of pace to throw your opponent off. And inside the court, you can move forward and use your slice to attack. This is what I call shot awareness— having a clear grasp of what’s coming at you and what shot to use in response. From this perspective, you can use your slice to create openings by getting your opponent out of position. For example, if you’re in a backhand crosscourt rally and you get a ball that lands short, hit a deep, skidding slice down the line to open up the court. Or from the same position you can carve a short, sharp angle that forces your opponent up and wide into an uncomfortable position— almost like a drop shot, but with more pace and less arc. If your opponent has to attack off that, you’ll have a good look at a passing shot. And if he tries to retreat to the baseline, you’ll have an opening on his forehand side. Players with versatile slices, like Roger Federer and Tim Henman, often use this tactic against clay-courters who are leery of coming to net. During a backhand rally, a sharply angled slice can throw off your opponent’s rhythm by drawing him off the baseline and wide of the court.

Get More Depth on Your Forehand

Pushing with your dominant shoulder will give your stroke added pop and penetration. PROBLEM Your forehand lacks depth and power. A possible reason for this is that in an effort to increase racquet-head speed you prematurely whip open your front shoulder. This pulls your racquet toward the center of the court and away from the point of contact, compromising the power and control of the swing. Your shot can deteriorate further when you’re in a pressure situation. SOLUTION Instead of looking for more pace by swinging harder, focus on pushing your dominant shoulder toward the incoming ball. This action helps you lean your body into the shot while helping you retain stable posture throughout the stroke. Now the momentum of your swing is going in the direction of the target rather than off to the side. This gives your forehand added pace and penetration, two elements that will increase your chances of hitting an effective shot and taking control of the point.

Between the legs shot

This is the ultimate show-time shot. I don’t generally advocate it because you seldom win the point with it, but returning a lob from between your legs will please any crowd.

To familiarize yourself with the technique, practice it while standing still. Hold your racquet with a Continental or Eastern backhand grip to give your wrist ample snapping flexibility and to get more of the strings on the ball. Turn away from the net and bend your legs to get a wide base. Now drop a ball right between your legs. This will allow you to swing through contact without banging the racquet on the court or against your body.

When the ball is at shin level, snap the racquet down, squaring the face at impact. Depending on your objective, you can either bring the racquet through the hitting zone with a slight low-tohigh motion, which will be more of a drive shot, or you can snap up severely, which will produce a defensive lob.

After you get comfortable hitting from a stationary position, incorporate some movement by tossing the ball up and toward the baseline. Instead of running to the side of the ball, go straight at it. As you approach, make sure to overrun it a bit so you can take a full and, more important, safe swing.

Stretching: The Truth

If you're like most tennis players, you've been told that stretching just before you hit the court will help you play better and decrease your chances of injury. So you touch your toes, hold your stretches for counts of 30, and push against the fence or net post until it's ready to fall over. But there's a better way to loosen up. Don't get me wrong, it's essential to stretch before you play-just not the way we've been told. Research shows that while traditional static stretches (stretching to the point of tension in the muscle and holding it) and the less frequently used dynamic stretches {quick sport-specific movements) are both beneficial to tennis players, their effectiveness is determined by when they're performed. Static stretches, the type most recreational players do before a match, lengthen muscles and increase their flexi- bility; This is what you want over the long term, but during play muscles that have been lengthened will suffer tempo- rary decreases in power and therefore performance, according to Dr.]eff Chandler, associate professor of exer- cise science, sport, and recreation at Marshall University in Huntington, WVa., and an advisor to the PTR. This can include a decrease in your vertical jump. These findings are echoed by Dr. Ben Kibler, medical director at the Lexington (K)') Clinic Sports Medicine Center and a founder of the Society for Tennis Medicine and Science. He says static stretching can cause decreases in muscle perform- ance for about 20 minutes. Static stretches, according to Kibler, are best done immediately after you leave the court, when your blood is flowing and your muscles aren't tight, This will help you 9 reach your maximum stretch. For adult and senior players, in particular, stretching after matches will decrease post-play stiffness and soreness. So what should you do before you play? The key is to get your muscles moving the way they will during the match. The best way to do this .is with a set of dynamic stretches that mimic the movements of tennis, including high-steps, arm circles, quick racquet swings, and lunges. What you shouldn't do are movements that stretch the muscles to extremes. But don't ignore static stretches altogether. This ideal routine combines the two to help you perform better on court, recover from the stresses placed on your body during play and increase your long-term flexibility and power. Here's what to do when: On-court warm-up his should consist of light hitting, not high-intensity movements. That doesn't mean you should slouch at the baseline, however. If the other player hits a short ball during the warm'-up, don't play it on two bounces! You won't do that in practice or in a match, so warm up like you play and use good footwork to move around the court and put your body through a full range of motions. Dynamic stretching o the stretches described on these pages right before you play (after your warm-up, if possible). Static stretching fter you play but before you hop into that air-conditioned car, take the time to do a set of traditional static stretches. These are done by extending a muscle until you feel tension and then holding it for 15 to 30 seconds. Work your entire body to lengthen all of the key muscles you used on court. You'll be glad you did the next time you playas well as when you wake up in the morning. Start your dynamic stretching routine when you get to the court. Before practicing, take your time after the warm-up and do a full routine like the one below. When you play a match, you won’t have as much time, so take a minute both before and after the warm-up and do as many exercises as you can. Make sure to include your legs, trunk and arms. Use the moves below as samples (jumping jacks are also effective) and quickly go from one to the next. There are no guidelines for how long you should perform a move, but try to do as many of the exercises as possible. QUICK KICKS tanding in place or lightly jogging, bring heels up to buttocks rapidly. (If you have knee problems, skip this exercise.) HIGH-STEP TRUNK ROTATIONS ith arms bent inward (fists on chest), bring your right knee up high while rotating your trunk to the right (don't hold the stretch). For increased trunk rotation, extend one arm away from your body (parallel to the ground) in the direction of the stretch. Switch legs and repeat, rotating your trunk to the left. CROSSOVER LUNGE Planting one foot, take a wide step across your body and slightly forward with the opposite leg and move into a quarter squat. Switch legs and repeat. SIDE LUNGE lanting one foot, take a wide step out to the side with the opposite leg and move into a quarter squat. Switch legs and repeat. FRONT LUNGE lanting one foot, take a long step forward with the opposite leg and move into a quarter squat and hold for two seconds. Switch legs and repeat. (Note: Do not literally "lunge." Stretching past your point of comfort can be detrimental.)

Go to the Fence for Better Volleys

One of the most challenging lessons for beginners and intermediates is to avoid taking a big swing on the volley. Since most players learn to hit ground strokes first, they have a tendency to carry that swing over to the volley. But swinging on the volley is a sure way to make errors. A classic corrective measure used by tennis instructors everywhere can help you shorten this swing. And you don’t need a coach to do it, just a partner. Here’s how: Stand with your back against a court’s fence. Have your partner toss balls for you to volley. If your racquet clanks the fence, your swing is too big. Practice until you can hit volleys without striking the fence.

Going With your Gut (String Theory)

Picking the right string for your game is a feeling-out process. Click here for a list of different string types. Much like finding the right spouse, when it comes to selecting strings, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A string that feels soft and forgiving to one player can seem mushy and dead to another. With so much being left to perception, it would make sense that, just as with a racquet, players spend a lot of time experimenting with various strings to fi nd the perfect fi t. Yet strings don’t get anywhere near the consideration that racquets do. Players routinely leave strings in their frames for far too long and use varieties that don’t mesh with their style of play. “You can spend a couple of hundred dollars on a racquet, but if you use the wrong strings, it won’t play well,” Roman Prokes, of RPNY Tennis, in New York, says. He strings and customizes racquets for many top players, including Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova. “You can also buy a fairly inexpensive racquet, and if you get a good string job it can play great.” When it comes to materials, natural gut, nylon (multifi lament synthetics), and polyester make up the vast majority of strings. But navigating through the hundreds of offerings and their subtleties can be daunting. From a playing standpoint, gut provides the most feel, polyester offers the greatest durability, and nylon is generally balanced between the two. Since there has been a shift toward baseline play with less emphasis on touch shots—particularly at the pro level—stiffer, more controloriented strings are increasingly prevalent. The brand you hear about most often is the polyester-based Luxilon. “I think Luxilon is the biggest change in the game since graphite racquets,” Prokes says. Although he’s not certain what about the string’s composition makes it so special, Prokes touts the great control and bite it imparts on the ball. The pros must agree: Dozens of top players, including James Blake and Svetlana Kuznetsova, have Luxilon in their racquets. Not surprisingly, this trend has reached the weekend warrior. “There’s a lot more polyesters on the pro tour,” says David Bone, executive director of the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association, “and it trickles down to the mere mortals.” If you’re a string-breaker, the sturdiness of polyester can be an asset. Still, you have to weigh that against the stiffness of the typical poly, which some players find unforgiving. “Any blind test we do, polyester doesn’t stand out as special,” Bone says. In the 2006 USRSA string survey, in an average score of playability, durability, and comfort, no polyester ranked in the Top 40. But over the past few years, companies have made adjustments to make polys more userfriendly. “A polyester used to mean a monofilament,” Bone says. “Now they bond polyester with other materials that make it more playable.” If polyester doesn’t appeal to you, consider multifilament synthetics. This is the largest segment of the string population, encompassing a wide range from high-performance strings to basic synthetics. This gives the consumer many choices at varying prices. Softer multifilaments play like gut, which can appeal to net-rushers, doubles specialists, or anyone with arm troubles, but at a cheaper price. On the other end of the spectrum there are more durable multifilaments that have excellent lifespan for string-breakers but aren’t quite as stiff as polyesters. Another trend is the hybrid, in which two different strings are combined in one racquet. The most common hybrid involves using a polyester in the mains (up-and-down strings) for durability (since you typically break those first), and a synthetic or gut in the crosses to soften the string bed. “You get the best of both worlds,” says Prokes, who recommends the combination for many of his clients. According to Bone, more than half of the pros who got their racquets strung on-site at the WTA’s Acura Classic last summer were using a polyester-and-gut combo. Because of the hybrid’s popularity, many companies are packaging the two strings as one set. That said, the best way to fi nd the ideal match for your game is through trial and error. There is little research to prove claims that certain strings increase power or spin, so it only matters how it feels to you. “There are things that you discover when you play with a string that can’t be measured by a machine,” Prokes says. “If you like the way something feels, that may cause you to swing with more confidence.” And that, of course, is all that counts.

Use your warm wisely

For lots of players the warm-up before a tennis match is just that: an opportunity to get warm and loose before the action begins. Of course, that’s a big part of it, but savvy players know it’s more. In fact, for many good competitors the strategizing begins in the warm up. Try to:

Gauge your game – My game is built around my forehand, and I usually know once the warm-up is underway how well I’ll perform off that wing and I tailor my game plan accordingly, at least for the first set or so. If my forehand is on I know I can play more aggressively from the outset and afford to take more chances. If I’m misfiring on that side I immediately start to get myself into the mindset of playing more patiently and waiting for my openings.

Scout your opponent – One of the oldest tricks in the game is to hit down the middle to the other guy during the warm-up and see whether he moves to his forehand or backhand. Usually, the side he picks is the stroke he’s most comfortable with and you should plan accordingly. Pay attention also to your opponent’s volleys. If he gives short shrift to his net game during the warm-up you can bet he’s not going to be too inclined to come in very often when the match gets tight. We tend to favor those aspects of our game that we’re most comfortable with during the warm-up, so take note of your opponent’s tendencies.

Learning from Rafael Nadal

What the dynamic Spaniard’s game can teach you.

1. Don’t play the score. Nadal has become one of my favorite players to watch because of his sensational attitude. Whether he’s up 5-0 or down 0-5, he maintains his intensity. The only thing on his radar screen is winning the next point. If Nadal plays it well and wins a hard-fought exchange, out come the fi st pumps. That’s the greatest approach to have as a tennis player. If you allow the score to influence your demeanor, it will have negative repercussions on your game. And it’s not just if you’re losing and getting angry. Relaxing with a lead and thinking prematurely about an easy win can be equally destructive. Nadal takes nothing for granted. He never phones in a point, and he competes hard until the last point is over. Develop that kind of mind-set and you’ll win more matches.

2. Attack a weakness. Being a lefty, Nadal has the distinct advantage of pounding his best shot—the crosscourt forehand—into his opponent’s backhand, which tends to be their weaker side. Nadal puts a tremendous amount of topspin on his forehand, so the ball jumps up high on a righthander’s backhand, making it an uncomfortable shot to deal with. Since many players like to run around their backhands, Nadal will keep them honest by going strong to their forehands to open up space on the other side of the court. What makes Nadal unique in this regard is that he’s absolutely relentless. He’ll repeatedly hammer away with his crosscourt forehand until his opponent crumbles into submission. It’s not fancy, but it’s hard to argue with his results. The most basic yet effective strategy in tennis is to pit your strength against your opponent’s weakness. The best players are the ones who can construct a majority of their points on those terms.

3. Make adjustments. Nadal is dominant on clay, but he can change his game to compete successfully on fast surfaces, as he proved with his run to the Wimbledon fi nal this year. Instead of playing from 8 to 10 feet behind the baseline, Nadal will move up further in the court and take the ball earlier. He’ll also fl atten out his backhand to get more penetration and use the speed of the surface. On clay Nadal will play it safe and hit more kick serves, while on a fast court he’ll toss the ball farther out in front of his body and try to crack some bombs to win a few more free points. So take note: You may have a certain style that you prefer, but if you want to win on all surfaces and against various types of opponents, you must be adaptable. Perhaps that means being more aggressive with your shots or pulling back to allow your opponent to self-destruct. Having versatility will make you a much more formidable opponent.

Roger Fedrer's Backhand

Perfect balance, precise footwork, and an uncanny ability to watch the ball make Federer’s backhand a shot worth emulating.

It isn’t just that Roger Federer can masterfully hit any shot in the book—and a few shots that aren’t—but that he makes it look ridiculously easy. One of the keys to Federer’s success, and the principle reason his strokes look so effortless, is his extraordinary balance. Whether he’s hitting his huge forehand or his impressive backhand, he keeps his head and upper body remarkably quiet throughout the stroke.

1. Judging from his knee bend, you can tell that Federer is preparing for a low ball, perhaps an approach shot from his opponent. Even though he’s reacting quickly, he looks completely under control. He’s already changed his grip to one that’s slightly farther over from a classic Eastern. Also, notice the position of his racquet as he’s moving. Many players think you should prepare by immediately taking the racquet all the way back, but that’s not an efficient way to run. And while Federer’s shoulders have begun to turn, he won’t rotate them more until he plants his right foot.

2. Cradling the racquet in his left hand to control his backswing, Federer starts to turn his shoulders in unison with his racquet take-back. I like how his head is right in the center of his body. Pay attention to how he’s pointing his shoulder at the oncoming ball. This ensures good upper-body rotation, which is something many beginners and intermediates don’t do well. A full shoulder turn, along with a sound backhand grip, will help you drive the ball as well as avoid elbow problems.

3. This is a striking example of Federer’s excellent balance; he’s in the optimal position for this low ball. Even though he’s dragging his toe, he’s still got a lot of his weight on his left foot. Many players would have moved most of their weight onto their front foot at this point, which would cause their momentum to continue to the side after striking the ball and result in a more difficult recovery. Federer’s racquet is all the way back at this point and his shoulder turn is full, about 45 degrees to the baseline. His head, though, has barely moved from the previous photo.

4. Federer has just struck the ball and his left knee is almost touching the ground. His upper body remains still and balanced. This shot reminds me of how great downhill skiers allow their legs to go up and down like pistons but their upper bodies remain relatively quiet and straight up. Federer’s legs are doing all of the work of getting low to the ball; he’s not bending at the waist. It takes great core and quad strength to do this, but the payoff is that there’s no stress on the back. The angle between his arm and his racquet shows that he’s using a strong grip that will resist impact well.

5. Federer’s non-playing hand is back and down to counter balance his racquet hand going forward and up. Also, when the left arm goes back like that, it keeps the shoulders from turning and accelerates the right arm, giving you more power. As you can see, Federer’s shoulders are still sideways to the baseline. One common problem that players have with the backhand is that they pull up and open their shoulders so they almost face the net, losing power and control. Here, Federer’s head has hardly moved at all, and he has finished with his body perpendicular to the target.

6. Federer is recoiling after the swing,and it’s only now that he has started to look up and watch his shot. His body is still balanced, and because of that he won’t have to take an extra recovery step. If he were leaning over on such a wide shot, he would have to take one more step. One of the big differences between a good player and a great player is recovery, and you can’t recover well unless you have excellent balance. This is one reason Federer gets to so many balls.

-By Stan Smith

Martina Hingis Drop Shot

It’s a risky play, but great disguise, excellent footwork, and solid technique make Hingis’ drop shot a winner


In a game dominated by power hitters, Martina Hingis’ brand of control-oriented tennis makes her a fan favorite. A genius at geometry, the former world No. 1 uses the whole court to beat her opponents. Not only does she use angles and drives to move them side to side, but she also regularly throws in hard-to-read drop shots to get them running up and back. Here’s how she executes them.

1. Hingis has recognized that she has to hit a backhand, and her preparation has begun as it would for a backhand drive. There’s nothing at this point that would give her opponent a clue that she’s going to deliver a drop shot instead. Also, notice her location on the court. She’s right on top of the baseline and moving forward, which is ideal for the drop shot. You don’t want to try difficult finesse shots from deep behind the baseline.

2. Look at her feet. You can tell she’s using small, measured steps to put herself in position for the oncoming ball. Although Hingis may not be the fastest player on the tour, her footwork—the way she prepares with her feet for each shot—is among the best. As a result, her entire body, from her shoulders to her feet, is perfectly balanced. She appears to be using a semi-Western grip with her left hand and a Continental with her right, which is ideal for two-handed backhands.
3. We now see the first hint that Hingis won’t be driving the ball. Her hands are separating on the grip, indicating that either a slice or a drop shot is on the way. She uses her left hand to cradle the throat of the racquet and assist in the take-back. Also, because Hingis uses a Continental with her right hand on her two-hander, she doesn’t have to change her grip with that hand regardless of her shot selection. Her weight is loaded onto her back foot as she gets ready to step into the ball.
4. We can now tell that Hingis is committed to a drop shot, and not a slice, because her racquet is going higher but not much farther back. If she were planning to deliver a slice, the racquet would be more behind her. Note that Hingis’ body is facing the side of the court, something that players with two-handed backhands often fail to do. For a drop shot, let the ball come to your side more than you would for a drive.
5. Hingis’ weight has almost fully transferred onto her right leg as she continues to move into the ball. Again, look at her balance. The legs, hips, shoulders—everything is in the right position. Her hands are perfectly behind the ball and she’s measured exactly how she wants to address it. Her left hand is still cradling the throat of her racquet and her left palm is lined up with the racquet face, helping to guide it into position.

6. Hingis makes contact right in the middle of the string bed. Keeping your shoulders closed helps you swing through the ball, and players with one-handed slice backhands do that by letting their off hand move back and act as a counterbalance. Players with two-handers tend to push through with their off hand—as Hingis does here—and, as a result, have to make a special effort to stay turned.
7. After hitting the ball, Hingis continues to move through the shot and into the court. Her footwork is exemplary. She’s using what’s called a carioca step, which allows her to move forward while remaining sideways. If you look back, you can see her core has remained sideways since the second frame. Her focus is still on the contact point; her head has remained still, and she hasn’t looked up to follow the ball yet.
8. Hingis has started her recovery and has begun to look to the other side of the court to gauge the success of her drop shot. She’ll continue to move forward after striking the ball and will try to anticipate her opponent’s reply, if there is one, and take it out of the air if possible. She never assumes that her drop shot will be an outright winner. This is a great lesson for everybody.

Jump start Your Warm Up

We’ve all done it. We arrive at the court just minutes before our match starts, do a couple of knee bends, and then think we’re ready to play. After dropping the first three games of the set we scratch our heads, wondering why we’re playing so lifelessly. If you want to come out firing bullets instead of blanks, you’ve got to come on the court warm and ready to play.

A quick and effective way to do this is by jumping rope for several minutes. It:

Simulates running– Work the rope up to a good speed and you’ll be ready to sprint for a drop shot when the match starts.

Heats you up – Watch a professional in any sport and you’ll see they start a contest already sweating. For those worried about tiring out, a moderate amount of jump rope will actually energize, not weaken you.

Exercises your entire body – Jumping rope utilizes the wrist, forearm, shoulder, and whole leg, which are all crucial for playing good tennis. It also increases coordination and balance, two things a player can never have enough of.

One Handed Backhand fix

Problem

You lack the power you’d like on your one-handed backhand, especially since you seem to swing with plenty of force. Many times this happens because your racquet is accelerating at the wrong time. Instead of speeding up into contact, you’re actually accelerating the racquet after impact. This can lead to an exaggerated and off-balance follow-through.

Solution

On your backswing, hold the upper throat of your racquet with your nondominant hand so the head is back by your hip and your hitting arm is away from your body. Don’t let go of the racquet until the forward swing snaps it out of your grasp. Think of creating all the power and racquet speed on your stroke from the snap out of the backswing to the point of contact. Make sure your nondominant arm and shoulder don’t rotate around with the start of your forward swing. They should work as a counterbalance, helping you resist the tendency to rotate open and providing more power for the front shoulder to pull and drive the stroke. You’ll find that your racquet is now accelerating up to full speed before contact rather than afterward. This will generate more leverage in your swing and make for a natural follow-through.

Make the Most of Your Volleys

"Sensible technique and thoughtful strategy will turn you into a force at net."
Without question, the baseline is where today’s players conduct business. At every level, though, I still believe the easiest place to finish a point is at net. You pressure your opponents by taking time away and forcing them to pass you. Even if you’re a solid baseliner, it’s important to get to net occasionally to keep your opponent off-balance. And if you’re a frequent doubles player, solid net play is a must. Here’s how to make the volley a valuable part of your game. BEGINNER OBJECTIVE 1: Hold the racquet properly. One of the most important aspects of volleying is holding the racquet so you have the same grip on both the forehand and backhand. I like to tell beginners to hold the racquet like they’re shaking hands with it. But there’s no perfect way to do it. Boris Becker used a grip that was more toward the forehand side, and although it wasn’t textbook, it got the job done. Experiment with your grip to see what you find most comfortable for hitting volleys off either side. OBJECTIVE 2: Keep your swings short and body composed. When it comes to volleying, less is more. You want as little motion with your racquet and body as possible. Big swings and lots of movement lead to inconsistent results. Start with a stable base and turn your shoulders so that they’re as perpendicular to the net as possible. Your racquet should only go as far back as your shoulder turn takes it. To hit the volley, step forward and make contact out in front of you. Use a short, punching swing that’s no more than 1 to 2 feet long. The power on the volley comes from the step forward, the punch, and the pace from your opponent. INTERMEDIATE OBJECTIVE 1:Stay in control on tougher volleys. The ball is going to be moving faster at this level, so you’ll be forced to cover more court. Still, you need to have control over your body. That’s why the best volleyers have great core strength (from the thighs to the midsection). This prevents them from bobbing up and down, particularly on low balls. You need to bend at your knees, not at the waist, and keep a stable upper body when hitting a low volley. Also, with the increased pace and movement of the ball, you may not have the opportunity to step into your volleys. Even so, try to get your shoulders perpendicular to the net before you swing. OBJECTIVE 2: Use angles to finish points. Approaching the net is an aggressive play that generally ends points quickly. The easiest way to hit a winner off a volley is to set it up first with a powerful ground stroke. Putting your opponent on the defensive will allow you to get closer to the net and give you opportunities to angle the next ball away from him. The closer you are to the net, the easier it will be to create a sharp angle. Rather than trying to volley deep into the open court, which can cause you to overhit, angle the ball away from your opponent—this forces him to cover more court. Just remember to catch the outside edge of the ball to produce an angle. ADVANCED OBJECTIVE 1: Pick the right moments to attack. At this level, you need to be smart about how you construct your points at net. Make sure you hurt your opponent with an approach shot that opens up the court and then close in and cover the passing lanes. Once at net, you have to decide when to go for it. A ball around chest height is an invitation to finish the point. But shots from around the knees and below may call for more safety. In this case, open up your racquet face a little bit and do whatever you can to get the ball over the net and deep in the court. This will give you more time to recover and force your opponent to hit a longer passing shot. Going down the middle can be a great play in this situation; if you hit a defensive volley to one corner, you open up angles for your opponent to pass you. OBJECTIVE 2: Use the drop volley. The drop volley is an effective shot to use at net after you’ve driven your opponent behind the baseline. Open up the racquet face a little, soften your hand on the grip, and almost catch the ball on the strings. This helps you deflect your opponent’s shot gently over the net. The secret to a good drop volley is not how short you can hit it; it’s actually how far you can push your opponent back behind the baseline before you attempt it. By not having to hit so close to the net, you significantly increase your margin for error.

Bounce-hit to Stay Sharp

Whenever you stop playing for a while, or whenever your game goes into a slump, one of the first things to go is your timing. Strokes that felt natural and automatic start to feel like they've been replaced with awkward and forced imitations. And usually, the harder you try to fix the problem, the worse it becomes. But there's an easy solution that you can use any time you need to bring your timing and your strokes back into focus. It's called the “bounce-hit” drill.

Introduced by Timothy Gallwey in his classic book The Inner Game of Tennis, bounce-hit is deceptively simple, but it works like magic.

Here's how to do it:

Whenever the ball bounces, say "bounce" aloud to yourself. And whenever you or your opponent hits the ball, say "hit" aloud as well. This exercise works because it engages your mind enough to allow the more automatic, semi-conscious part of your brain to take over. That helps return your timing and your strokes to normal. And as a bonus, this drill works just as well when you're nervous or when you feel you're thinking too much on the court.

Control Your Service Toss

Start with your weight on your back foot and you'll put the toss in the right spot.

PROBLEM

(see pic above)

Your service toss is hard to control and tends to drift behind your head. This prevents you from getting forward momentum into your swing and makes it difficult to hit the serve with pace and control.

SOLUTION
(see pic below)
When you’re in the set position before you serve, start with your weight on your back foot. As your tossing arm goes up, shift your weight forward onto your front leg. This will help you get your toss in front of your body. It will also get you leaning into the serve and your body moving into the court as you swing through the ball. With the ball in front of you, rather than behind your head, you can hit a stronger flat or slice serve. Initially you may feel like you’re falling forward, but with some practice this momentum will add even more power to your serve.

Returning a Strong serve

One of the rules of the playground is that you should always stand up to a bully. Show weakness and you’re just asking to be pushed around. You can’t allow yourself to be intimidated on the tennis court, either. If your opponent smells fear coming from your side of the court, his confidence and play will usually soar. One of the more common tormentors in tennis circles is the big-serving bully. This is a player who relies on a powerful first serve to win a lot of free points, which lets him take more chances on his other shots. If you have trouble returning his serve, it’s a style that can put a lot of pressure on you. But if you neutralize his weapon, he’s nothing to be scared of.

Here’s how:
Stand a few steps back: Many power servers favor pace over placement. They simply try to overwhelm you with the speed of the serve because they don’t possess the precision to aim for the lines. So give yourself a little extra time to return it by starting farther back in the court (try a couple of feet behind the baseline) than you usually stand. Unless your opponent is following the serve to net, there’s really no benefit in contacting the ball any earlier. You’re better off forcing him to volley rather than piling up errors.

Shorten your take back: You don’t have a lot of time to set up for the return of a big serve. Luckily, since your opponent is giving you so much pace, you don’t need to take a big swing. Simply making solid contact out in front of your body is all that’s necessary for an effective return. Your backswing should essentially be limited to your shoulder turn.

Hit from an open stance: Again, you’re being rushed, so footwork is at a premium. Rather than taking several steps to position yourself, the most efficient way to make the return is to the line up the incoming ball with your outside, or back, leg and lean into the shot. The coil of your upper body and the pace of the serve will supply the power. This will not only help you put more serves in play, it will allow you to move more effectively for the next shot.

How to Serve

Andy Murray’s Serve

Nineteen-year-old rising star Andy Murray of Scotland has assaulted the rankings in the last two years, moving nearly 500 spots to his current position inside the Top 40. Solid in every aspect of his game, Murray uses his serve to dictate play right from the get-go. And with a few minor changes, he could make it even better.

1. This is a typical stance for most players. It has no significance as far as racquet acceleration and power— each player simply has his or her own way of beginning to focus on the serve. One note: When my partner, Dr. Gideon Ariel, and I analyzed subjects who used this stance, with the racquet extended, there was an increase in the activity in their trapezius (neck and shoulder) muscles. Some players actually got a little stiff using this method. That’s why baseball pitchers shrug their shoulders and exhale to relax the muscles before throwing.

2. Notice that Murray’s tossing hand is nearly parallel to the baseline rather than extended toward his opponent. This causes his body to coil, and it’s the uncoiling of the body in a particular sequence from the ground up that generates racquet speed. That sequence is called the “kinetic chain.” Notice also that Murray’s dominant arm is extended backward. Many players think they should look like the classic serving trophy, with the hitting elbow tucked way down behind them. But that trophy designer must have had a pitiful serve.

3. At this point, Murray brings his back foot up toward his front, which momentarily stops him from uncoiling his body. He relies on loading the muscles in his upper body rather than generating a complete kinetic chain. His knees are bent to activate a forward and upward movement. While the knee bend is an initiator of the kinetic chain, in our research we found that the knee bend alone was not a huge factor in serve speed and generated less than 10 m.p.h. for most subjects.

4. Here is where Murray fails to maximize his racquet-head speed. His body isn’t going as forward and upward as it could be. He tosses the ball farther back than, say, Andy Roddick does. In our research center, we found that the greatest racquet speed was produced when the player’s upper arm was going up and forward toward the net, as in a baseball pitch. Murray’s upper arm is traveling more upward than forward, which will limit his speed.

5. Murray makes contact with the ball at the peak of the toss, which has major advantages in serving percentages. One or two inches in height can often mean the difference between an ace or a ball that hits the tape. Andy continues to uncoil his body, which helps to increase racquet-head speed. Note that Murray’s feet have left the ground. If you jump to hit the ball before the upper arm has achieved maximum speed, you’ll lose power. This is not true if the ball is tossed out front and the server is pulled off the ground when he reaches for it.

6. Murray has one foot behind the baseline when he lands. (Roddick lands more than 2 feet inside the baseline.) It’s important to get the toss as far out in front as you can. As Murray’s game continues to improve, I think you’ll see him tossing the ball farther out toward the net to maximize racquet-head speed, while remaining properly balanced to attack the net or play the point out from the baseline.

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Serve

A serve (or, more formally, a service) in tennis is a shot to start a point. The serve is usually initiated by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it (usually near the apex of its trajectory) into the diagonally opposite service box without touching the net. It may be performed underhand or overhead. The serve is the only shot where a player can take his time to set up, instead of having to react to an opponent's shot.

The serve is one of the more difficult shots for a novice, but once mastered it can be a considerable advantage. Advanced players can hit the serve in many different ways and often use it as an offensive weapon to gain an advantage in the point or to win it outright. Because of this, professional players win most of their service games, and breaking serve plays a crucial role in a match.

coming soon : more on Serving

Supercharge Your Practice

Have you ever felt that you could really improve if only you could find better practice partners, yet the reality is that you’re stuck hitting against the same couple of players all the time? You’re not alone. But there’s an easy way to take your practice to another level even if you can’t bring in new blood: Play two on one.

This was a staple of the Australian Davis Cup team back in the 1950s and 1960s when the Harry Hopman-trained squad was dominating the rest of the world. Two-on-one hitting supercharges your practice because it simulates playing against a stronger opponent. Balls that one player might not reach are easily handled by two, and rallies tend to last longer and be more intense.

In fact, one hour of two-on-one drilling, with each player taking two 10-minute turns on the solo side, can be more intense than two hours of regular hitting. The next time you’re looking for a serious on-court workout, or can’t line up a fourth for doubles, consider hitting two-against-one.

The Backhand Shot

SHOULDERS » Safin accompanies his racquet take-back with a significant shoulder turn. His front shoulder is even with his chin, and you can see a good portion of his back. This will get a great deal of upper-body rotation into the shot and help him generate huge power when he wants it.

ARMS » As he prepares his racquet, Safin’s elbows are bent and they hug his body. This is going to create a longer and more powerful swing than if his arms were completely straight. In today’s game, the bent elbow is a widely used style, and in my opinion a good option.

LEGS » Safin closes off his stance to hit this particular backhand, but he can hit this stroke with his feet in any alignment. Again, the key for a potent two-hander is good shoulder rotation, and Safin can do that whether his stance is open, or, as in this case, closed.

RACQUET HEAD » Although Safin’s racquet is not much farther away from the ball than Connors’, look how much higher it is. Yet Safin will still have time to drop the racquet below the ball and brush up. This makes for a longer and faster swing that will produce pace as well as spin for safety.

WRISTS » Along with a bend in the elbows, Safin also has some flex in his wrists. This will allow him to drop the head of the racquet below the level of the ball and snap up from low to high, creating significant topspin. Safin can still hit with power and control but can also create sharper angles than if he were to hit primarily flat.

Open Stance Forehand

PREPRATION

RACQUET: Moya brings his racquet back above head level. Starting his swing from this point will enable him to generate plenty of racquethead speed. In order to take such a large swing you need time to measure the
ball.

GRIP: Like many claycourt players, Moya uses an extreme Western grip on his forehand. This closes the racquet face, which allows a player to drop the frame below the ball and brush up for heavy topspin.

RIGHT ARM: Moya’s hitting arm is almost completely straight and extended away from his body. This is good for power but problematic unless you have superb timing. The average player would be wise to bend the arm a little, keeping the elbow closer to the body.

LEFT ARM: What you do with your nonhitting arm is important on a forehand. Here you see Moya bringing it over to the hitting side, which naturally rotates his upper body (his chin is over his left shoulder) and counterbalances his racquet arm.

RIGHT LEG: By loading up and hitting off his back leg, Moya is using open-stance footwork. He has started to flex his right knee and will probably bend it a little more to further load his weight onto that leg and explode up and through the shot.

RIGHT FOOT: The toes on Moya’s right foot are pointing to the side, which facilitates his hip turn. If the plant foot is more perpendicular to the net, it’s much more difficult to get that rotation.

CONTACT

HEAD: A trademark of a top-notch ball striker is the ability to keep the head still at impact. Here Moya’s face is relaxed and expressionless. If your head is jerking around when you swing, it can affect your balance and your ability to make solid contact.

RACQUET: This is a splitsecond after contact and the racquet head is already above the ball. Moya definitely came from below the ball and brushed up the bottom part of it to get some serious topspin.

RIGHT WRIST: Notice how the wrist is laid back and the hitting elbow is tucked in close to the body. That’s the perfect leverage position from which to rock the ball on the forehand.
HIPS: After coiling his body so well in the previous photo, Moya really unwinds into the shot. This rotation creates tremendous power and helps get the racquet, which Moya brought so far back, to contact on time.

RIGHT LEG: Even though he is hitting from an open stance, Moya still has plenty of forward momentum. He takes all of the weight he loaded onto his right leg in the first photo and launches himself up (he’s off the ground) and into (his right foot is now pointed forward) the shot.

Measuring Your Correct Grip Size

The right grip size makes a huge difference in how a racquet performs. If you're not sure of your grip size, here are two simple ways to measure:

Holding an eastern forehand grip (the palm is placed against the same bevel as the string face), you should be able to fit the index finger of your non-hitting hand in the space between your ring finger and palm. If there isn't enough room for your index finger, the grip is too small. If there is space between your finger and palm, the grip is too big. A too-small grip requires more muscle strength to keep the racquet from twisting in your hand. Prolonged use of a grip that's too small can contribute to tennis elbow problems. A grip that's too large inhibits wrist snap on serves, makes changing grips more difficult and also requires more muscle strength. Prolonged use of a grip that's too big can also contribute to tennis elbow problems.

If you don't have a racquet handy, you can also measure your grip size using a ruler. With your hand open and fingers extended close together, align the ruler with the bottom lateral crease of your palm and measure to the tip of your ring finger.

Keep in mind, it's easier to increase handle size on most racquets. In fact, the majority of today's lightweight racquets' handles cannot be reduced in size. If you're between grip sizes, go with the smaller size and add an overgrip to arrive at the ideal fit. A typical overgrip will increase a grip by 1/16 inch. You can also increase grip size using a heat-shrink sleeve. One heat shrink sleeve will increase grip size by 1/8 inch. Both methods will increase overall racquet weight slightly (7-16 grams) but the benefits of a correct grip size far "outweigh" the disadvantages of this added mass.

We also recommend you replace your grip regularly. A fresh, properly wrapped grip provides you with better racquet control and increased confidence.

Coming soon : " Open Stance Forehand"

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