March 2010

Taking Care of the “Bookends”        Part Two – The Return of Serve

Tennis is known as a serve and return game.  If you take care of these “bookends”, as I like to call them, then everything in between is elementary.  Taking care of the serve and return is all about percentages. There are times we need to just get the ball in play and there are times we need to actually attack.  There is a blend of playing high percentage “get it back” tennis and attacking tennis.  When it comes to returning serve, this philosophy is even more important.

If your opponent has a strong first serve, your primary strategy should be to get the ball back in play. The adage is “don’t try to beat it back, just meet it back”.  If our opponent has a really strong serve, it’s fine to return with a block or chip – getting the ball in play is the goal.  Should your opponent miss their first serve and you are ahead 15-30, you now have a “green light” to go for a strong return of serve. Go ahead and hit that big forehand of yours, or be aggressive with a combination of a chip and charge approach. You may ask is there ever a time to go for a big return of a first serve?  The answer is yes --- when you are ahead by at least 2 points, (love-30, or 15-40).  You need to be able to afford to lose the point before you can justify taking such a big chance. 

In summary, make your opponent work for every point – we don’t want to give them free points with our unforced errors. However, if our opponent misses their first serve and we are ahead by two points, play more aggressively – go on the offensive in this situation!  This will put pressure on your opponent --- perhaps forcing an error or setting up a easy putaway shot for you.

So use your head, keep track of the score, know how to use THIS bookend – the return of serve – to your advantage! And remember, you need to have the necessary tools in your toolbox to play winning tennis. If any of your strokes or strategies need a spring tuneup, book a lesson with one of our outstanding tennis professionals. We are here to SERVE you!

MONTHLY USTA RULES CLARIFICATION
During a Great Hills Boot Camp in January, while game playing, a receiver sneezed during a serve and was unable to return their opponent’s ball.  Is the point replayed or does the server win the point?

A similar situation was asked in the current issue of Tennis Magazine in their “Court of Appeals” and the answer was that the server receives the point.  USTA Comment 21.2 states that once ready, a receiver “cannot become unready unless outside interference occurs.” 

February 2010

Taking Care of the “Bookends” --- The Serve and Return of Serve

Tennis is known as a ‘serve and return’ game.  If you master these tools, your chance of being a success on the court is greatly increased.  Taking care of the serve and return is all about percentages --- and we need to stay ahead of the percentages.  As far as being ‘bookends’, we need to keep track our first serve percentage and return of first serve percentage. 

We need to get our first serve in at least 65% of the time.  In order to meet this goal, we may have to take some speed off the first serve to guarantee that it goes in.  The pros hit their serves with increased spin to make sure it goes in.  This is a good skill to learn to increase the percentage of successful first serves. We take speed off the first serve and add more spin in order to increase our first serve percentage. As a result, we will have to hit fewer second serves! Our opponents tend to attack our second serves – especially if they see it too much. In summary, get that first serve in play! 

Is there ever an opportunity to “go for it” (translation – add speed) with our first serve?  The answer is yes --- when you are ahead by 2 or more points. Examples: 30-love, 40-15, 40-love. It is much easier to control the tempo of the match when you are serving in the lead – we don’t want to have to rely on our second serve to win a match! So keep track of your percentages when you are serving and returning. Get your first serve in and know when to attack with your serve. Use your head, and use the “Bookends” – the serve and return of serve – TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!
(Next month we will discuss the return of serve the other Bookend!)

MONTHLY USTA RULES CLARIFICATION

Are there any league or tournament rules regarding rackets and/or stringing?

According to Appendix II of the USTA Rules of Tennis, the frame of the racket shall not exceed 29.0 inches in length, including the handle, and 12.5 inches in width. The hitting surface shall not exceed 15.5 inches in length and 11.5 inches in width.  The Appendix also contains specifications for stringing rackets.  USTA Rule 4 Case 3 states that vibration damping devices can only be placed “outside the pattern of the crossed strings.”  
A list of rackets, stringing systems & dampening devices ruled non-conforming by the ITF can be found at http://www.itftennis.com/technical/rules/conformity.asp   
USTA Comment 4.1 states:  “If it is discovered after play has begun that a player has been using an illegal racquet or an illegally strung racquet…all points played stand.  The player must find another racquet before continuing play”.

SEE YOU ON THE COURTS!