Marco Bitran: Sports Psychology And Tennis: What Is The Least Used Shot In Tennis?

 
By Jay P. Granat, Ph.D.

The US Open will start in a few months and tennis players, the tennis media, and tennis fans will be intensively focused on this annual event based in New York City.

Tennis enthusiasts can probably have a lively debate as to the least utilized shot in tennis. Some will say it is the lob. Some might mention the offensive lob or the defensive lob.

Some tennis aficionados may say that it is the drop shot.

In order to get an answer from a top expert, I recently interviewed the legendary tennis coach, Peter Burwash. The head of Peter Burwash International, this tennis management company operates in thirty two countries.

Burwash is a Master Tennis Professional and a highly respected tennis coach and has worked with many or the world's top tennis players.

During his career, Peter has both played and coached in one hundred and thirty four countries.

Mr. Burwash, who is passionate about teaching people to play tennis for their lifetime, explained that the forehand slice is a very important and effective shot which is utilized by very few players these days.

While many players use a backhand slice, few are comfortable hitting the forehand with under spin.

Mr. Burwash believes that this shot can be a powerful weapon and it can make for a very effective approach shot which players can then follow into the net with the hope getting a ball that they can volley to end the point.

When executed properly this shot can stay low and force a tennis player to have to bend down low in order to get the ball back over the net.

Interestingly, my tennis club has about one hundred and thirty members and I can not think of any player who hits this shot with consistency. Some players do hit drop shots on both the forehand and backhand side, but none of the members execute the forehand slice with consistency and skill.

For some reason, the backhand slice is more natural for many club players. Perhaps this is because players are so accustomed to driving the ball with their forehands with topspin. The forehand slice is a very different kind of shot.

Interestingly, even at the pro level, very few players seem to have this shot in their arsenal.

So, take it from the man who has coached some of the world's top tennis players. Developing your forehand slice can help you take your game to that next level.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist, author and founder of http://www.StayInTheZone.com He has appeared in many major media outlets and had developed a mental toughness program for tennis players. http://stayinthezone.com/shop/sports-psychology-and-mental-toughness-system-for-tennis-players/

Marco Bitran: Sports Psychology And Tennis: How To Improve Your Serve Right Now - Six Simple Tennis Tips

 
By Jay P. Granat, Ph.D.

Tennis players of all levels periodically struggle with their serve. If you watch a lot of tennis you can see these struggles at the high school level, the collegiate level, the weekend warrior level and the professional level.

When a player is serving well, it can elevate his or her game.

Conversely, if he or she is serving poorly, it can negatively impact their confidence, their focus and the rest of their game.

Serves can be erratic, since there is a lot involved in generating and producing an effective serve.

For starters, the toss is very important. Players need to get the ball into the right spot on a frequent and regular basis. For many players this is between eleven o'clock and one o'clock.

Rick Macci, the world famous tennis coach who I have had the pleasure to interview several times, reminds tennis players to get their toss along side and above their right ear if they are right handed and along side and above their left ear if they are left handed.

Seeing the ball hit your racket is another important key to having a good serve.

Being able to hit several different kinds of serves like a flat serve, a kick serve and a slice serve is very useful.

Maintaining one's rhythm, and balance is also very important when serving a tennis.

Keeping you head up as your strike the ball and keeping it up through the stroke is another factor for players to keep in their minds when they are about to start the tennis point.

Macci also noted the importance of utilizing the legs to generate power in one' serve.

Mr. Macci also reminded players to have their feet pointed to the sideline when they get ready to serve in tennis.

Once you learn the mechanics of hitting the serve, it is useful to have a mental routine to go along with your service routine and motion.

Here is a simple method which many players have found helpful.

1. Walk up to the line confidently.

2. Take a deep breath and inhale relaxation, confidence,focus and enjoyment. Exhale and let go of any anxiety, self doubt, distraction or worry. Take a few more breaths if necessary.

3. Pick the spot you want to serve to and zero in on getting the ball to that spot. If you like, you can color your target spot with your favorite color.

Some players like a target the size of a magazine cover. Others like a target somewhat larger. Experiment to find out what is the right kind of image for you to focus on when you serve.

4. Bounce the ball from one to four times to find your rhythm. Some players bounce once for relaxation, once for confidence, and once for focus.

5. Make sure your arm and your wrist remains loose and flexible throughout your stroke.

6. See the sky and the ball when you make contact with the ball.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a Psychotherapist, Author and The Founder of http://www.StayInTheZone.com. He has appeared in more than a dozen major media outlets. Dr. Granat has developed numerous peak performance programs as well as a mental toughness program for tennis players.

To get the tennis program, click here http://stayinthezone.com/shop/sports-psychology-and-mental-toughness-system-for-tennis-players/

Dr. Granat is available for seminars and for coaching.