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September 2009 - Hit and Move
Movement is always important in tennis at any level. The key is to remind yourself
to hit and then move and/or recover to the next shot or position on the court. A
common mistake is to hit your shot and then stand there (flat footed) watching your
ball to see where it goes. You know where you are trying to hit the ball and once
it has left your racket, there is nothing you can do anyways, so try and anticipate
and get ready again to move to your next shot. Work on building a reaction to where
every time you hit a ball or finish a particular shot, you then start moving your feet
to recover and get your racket ready to hit another shot.
This helps many aspects of your game:
- Helps you to maintain a good rhythm on the court by having continuous footwork.
- Prepares you for your next shot by giving you more TIME to hit each ball.
- Helps you recover and get into better positions on the court.
** Note: Be careful you are not rushing when trying to hit and move and recover
to each shot. Commit to and finish your shot first, then start moving the feet
again to get set up for the next shot. Just as legendary UCLA basketball coach,
John Wooden, once said to his players, "be quick on the court, but don't hurry!"
Take your time and hit your shot, then move and get ready for the next ball, and then
take your time and hit that ball again and again and again! This is your next goal.
now see if you can make it a good habit out there on the tennis court.
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