1. If you've messed up on a shot, IMMEDIATELY forget about it, IT's OVER(!!), it cannot be replayed. Turn your back on your opponent and put your racquet in your non-playing hand. Hold the racquet in front of your face with the strings facing you, take deep, slow breaths looking through the strings as you walk down the lines back to your serving/receiving position.
2. In doubles, NEVER play 'one-up, one-down'!!! NOBODY can cover the whole width of the doubles court!! Think of an imaginary pipe between you and your partner, keeping you both the correct distance apart. If one goes up, you both go up, if one goes back, you both go back. There will be the odd occasion when one of you will be closer to the net than the other, but AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE get back level together, otherwise your opponents have a nice diagonal alley to hit a winner through!!!!
3. So how’s your positioning going?! Do you find that a higher percentage of your shots you are just ‘reacting’ to your opponent’s? If that is the case then it’s likely you are placing yourself in a vulnerable position. For example, to maintain a position in between the baseline and service line is very poor and will often result in you losing the point. Yes, there will be times when you have to play a shot in this area, BUT DON’T STAY THERE!!! You have to decide whether you have time to recover to the back of the court or your need to/want to go up into the boxes for volleying. Let me illustrate that for you:
SERVICE LINE
BASELINE
The zoned area above is not a good position to maintain.
4. The most crucial thing in tennis is the CONTACT POINT. EVERYTHING centres around this, so if you have a poor contact point, the whole of your game is messed up! The basic 'rule of thumb' here is that you should see yourself hit the ball in front on every shot EXCEPT the half-volley which is played at your side/feet. Doing this you will better control your serve/shot AND put your weight in behind it!!
It's particularly important with the serve, as it's the only way you will get the ball into the box accurately: contact point too far back on the serve will likely cause the ball to “sail past” the service line/off the side of the court.
Takes these lessons “on board” and you’ll be a winner!!
Clive P Ashford
