Strengthening the serve – Exercises for loading February 22, 2012
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Strengthening the serve – Exercises for loading
Description:
Mark Kovacs, Ph.D., CSCS and USPTA Professional, demonstrates three exercises that will help improve the loading stage of the serve. Key points are: loading the back hip, back leg strength and stability, exploding, coordination, balance.
Tip:
This week’s tip examines the loading position on the serve. This is the stage where the energy is created by bending the knees and creating maximum explosion up into the ball. The legs are pushing into the ground to generate power and release it through the kinetic chain and throughout the remainder of the serving motion.
Mark Kovacs, Ph.D., presents three exercises that will improve the loading action on the serve. The exercises emphasize core and lower body strength, stability (loading the back leg) and exploding up into the ball.
These exercises should not be done without the supervision of a certified strength and conditioning trainer or a certified tennis-teaching professional, who is knowledgeable about biomechanics and specific tennis training.
Watch more videos on the serve at TennisResources.com. Simply type in a key word into the Quick Search field or choose the Advanced Search where you will click on General Performance Components – Specific Shots – Serve. You will find a variety of resources that will enhance your training ideas. Enjoy!
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Chip and chew February 15, 2012
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Chip and chew
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Watch USPTA Master Professional Rick Macci demonstrating one of his all-time favorite drills. He has the player working on hitting slice backhand approach shots down the line and finishing at the net with a forehand volley.
Tip:
This week’s tip features USPTA Professional Rick Macci with a fun drill that demonstrates slice approaches down the line and volleys along with the proper movement and footwork to hit these shots.
The drill begins with the player hitting a slice backhand approach shot down the line and finishing at the net with a forehand volley. As the player moves in after the approach shot, he tries to position himself close to the net strap to finish the point. The same drill can be done on the forehand side.
Try out this drill with your players during their next practice! Make the drill scalable by adjusting the feeds according to the player’s level!
Watch more drills at TennisResources.com. The search allows you to browse through our variety of drills, video clips, audio seminars, drill templates, articles and other asset type of your interest. If you are interested in finding more drills featuring Rick Macci simply type his last name into the Quick Search or choose the Advanced Search, which allows you select pre-existing categories. Have fun!
New content is added to the site every week, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to access this valuable library of tennis education. Members who sign up for a premium subscription have access to all of the exclusive materials found within the search engine. Visit www.tennisresources.com and register today!
Sportsmanship February 9, 2012
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Sportsmanship
Description:
Jim Loehr, Ed.D., and USPTA Master Professional, defines the mental subcomponent of sportsmanship, explains why it is important for a player to develop good sportsmanship and describes the kind of effect it has on a player.
Tip:
Good sportsmanship is all about the character and conduct of a player who reacts graciously during competition. It is important to show good sportsmanship in both victory and defeat. This means sincerely congratulating an opponent when he has won the match and not gloating or acting pompously toward an opponent when you have won a match.
Good sportsmanship is a quality that carries over from life to the tennis court. Bad sportsmanship can often be traced back to a high level of pressure to perform well. Jim Loehr, Ed.D., explains that sometimes the reason some young players succumb to cheating and unsportsmanlike conduct is pressure from the parents. It is up to the coaches, he says, to do their best to instill positive values in their players so they can learn to counter such pressures.
Sport is an opportunity to build character, respect for others, for the opponent, and learn how to deal with unfair situations. We, as coaches, have the duty to teach our players to be the best they can be, both in tennis and life. Emphasizing character over and above winning will do an invaluable service to a player and to his game. The behavior on the tennis court will reflect how he will behave in society.
Watch more videos on the mental component or videos featuring Jim Loehr at TennisResources.com. Simply type in a key word or his last name into the Quick Search field and a variety of resources will match your search. You can also choose the Advanced Search and click on General Performance Components, Mental and choose from the nine subcomponents. Enjoy!
New content is added to the site every week, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to access this valuable library of tennis education. Members who sign up for a premium subscription have access to all of the exclusive materials found within the search engine. Visit www.tennisresources.com and register today!
Exercise for the contact stage of the serve February 1, 2012
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Exercise for the contact stage of the serve
Description:
Mark Kovacs, Ph.D., CSCS and USPTA Professional, demonstrates an exercise that focuses on the contact point of the serve. The exercise works on serve explosion and full-arm extension while increasing total body explosiveness.
Tip:
In this week’s tip we have Mark Kovacs, Ph.D., CSCS and USPTA Professional, talking about the contact stage on the serve. He presents an exercise that will help improve and strengthen the explosive action prior to and when making contact on the serve.
The exercise utilizes a 3- to 4-pound medicine ball. The player starts into the loading position, which looks similar to a shot-put setup. The purpose is to explosively throw the ball while getting a full extension of the arm. It’s important to consider the position of both hips and shoulders (shoulder over shoulder and hip over hip) while keeping the head and eyes up, and the legs push into the ground for good explosive movement. The nondominant arm tucks in close to the body as the release is made. Kovacs recommends two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.
Go out and try this drill with your competitive players!
This exercise should not be done without the supervision of a certified strength and conditioning trainer or a certified teaching professional who is knowledgeable about biomechanics and specific tennis training.
Watch more videos on the serve at TennisResources.com. We provide you with an extensive collection of videoclips, articles, drills and much more. Simply type “serve” into the Quick Search field or use the Advanced Search for more specific results. Select the “Specific shots” category and click on “Serve.” A variety of useful resources from several of the world’s top teaching professionals will match your search. Enjoy!
New content is added to the site every week, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to access this valuable library of tennis education. Members who sign up for a premium subscription have access to all of the exclusive materials found within the search engine. Visit www.tennisresources.com and register today!
Tactical components January 25, 2012
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Tactical components
Description:
The video features USPTA Professional Brett Hobden explaining how a coach can train a player to successfully incorporate all of the tactical subcomponents in a match.
Tip:
This week’s tip features USPTA Professional Brett Hobden talking about tactical components and how a coach can train a player to successfully incorporate all of the components during a match.
Hobden recommends making practice sessions closely reflect the situations encountered during match play. Since every opponent is different, players need to be prepared to play against any type of game style, a left-hander versus a right-hander, a one-hander versus a two-hander, and on different court surfaces. They also must understand how to respond and tweak their tactics to each and every situation.
Practice should include scoring and pressure situations, so players are familiar with the competitive atmosphere and are not intimidated when it comes to match play.
Watch more videos on tactics at www.TennisResources.com. Simply type “tactics” into the Quick Search field or choose particular categories under the Advanced Search. You can click on “General performance components,” then click on “Tactical” and browse through all the tactical subcomponents. Various resources featuring some of the world’s best coaches will match your search! Expand your knowledge and have fun!
New content is added to the site every week, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to access this valuable library of tennis education. Members who sign up for a premium subscription have access to all of the exclusive materials found within the search engine. Visit www.tennisresources.com and register today!
Patterns January 18, 2012
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Patterns
Description:
USPTA Master Professional Luis Mediero defines the patterns of play and explains that the most important thing is for the player to understand his pattern of play and have a clear picture of what he needs to do.
Tip:
This week’s focus is on patterns of play and their importance to a player’s success. To define patterns we could say they are combinations of shots and shot sequences utilized during a point that emphasize a player’s strengths and exploit the opponent’s weaknesses. Simply stated, a player’s goal should be to hit his best shot more often and force the opponent to play his worst shot more often. At the same time, a player must be prepared to respond to a variety of different patterns and tactics that the opponent might choose to mix in, even if the shots may not fall within the player’s preferred game style.
Watch USPTA Master Professional Luis Mediero from Spain discuss his views on patterns. He explains why it is important for players to understand their own style of play, their preferred patterns and how these can improve tactics.
To watch more videos featuring Luis Mediero, visit TennisResources.com and type “Mediero” into the Quick Search field. If you would like to search by topic choose the Advanced Search which gives you the option to choose from our different categories. Enjoy!
New content is added to the site every week, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to access this valuable library of tennis education. Members who sign up for a premium subscription have access to all of the exclusive materials found within the search engine. Visit www.tennisresources.com and register today!
Turn the door knob January 11, 2012
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Turn the door knob
Description:
Get a better forehand topspin by improving your racquet head acceleration with this drill presented by USPTA Master Professional Rick Macci.
Tip:
Since last week’s tip talked about spins, this week we will emphasize the topspin – the type of spin that is generated by a low to high racquet path, causing the ball to arc over the net and drop into the court with forward spin. It is the preferred spin used by most players because it allows them to hit deep, heavy groundstrokes and still keep the ball in the court.
USPTA Master Professional Rick Macci presents one of his favorite drills that works on developing and improving topspin.
Check out this drill and try it with your players in your next practice! Make the drill scalable by adjusting the feeds according to the player’s level!
Look for more drills at TennisResources.com. Simply type your key word into the Quick Search option and a variety of resources will match your interest. You can also choose the Advanced Search, which allows you to select from pre-designed categories. Browse through our library and have fun!
New content is added to the site every week, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to access this valuable library of tennis education. Members who sign up for a premium subscription have access to all of the exclusive materials found within the search engine. Visit www.tennisresources.com and register today!
The importance of spin January 5, 2012
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The importance of spin
Description:
Spin as a tactical subcomponent is defined in this video interview from USPTA Master Professional Jim Parker. He explains why it is important for players to understand spin as a necessary part of match tactics.
Tip:
As we all know, spin is a very important aspect of the game. Whether we refer to the underspin common years ago or today’s dominance of heavy topspin baseline rallies, spin is a factor that expands the tactical options.
Spin is used to change the pace and height of the ball during a point, which adds greater versatility to the shots. It is also the main way to control powerful shots. Different shots require different amounts and types of spins, but we could say that spin is basically the controller of the strokes.
This week’s tip features USPTA Master Professional Jim Parker explaining why spin is important and why players need to understand the use of it in their tactics.
Learn more about spins and other tactical subcomponents from www.tennisresources.com. Simply type in the word “spins” or any other key word into the Quick Search field and a variety of resources should come up. You can also choose the Advanced Search, which allows you to select predesigned categories. Have fun!
New content is added to the site every week, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to access this valuable library of tennis education. Members who sign up for a premium subscription have access to all of the exclusive materials found within the search engine. Visit www.tennisresources.com and register today!
Serve, approach and finish exercise December 29, 2011
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Serve, approach and finish exercise
Description:
USPTA Master Professional Emilio Sanchez Vicario simulates a point-play situation when the player is the server. The drill focuses on the player working his or her way to the net.
Tip:
This week’s tip features USPTA Master Professional Emilio Sanchez Vicario presenting one of the drills he uses at his academy. The exercise focuses on the serve, approach shot and finishing at the net.
The player begins the drill with a serve and then moves in to take charge of the point with a forehand down the line or inside-out forehand. The shot needs to transition him to the net to then hit three volleys, one overhead and one last volley to finish the point.
The drill consists of seven balls and it can be used as a pattern of play. The player’s goal is to move into the court after the serve, take charge of the point and finish at the net. Vary the feeds according to your player’s level!
Watch more of Sanchez’s drills at TennisResources.com. Simply type in “Sanchez” into the Quick Search field or any other key word and an extensive number of related videos will come up. You can also try out the Advanced Search, where you can choose from our wide number of categories. Browse through our tennis library and have fun!
New content is added to the site every week, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to access this valuable library of tennis education. Members who sign up for a premium subscription have access to all of the exclusive materials found within the search engine. Visit www.tennisresources.com and register today!
Footwork and split step December 21, 2011
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Footwork and split step
Description:
This video provides a definition of the split step and an explanation of how and when it is used during a point. The footwork and movement used for getting in position for a shot is demonstrated as well.
Tip:
Tennis is a game of footwork and movement. You may have great racquet skills, but if you don’t get to the ball in time you can’t hit it properly. A tennis player must be able to quickly move in various directions while maintaining good balance.
A proper split step is a very important aspect of footwork. It allows the player to gather his or her balance and then move in any direction to intercept the ball. Since the variety of incoming balls is typically very broad, it’s important to keep the feet constantly moving to be able to get a quick start and get behind the ball. Adjusting the feet before and after the shot is key to a good setup and recovery. In fact, the speed of today’s game makes the recovery as important as the actual setup.
Learn more about the split step, footwork and movement at TennisResources.com. We offer a wide variety of helpful tips, drills and lessons on how to improve footwork on the tennis court from several of the world’s top teaching professionals. Simply enter “footwork” into the Quick Search field, or use the Advanced Search for a more detailed search. You can choose “Speed, Agility and Quickness” or “Footwork and Movement” under the General Performance Components to find useful resources. Enjoy!
New content is added to the site every week, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to access this valuable library of tennis education. Members who sign up for a premium subscription have access to all of the exclusive materials found within the search engine. Visit www.tennisresources.com and register today!
