Fall19ThoreauClubMagazine

CONTACT POINT. In my experience, the most important factor for controlling the ball and keeping it in play is the position of the contact point at the moment of impact. Many club players make contact too late and much to close to their body, which leads to a lack of arm extension in the swing, and the dreaded flying ball that goes way over the baseline. I hear the phrase “Too much!” all the time when players hit the ball long, and that is rarely the problem. It is usually due to a late contact point. The contact point should be well in front of the body, with the arm/arms extended at impact. This will close the racquet face, promote topspin, and allow for a full swing and complete follow through. In order to meet that ball further in front, start the swing a little earlier than you are used to. It may seem like you are going to be early, but I bet you will be on time and meeting the ball in front! ACCELERATE THROUGH CONTACT. It is essential to maintain smooth acceleration in your swing through the contact. Don’t slow down as you hit the ball in an effort to keep it from going too far! This will cause a lack of follow through, and it is actually more likely that you hit it long if you decelerate as you hit the ball. EXTEND AND RELAX YOUR ARMS. Short, tense swings yield lower quality shots that are more inconsistent. Try to focus on keeping the arms long and relaxed as you go through the ball. Longer swings are more powerful, and relaxing your arms will promote follow through, which in turn will promote consistency. 5 Tips from Coach Po that you can take out on court with you next time you play! RECOVER. One good shot may not be enough to win the point! Don’t stand and watch your shot after you hit it. Keep focused, and get your feet moving to get yourself back into position to play the next ball if it does come back. You can’t afford to relax and stop moving after you hit a good shot! DON’T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF. Tennis is supposed to be fun! Every single person who plays tennis is going to make mistakes, including on easy balls! The more energy you spend focusing on how bad the last mistake was, the worse your focus is going to be for the next point. Try not to get carried away with berating yourself (you’re not a terrible player!), and instead try and focus on something that will help you pull that shot off the next time you see it. Like a contact point further in front of your body! Or better recovery after your big cross court forehand! I hope you find these tips helpful, and make sure you are having fun out there! I’ll see you on the court! TIPS FROM PO These tips are designed to be easy enough to work on by yourself, but should also make a difference in your game right away! THE TENNIS PRO 1 2 3 4 5 Po Grant 11 LEARN MORE AT WWW.THOREAU.COM