My students love to hear me tell them that they are good if they can hit it over the net and on the court.
If they can hit the tennis ball across the net and into the court and land it wherever they want, I will enjoy watching them play.
If they can hit the tennis ball across the net and into the court with power and spin, I’ll buy a ticket to watch them play.
While hitting with great power can be fun in tennis, controlling the ball is more important. If you want to learn tennis, it is important to master the five elements of controlling a tennis tennis ball. You will be able to adapt your shots to suit any situation.
Height
The net is the first hurdle that any tennis player must overcome. To be successful, a shot must clear the net before it can land on the court. For beginners, it is important to clear the net by 5-8 feet for all shots starting from the baseline.
Depth
A ball that hits the court deep is generally a better shot than one that hits the court short. There will be occasions when you may want to intentionally hit the ball too short. Beginning tennis players should practice placing their shots at different heights on the court. Remember that the height of the ball is directly related to where it lands. Height Equals Depth.
Direction
Once you have mastered height and depth, beginner tennis players should master direction. This is not too difficult. Try to aim every ball either to the left or right.
Spin
Once you have mastered hitting the tennis balls at different heights, depths, and in different directions, it is time to learn how to spin. It is a much more difficult concept to spin the ball and it will indicate that you are advancing as a tennis player. A tennis ball can be hit with topspin or backspin.
Power
This is the final element of tennis ball control. After mastering the elements of tennis control and how to combine them to make shots, a player can hit a tennis ball with power.
It takes a lot of practice to master all five elements of ball control. This is what makes the difference between the best and the best players. Beginners should focus on the first three. You can practice hitting the tennis ball across the net and onto the court. Then, you can land it wherever you like. You can then improve your tennis ball spin and power. You never know, someone might buy a ticket to see you play.
Andreas Radermacher
[http://www.InstantTennis.com]
Instant Tennis teaches you how to play tennis! This is the most popular tennis newsletter on the internet, and it’s designed for those who want to improve their skills in tennis.
This book was published by Andreas Radermacher (USPTA Tennis Professional), and is full of tips for anyone looking to improve their game, learn more about tennis, or just to have fun playing tennis.