The Jump Two-Handed Backhand

Photo By Al Bello/Getty Images Former world No. 1 Marcelo Rios introduced this technique and Marat Safin and Sebastien Grosjean continue the tradition today. Instead of moving their feet to get into better position on a high backhand, they choose to compensate by jumping off the court to hit the stroke. The technical or strategic advantages are questionable, but you may find that you get more explosive power into the shot or create a better angle by raising your strike zone. Most coaches prefer a less lazy brand of footwork, but it’s flashy and, on some occasions, a necessity. When you’re on the move and the ball is going to be at your shoulders, jump off your front leg while raising your back one up. It’s virtually the same form you’d use to shoot a layup with your nondominant hand in basketball. You start your swing as you come off the court and make contact with the ball at the top of your jump. While still in the air, complete the stroke with full extension before you land back on the court and start to move for your next shot.

Shoes for different court types.

Clay courts with slide

The new breed in clay / sliding court shoes are sharp edged herring bone that cover the entire sole and even roll up on the side of the shoe to give maximum grip and an "even or measurable" slide characteristic. The idea being that the clay will fall out after each step in order to allow maximum grip on each consecutive step. Sharp Herring bone bite better, but wear out faster. A softer material is used for maximizing drag.

Hard court

Due to the stop/start nature of hard court tennis, it is very important to get a quality shoe. Think of your future! Durability, shock absorption coupled with good ankle support and overall comfort. Most profiles will work quite well but most won't last too long. Notice the turning circle on the shoe above. This puts the most amount of rubber where you need it with the freedom to move it. The brands that offer a guarantee on the sole are normally very good. Addidas Torsion is a great buy with its six-month guarantee. Kswiss shoes are very good though a little heavy however what you gain in quality far outweighs the weight issue.

Backhand Approach of Amelie Mauresmo

A no-frills motion paves the Frenchwoman’s way to the net. BY Anne Smith, Ph.d Reigning Wimbledon champion Amélie Mauresmo is an all-court player who, unlike most of her peers, regularly attacks the net. And whether she’s coming in off a short ball in a rally or attacking a weak serve, as she is in this sequence, her slice backhand approach is the shot she uses most often to get her to the net and pressure her opponent. 1. Mauresmo is attacking her opponent’s weak serve and has moved inside the baseline to take the ball early. Any time you approach, you should be at least in front of the baseline before you strike the ball. Mauresmo has a perfect shoulder turn—her chin is over her right shoulder—and her backswing is compact. Many players have too much backswing on the approach shot; because you’re moving forward you need to keep it short. She’s balanced, with most of her weight on her back leg, ready to transfer her weight forward as she hits the ball. Too many players bend at the waist and reach on the approach shot, sacrificing power and control. Though it’s hard to see in this shot, Mauresmo’s using her left hand to cradle the throat of the racquet and assist in the take-back. Her right arm is slightly bent and she’s using a Continental grip. 2. Mauresmo’s head is in good position, with her eyes fixed on the ball. She’s moving forward, which will give her shot extra bite. You can tell from the shadow on the court that the ball is just inches from her racquet and will probably hit the string bed slightly below center, which is what you want on the slice backhand because the ball will slide along the strings. Impact will occur just in front of her right foot. Pay attention to her left arm in this frame: Mauresmo moves it back in the opposite direction from her hitting arm to maintain her balance. 3. Notice the angle formed by Mauresmo’s forearm and her racquet. It hasn’t changed since the first photo. She has no unnecessary wrist action in her backhand approach, which translates into greater control and consistency. And now you can really see how her left arm extends back to counter her right arm. This movement is important for maintaining good balance. It also keeps her upper body sideways for a longer period of time, allowing her to hit through the ball effectively. Mauresmo’s head is still and she has her eyes on the flight of the ball rather than on her opponent or her target. 4. Mauresmo’s follow-through, like her backswing, is compact, which is what you want on an approach shot. With so much going on as she advances toward the net, she needs to keep her mechanics as simple and efficient as possible. Excess motion often leads to mistimed shots. Her weight is not only moving forward, but she’s also moving back into the court to gain good net position. Again, note how her left hand perfectly mirrors her right. To practice this movement, imagine that you’re a baseball umpire signaling “Safe!” whenever you finish your slice backhand.

Take your time

One of the greatest things about singles tennis is the individual nature of the sport. But that’s also one of the most challenging aspects of the game, and this becomes most apparent when your adversary, after winning a few tough points or a particularly hard-fought game, begins to gain momentum. Because there is no teammate to offer advice or emotional support, many players get down on themselves and allow the match to slip away. That’s a mistake you can avoid. Whenever you feel as if your opponent has the momentum on his side, remind yourself to slow down. Be sure and use the time you’re allotted between points and during changeovers to regain your focus and effectively assess the match and your opponent's game. Then try to come up with strategies to get back into the match. And be especially careful not to allow your mind to linger on the previous rallies. Often, players take extra time and slow things down only to complain to themselves about points they cannot change. That’s a waste of time and will simply make things worse.

Learning from James Blake

Blake isn't afraid to go on the offensive with his backhand © Getty Images The American has lifted his game with percentage play. 1.Improve your weaker side. Blake’s backhand has always been a liability, but in recent years he’s done a great job of shoring it up. I don’t think he’s really changed his technique—he may be hitting a little more out in front of his body—but it’s clear he’s practiced it so thoroughly that the shot is more ingrained than before, making him confident with it. That, in turn, has allowed Blake to change his mind-set for his backhand and up his level of aggression on that wing. Often, players are content to use their weaker side as a neutral shot. But I prefer that players be proactive rather than reactive, and Blake has done that really well. When club players see shots coming to their weaker side, they usually play it safe. Through a focused practice routine you can improve your placement and consistency, which will build confidence in that stroke and eventually allow you to be more aggressive with it. 2.Beef up your serve. Blake has also improved his serve. Now his first delivery is a consistent weapon. As with his backhand, much of his increased effectiveness is due to his work ethic. But I also think Blake has begun to use the large muscles in his legs better when he serves by bending his knees more and thrusting up toward the toss. This can speed up the serve by about 5–10 percent. At the professional level, an increase of even 5 percent, as long as you maintain your accuracy, is significant. Blake also appears to have a very elastic arm—some people have it and some people don’t. But you can improve your flexibility with a targeted stretching routine. A loose arm not only aids in increasing serve speed, it also helps prevent injuries. And because we tend to lose flexibility as we age, stretching becomes more important as we get older. Hard work and repetition has helped Blake smooth out his serve. 3. Use your feet to set up your weapon. Blake is blessed with terrific foot speed, but one thing he does exceptionally well is recognize opportunities. He jumps on any chance to run around his backhand and use his huge forehand. And in practice he hones the patterns of movement that he’ll use to do this. Be sure to practice the patterns of movement you need if you want to run around your backhand and take advantage of your forehand. 4.Develop a middle gear. Blake used to be one of the flashier players on tour. He would produce outrageous winners as well as ugly errors. But in the last two years he’s developed what I call a middle gear. By playing at three-quarters of his maximum he can still create opportunities to win points without making careless mistakes. Now, rather than go for a low-percentage winner from way behind the baseline, Blake plays within himself with the goal of getting into a winning position in the next shot or two. Part of this is due to his maturation as a player, but it’s also a skill that can be practiced by using your position on the court to determine how much you should go after the ball. The farther inside the court you are, the more aggressive you should be. Conversely, when you’re behind the baseline or on the run, don’t go for a winner.

Winning in the wind

Playing in the wind is one of the toughest challenges you can face as a tennis player. Nearly every aspect of your game has to be adjusted, and shots that are normally automatic have to be played with care and consideration. But you can lessen the challenge by doing a couple of things. First, you need to gear your ground strokes for consistency. Place more of an emphasis on spin and less on power. On really windy days, there is a huge premium on just getting your shots into play and forcing your opponent to deal with the incoming ball—every time you clear the net, you've won a small victory. Also, adjust your offense to take the direction of the wind into account. When the wind is in your face, try approaching the net as much as you can. Slice approaches often die when hit into the wind. Be sure and close in a step tighter to the net than you normally do because it is very difficult for your opponent to lob with the wind at his back. When the wind is at your back your strokes will pick up pace so be on the lookout for short replies that you can attack.

Cut Your Unforced Errors in Half

Winning matches is as much about limiting your mistakes as it is about hitting powerful shots. Here are 10 simple ways to help you cut down on your errors. 1. USE MORE TOPSPIN By increasing the amount of topspin on your shots, you can hit the ball harder and take a longer swing while minimizing the risk of sending the ball long. Plus, you’ll be able to hit the ball higher, giving you a greater safety margin over the net, which is where most mistakes are made. 2. GIVE YOURSELF ROOM Aim your shots 3 to 4 feet inside the sideline and baseline and you’ll increase your consistency. Many players try to emulate the forcing shots they see the pros hitting, but they don’t realize that a vast majority of points at the rec level are won on opponents’ mistakes. Pick a safe target and give your opponent a chance to miss before you start going for high-risk shots. 3. ON DEEP SHOTS, MOVE BACK AND HIT THE BALL HIGH At my institute, we teach our students that for every foot they have to move behind the baseline to hit a shot, they have to return the ball one foot higher over the net. Many times we see players get pushed back by a heavy, deep ball, yet they try to make an offensive shot out of it. This is low-percentage tennis. The smarter play is to hit the ball back heavy and deep—just make sure your opponent isn’t sneaking into the net—and wait for a better opportunity to take charge. 4. HIT MORE SPIN SERVES Serving with spin, especially topspin, allows you to clear the net safely. Instead of trying to hit big first serves, think more like a baseball pitcher, who wants to get ahead in the count. If you increase your first-serve percentage, you’ll feel less pressure and reduce your number of double faults. Remember, it’s more important to hit your spots and move the serve around with different spins than it is to crack the big one near your opponent. Hitting kick serves also gets the ball up and away from your opponent and forces him to handle balls above his shoulders. 5. BECOME A SMART RETURNER Have you noticed how often top players chip their returns to get the ball back into play? Few pros serve and volley now, which means they can safely float their returns back and work to gain control of the point. That’s what makes Roger Federer’s return so lethal against huge servers like Andy Roddick. You should do the same when returning serve. I see too many rec players trying to nail hard returns down the line. Give yourself more margin for error by hitting most of your returns crosscourt. This also gives you more time to get back to the center of the court. 6. DIP YOUR PASSING SHOTS CROSSCOURT I often see players wind up and try to rip their passing shots down the line with virtually no topspin. It’s important to recognize that you don’t have to win the point with the fi rst pass. Many times a well-placed, dipping passing shot hit with lots of topspin and at your opponent’s feet will put you in position to win the point with your next shot. There are several things working for you here. A crosscourt dipping ball makes your opponent bend and reach at the same time. Plus, you give yourself much more margin for error if you pass crosscourt. And even if you don’t hit it well and your opponent gets his racquet on the ball, you at least force him to hit one more shot to win the point. 7. NEUTRALIZE FROM OUTSIDE THE COURT These days too many players think they can go for winners when they’re on the run and outside the sidelines. This is a low-percentage play that’s guaranteed to lose you points over the course of a match. Instead, in this situation learn to hit either a defensive lob, a defensive slice that travels high over the net, or a high ball with topspin. All of these tactics neutralize an opponent’s big shot while giving you time to get back into position. 8. USE THE MOONBALL The moonball—a high, heavy topspin shot—drives lots of players crazy. It may not be pretty, but it has a lot going for it. Because the heavy topspin makes the ball jump up, a moonball doesn’t need to be hit close to the lines to be effective, making it a very safe play. It’s also frustrating to many players because they don’t know if they should take it on the rise and risk an error or move way back, which puts them out of position. By adding this safe shot to your repertoire, you can be offensive without taking undue risk. 9. HIT DOWN THE MIDDLE It’s amazing how effective you can be just hitting balls down the middle of the court, particularly against big hitters. First, you cut down on your errors because you’re hitting over the lowest part of the net. Second, you take sharper angles away from your opponents, which often tempts them to hit the ball even harder—and pile up errors in the process. 10. USE ANGLED VOLLEYS Often, players come to the net thinking they have to blast volleys for winners, so they take big swings or try unrealistic shots to end the point. The safer play is to use an angled volley crosscourt. Not only does it give you more margin for error, it also forces your opponent to move sideways to hit a passing shot. A well-placed angled volley is usually enough to set up a winning volley on the next shot or even finish the point outright.