Why don’t we play our best tennis?
1. We are not relaxed
2. We don’t move our feet
3. We miss midcourt and finishing shots- volleys/overheads
4. Wrong shot at the wrong time
5. Never give up
6. Ask yourself, “How do I make my opponent uncomfortable?”
7. Don’t play with enough spin
8. Do not have a target/play on return of serve
9. Process mistakes quickly and move on
10. Poor preparation
Answers (for playing our best!)
1. Breathe. Check grip pressure, visualize
2. Premovement, shadow swings, boxer steps
3. Spend more time practicing attacking/finishing drills
4. Know zones of the courts and patterns of play, 1-6 crosscourt directionals
5. Run for every ball! Never give up
6. Moonballs, slice, more topspin, hit deep, hit short, hit to Backhand or BH volley
7. Warm up with slice and topspin, vary speeds
8. Where are we aiming specifically, what type of shot and how aggressive should we play
9. Short answers to errors, aim higher, more spin, focus on the ball, move your feet, go after the ball, good shot.
10. Practice with a purpose, warm up properly, set mini goals.