Stop Thinking About Winning

By John F. Murray, Ph.D Wouldn't it be grand if there were a special world where every player won every match? In this tennis fantasyland, scores would be meaningless since every player would be crowned champion. If this is what you seek, hit the snooze button one more time. When you wake up and smell the Starbucks again, you'll remember that every player eventually loses except the tournament winner. In fact, without the risk of losing, your dream would be so boring it would keep you asleep! The challenge and uncertainty in tennis provides much of the thrill and an obsession with winning only hastens defeat. Too much emphasis is wrongly placed on winning. This does not mean not wanting to win far from it. That is why we play sports. But remember that there is also an opponent and that the most control we really ever have in a match over outcome is 50%. 50% is just as good as zero since there is never more than half control. When NY Yankees owner George Steinbrenner gave Joe Torre the ultimatum, “win against Cleveland or you are out,” media scurried to cover the “bad boss” element. I made the point that saying “win or you are fired” is the same as saying “flap your arms and fly or you are fired!” Nobody can control winning, but everybody can control performance, and that is where the focus needs to remain. Task-involved athletes focus on performance and display high intrinsic motivation, produce maximal effort, and persist longer across a variety of situations. Players emphasizing performance goals (e.g., higher percentage of first serves) over outcome goals (e. g., winning) retain more attention for the immediate task at hand. Getting wrapped up in thoughts about outcome only leads to distraction, anxiety, and pressure. What you really want is to be sincerely fascinated with the many dimensions of performance. Staying excited about performance keeps you firmly in the present and guards against the loss of self-confidence that could occur when the next Rafael Nadal or Justine Henin rolls into your upcoming tournament. Take a few seconds to recall the best performance of your life. You may not remember the details well because you were so completely absorbed in the moment. Expending energy dwelling on past mistakes or possible outcomes would have only spoiled this peak experience. Your focus on performance that day was admirable and winning took care of itself. This is where you want to be every match. One way to remain focused on performance is to set short-term goals. These should include daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Start by investing in a small notebook or computer blog site which should be used to keep track of goals, achievements and comments. A rule of thumb is to set goals that you can achieve about 55% of the time. If you are reaching your goals more than 65% of the time set greater challenges. If you achieve your goals less than 45% of the time set them easier. Make sure that your performance goals are specific, challenging, and realistic. Here are some examples of viable performance goals in tennis: 1. Increase your net approaches by 10 each set. 2. Increase your first service percentage from 55% to 70%. 3. Replace every on-court negative self-statement with a positive comment. 4. Lob the ball at least 50% of the time when in serious trouble. 5. Reduce your unforced errors by 5 per set. Remember to set mental as well as physical performance goals. Self-knowledge is the key to setting intelligent goals. As you notice improvements in performance, don't be surprised if your opponents begin losing a little more often. So stop flapping your arms to fly. Your best chance of flying is to focus first on performing.

Rafael Nadal's Backhand

By Paul Annacone Photograph by Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images 1. Core Nadal’s bulging biceps and calf muscles get the most attention, but it’s his midsection that makes all his strokes, and especially this stretched-out, open-stance backhand on clay, so phenomenal. Any other player attempting to hit a ball this far from his body, with such a wide stance, would lunge forward and lose most of his power. Nadal has excellent posture, balance and overall body control. Few players have enough strength in their abs to hit such an offensive shot from such a defensive position. 2. Shoulders Even though he’s facing the net and stretched to his limit, Nadal turns his shoulders and uncoils into the shot. This is a key point for club players: The open-stance backhand isn’t a license to do away with a standard shoulder turn. Without it, you can’t hit an effective shot. 3. Hands Though he plays left-handed, Nadal is naturally a righty, so it’s no surprise that his right hand does much of the work on this shot. When you try your next two-hander, pay attention to your off hand. It can give you more control and power to drive the ball. Don’t let it just go along for the ride. 4. Feet Nadal slides into this stroke and stops at the perfect time. Many club players either can’t slide on clay, or, if they can, they slide too far; Nadal has perfected the art. He comes to a stop, transfers his weight into the shot, and then his trailing leg slides along to the ready position without sending him any farther from the center of the court. He might look rugged and violent out there, but, as this image shows, Nadal moves economically and precisely. On clay, no one does it better. 5. Thighs Do you cringe when your pro tells you to get down lower for your shots? Nadal shows how it’s done. He has enough flex in his knees to sit in a chair. His center of gravity is low and he pushes through the shot from the ground up.

Target your Heart Rate.

By Sarah Unke

To get the most out of a cardio workout, you need to get your heart rate into your target heart rate zone. However you keep your heart rate elevated—by running, doing intervals on an elliptical machine, on taking a spinning class—the American Heart Association recommends that you do “moderately intense aerobic exercise” for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.

Rebecca Naden-pa/AP Photo Venus Williams gets her share of target heart-rate training on court.

So how do you know if your workout is moderately intense? Calculate your target heart rate zone and work to stay in the middle of that zone while you’re doing your cardio.

Here’s how you do it: According to the American Heart Association, a person’s target heart rate is 60–80 percent of his or her maximum heart rate. To find your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. So, take a 35-year-old, for example. His or her maximum heart rate is 220 minus 35, so 185 beats per minute (bpm). That’s the maximum rate he should reach while exerting himself. The target heart rate zone, or where he should try to keep his heart rate for the most safe and effective cardio workout, is 60–85 percent of the maximum, so 111–157 bpm.

A heart rate monitor is the most convenient way to keep track of where your heart rate is during a workout. But you can also do it the old-fashioned way by checking your pulse. Just count how many times your heart beats in 10 seconds at your wrist or neck and multiply that number by 6 to get your beats per minute. That way you can tell whether you need to pick up your intensity, dial it back, or stay right where you are.

Novak Djokovic's Kick Serve

How the Serb hits one of the nastiest kickers in the game.

By Paul Annacone
Photos by Manuela Davies/Double Exposure

1 For many club players, the toss is the biggest challenge on a kick serve. It must be to your left (if you are righthanded, like Djokovic) and slightly farther back than it is on a flat serve, so you can brush up on the ball to create topspin. Djokovic extends his tossing arm fully, keeps his eyes on the ball, and relaxes his knees. I also like his grip, a bevel turn to the left of the Continental so it’s easier to impart spin (for more on grips, go to TENNIS.com/grips). Another note: Djokovic’s hitting arm lags behind his tossing arm. I wouldn’t recommend this technique for beginners. Club players will have more success if they bring their hitting and tossing arms up together. It takes impeccable timing to let the hitting arm lag behind the tossing arm, as Djokovic does here. You're better off bringing up both arms together.

2 It’s easy to see why Djokovic generates such spin and pace on his kick serve: He’s almost elastic in his wind-up. He coils so much that his back partially faces the net. Djokovic’s racquet and hitting arm both point upward, but notice the angle of his shoulders, which slope downward. His hitting arm is lower than his tossing arm, leaving room for him to extend up to the ball and rotate fully, increasing the speed of his racquet along the way. Djokovic’s knee bend is now deeper and his feet no longer rest flat on the court.

3 Here Djokovic begins to accelerate up to the ball. He drops his racquet head, straightens his knees, and starts to uncoil. Club players can learn a lot about balance and timing from this photo. As Djokovic pushes off with his feet, his shoulders begin to open, but not too quickly—he doesn’t fall into the court. Notice that his tossing arm comes down; otherwise, it would block him from rotating his shoulders. Djokovic's chest points up toward the ball as he drops his racquet and begins to uncoil.

4 Like all great servers, Djokovic drops his racquet to the point where the top of the frame points at the ground (you can see it just below his left arm). His hitting elbow points up as the ball comes into view, slightly in front of him and to the left of his hitting shoulder. His feet are off the ground and his energy is directed up and forward, which will allow him to brush up the back of the ball and propel it into the court with pace. If Djokovic were to let this ball drop, it would brush the side of his head. This is where the ball needs to be for the up-and-out motion required for a kick serve.

5 When you hit a kick serve, your racquet must brush up and over the ball from the 8 o’clock position to the 2 o’clock position (for lefties, it’s 4 o’clock to 10 o’clock). This photo shows Djokovic right after contact, and you can trace the upward arc of his swing path. His hitting shoulder and arm, which started out low in the second picture, are now fully extended, and his shoulders have rotated almost 180 degrees.

6 Djokovic’s momentum carries him well inside the court. His back leg extends outward for balance, while his chest is parallel to the ground. The the most important thing to learn from this sequence is that hitting a kick serve doesn’t just require brushing up on the ball. You must hit out, too. That’s what makes Djokovic’s kicker one of the best in the game. Djokovic's back leg kicks out for balance as he lands on his left foot.

The Forehand of Maria Sharapova

Early preparation and an attacking mind-set have helped the Russian turn this shot into a world-class weapon. When Maria Sharapova stunned tennis fans by winning Wimbledon in 2004, her serve and backhand were her biggest assets. But in the last year, she has molded her forehand into a weapon as well. She’s more aggressive off that wing than ever before, and it’s the shot she relies on most to open up the court and construct points. 1. Sharapova uses her left hand to help take her racquet back and assist in her shoulder turn. See how her left shoulder comes up to her chin? I like that, because it indicates a full turn. Her balance is very good. She’s ready to move forward and take this shot just inside the baseline—clearly Sharapova is looking to attack. Her grip is almost a full Western. 2. Sharapova continues with her excellent shoulder turn. As she takes her racquet back, she’s making small adjustment steps that help put her in an ideal position. Sharapova’s racquet is back a little higher than I was taught to take mine—my backswing was more compact—but it helps her produce greater racquet-head speed, which means more power. 3. Sharapova’s left hand is starting to move out in front of her to track the ball. Doing this helps ensure that her point of contact is out in front of her body. Her head is down and her eyes are right on the ball. At this point, it appears she might be preparing to hit an open-stance forehand, but she’s not; she’s putting her left foot directly in front of her right as she moves to the ball. 4. This photo screams balance and power. Sharapova is getting ready to unleash into the shot. Her head has barely moved since the fi rst frame, and her racquet is looping down out of her high backswing. The only criticism I have at this point is that her right elbow is too far away from her body. I prefer it to be in closer, which gives you more control. It appears she’s decided to take a backswing that’s bigger than usual so she can really attack the ball. 5. Sharapova has pulled her elbow closer to her body. She’s dropped her racquet almost to its lowest point and she’ll bring it forward and up, hitting the ball from below and swinging up and through it. The racquet face is a bit closed, so she’ll generate some topspin. Sharapova’s upper body is already uncoiling, helping to move the racquet toward the contact point. Her weight is now on her front foot. 6. The point of contact is just where it should be—in front of the body. Sharapova has taken the ball early, hitting low to high, and her balance is excellent. Her eyes are locked on the ball and her weight is moving forward to the point where she’s come up on her right toe. It appears from her stance and the position of her shoulders that she’s going down the line with this attacking forehand. 7. I like that Sharapova is hitting through the ball and fi nishing by taking her racquet across her body. She could have extended the frame even more through the path of the ball, but I think the fact that she didn’t is probably because she’s added topspin to this shot. Her forward and upward momentum have brought both of her feet off the ground. Notice how her head remains down. Even though she’s hit the ball, she’s not yet looking to see where it’s going. 8. his is a wraparound follow-through. Sharapova has a tendency to follow through on her forehand over her right shoulder instead of her left, particularly when she’s hitting off her back foot. But on this one she’s done it in the traditional way. She didn’t pop up too fast, so she’s balanced and ready to get back to the middle for the next shot.

The Forehand of Roger Federer

A full shoulder turn, good balance, and tremendous racquet-head speed make this a much-feared weapon. As the Wimbledon approaches near, let us take a look at the 3 time champion Roger Federer. On the list of all-time great forehands, Roger Federer’s should be near the top. It’s struck powerfully and has remarkable variety and adaptability. Of all the shots in his arsenal, it’s his forehand that he relies on most to win points. Whether he’s defending or attacking—as he’s doing in this sequence—Federer makes it all look effortless. 1. Federer is turning his shoulders as he’s moving to the ball. Notice how his left hand is on the racquet even though he’s well into his preparation. This forces him to turn his shoulders. Federer uses a semi-Western grip and he’s bringing his racquet back with the head cocked above the wrist. This will ensure a loop back-swing and good spin production. He’s moving diagonally forward, rather than straight to the side, so the ball doesn’t get away from him. 2. Federer brings his racquet back and his left hand comes off the throat but stays to his right side. That’s a big change from my day, when players such as Chris Evert had their non-dominant hand out front and pointing to the oncoming ball at this stage. Keeping your off hand on the same side as your racquet produces a fuller shoulder turn, which helps you get more racquet-head speed and a more powerful shot. 3. After taking a big stride to reach this point, Federer is now calculating the distance of his next step so the ball will be at the perfect point for contact. Although he’s preparing to hit a low ball, he’s taken his racquet back quite high. Federer’s left arm remains to the right side, still assisting in his shoulder turn. In this frame and the next one his rotation is so complete that you can see much of his back. 4. Federer is lowering his body with his legs (not bending at the waist) and starting to bring his racquet down. Notice how the racquet face is closed (the strings are facing down). This is due in part to his grip, but also because of the way he leads his backswing with his elbow, pronating his forearm. This type of take-back—another big change from the straight-back, straight-forward forehand of my day—allows you to produce tremendous racquet-head speed. 5. As he starts his forward swing, Federer begins to open his torso and bring his left arm around to the front of his body. The string bed is still facing the ground. The oncoming ball is low—you can tell because he’s looking down—but his head has barely moved throughout the sequence. Federer follows the ball by moving his eyes while keeping his head as still as possible. 6. Federer has opened up completely at this point and his body is facing his target. His racquet has come forward with tremendous speed and he’ll make contact at a point that’s even with his right foot. Notice how he keeps his left hand close to his body. Just as figure skaters pull their arms close to spin faster, Federer tucks in his left arm to help his upper body turn more quickly and to get more racquet-head speed. Here we also get a good look at his semi-Western grip. 7. Though he’s well past striking the ball, Federer’s eyes are still glued to the point of contact. This is one of the reasons Federer makes such consistent contact on his shots. His follow-through, which is to the side rather than extended out front, shows just how important rotation is in his forehand. In my era, ground strokes were more linear—straight back and straight forward. 8. The ball has been directed down the line and Federer is moving back toward the center of the court, probably with the intention of following this shot to the net if it isn’t an outright winner. He’s fi nished his forehand while maintaining his balance, which will allow him to make a smooth transition forward.

Learning to Hit Topspin

PROBLEM You’re a flat-ball hitter. This is a huge disadvantage when you’re trying angled shots, offensive lobs, or safe, high rally balls. You’ve heard the term “brush up the back of the ball” more than you can stand, and you finish your swing up high over your shoulder, but there’s still no topspin. SOLUTION While executing a low-to-high swing, try to hit the ball with the top edge of the racquet. This will be difficult to do at first, but the exaggeration will give you the feel of the vertical sweep up the back of the ball that you need for topspin. After that, try leading with the top edge of your racquet, but hit the ball on the strings. The resulting shot should have plenty of topspin. Watch the seams of the ball as it leaves your strings, paying attention to the spin and not just if it goes in. When pro players such as Rafael Nadal are on the defensive, they still hit with topspin. But since they’re late making contact, their racquets on their forehands will follow through behind their heads. I’m not encouraging a late contact point, but mimicking them is a great way to learn the vertical sweep necessary for topspin. Be careful not to hit your head when practicing this technique. If your shots don’t make it over the net, pick a higher target. Bonus: If you get this shot down, you’ll also have that topspin lob you’ve always wanted.

Five Things to Learn from Roger Federer

Federer Moving ForwardFive things you can learn from Roger Federer’s victory in the 2004 U.S. Open men’s final.

1. KICK IT OLD SCHOOL
I like to say that Roger Federer has brought the old-school game of tennis to the modern world. He plays with tremendous variety of shot and strategy, and it was all on display in his 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-0 rout of Lleyton Hewitt, a player whose tenacity usually gives his opponents fits. What Federer shows is that there is no substitute for being a well-rounded player and having options when you step on the court.

2. BE PATIENT
Because Hewitt plays a conservative, defensive style, it was up to Federer to decide when to go on the offensive. Hewitt couldn’t hurt him from the baseline, so Federer waited for a ball that would allow him to take control of the point. When you face a determined counterpuncher, try not to get overeager. The surest way to defeat such an opponent is to be patient and work each point until you have a clear opening.

3. HANG TOUGH
Even though Hewitt lost the first eight games, he still fought hard. If he had gotten a few lucky breaks he would have been back in the match. When you’re playing an opponent who is on fire, keep making him hit shots. If he continues to hit winners, then he’s too good that day. But many times you’ll weather the storm. Federer cooled off considerably in the second set, and Hewitt kept plugging away and nearly stole it.

4. PLAY BIG IN THE BREAKER
Federer realized the importance of the secondset tiebreaker. Winning it would give him a two-set lead and destroy the momentum Hewitt had gained by clawing his way back into the match. Federer elevated his game and reeled off the first four points of the breaker. Instead of trying to take the initiative, Hewitt played the points hoping Federer would make errors. You have to put a premium on every point in a tiebreaker. Play each one as if it’s a break point.

5. TAKE THE BALL EARLY
Federer’s ability to move from well behind the baseline to the middle of the court, from defense to offense, is unbelievable. Once he recognizes that a ball is going to be short, he moves up to take it early. That’s how he hit most of his winners against Hewitt. If you take the ball even a half-second earlier, that’s better than adding 10 m.p.h. to your shot because you’re being aggressive while still playing within your comfort zone.

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.

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.

Roger Federer Volley

Whether the ball is chest high or around his ankles, Roger Federer maintains ideal form on his volleys. Roger Federer is fundamentally sound in all areas of the court—he can produce great shots either from the baseline or up at net, which contributes to his success on every surface. These photos illustrate the excellent technique he uses on both high and low volleys. The world’s best player maintains perfect control over his body, making difficult shots look easy. CHEST HIGH HEAD: You can virtually draw a line from the center of Federer’s head to a spot right in the middle of his feet. This produces an incredible center of gravity that allows him to move like a ballet dancer on the court. CHIN: Federer’s chin is practically touching his right shoulder as he watches the ball into the sweet spot. Many players prematurely pull their heads away to watch the volley and end up shanking the shot. LEFT ARM: Like a figure skater or skateboarder, Federer extends his left arm out for good balance. Imagine walking a tightrope— you’ve got to have both arms out to maintain your equilibrium. WRIST: By keeping his racquet head above his wrist, Federer can volley with power and control. This kind of technique promotes a stable racquet face. HIPS: Federer’s legs and hips are perpendicular to the net, which will help him direct the ball toward his intended target. When the hips open up, you tend to cut across the ball and create difficult-tocontrol inside-out spin. LEFT FOOT: Notice that Federer’s left foot is off the court at impact. This means he’s transferring his weight forward through the shot by pushing off his back leg. ANKLE HIGH HEAD: By keeping his head, chin, and right shoulder down through contact, Federer concentrates on hitting and directing the ball. He doesn’t allow his opponent’s movement or positioning to distract him. LEFT KNEE: To get down for the ball, Federer bends with his legs, and not just at the waist. His left knee is bent to almost 90 degrees, which gets his eyes closer to the ball for added accuracy. LEFT CALF: Look at the muscle definition of Federer’s lower leg. Although he’s known for his quickness, Federer still possesses great lower-body strength. This is particularly helpful for handling low volleys below the tape, which require significant bending and balance. CONTACT POINT: Federer hits the ball when it’s just about even with his left foot, giving himself a stable racquet and controlled shot. When the ball is out in front of you, there’s no opportunity to drive the volley, and it’s tougher to direct. RIGHT HEEL: The right heel coming off the court shows that Federer has transferred most of his weight forward into the shot. If you don’t do this on the low volley, you can easily pop the ball up. LEFT FOOT: With his left foot well out in front of his body and his right foot well behind it, Federer has a wide and balanced base. This will help him stay down through the shot. RACQUET HEAD: This is where you can bend the rule about keeping the racquet head above your wrist. Federer needs to get the racquet head below the ball to drive it over the net without scooping it.

Raedy ,Set, Goal

-from the tennis magazine issue

To raise your game in 2007, start with our four-step battle plan.

By John F. Murray

Imagine you wanted to construct a house. Would you succeed if you began driving nails into stacks of two-by-fours without a blueprint? Not likely. But that’s how many of us go about our tennis. We want to build better strokes, but when we get on the court we hit balls with little or no purpose. Then we wonder why our games stay the same year after year.

Just as a builder must have a plan before undertaking a construction project, you need one to take your tennis game to the next level. The surest way, as many of the best players know, is to use the power of goal-setting. Goal setting helps you break big goals into smaller, easier-to-reach targets while keeping the larger aim in focus. It’s an effective tool for improving, and I’ve employed it successfully with players of all levels. Here’s how, in four easy steps, you can use goal setting to jump-start your game this year.

1. LAY THE GROUNDWORK

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of goal-setting, let’s talk about the mind-set that I think makes achievement more likely. First, ask yourself two questions:

Do you play tennis primarily to achieve success or to avoid failure?
If you play mainly to avoid losing, you’ll be more anxious and less confident in your practices and matches, which will interfere with even your best-laid plans. It’s more helpful to take a positive view of achievement and pursue success by focusing on what you want to accomplish, while de-emphasizing thoughts of failure.

Do you play tennis to show superiority over your opponent or to improve your skills and get to the next level?
If you take the second approach, you’re “task-involved.” Task-involved athletes are motivated by internal reasons such as fun or pride rather than by external rewards such as recognition. They tend to be more persistent than others in performance situations. They set goals to master skills.

Those who adopt the first approach are “ego-involved.” These players define their performance in comparison with others. This appears to work best only when you’re completely confi dent of your abilities and not threatened by the possibility of losing. Unfortunately, many ego-involved athletes also avoid challenging situations that might otherwise take them to a higher level. Try to adopt a positive approach toward achievement that allows you to pursue success without thinking about failure, and a task-based rather than ego-based mind-set that emphasizes skill improvement.

2. ADOPT SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES

Place performance above winning.
Everybody wants to win, but, ironically, thinking about winning during a match makes it less likely to happen. Winning or losing is only decided after the fi nal point, so concentrating on this in advance distracts you from what you want—performance in the present. Another problem with outcome-based thinking is that it raises anxiety, either when things don’t go well or when you’re close to victory and hoping not to let your lead slip. It’s wiser to keep your focus on the raw ingredients of performance that lead to long-term success and improvement, such as good footwork, relaxed play, strong ground strokes, and first-serve accuracy.

Choose excellence over perfection.
High achievers often fall into the trap of thinking they must be perfect. This is counterproductive. Those rigidly committed to perfection almost always find themselves disappointed and discouraged. While perfection is impossible, excellence is attainable.

Embrace competition.
I admired Jimmy Connors in my youth as perhaps the best example of positive fighting spirit. Learn to look forward to the joy and thrill of competition, and learn to love the chance to play in front of others. Find opponents who are near your ability level or slightly better and never walk away from a challenge.

3. PLAN IT OUT

Now it’s time to start making your tennis goals for 2007. So get out a notepad and a pen or fi re up your computer and open your word-processing program. The first thing you want to do is take a look at your game and analyze how well you play, mentally as well as physically. (You might ask your local pro, or someone who knows your game well, for an objective viewpoint.)

As you do this, consider the different kinds of goals you can set for yourself:

Process goals are specific things you’d like to do during matches or training, such as hitting against a backboard three times a week.

Performance goals have some measurable standard associated with them, like reducing your number of unforced errors by 10 each match.

Outcome goals focus on a competitive result such as winning a match or a tournament.

Place most of your emphasis on process and performance goals, and only a small portion of your focus on outcome goals. Once you’ve created an inventory, list your top fi ve goals for the next 12 months. Evaluate the fi ve you’ve listed. Are they realistic? Aiming for a spot on the pro tour is probably not the wisest choice. But going from 3.0 to 3.5 on the NTRP scale or improving your league record are very possible. From this list, select one or two that can be achieved over the next 12 months. These are your long-term goals.

Next, list fi ve supporting goals that will help you accomplish each long-term goal. For example, to jump up to the 3.5 level two of your supporting goals might be to reduce your unforced errors and beef up your backhand. Next, break the year into three-month periods and decide what needs to be done in each period to reach each of your supporting goals; record these steps on goal-setting sheets. For example, you might try to reduce your unforced errors by five per match, with the target of lowering your unforced errors by 20 per match over the year. And to shore up your backhand, a quarterly goal might be to commit to taking six lessons for your backhand and do backhand-specific drills in practice 12 times. Having a specific goal and striving to attain it will help you focus on your bigger objectives. Break things down further by laying out monthly goals that will get you to your quarterly goals. For example, your monthly performance goal might be to strive for one or two fewer unforced errors each match. With that in mind, your monthly process goal might be to arrange for two lessons and set up four practice sessions. If you want, you can keep going and make weekly and daily goals so you’ve broken everything down into small steps.

Once you’ve gone through the entire process you’ll have a blueprint for success for your year and all you’ll have to do is concentrate on the little things and watch them add up.

But it’s important to review your goals frequently and be flexible with them. Many people get discouraged and quit striving for their goals after the fi rst setback. Reevaluate your goals every two weeks and adjust them as needed to maintain the challenge. If you reach all of your goals too early, you’ll need to set higher ones.

But if you’re constantly disappointed in your attempts, you need to set more realistic goals. There’s no shame in decreasing the difficulty level of your objectives.

4. FORM A TEAM

The most common reason that people fail to reach their tennis goals is that they get discouraged early on and quit. This happens to everybody, and it’s especially true if you try to do it all by yourself. Build a support team that will help you stick with it. Tell your local teaching pro and your practice partners what you want to achieve and enlist their help and encouragement.

Fix for Cutting Your Swing Short

Don’t cut your swing short on ground strokes.

PROBLEM
You use an abbreviated motion on your ground strokes. You may have a short backswing or follow-through that results in a slapping or blocking motion. Your shots may make it over the net, but they lack power, spin, control, and consistency.

SOLUTION
To get a full swing on your ground strokes, pretend the butt of your racquet is a camera, and that you have to take two pictures with it in order to achieve a proper motion. The first picture is of the incoming ball. If you can put your racquet in a position to take this picture, that means you’ve prepared your racquet early enough and are using an adequate backswing, with your wrist laid back and your arm ready to drive the racquet head at the ball. After you make contact, allow your arm to fully extend to where you want the ball to go and follow through. To complete your stroke, take a second picture with the butt of your racquet, this time of your intended target. A lot of players stop their strokes right after contact or come straight across their bodies. Make sure that, besides having the butt pointing at the right spot, the face of your racquet is parallel to the side fence and not pointing to the ground or sky. This should help you achieve a successful stroke.

Rafel Nadal's Forehand

At the age of 20, Rafael Nadal, a two-time champion at Roland Garros, has already etched his name near the top of the list of the best clay-court players the game has ever seen. But thanks to his monster forehand, he’s a contender on all other surfaces as well. Here’s how he generates so much power and spin with it.

1. Nadal’s preparation for his forehand is outstanding. Here you can see that he’s loaded and ready to go. His racquet is back, his shoulders are fully turned, his back is pretty straight— which I really like—and his legs are low and spaced well, giving him a wide base from which to hit. He’s using a full Western grip, which is great for generating topspin.

2. Nadal’s racquet is in virtually the same place as in the first frame, but he’s still adjusting his feet, leading me to think he may have gotten a bad bounce. Normally, I like to see continuous momentum with the racquet throughout the swing. Here it looks as if he might have checked his swing slightly. Even so, he’s doing a good job of getting his back leg almost behind the ball.

3. His base is set and his left leg is planted. The racquet head is starting to drop and you can see that the face is completely closed. This is common in today’s game. Nadal’s right shoulder is just now starting to come through the contact zone. His legs and back are in perfect position, and

he’s low to the ball. I prefer to see a player get down with his legs like Nadal does rather than bend at the waist.

4. Nadal is pulling the right side of his body around first, and his left side is dragging behind. This helps him load up more power until he’s ready to let his swing rip. He’s beginning to come up with his legs, but, contrary to what you might expect, his weight is shifting toward his back foot rather than to his front, the way tennis players are traditionally taught.

5. Here you clearly see one of the more unusual aspects of Nadal’s forehand. Typically, players who use a Western grip make contact close to their bodies and with a pronounced elbow bend. But Nadal strikes the ball with his left arm almost fully extended. Plus, he’s hitting the ball completely off his back foot, but his right side has come through and his upper body is open.

6. In this frame we can see how today’s forehand differs from the typical forehand of the 1970s and ’80s. Nadal and most pros these days have what I call a “windshield wiper” swing. This means that after he makes contact, Nadal swings his racquet across his body and flips it over, using the same motion as a windshield wiper. In the past, players typically extended through the hitting zone before following through to the other side of their bodies.

7. Another difference between today’s forehand and the one used in my era is that we were taught to follow through high and in the direction of our target and catch the racquet with our opposing hand. That’s not the case here; Nadal’s racquet has gone past his right hand and continues to wrap around his midsection. His weight has finally started to move to his right foot.

8. Amazingly, Nadal’s racquet has finished completely around his body. Look at the position of his right shoulder in the first photo and notice his left shoulder in this one. He was looking over his right shoulder at the beginning and ended looking over his left. This rotation is a great checkpoint for everyone, regardless of the forehand you use. If you can go shoulder to shoulder, you’ll ensure a full stroke.

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.

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.