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Plateaus and Pitfalls: Taking Your Game to the Next Level
By Joe Dinoffer
Trouble Moving to the Net in Doubles
Question:
I play a lot of doubles and everyone keeps telling me to move
to the net. But, when I do, I always get stuck hitting balls
in the mid-court. The balls often land low at my feet, and
I hit far too many into the net.
Answer:
We all know the two main objectives of tennis: Hit the ball
over the net and hit it within the lines. Sounds simple, but
it isn’t always easy; and it gets more difficult when
you try moving to the net and regularly find yourself hitting
balls at your feet. Here are some suggestions to help you
overcome common pitfalls of moving to the net, and thus, taking
your game to the next level.
Recognize Reality
If you are able to move quickly and take a split step just
as your opponent hits the ball, I have two words of advice.
“Do it”—each and every time. But keep in
mind that if you are moving forward after your serve or your
return of serve, you will generally be able to take just three
steps after each shot before splitting for the next one. In
other words, moving in from the baseline to an aggressive
volley position halfway between the service line and the net
will be impossible. So don’t try it. Your split step
will most probably be behind the service line. Then, depending
on the incoming ball, take some smaller adjusting steps to
optimize your court position to hit your volley. Or, if the
ball lands short, move forward and hit an aggressive groundstroke.
After that mid-court shot, move farther in to the more ideal
volley position.
If you are a senior player or have an injury that prevents
you from moving quickly and taking a split step, I have just
one word of advice: “Don’t.” You can still
play effective tennis, and you can still move toward the net;
it just may be more gradual. Here’s how two tennis legends
addressed their compromised mobility in getting to the net.
A few years ago, Billie Jean King, well known for her aggressive
net-rushing playing style and tremendous doubles skills, spoke
at a tennis teachers’ conference in Hilton Head Island
about moving to the net. She said, “You know what, as
I get older, my half volley keeps getting better and better.”
King’s point is that if you end up hitting more balls
between the service line and the baseline, your shots there
can’t help but improve, and you can’t help but
become a stronger player in the mid-court area.
The second example is Roy Emerson, holder of twelve Grand
Slam singles titles—a record only recently surpassed
by Pete Sampras. As an older player, Roy has his share of
physical limitations, including bad knees that don’t
allow him to run well but he still plays effective doubles.
Yet, in a doubles exhibition in Phoenix a few years ago, I
saw him do something that makes total sense for players who
need to lower the stress on their knees. He doesn’t
split step anymore; instead, he bends slightly and “un-weights”
to change direction in a way similar to skiing or snowboarding.
It’s a great technique to help players get to balls
that they otherwise probably would not reach.
Practice Playing in “Normal Land”
I’d like to rename “No Man’s Land,”
the area between the baseline and service boxes, to “Normal
Land,” since statistics show that a high percentage
of shots are hit from that area at all levels of play. Accept
the fact that you will hit many balls from this part of the
court and practice playing various types of shots hit there.
There are typically six categories of shots to practice hitting
from “Normal Land”:
Mid-range groundstrokes: These
are the shots that you can hit inside the baseline, and they
should be hit on the rise when you are inside the baseline
but well behind the service line.
High bouncing groundstrokes:
These are the short “sitters” that need to be
attacked and put away.
High volleys: Use more swing
than you would if you were closer to the net, but still emphasize
control and direction.
Low volleys: These shot are handled
best with a short crisp swing and a continental grip that
opens the racket face slightly to arc the ball over the net.
Half volleys: These shots are
perhaps the most difficult to time. Try to avoid having to
hit them by moving forward or back. Still, practice these
shots in case you get stuck.
Overhead: A solid overhead also
is a key part of your doubles arsenal. Practice hitting overheads
both out of the air and after a bounce.
Practice each of these shots individually and then integrate
them into point situation drills. For doubles, remember to
drill crosscourt in the doubles half court and practice hitting
in both directions.
Champions Can Chip
We all know that world-class champions can chip, or hit backspin,
on both forehand and backhand sides, and you should learn
these shots as well. The benefits of being able to chip or
hit a short swinging groundstroke with a modest amount of
backspin are significant, particularly if you use the same
grip (generally the continental or hammer). With one grip
you will be able to chip balls on both sides of your body
and also be able to volley without changing your grip.
To get a feel for the chip shot, play one-bounce mini-tennis
in the service boxes using a slightly open racket face and
short level swing (like guiding your racket face along a table
top). Once you acquire a basic feel for the chip, you’ll
gain control over drop shots and short angles with backspin,
and you will improve your volleys—all benefits of better
ball control. As you age, you’ll also find that chipping
requires a lot less effort than hitting topspin groundstrokes,
since you will not be changing the direction of the rotation
of the incoming ball. Plus, chipping doesn’t require
a large backswing. By eliminating big backswings you will
gain more control over your racket, and you’ll probably
eliminate a ton of errors at the same time.
Have fun taking your game to the next level! |
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