Marco Bitran - Double(s) Cross

By Stanley Clayton

The net person's main job is to guard the line. She has to make certain that the ball is not successfully hit down the alley. Most of the time, she would become a little paranoid about leaving the alley to poach at the middle of the net. Normally, if the serve is fast and hit near the center of the service box, then the fear of down the line return is muted because of the angle created by the serve. However, most hackers have slow to moderate serves which are hit to the middle of the service box. This serve gives the returner confidence to go cross-court or down the line. As a consequence of the returner's choices, the net person is rendered virtually motionless against the return.

I have my own solution to this problem. I am not sure if it is an original idea, but it makes perfect sense to me. It protects against the down the lines, most of the down the middles, and most of the lobs. Only a perfectly timed down the middle or a well hit lob deep to the server's side wins outright.

The maneuver is simple, but brilliant. The server hits the ball anywhere in the service box. Before the ball hits in the box, the net person moves directly over to the server-side box. At the same time, the server moves at a diagonal so that she makes it to the middle of the back line of the net person-side box. The players cover both lines and most other shots during the transition to and while reaching their final positions. The crisscrossing of the players protects against most down the middle shots. The timing of the down the middle pass would have to be picture perfect to win the point. Of course a deep lob to the server's side would be disastrous. However, if a player could consistently make that lob shot, then he deserves to win the match.

I have field tested this maneuver and it has worked beautifully. I experienced a high winning percentage as long as the maneuver was done without compromise. Once I had a partner, who as a server, deviated from the plan and ran along the baseline in the direction of the net person's court. This deviation opened up numerous passing lanes. Even when the server reached and returned the ball, the advantage at the net was lost to the returning team. The results of his actions severely lowered my winning percentage. If you follow this maneuver to the letter, then you and your doubles partner should be difficult to beat!

Marco Bitran - How to Hit a Federer Forehand From Your Own Backyard

By Nea Khanna

If you've been following tennis for the last 10 years, you should be familiar with the name Roger Federer. No? OK, let's see if this jogs your memory a bit: 77 career titles. 17 Grand Slam titles. World Number 1 for 302 weeks. Often seen in expensive watch commercials.

Still, no? I hate to break this to you, but, it looks like you've been watching the wrong sport for the last 10 years. Before you read further, may I suggest YouTubing Roger Federer for a while?

For the rest of you, Federer no doubt embodies all that is perfect about tennis (at least for now; you never know what kind of ball-hitting machine the future throws up). His game is complete: a powerful, precise serve; a fluid backhand; and -here it comes - an atomic bomb of a forehand.

A beautiful atomic bomb, too. Simple, clean, exquisite, and most importantly, effective. So, the question is can you develop your own version of the Roger Federer forehand?

Since Fed is more of an advanced player (advanced as in "Second to God"), his forehand may not suit novice players. But the basics of his forehand are strong, and it will do no harm for us to explore it in detail here. You might just pick up a few tricks.

So let's get studying!

1. The grip

The grip is the most important, yet underrated part of your game. We're not talking about what the racquet handle is made of, but the way you hold the racquet. There are 4 types of grips: Continental, Eastern, Semi-western and Western. Today, we'll look into the Eastern Forehand Grip because that's the one Roger generally uses.

Wait, Roger who?

Roger Fed... hey, aren't you the guy who's supposed to be YouTubing right now?

Sorry about that. Back to the Eastern Grip. Hold the racquet handle in such a way that the base knuckle of your index finger is on bevel 3 of your racquet. Identifying the bevels is very simple: Hold your racquet in such a way so that the face is pointing sideways. Now the bevel that is pointing up is bevel 1. You move the racquet in an anti-clockwise direction, and the next bevel in line is bevel 2. The next one is bevel 3. Got it?

This illustration will help you understand the 8 bevels of a racquet better.

This is generally considered the easiest grip for learning the forehand. It's also very easy to switch quickly to other grips from the Eastern grip, so it's a good choice for players who like to serve and volley. You can also create shots with top spin and also play flatter, penetrating strokes.

2. The Backswing

For players who are just starting out, coaches usually drop the ball from a static height. This enables the player to develop his/her forehand (or backhand) and also, sub-consciously, solidify his/her elbow and wrist angular positions on impact. What you need to know is that during a shot, your wrist and elbow positions are going to be relatively stable; what's going to vary is your elbow and wrist angular velocity. This is influenced by a number of factors: ball speed, bounce, top spin, difference in frictional characteristics of the surface etc.

So what does Federer do?

When he sees the ball coming, he rotates his full upper body along with his racquet to his forehand side (till the racquet reaches his takeback height). Notice that he never takes his racquet behind his body. It's precisely because he gets his body into the swing. Once his upper body is fully turned, he can then unleash tremendous amounts of energy into his shot. Think of it as a rubber band in a stretched position. It's got a lot of energy waiting to be released. This is known as the Stretch Shortening Cycle.

3. The release

By now the ball has bounced on the ground. People watching have their hearts in their mouth. The Swiss is cool: he lets the racquet down from the takeback height. Now, he's got his whole body into the motion, so there's more power involved than just his arm. Just relax and let all that built up potential energy go to war.

4. Ka-boom!

Next up, contact. Federer's contact point is not that different from the contact points of most other players. What's important is the backswing.

5. The follow through

Federer usually ends his forehand across his shoulder, just like most of the pros out there. This is known as the Windshield Wiper finish and is different from the traditional follow through which ends over the shoulder of the player.

With that we've come to end of the Federer forehand. Remember, the most important part of his shot is the core rotation i.e the upper body turn which goes into the backswing.

Federer's basics are solid, so you focus on strengthening yours. Also, concentrate on maintaining a strong, balanced posture throughout your shots. You'll be fine.

And ah! Here comes Mr. Roger Who, back from his YouTube exploits. Sorry, dude, school's out, but feel free to go right back up and read this article.

I'll see you soon!

The author works for Live Your Sport, an online sports and fitness equipment store, and is a contributor to their sports and fitness blog, 'The Source'

Marco Bitran - Fix My Serve: Three Places You Can Aim Your Serve

By Junior Pswarai

There are three places that you can send a ball into by the service box, if you are looking to fix your serve by improving it then by knowing which 3 areas that you can help you attack at your opponents weaker sides.

However, even if you do find out the weaker side then don't continuously hit to this side, you want to mix it up so that you don't allow them to build a rhythm - so that you can keep them on their toes and ready to make mistakes which therefore can keep you in control of the game.

Each of the 3 areas that you go onto hitting the ball to have their advantages and as mentioned there will be one which creates a weakness for your opponent so make sure that you keep it varied from out wide, down the middle and straight at your opponent.

Wide

If you realize that your opponent isn't too fast on their feet then placing your shot out wide is highly effective, this will lead to them having to try and reach the ball in time and even if they do they may provide a weak return which you will be able to hit back to the other side as a winning stroke.

However there is a downside to this shot which is that you are making yourself open to a return, if your opponent manages to get to the ball they can in fact return it across court as well. This return might be easier as well due to the fact that the ball will slow down since it has further to travel so beware of this.

Going down the middle

If you choose to go down the middle then you won't encounter the problem of losing speed as the court is shorter across the middle than traveling all the way across making this a great shot for powerfully placed shots with some spin as well.

This reduces the chances of returning due to the angle but you can expect more of your opponents to return the ball back down the middle. If they manage to return this can put you in the position to place a controlled volley onto their weaker side which can help to win the point.

Serving at the body of your opponent

This is a great shot that you can do which can cause your opponent to make plenty of mistakes. If you serve it fast they will have to back away or get themselves into an angle however a position like this can be uncomfortable for them and can cause them to create a weak return if they are even able to get it past the net giving you the upper hand if done correctly.

Whatever you do however don't hit the ball toward their back or forehand as this is an area where it is simple for them to get into a position to return the ball, you will want to aim straight for the body so that they will have trouble placing themselves in a decent position for a return to take place.

These are 3 different types that you should mix up and learn to use to fix your serve as they can create a lot of trouble for your opponent if they are done correctly.

It's simple to fix your serve by improving plenty aspects of it so you want to make sure that you know as much as you can see as knowledge is power. If you want to make your serve more deadly then something you can do is check out this blog where you can find more information on the serve and how you can improve it.

Marco Bitran - How To Serve In Tennis Properly: The Power of The First Serve

By Junior Pswarai

When it comes down to how to serve in tennis properly you are going to want to focus on the first serve, by being able to create a strong foundation on this you won't have to put pressure on yourself for the second and increase the chance of double faulting. This doesn't mean to smash a serve in as hard as possible, there are different ways that you can create a good first serve.

Firstly, many people need to understand is that you don't exercise a lot to create something powerful and tricky for your opponent, strength is generated from all over the body not just from the arms so make sure that if you are exercising you go for the full body as this will help you generate the power and the speed that you are going to need.

Mix up the serves

One thing that will hinder your chances are throwing the same stroke over and over again and it may not lead to a double fault but it can lead to making the return for your opponent a lot easier putting you off in a worst off position.

As you may already know you have the option of 4 different types of shots that you can make; the kick, topspin, flat and then the slice.

Instead of just hitting the same one over again you need to mix it up as this can throw your opponent off if they have it in their mind that you're hitting the same one over and over again.

Adding some power into it

Don't blindly just hit a powerful serve, you want to add placement with it. Placement is highly important when it comes down to power, if you can add power and placement you will be able to find that it is harder for your opponents to be able to hit.

As mentioned don't just blindly hit it, if you can't control it then you want to slow it down slightly and build up control and only after this you can speed up and add power. The main thing you want to focus on is control and placement before you focus on putting more power into your shot than you can handle.

Keeping your opponent from attacking

Smaller players who can't generate much power might don't rely too much on their power but instead they have options such as spin and placement to make sure that they aren't able to return and put you into a defensive position.

You will want to focus on deeper shots if you aren't using as much power due to the fact that less power whilst hitting it shallow can lead to your opponent being able to return back more powerful returns which isn't something that you will want to go through.

Switch up between powerfully controlled shots and then slower ones as well but make sure that they are controlled and also that you think of the placement. If you want to know how to serve in tennis properly then this is something that you are going to have to keep in mind to keep your opponent on their toes.

If you want to serve in tennis properly there are a variety of things that you can do and a variety of things that you can improve on, all you need to be able to do is learn more about the serve. If you want to make your serve more deadly then something you can do is check out this blog where you can find more information on the serve and how you can improve it.

Marco Bitran - Fitness Training: The Secret of Success in Tennis

 
By Giselle Martin

Tennis has changed as compared to a few years ago. To excel in this sport, a tennis player needs to undergo extensive fitness training to improve footwork, speed, strength and performance. In order to out-stand the cut-throat competition, tennis players need to follow a tennis specific fitness training program that will help give them that slight edge on court.

Let us have a look at how tennis fitness training assists a tennis player in climbing the success ladder:

Types of Fitness Components

Tennis is a very diverse and complex sport. If you are serious about being successful, training for tennis should address all fitness components, rather than just focusing on court drills, or running fast. Depending on the time of the year, (pre-competition etc.) on an average a professional tennis player should dedicate, 30% of the total work time, to an effective tennis training program. A good fitness program will include strength training, agility training, power training, speed training, aerobic / anaerobic training, core training, balance training, coordination training and flexibility training. For a tennis player to make and see an overall improvement in their game, the key is to address all these individualized fitness components with correct intensity and load.

Develop Overall Strength

Up and coming young tennis players need to work more on developing strength, core, and balance. They need to focus on some basic full-body strength exercises, which will help them gain speed and flexibility.

Players who feel weak, and slow around the court, should dedicate more time on agility, and reaction drills and overall strength. This can help you feel lighter and quicker around the court, placing minimal stress and load on the body, thus reducing injuries.

Tennis is a sport that can last for hours, so tennis players need to have a high energy level as well as persistence. Many players will notice the benefits and a marked improvement in their level of strength and power endurance, deep into the last set, after following a specific tennis fitness training program.

Prevent Injuries

Range of movement exercise's and keeping the body supple should be one of the main focuses with all tennis players. They should incorporate stretching as an important part of their tennis fitness program. Self- myofascial release exercises are also very important, as this will help maintain a healthy muscle. Performing tennis exercises regularly, not only helps in overall performance, but also helps, prevent and reduce injuries within tennis players. Doing some stretching exercises everyday after practice will boost muscle flexibility, this would further decrease the risk of injuries in the future.

The Perfect Solution

Often players can be seen giving excuses that they can not give time to training due to their tight schedules and continuous tournaments. A perfect solution to this is to perform a 20-30 min (Starter) tennis fitness workout prior to your regular tennis practice. Over time this will not only help improve your level of tennis fitness, but these starter workouts will have you warm, get your feet moving, and have you ready to go for the start of each practice. (no more wasting 10mins of your court time). If you can do these starter workouts 3-4 times a week, prior to each practice, you and your coach will be surprised how much more effective your time on court will be.

At Tennis Fitness, we provide training for tennis and tennis programs for players of all levels. We offer specific exercises for tennis fitness and online tennis programs that are proven to work. We help improve tennis footwork, speed, agility, core, power and strength.

Marco Bitran: Tennis Serve Exercises - Improving Your Speed Without Exercising

By Junior Pswarai 

Tennis serve exercises can help you become a stronger player all around, making it harder for your opponent to attack back. There are plenty of exercises that you can do however regardless of what you do you won't be able to add any speed to your serve unless you have the correct form and know what you are doing.

Firstly you will want to make sure that you are in control of your shot. You don't want to add speed to a shot that you can't even keep in, you will want to make sure that you can easily control it and place it in various corners of the court to be a trouble to your opponent otherwise it is going to be worthless which is not what you want.

Once you have got the control under control the next thing you can do is learn how to add more speed into it.

Put the ball further in front

You will want to toss the ball slightly further in front so that you are moving your body more into the shot, with your body weight behind this you increase the power and the speed of your shot but you will want to make sure that you follow through as this can add more power and it also gets you into a position where you are ready for the return that may come back.

Don't spin the ball

Many people add spin to put off their opponents but by doing this you are slowing the ball down. If you are finding the spin to be ineffective then don't use the spin and instead replace it with speed that you can place in the main 3 areas of the court (down the middle, wide and at the body of your opponent).

Rotate yourself

Most power will come from the coil and the rotation of your shoulders and your waist. The serve is a full body process and you will want to make sure that you use your while body for this as it can help contribute to the speed and power of the shot.

A heavier racquet

You can purchase a heavier racquet which can add more power to your shot however you need to realize that a heavier racquet is going to put your arm under a lot of pressure as you aren't going to be used to the weight of it. You can also buy lead strips that you can add to your racquet making it heavier to a weight that you can actually keep controlled (make sure that you evenly distribute the weight).

Hitting down the middle

If you hit the ball down the middle, the ball essentially doesn't have to travel a huge distance meaning that you will have a faster and more powerful serve than trying to aim the ball over at the wide areas of the court.

You don't need tennis serve exercises to increase the speed of your serve, all you need to do is know what things you can do to increase the speed such as the ones that are shown above but there are many various things that you can as well.

Tennis serve exercises are important however to keep you healthy and also to keep your strength up in the game but there are alternatives you can go through if you know how (such as shown above). If you want to make your serve more deadly then something you can do is check out this blog where you can find more information on the serve and how you can improve it.

Marco Bitran: Improve Tennis Serve - The Advantages and Disadvantages of Your 4 Serves

By Junior Pswarai

If you want to improve your tennis serve then you are going to have to be able to hit the 4 different types of serves, each one with its advantages and each one which can cause your opponents problems if you are able to use them properly, keeping you in control of the game and your opponent off rhythm and always on the defense.

You need to learn how to effectively hit these strokes so that when the time is right you can pull a different one out of the bag keeping your opponent on their toes.

The 4 main shots you can use are the kick, top spin, flat and the slice. There is no better one out of them as they have their advantages and they also have their disadvantages but knowing when to use them can make you very troublesome for your opponent. By knowing this you will know when to mix them up in the game.

Flat Service

Advantages - The flat serve is a fast and powerful shot that you can do which if placed correctly can win you points. This is the main one that many beginners use as they can't add spin on the ball yet but it is very effective is you know where to place it.

Disadvantages - This is a very easy one for your opponent to hit back as it is just straight forward so you will need to make sure that you can control it and place it in paces that are hard for them to adjust to and return.

Topspin

By hitting the ball from the bottom to the top on the service you can create a load of spin on the ball which can be very tricky for your opponent to return.

Advantages - when performed correctly your opponent will find it hard to return and with the spin added it can make their return poor. It also gives you enough time to make it over to the net if they do end up returning allowing you to create a strong volley.

Disadvantages - It is easy to tell when spin is coming and the effectiveness will be lost if the opponent attacks the ball off the rise.

Slice

Brushing the ball from the right can create the slice which can be hard for an opponent to get to and return.

Advantages - Depending on which way you slice you can either make the ball move away or towards the opponents body which can put them in an awkward position where they have to readjust or go off court to reach it allow you and open court to smash a volley in.

Disadvantages - many people use this shot now and it is becoming one that people are used to returning now so not one to use frequently on the court.

The Kick

Just like a topspin you want to hit this from the bottom to the top (at an angle) and if done correctly can be trouble.

Advantage - When the ball hits the ground it travels in the opposite direction when it bounces off the ground confusing the opponent as the ball travels away or towards them in an instant and putting them into uncomfortable positions.

Disadvantages - It's hard to learn and perform and without enough experience performing this can put your opponent in a good position to make a return.

If you want to improve your tennis serve then understanding these 4 serves will be beneficial for you as you will know their advantages so you will know which one to play to mix up the game and throw your opponent off.

There are plenty of ways to improve tennis serve, exercises, drills, and things such as learning more about the serve can make you a deadly opponent from the service line. If you want to make your serve more deadly then something you can do is check out this blog where you can find more information on the serve and how you can improve it.

Marco Bitran: Perfect Tennis Serve - Tactics For Beginners

By Junior Pswarai

When it comes down to creating the perfect tennis serve beginners will find this to be very frustrating. There are many things to get right such as the form and then the power and then you have to think about the spin, placement etc. Things like this can be very confusing and if they aren't done properly can make a weak serve, however for a beginner the main thing you will want to think about would be to get a high ratio of serves in (preferably first ones) instead of out.

The reason why you want to try and make sure that you get the first one in is that that is what your opponent is expecting. Have you noticed how in some games at the first try the opponent might stand behind the baseline? They are preparing for that first shot to cause them trouble, they are giving themselves enough space. However if you ruin the first one then they are going to expect you to do it again and they will move closer so that they can prepare play on the aggressive which is something that you're going to want to avoid from happening as a beginner to the game.

Some things to keep in mind as a beginner would be the placement that you are going with. Placement is vital, with the correct placement you can cause trouble for your opponent, after a few strokes you will be able to understand which side is their weaker side and which is their stronger and this already will start to give you the advantage.

However, don't always aim at the weak side of your opponent, if you are consistently going for their weaker side then they will adapt to this and end up putting you on the defensive, you will want to keep it mixed up and mysterious so you keep them from getting used to one area of the court.

Another thing to consider with placement is how deep you are going to put it. The deeper that you go the harder it is going to be for your opponent to attack the ball and it also gives you enough time to get into a good position that will therefore allow you to go and volley the ball and get the point.

Many beginners like to think about just creating a powerful shot which can be deadly for an opponent but chances are as a beginner you won't be able to control a powerful shot and you may find that you are instead creating more trouble for yourself without any control. The first thing that you want to learn is control and placement and then over time you will want to start learning how to add more power and then move adding more strokes such as the slice and the kick which are going to be great to add to your arsenal of serves.

In conclusion, as a beginner to create the perfect tennis serve you just really want to be able to place it into the opponents weak side and their stronger side occasionally too to keep them guessing and the deeper you can get it the more time you can get into position to attack the ball.

There are many other things to consider with a perfect tennis serve; power, different types of serves, the placement of the ball and these can all be done with the right information as well. If you want to make your serve more deadly then something you can do is check out this blog where you can find more information on the serve and how you can improve it.

Marco Bitran: The Key Mental Training, Mindset or Toughness Technique for Tennis - Acceptance

Acceptance. What is its significance for tennis? What has it meant for me in the context of playing my game?

Ten years ago I took a class that changed my life in many ways, not the least of which was the application of one of its lessons into my tennis game. I often think of tennis as a microcosm of life; one reason why I'm as addicted as to the sport as I am. The lesson I learned was that acceptance is the key to having a successful and often winning experience with my tennis game.

In the class I worked through a process in which I created a possibility for the way I live my life. I created the possibility of being accepting-- a way of being in which I accepted the opinions and beliefs of others and their lifestyles, and most importantly, I accepted myself and who I am. Being accepting is a way I continue to live my life every day that I can. It's a way of presenting myself, of talking to others, of relating to them with no judgment.

I apply this mentality to the tennis court every time I get out there to play, whether I'm hitting for fun with a friend or competing in a match against an opponent. I face each match up with an open mind to accept whatever state of mind either myself or my opponent comes to the match with that night. I do not resist anything the moment I step onto the court to warm up with the first friendly balls back and forth over the net.

I think to myself-- I'm going to have a fun time with my opponent and my match tonight.

Now, you may be thinking, "Oh, come on. You may be able to control yourself and your thoughts, but you can't control your opponent's. Sure, you can have fun if your opponent is having fun, but if he or she isn't, well then I'm not sure how much fun you'll have either". I disagree with this thought and this is why. If I go out onto the court from the get-go with an attitude of acceptance, that attitude can't help but rub off on and turn into fun for my opponent. Okay, it's possible, but rarely, in all the competitive matches I've played, have I walked off the court at the end of a match with an opponent who had no fun.

So, how does fun come from acceptance? If I approach my opponent with no judgment in my own mind of who or what she is or is not, then it becomes unlikely that she will judge me. Of course, people judge each other all the time, so I guess it's possible that she could think, "I don't like what you're wearing" or "I don't like the way you hit the ball" or "I don't like you shout the score" or some other similar judgment. However, if I think of my opponent simply as the person she is that day-angry, happy, excited, anxious, critical, serious, competitive, I do not let it affect me. Who she is that day is who she is that day (which may be what she's like everyday, for all I know), but what's important to me in that moment is to realize that I am fine with however she is. If I am out there having fun because I'm playing a game I absolutely love, then her own reasons for being out there that night do not matter to me. And, believe it or not, more often than not, if I approach my match and my opponent with an accepting attitude, my opponent starts to have fun with me, whether or not she started out angry, anxious or serious at the beginning of the match.

I can't say that every match I've played over the years has been fun or has resulted in a win, but I believe wholeheartedly in the positive power of acceptance. I will never forget a comment one opponent made to me a few years back the minute we shook hands after a match. She said, even as the one in defeat that night, "I haven't had that much fun playing a tennis match in a long time. Thank you."

Her comment of appreciation that night touched me more than any other comment I've ever received from an opponent. I truly do love this game and there is nothing that has made it more enjoyable for me than playing with others who are enjoying it too. The power of acceptance is great. My class of ten years ago gave me a gift I will carry to my dying day.

My recommendation to anyone who is as avid a player as I am is to bring acceptance with you each and every time you get out on the court before a match. It will keep the spark and fun alive for you for years to come. And, it just may surprise you with a new winning streak. Enjoy!

* * *

Kim Riley- Tennis Blogger.

Hi everyone! I'm just starting up a new blog about tennis mental strategies- one that asks for your input. As an evaluator by training, I've decided to start a conversation and have a few questions for those of you avid players out there who are always interested in gaining more insight about handling the mental challenges of the game we love. Click on my blog and come join the conversation.

[http://tennismindsetonlinewithkim.com]

Meet me in person and let's discuss together!

Marco Bitran: Private Tennis Lessons Versus Classes

By Ron Darien

When someone thinks about playing tennis, the first thing that comes to mind is tennis lessons or classes. The student is thinking instruction and usually in the cheapest means possible. There are two options for every new tennis student: take a beginner private tennis lesson or join a tennis class for newbies.

In a tennis class, the student will travel to the club at the pre-set times and follow the pre-set syllabus for the class. The pace of the class will be dictated by the average progress in the class, and 70% of the time the student will be sitting in line waiting to hit the ball. The amount of time spent watching other students play will generally exceed the total amount of personal playing time.

In a private lesson, the student is able to progress on their own time. The amount of hitting time is maxed out, because the student doesn't have to wait for others to hit the ball before they can be first in line. Additionally, other students who may not be "getting it" will not be slowing down the learning progress of the student.

Tennis requires a lot of patience and practice. It is vital that every student get as many hits on the ball as possible. The more hits each student get, the better the student will become. Unfortunately, the class setting does not provide the dial amount of practice for a newbie without several sessions.

Private lessons typically cost more than classes. They can cost anywhere from $30 per hour to $100 per hour. On the other hand, classes can cost anywhere from $15-60 per hour.

When looking at lessons, you also want to make sure that the instructor not only has tennis playing experience but also has tennis teaching experience. There are several certification agencies such as: PTR and USPTA and USPA. Ask your instructor if they have any of those certifications. Instructors typically pay a fee, take a test, and then instruct in front of an association professional to ensure their skills, effectiveness, and professionalism.

If you do the math, in order to get the same cost per time hitting the ball, the class would have to ensure that at least 50% of the time, the student would be hitting the ball and have individual attention. While the classes may be cheaper, the private lessons are far more effective in getting beginners to master the basics in a timely manner.

The owner is an instructor for Tennispronow.com

Marco Bitran: Tennis Rules - A Scoring Overview For Beginners

While the average age of a professional tennis player is 27 years old, tennis is a great life-long sport and one that can be picked up at any age. There are many club players that play well into their 60's and even 70's.

While many club players will have played in high school and/or college, there are a large number of club players that don't take their first lesson until they reach their 30's or 40's.

The basics of tennis are pretty simple. One player serves the ball diagonally across the court to their opponent inside the service box. The goal of that player is to return the ball after only one bounce in his court back across the net and inbounds. Play continues until one player misses the ball or fails to hit it inbounds on his opponent's side of the court.

The server begins serving from the right side of the court behind the baseline. He then alternates to the left side of the center line for his second serve, and so on throughout the game.

Often the most confusing aspect for a tennis beginner is the scoring. There are three types of scoring: Game, Set, and Match. Points add up to a game, games add up to a set, and sets add up to a match.

Game Scoring

Tennis game scoring can sometimes confuse a beginner. Simply, the first person to win 4 points wins the game. If you tie at 4 you must win by 2, no matter how long it takes. However, tennis scoring is not tracked as 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, but rather has funny scoring names such as "Love" and "Deuce". To break it down, tennis game scoring is as follows:

Point 0 is called Love.
Point 1 is called 15.
Point 2 is called 30.
Point 3 is called 40.
Point 4 a game is over UNLESS it is tied,
Tied games are called Deuce.

Winning by one after a score has gone to Deuce is called Ad, short for Advantage.

When calling the score, the server's score is first. For example, if the server is winning the game 3-1, the score is called as 40-15. If the server is losing the game 1-2, the score is called as 15-30.

The scoring become a bit more complicated after a game is tied. So if the game is tied 40-40, (i.e. each player has won 3 points each) the score is called as "Deuce".

When the game has gone to deuce and the server wins the next point, the server has an advantage and the score is called as "Ad In". On the other hand, if the opponent wins the next point, he has the advantage and the next point is called as "Ad Out".

This play continues until one player wins by two points to win the game.

Set Scoring

Simply put, the first person to win 6 games wins the set. Of course tennis scoring is not that straight forward and you must win by 2 games. So if the set is 5 games each, play will continue for at least 2 more games. If the set is tied at 6 games each, then a tie-breaker will be played. For example, set scores can be:

6 to 0
6 to 1
6 to 2
6 to 3
6 to 4
7 to 5 (must win by 2 games at 5 games each)
7 to 6 (played a tiebreaker at 6 games each)

A set-tiebreaker is used when the players are tied at 6-6 in a set, to decide the winner of the set. Unlike the usual scoring of 15, 30, 40, the points in a tie-breaker as scored: zero, one, two, three, etc. The first player to win seven points, provided that there is a margin of two points over their opponent, wins the game and set.

For example, a 7-6 does not win the game, whereas an 8-6 does and this can continue until someone wins by two. The most famous tie-breaker occurred in Wimbledon in 2010 during the Isner-Mahut match lasting more than 11 hours. John Isner won with the final score of 70-68.

A match is normally the best of three sets, meaning that the player to win two sets wins the match.

This is a brief overview of tennis scoring and hope it will help the beginning learn to "Love" the game of tennis.

Jayne Drew is Managing Partner of Smashing Golf & Tennis. Smashing is an exclusive ladies golf and tennis brand that Slims and Shapes and is proudly manufactured in Chicago, USA. Smashing can be found online at http://www.smashingonline.com and readers can take 25% off with EZINE25 coupon code.

Marco Bitran: The Best 5 Methods to Improve Motivation in Sports

By Marcin Bieniek



Motivation is one of the words that we hear constantly while watching matches on TV, listening to the speakers during the conferences or while giving advices to our players' parents. Many times we can hear professional players like Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic who say "how motivated" they were for the past few weeks to properly prepare for the incoming tournament. Is the motivation the reason of success of top players? How can we maintain motivation? What the motivation is?

Motivation is something that causes a person to repeat a given action or behavior. If we are motivated we put more effort into current activities as also we are able to work for a longer time. Motivation can be divided into 2 categories: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation comes within us and it is the most desired form that coaches try to develop among the players. Intrinsic motivation causes that we feel responsible for our actions and we can't skip given training sessions because we understand the value of it. Intrinsic motivation doesn't need any external rewards because the only reward is our conscience and self-assessment. On the other side we have extrinsic motivation that relies on rewards and values like trophies, money or goods. This form is popular while working with kids because small rewards help to get kids into the sport. When we are getting older intrinsic motivation should prevail to maintain constant development and deal with many obstacles on the road to success.

To become a really good tennis player we need over 10 years of quality practice to see if our skills are on the level to compete with the best players. It simply means that you have to cope with many difficulties for over 10 years and you still can't be sure if this work is enough to achieve your dream. Despite of working hard on the tennis court you have to also pay attention to your nutrition, conditioning as also to your mental skills. All these examples show how difficult tennis development is but there is much more than we see it. We have to travel to the different cities/countries to play tournaments, sacrifice family and friends as also make decisions than can have a big negative/positive impact on our future life. Without a strong motivation it is impossible to fulfill your potential and get the results that you deserve. Below you can find specific ways that will help you to maintain or rediscover motivation and play tennis with a real purpose:

Focus on performance

The worst mistake that many players do is focusing simply on results. Winning is important and can give a great boost of motivation but it is not dependent on you so you should think about some changes. Focusing on performance will help you to stay on track and find extra power even everything is going against you. Tennis is a long-term process so look at your game in the same way.

Appreciate your wins

Each win can provide a big injection of energy but we have to be aware of it. Too many players take each good match for granted so they don't get additional mental benefits from these actions. Instead of just advancing to the next round players have to realize that they hard work and dedication pay off right now.

Knowing that our win is the result of previous training sessions and dedications it is quite obvious that we are going to be more motivated for the next days or even weeks. Appreciate your win because it has more to offer than you can see at the first glance.

Lost matches can give you a lot

Another situation where players can get a lot of motivation is a lost match. Do you think I am crazy? No, it is real. Players perceive lost matches as something negative and this one game can have a detrimental effect on the next sessions and tournaments. Players don't feel worthy because they have lost to the lower-ranked rivals or to the friends they have beaten before. Remember that tennis is a sport of a current day so your previous records don't count. Approach these situations with a positive approach and use it as a motivational factor. Tell yourself "I will train really hard from now on to beat this guy next time" or "I lost to the guy who won the tournament but he was in my range of skills. If he can win tournaments I am more than capable to do the same!". This kind of approach will change the perception of the lost matches and it will help you to get benefits even if you are not in the next round of the tournament.

Use your imagery

Visualization is a common method that athletes around the world use to get an advantage over the rivals. Imagining correct technical performance or winning against top 10 players are examples of actions that all players can do to improve their game without spending any money. It is important to perform visualization consistently because mental skills are developed in the same way as any other - by repetitions. Our brain doesn't recognize if our experiences come from the real world or from imagery so there is a lot to get from this simple activity. 10-20 minutes a day spent on visualization in a calm place can boost your motivation more than anything so it is a big waste of opportunity if players don't do that. Use your brain!

Surround yourself with motivation

To change our thinking we should surround ourselves with positive people. To start eating healthy we should buy and surround ourselves with healthy products. The same way we can easily improve motivation in every day process. Put motivational quotes or images in the places you will be able to see often times during the day. Put it on your phone and see it every time you use your Facebook or check your emails. Put it next to your bad so you will think about motivation before you go to sleep. Put it wherever you want but make sure that it is visible and your eyes will "meet" this quote/image many times. Having this great environment is a big step towards making bigger effort every day and bringing your focus back on the proper track.

Check Tennis Island website (http://tennisisland.us) for more inspirational and instructional materials. Over 1500 tennis drills, articles and video lessons from coaches with ATP/WTA experience.

Marco Bitran: How to Develop Successful Athletes

By Marcin Bieniek


Parents sign their kids for tennis lessons for many reasons. Mostly, the most important reason of a new activity for a kid is to make him/her interested in this sport and to help developing different physical abilities like coordination, speed and agility. As parents have different expectations according to the participation in tennis lessons, coaches also vary with their methodologies of what they should teach. Some coaches focus solely on tennis skills while others believe in a broad approach while trying to also improve life skills and develop good character traits. Which approach should we take? Can we say that one is better than the other? Do we have to make our job harder by focusing on more things? In my opinion, the hierarchy on the court looks like this: human being-athlete-tennis player.

I am a strong believer of developing character and life skills at first place. Why is that? To understand my point of view, let's face the real situation of most tennis coaches. We work with variety of kids, from highly motivated and dreaming about the professional tour to typical amateurs who are happy to be on the court and play tennis once a week. Focusing solely on developing tennis skills and making champions is a tough process and only small percentage of players will ever have a chance to come close to make their dreams.

What about the others? Are we going to teach them only tennis skills knowing that they will never achieve level of performance that guarantees big amount of money from winning tournaments? When career is done, skills acquired on the court can be used in a life to achieve successes in other fields of business. Making proper decisions or respecting others is a trait that can bring you more friends and benefits for your job. On the other hand, knowing perfectly how to play forehand will not give you an edge over your business' rivals e.g. while opening a restaurant. These examples simply show that coaches should focus not only on tennis-related skills but their approach to teaching should be much broader.

Many coaches deny teaching life-skills because "they are not parents, psychologists and they don't get additional pay for that". Unfortunately, it is quite hard to change the mentality of this kind of "coaches" but there is always a hope. We have to understand that we don't need to get a trophy for every small good thing we are doing for someone else. It should come from within us that we want to make our players improve as much as they can and our personal satisfaction for achieving these goals is the only reward that we should expect. Some players and parents are grateful for teaching their kids more than just to hit the ball and they buy gifts for the coach at special occasions e.g Christmas time. In my opinion, it should never be a priority for coaches while thinking about what pathway to go. During the tournaments, there are many examples of actions when we can observe if players spend more time on tennis-skills or maybe their priority is put on life skills and character development. Let's see these situations below:

Winning at all costs

It doesn't matter how but you have to win! To develop successful human beings, winning is important but not at all costs. There are rules that we can't break to get want we want. During the tournament, we can see some players who are able to cheat on crucial points to get the point and finally win the match. Is this behavior really the action that we want to teach? Are we (coaches) proud of our players if they win this way? Can we honestly tell parents that they kids are good at cheating and that is why they are so successful? Serious coaches know that players have to focus on giving 100% of their effort in order to achieve best results; if it is not enough to win - you have to deal with it and work even harder!

No respect from the star

This problem is visible when the first big achievements come. Players feel like stars and they don't respect other people. Players with low ranking positions? LOSERS! Referee who gives a call against this player? CHEATER! These actions are common for players who are not taught to respect other people and their practice time is solely direct towards improving tennis-specific skills. Coaches have to make sure that proper emphasis is put on teaching right behaviors to make better human beings and develop skills far more important than forehand or backhand.

Are you kidding me?

"I am not going to practice with this boy! He is too weak for me. I am not going to improve... " Another situation that shows lack of strong character and weak life-skills by the player. Coach has to prepare the player for the post-career life and make him/her understand the reality. If you don't work hard in each situation, you have a really small chance to achieve anything great on any field. You can't focus on external factors because there is always something to complain about. Narrow your concentration and get the most of each work and you will see astonishing results. This skill will help players not only improve tennis skills in a faster way but it will also pay off in the future.

These 3 examples are just few of many that coaches and parents can see on almost every tournament. If your coach is not focused on equipping your kid with life and tennis skills, probably he/she is not the right person to spend so much time with your youngster. Professional coaches understand their power to build and change kids' lives so character development and teaching life skills come in package with great forehands and winning serves. Next time you are on the court as a coach and see your player acting improperly, don't look for excuses. Intervene, teach right actions, be satisfied and observe the benefits!

Check Tennis Island website (http://tennisisland.us) for more inspirational and instructional materials. Over 1500 tennis drills, articles and video lessons to improve your tennis and life skills.

Marco Bitran: Tennis Lessons - How to Perform a Two-Handed Backhand

By Mubashir Shafi Khan



While the two-handed backhand is easy to learn at first, it requires a lot of repetition and practice in order to be perfected. Be an expert just like the aforementioned players by following these tips on how to perform a two-handed backhand:

Ready Your Grip

The continental grip is recommended for the dominant hands, while the Eastern forehand grip is best for the non-dominant hand.

Mind Your Step

While waiting for the ball to arrive, do a split step and execute your unit turn. This will make your shoulders and the racquet turn together. Step out the leg near the ball for a little as you make the turn. Pivot in such a way that you can see over your shoulder as the ball heads towards you.

Be Prepared

Prepare to hit the ball by placing the weight on your back foot; be ready to transfer said weight to your front foot.

Place the racquet above the ball level (10 or 2 o'clock, whichever you prefer). Keep your shoulders leveled and your knees slightly bent.

Relax your hand and let the racquet head go below the ball height. As you do so, transfer your weight from your back foot to your front foot, and take the shot. Uncoil your shoulders as you make contact with the ball.

Stay with the Shot

After hitting the ball, you need to maintain your forward momentum. Keep your arms extended toward the ball, making sure that your stroke has length.

As for the follow-through, your elbows should finish way up high. This will help your non-dominant hand pull your rear through the finish, so that you will end up facing the net. By this time, you will be looking over your non-dominant shoulder, in contrast to your starting point (looking over your dominant shoulder).

Finally, plant your outside foot and push off it. This will help you recover with a shuffle or crossover step, but it will depend on your court location and the trajectory of your adversary's shot.

More Tips:

• Avoid strangling your racquet as you take the shot. Keep the motion fluid so you can generate the speed that will create the ball's power and spin.


• Remember to keep the butt cap of your racquet aimed towards the incoming ball.


• Professional players have different kinds of arm positions at ball contact. If you are a club player, it is best if you keep both elbows slightly bent. This will help you derive energy from your legs, arms and shoulders - forces that can help you hit the ball accurately.


• Avoid pulling off from your shot too soon! This will waste your energy. As such, you will end up making a weaker, less-accurate shot.

With its ease, stability, readiness and power, the two-handed backhand remains a popular choice for many players. Drive the ball deep and outlast your opponents by following these tips when delivering the perfect two-handed backhand.

Mubashir Shafi is the student of tennis lessons san diego academy.

Marco Bitran: Lessons From the Tennis Pros: How to Tackle Losses, Failure and Mistakes

    By Karolina Sznyceer, PhD

The notion of failure may be totally removed from your mental framework or at least become crucially redefined if you decide to look at mistakes from refreshingly positive viewpoints regularly adopted by top tennis players. Perfectionism or excessive fear of mistakes locks you up inside, generates internal blockages and saps your energy. Its common result is inaction, opting for the emotional comfort of stagnation and avoiding emotionally risky ventures. Athletes attempt to embrace mistakes through consistent redefinitions of their standard meanings.

On the first approach, a mistake is reframed as a task to be repeated. The athlete never ceases trying until the goal is finally accomplished. How to make this slightly super-human option doable? For sportspeople, the secret most often lies in effective goal-setting. You divide your task into manageable segments and tackle them in sequence. You do it at your own pace and rhythm. No pressure - you simply carry on doing your own thing. If you fail, you rearrange your goals: add steps, reduce the sequence, fine-tune intensity. You persist not so much in dealing with the same task all over again as in a smarter goal design. The key thing here is goal-setting mentality - approaching every difficulty in terms of action plans and mental plans.

Alternatively, mistakes are viewed as by-products of an aggressive mind-set bent on constant offensive attacks. This approach necessarily involves risk-taking, the frequent consequence of which are all kinds of errors and mistakes. Yet, it is a calculated risk. The player accepts mistakes as an inevitable result of the strategy he or she adopts, as an indispensable part of the process. Their mindset operates on the gutsy principle of "no risk, no glory", which in addition serves as an efficient energization strategy psyching up the athlete before competition. The idea is that you own your failures in an equal measure as you claim your triumphs. As a consequence of this approach, you develop greater emotional bravery.

The final strategy is ruthless exploitation. You perceive mistakes as something to use and then get rid of with no further ceremonies. You extract the valuable part - the lesson behind the mistake and then erase the event from your memory. You don't dwell on errors; you don't ruminate and don't linger in the past for too long.

You are supposed to be unsentimental. The underlying principle relies on constantly adding to your repertoire and moving forward. This is how mistakes may lead to something new - a cycle of never-ending transformations.

All these perspectives aim to release you from the drag of perfection and help you get to grips with its frequently paralysing effect. In each case, mistakes trigger off something positive, be it more efficient planning, greater courage or self-improvement. In point of fact, perfection recedes into background while central emphasis rests on the constant development of your self and becoming more as a result.

Karolina Sznycer is a researcher working at Barcelona Tennis Academy in Spain where the programme 'Developing strong individuals - Play2Inspire' is implemented. For more information about the programme check out our website http://www.bta-tennis.com.

Marco Bitran: Two Keys To Growing As A Tennis Player

By Andrew Stratton

While tennis is technically played against an opponent, much of the game is very self-absorbed. You stand alone on your side of the court, far away from the other player, there is a large net separating you, and the game pauses after every point, allowing you to reflect internally on what went wrong. There is no team to carry you, no group aiming towards a common goal; it's just you and how well you perform. Unless you are willing to invest hundreds of dollars into quality tennis lessons, it can be very difficult to figure out exactly how to practice. Here are the two most important things to focus on in order to keep pace with players well above your skill level.

Second Serve

A top-notch serve is about power and technique. The only way to get a truly devastating serve is to have help with the technique and to practice for countless hours on controlling the power behind it. There is a steep learning curve to a great first serve, and you will be quite terrible at it for a long time while you learn.

To compensate for this, you need to make sure that you have an extremely reliable second serve. You need to be able to play a full match as though you only get one serve per point, and you should never ever miss it.

However, your second serve cannot be so soft that it gives the opponent a chance to shut you down immediately every point. Find a balance between speed and control that allows you to land a well-aimed serve every single time, and you will be able to keep control of the game when it is your service.

Frustrating Lob

In tennis, the mark of a great player is often their net play. It takes a great deal of confidence to charge the net and put away a point. Most players that are better than you will have this tendency, and it is one that can be deliciously manipulated if you have solid control. You want to practice a lob shot that goes well over the opponent's head in a high, slow arc, landing just at the base line. A slow lob will entice the player to chase after the ball, but the height of the lob will make the bounce so wild that few players will be able to keep control even if they catch up. Do this a few times in a row, and you'll leave your opponent uncertain enough to begin making errors.

Every tennis player knows that the absolute best way to improve is to play against people who are better than you. Unfortunately, those people also want to have a challenging game. By mastering these tips, you will be able to provide enough of a challenge to give the other player a good time, and maybe even take a set or two in the process.

Looking for a way to up your game in tennis? Panama City residents can learn more by visiting http://www.baypointgolf.com/BayPoint-tennis.

Marco Bitran: An Overview of Tennis Courses for Children

 By Donald Finch

Tennis lessons for children come in different forms such as group programs, recreational courses, private courses as well as semi-private programs. Each course has its own strength, weakness as well as objectives. This article will throw a light on the salient features of these four popular tennis courses that are available for the children.

Group Tennis Programs

This type of program is considered to be one of the common formats where the children learn tennis lessons. The structure of this type of course varies from group of four under the supervision of proficient professionals to large group of eight or ten players under the control of local professionals. The instructions offered by the professionals often vary according to the total size of the group. It is advisable that the group membership should not be too large. In a small group the children have the opportunity to learn quickly and participate in fun activities in group lessons easily. This kind of program is ideal for children who love to play with several friends. Plus, the children who want to enjoy games and learn a lesson in gradual process should participate in the course. The family members who cannot afford to take the benefit of arranging expensive training for the children should take the chance of enrolling their children to this kind of program.

Recreational Tennis Courses

These courses are run by the local camp authorities or local recreational centers so that the children should get a wide exposure to the tennis sport. The main instructor of the course is a budding player who wishes to get experience in teaching the tennis sport to the kids. However, there are a few courses that also use proficient coaches or instructors in this matter. Other employees include people who have a few years of playing experience and who have acquired basic sport skills are also involved in this kind of course. Companionship, informal playing session, less commitment to sports and low cost are the few advantages of participating in the program. The children who are completely new to the sport and the kids who participate in other types of activities are eligible to participate in the tennis course.

Semi Private Tennis Programs

These programs must be taught by experienced professionals. This type of format seems to work best if two players sharing the tennis lessons must be in a position to compete with each other. The objective of this type of tennis program is to maintain an effective balance between individualized instructions and companionship. The benefits available from this type of course include individual attention, camaraderie and constant involvement of the players. A semi private tennis course is an ideal option for the children who wish to participate in the tournament and the family members who are unable to bear the expenditure of private lessons for their children.

Private Tennis Courses

These courses are usually taught by experienced professionals. The improvement of performance level, quick attention from the proficient trainers and ample opportunity for skill improvement are the multiple benefits available for the children. The children who have developed basic knowledge of the sport, the kids who wish to learn a particular stroke as well as the children who wish to participate in competition are eligible for this type of program.

Euro School of tennis is one of the popular training institutes that offer multiple private tennis lessons for kids and adults. If you wish to join tennis classes San Jose then you must contact the institute. It offers quality training at affordable price rates.