Stroke review: Overhead

Welcome Essential Tennis readers! It's great to see the community here at EssentialTennis.com start to grow, and I hope as it does more and more people can improve their tennis game.

If you've read many of my blog articles, or listened to many of my podcasts, you know what I'm a huge proponent of coming to the net, both in singles and doubles play. Not only does coming closer to the net give you positional advantage over your opponent, letting you see more of their site of the court allowing you to attack more directly, but you take time away from them at the same time and pressure them.

Starting to make coming to the net a part of your overall tennis strategy means that sooner or later (probably sooner) you're going to get lobbed. This is a good thing! When your opponent puts up a lob it means they're falling back on the, highest, slowest, and most defensive shot in tennis. When that happens, it means you've done your job to pressure them and they're giving you an opportunity to put the ball away. Are all lobs going to be easy to put away? Certainly not, some opponents will have better touch than others and hitting a strong overhead on their deep lob is going to be a challenge.

So how do you hit an overhead correctly? I'll break down the basics into three main parts below.


1. The turn

When that lob goes up into the air you only have a limited amount of time to take advantage of it by getting into a good position to hit an aggressive overhead. The very first thing we must do is turn our body and hitting arm so that both the feet and shoulders are perpendicular to the net with the racket back in an "answer the phone" position. This does two things. Firstly it gets your body in a position to move back in balance, rather than back pedaling with your chest facing the net. Secondly it rotates your core and shoulders so that when we do get into a good position the whole body can be used to rotate back forwards again into contact. Both these things are essential to hitting a solid overhead, the ability to move and position, and the ability to rotate and hit a strong shot.

2. Positioning

After you've rotated to the side and taken the racket back you must immediately start making movements to get underneath the ball. The best overhead swing technique in the world does nothing for you if you're not in position to actually use it, so footwork is huge. I often have students point up towards the ball with their opposite arm as they rotate to the side. This does two things: makes sure that a good rotation was achieved, and it also is a great aid in tracking the ball and moving to the right spot. If your position under the ball makes it possible for you to reach up with your opposite hand and actually catch the ball then rotating your dominant side forwards and up towards that spot in the air should make contact quite easy and comfortable. So have a partner hit some lobs in the air and practice rotating to the side and catching them with your non dominant hand, not making an actual swing at the ball. After completing this several times in a row position yourself in the same way, but this time rotate forwards and reach up with the racket to make contact.

3. Contact

Contact should be made with a full extension of both arm and shoulder, with your racket face square to the ball. At contact your body should be back to parallel to the net having made a 90 degree turn into contact, using that strength in your core and shoulders. Hopefully your positioning was good, and you can make this swing at the ball while in balance, being able to make an aggressive swing at the ball. If your overhead hits the net, make sure that you're making an upwards swing towards the ball. Only if you're very close to the net can you actually swing downwards and actually spike the ball. If you're at the service line or behind you'll have to make an upward swing to clear the ball over the top of the net. If the ball sails long, then your racket face was open (tilted upwards) at contact. Its very important your face is square to the ball at contact or else hitting the ball aggressively isn't possible without missing long.


I know I just went over a lot of technique things, and they could all be described in greater detail. I wanted to simply go over the most important points of hitting a solid overhead. Other important technique things include the grip that you use and the racket face when you take your racket and dominant shoulder back initially. I will go over these in the future.

As always, thanks very much for stopping by and spending time at Essential Tennis. If you ever have any questions or comments feel free to let me know. I look forward to continuing to help everybody improve their tennis!

-Ian

Serve and Volley: The Split Step

Welcome to the Essential Tennis Blog! Thanks so much for being a reader and dropping by today. Remember to check out the Essential Tennis Podcast as well for even more high quality tennis instruction to improve your game. Simply click the link on the right side of this page.

Today's topic comes from Shawn. He recently wrote me a question about serving and volleying that said:

"I have tried in the past to serve and volley, but I find this exceedingly difficult. I seem to have two choices
Serve (spin serve w/ lots of kick), Sprint toward the net (following my serve), Split step inside the service box, Hope I’m under control enough to hit a good volley.
Serve (spin serve w/ lots of kick), run 75% speed toward the net (following my serve), Split step a little outside the service box, I am under control, but maybe not close enough to the net to get to everything (I often receive dipping topspin shots at my feet)

Clearly what I would like to do is "a" but be under control at the end. Should I be doing some extra footwork drills to improve my chance of gaining balance after a full sprint? Note that the kick serve is a conscience choice since I find that a fast flat serve comes back way too quickly to get anywhere close to the net."


Shawn, thats a great question, well worded and thought out. Coming to the net immediately after a serve is a great way to mix things up in your singles play, and something that everybody should be doing most of the time in their doubles play. As you say, this skill is very difficult to become comfortable with for the first time. Once you start using a split step correctly though, things become much more manageable. A split step is part of good tennis footwork, and is used to prepare your body by putting yourself in a balanced position.

I will split up this article into the two main components of the split step: the timing, and the technique of a high quality split step. After reading it, make sure to get out and practice!


Technique

The split step is a purposeful "hop" or drop into a good, wide ready position. Here is an old photo of Roddick coming down into a ready position to prepare for a return of serve. You should hit the court with your balance on the inside edge of the balls of your feet, knees bent, feed wider than shoulder width, and weight forwards.

Timing

This is by far the most important part of the split step, and by far the least understood part of serving and volleying by intermediate level players. When you split step has nothing to do with where, and everything to do with when. Shawn the reason why you're having to choose between balance and getting closer to the net is because you're choosing different places on the court to make your split step, instead of timing it with your opponents swing. A correctly timed split step will have the balls of your feet touch down on the court at the same instant your opponent makes contact with their oncoming shot. If you time it too soon, you are wasting time that could be used to get closer to the net. If you time it too late, you won't be in balance until the ball has already been struck by your opponent, which puts you closer to the net but with much less time to actually move to the ball. This means that you should begin your split step right before your opponent or partner makes contact, as they start to make their forward swing is a good time to start from. If your feet are landing first and then they're hitting the ball you started too soon, if they hit the ball and then your feet land second, then you're too late.

Readers, this is an art form and it will take you some practice to start timing perfectly. Don't be discouraged if you don't get it right away. Let me reiterate though that the timing is absolutely crucial. You want to get as close as possible to the net for your first volley or half volley, but getting close and running right past the ball obviously doesn't do us any good, so we need to be in balance as well to move for the ball. At the top of the page is a great series of photos of James Blake serving and volleying. Notice that before making his split step he only gets in two steps. Being in balance is more important than being close! Just make sure you use all the time possible, because I do want you to get as close as possible. The final photo of him in that series shows him just coming down into his split step, It looks like he's already started to identify that his first volley will be to the right and he's leaning in that direction.

Thats all for today. Thanks so much for stopping by and take care.

Doubles: Get to the net!

Greetings and welcome to the Essential Tennis Blog! Thanks very much for coming by and checking out this article. If you find it helpful, make sure to also check out the Essential Tennis Podcast which is also weekly updated with helpful tennis instruction. Simply click the link on the right side of the page.

This week's article is about why you need to be at the net as much as possible in your doubles play. In lower level and intermediate team practices that I teach there seems to be a constant debate over whether coming to the net all the time is good or not. A large amount of players at the 2.0-4.0 level feel its better court coverage to have one player stay back. Well, I'm here to tell you that if you ever want to move up in level (rather than moving up within your level) coming to the net is not only good, its necessary. Below are the main reasons why.


You want to hit down, not up.

Next time you're on a tennis court go stand on the baseline and look over to the other side of the court. How much of the opponents court can you see while looking OVER the top of the net? The answer is none of it. What does that mean for your tennis? As long as you stay on the baseline you are going to have to hit the ball in an upwards direction in order to get it to your opponents side of the court. You can do this either by opening up the racket face, or hitting it more aggressively by closing the face more but swinging upwards to hit it over. In both cases you are lifting the ball upwards, which must happen in order to make your shot from the baseline. The closer and closer you get to the net the more of your opponents court becomes available for you to hit directly at, instead of hitting up. If you're of average height and stand on the service line, now you can see some of the court over the top of the net in no-mans land on the other side. Take two or three more steps in, now you can see to around the service line on the other side. Take two more steps in, now most of the court is at your disposal to hit into.

Why is this important? If you stay at the baseline and hit up, and your opponents come to the net, they have the ability to hit down. That's a problem. You're now lifting the ball up to them, and they have the ability to hit down at you. If you were a volley ball player, what would you rather be doing, setting to your opponents or spiking? Hopefully I don't have to answer that for you. The closer you are to the net the more potential you have to attack. Now you still need to have the technical skills to accomplish this, and so if your net game is not very good coming to the net will become quite frustrating. Does that mean the strategy is poor? No of course not, it means you have to get out and improve your technique.


Take time away from your opponents.

The closer you get to the net the less time your opponents have to react to your shot. This means a mediocre shot at the net can end up winning the point, where an outstanding shot would have been needed from the baseline to throw them off the same amount. Does it mean that it takes time away from yourself as well? Yes. Therefore make sure that you're not running up and kissing the net after hitting a weak shot to your opponents. Hit a shot thats either low to their feet, or strong and with a lot of pace before committing to moving all the way in. Otherwise you could end up being a sitting duck.


Intimidate and pressure.

When both you and your partner move up to the net together your opponents will be pressured to hit a better quality shot. Had one of you stayed back, there would be an easy out to the baseliner, a way to neutralize the point and stay comfortable. With both players at the net ready to put the ball away a better quality shot must be hit by your opponents to avoid getting beat, this will make them uncomfortable and they will make more errors.


Proactive tennis, not passive.

Coming to the net puts matters into your own hands, you're trying to take over and take care of business. This is exactly what your similarly skilled opponents don't want. They want to stay in their comfort zone and not be pressured or rushed. Don't let them feel comfortable! Its your job to make them as uneasy as possible, pressuring them as much as possible. Moving both players to the net as much as possible will do just that, don't sit back and give them an easy way out to avoid hitting to a net player. Get in there and shut them down.


It's what high level players do!

Period. This is the strategy of top level doubles players. Get to the net, get to the net often, and get to the net quickly. Are you happy and satisfied playing at the level you're at right now? Something tells me that if you were you wouldn't be reading this blog. If you or your partner are currently playing one up/one back moving you both to the net will improve your doubles. Will you get lobbed over and passed? Sure you will. Will it be every point? Of course not, if your net game is competent then the balls you put away and the mistakes your opponents make trying to hit a perfect lob or passing shot will far out weigh the great shots that they do end up hitting. If your volleys and overhead aren't good enough to keep from making a lot of errors once you get up there then you need to get out and work on your technique!


Approaching the net is an art form, there are many skills and nuances that must be learned, so if you're not used to being there every point don't be discouraged if it doesn't show immediate results. I plan on continuing to cover specific parts of it along the way. In the mean time if you have any questions about it feel free to let me know! You can always reach me at ian@essentialtennis.com. Take care, and enjoy your tennis.

Doubles: The Return of Serve

Today I'm going to write about the return of serve in your doubles play. If you don't play very much doubles then you should! I remember being a teenager just starting to become an overall competent tennis player and absolutely hating it, now I prefer a good doubles match to singles most of the time. Doubles compliments your overall game by forcing you to become comfortable at the net using volleys and overheads, so if you're not already mixing up your play time with both singles and doubles definitely start!

Listen carefully to what I'm about to say since its probably the most important thing I'm going to write in this blog: RETURN CROSS COURT! Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest. Do not get suckered into trying all kinds of fancy down the ally passing shot returns of serve, you will not come out ahead on it unless the net player in front of you has no idea what they're doing. I wrote a blog about why to hit cross court several weeks ago, if you haven't read it make sure you do. Not only is the court longer, and the net lower when you aim cross court with your return, but you avoid the person closest to you on the opposing team. Whoever is closest to you at any point in time during a doubles point poses the highest threat to you losing, unless you're on the attack and able to hit aggressively at them.

The only time I would condone hitting down the line on your doubles return of serve is when 1) you're at a 4.0 or above level player and can make an aggressive ground stroke 8 out of 10 times 2) you're receiving a very weak serve 3) the net player has no idea how to volley and is making lots of mistakes. If none of those three things exist in the match then cross court is your play all day long. Sound boring? In my opinion winning is never boring, and a cross court return is the highest percentage shot to hit. Not only is it higher percentage, but it gives you time to come into the net yourself and add pressure to your opponents next shot.

Ok lets get more specific now for you higher level players. What if your opponents are serve and volleying or poaching? If neither of those two things are happening then your return should be relatively stress free, with a full half of the court open to your disposal. If the server is coming in right after the serve your best play is cross court and down at his feet. If you're able to hit heavy top spin along with some good drive that is your best play, making the ball dip down low where he cannot attack on the first volley. If you can't hit heavy top spin, just taking some pace off to drop it lower is great. Either way, if you give the server a nice high volley you'll quite possibly be in trouble, so do your best to keep it not only cross court but low to him as well. If his partner is squirrelly at the net and moving around a lot on your return do your best to keep your focus and just continue to hit cross court. If it's becoming an obvious problem and he's getting to most of your returns easily and putting them away then you'll have to start mixing up your return. This is what they want!! A good net person will make you nervous and confident in where you're hitting, always wondering if they're going or not.

If the server has a tough serve and is coming right in to the net, and the servers partner is covering the net great and putting volleys away with ease, and your last resort is to play double back. Get your partner out of harms way so that your weak returns don't get him killed on every point. Realize that you're not giving up the net outright to your opponents and your points on their serve will most likely be an up hill battle, having to hit big passing shots or great lobs to regain momentum once they both get up there. As an alternative to this you can have your partner stand in no-mans land for your return and have him wait and see how good of a return you're able to produce. If on that particular serve you get in a great low, cross court shot then he has the ability to get right back into the net with you hopefully following him in. If you have trouble and a weak return goes up, he has the ability to scoot back to the baseline quick and prepare to defend the fort.

As always I hope you found this article helpful and informative. Remember to check out the Essential Tennis Podcast to get your tennis instruction on the go! There is a link at the top of this page on the right hand side. Feel free to e-mail me at any time with tennis questions or suggestions for the blog or podcast at ian@essentialtennis.com. Take care