February 2012
Having Options: One of the Keys to Playing Great Tennis
Having options means to have more than one way to play a shot or play a point. Examples are if your passing shot is off, go to your lob. If your forehand drive is off, use your chip. If your serve and volley is off try serving and staying back one shot, then approach and volley. Here are two more examples: If your topspin backhand drive is off, use your slice backhand to stroke a lob. If your big flat serve is off, go to your spin serve to make sure you get in the first serve. You almost have to count on some part of your game to be off. The key then is to have options so you stay competitive and into the match. Never give up. Keep trying until some part of your game breaks through. This may key your whole game to reach peak performance.
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USTA Rules Scenario for January 2012
After the finish of a point during an USTA match, a team member watching the match court side yelled, “That’s the way to do it. Hit it deep!” Is this legal?
No. According to USTA Rule 30,“Coaching is considered to be communication, advice or instruction of any kind, audible or visible, to a player…..Coaching is not allowed.” “Hit it deep” and sayings such as, “Down the middle solves the riddle,” are considered coaching. You are allowed generic compliments such as “Nice point!” or encouragement such as “Go Team!”
January 2012
Performance Goals - The Key to Genuine Improvement
Performance goals in tennis are those goals that you have actual, deliberate input in achieving. You are the one in charge of whether these goals are reached. Some examples are:
- Getting more first serves in through the use of spin
- Getting more first serve returns in play through chipping the return
- Being more consistent with the rally through hitting with more spin
- Developing options to your game, like lobbing more rather than always attempting to pass. Other options are trying to chip more rather than always hitting topspin. Here is a big one --- trying to rally for a longer period of time rather than always charging the net.
Genuine improvement in “Winning” then becomes more of a conscious evaluation of “how did I do with my performance goals” rather than “did I win the match?” The principle is if you achieve your performance goals you are moving towards achieving a better outcome goal, which will ultimately win more matches for you. You will be steadily improving and you will definitely start to win more matches in the future. Be patient with yourself and keep striving towards your performance goals. This is the key to genuine improvement and more success on the courts!
USTA Rules Scenario for January 2012
May a receiver or receiver’s partner call a foot fault on their opponent?
According to USTA Comment 18.6: In a non-officiated match, the receiver or the receiver’s partner may call foot faults only after warning the server and the “foot faulting is so flagrant as to be clearly perceptible from the receiver’s side.”
SEE YOU ON THE COURTS!