I have just uploaded another installation in the vlog series I call “The Bumpy Road to Improving Your Tennis”. This one is mainly dealing with me trying to improve my forehand. I am trying to switch from a “Semi-Eastern” (between Eastern and Semi-Western) grip to a full Semi-Western. I have been playing tennis for a long time and most of the time with one style of grip. To change this in an effort to trying to improve my forehand is going to take a lot of willpower because I will play and look like a fool for a while. I …
Latest in Tennis Instruction
Yesterday I posted a slightly different tennis vlog called “The Bumpy Road to Improving Your Tennis”. In this video I wanted to talk about some the elements I’m working on and consequently struggling with. Keen to hear your feedback on more content of this type. What is different in this video is that the focus has shifted from gear to general tennis improvement. What I mean with the title: “The Bumpy Road to Improving Your Tennis” is that learning is never a straight line. It will bring frustrations and self-loathing, as well as some truly inspirational moments when you feel …
One of the best ways to improve in tennis is playing against better players. I have been fortunate to find players of various levels to play against, and that really helps me FINE-TUNEÂ my game. But there are some things to take into consideration when you are up against better players. Playing against better players will get you to adjust towards a higher tempo. This will quickly unlock flaws in your own game. If I take my most recent experience against ITF player and tennis coach Lance Dugan (see video from our hit below), I again noticed that where I most …
Are you an international tennis coach? Would you be interested in living in sunny Malta? My friends at the Asciak Tennis Academy are looking for international coaches to join their team. The Asciak Tennis Academy is the premium tennis academy in Malta and they are now looking to add a competent international tennis coach to their growing team. You need to send an e-mail describing your experience as coach and player to tennispromotionsmalta@gmail.com The Asciak Tennis Academy is based in the Marsa Sports Club, a nice venue in central Malta. They offer loads of hard courts, two clay courts and …
The question on most tennis players minds is: “How to become a better tennis player?” This is the journey we’re all on. And I want to argue that it’s a really fun and fulfilling one. But the question of “How to become a better tennis player” is not really answered with a new racquet or a new setup or new strings (although that’s of course a fun and important part too) but instead by working on the different areas of your game. One way is to do drills with a practice partner another is to work with a coach and …
The forehand is usually our most reliable wing and where we finish most of our points. This is not always the case of course, but a general rule. For many players the backhand is a huge weakness, how can we overcome this? Well, the obvious solution is to keep working on the backhand and that’s the strategy I’m trying to work on personally. Since my backhand has always been fairly weak and my forehand my main weapon, I’ve resorted to slicing most backhands in competitive matches. This has always felt a bit like a concession and something that would never …
We have talked a lot about racquet confusion here at Tennisnerd or (Racquetholics Anonymous as I like to call it). Although I strangely am addicted to tennis racquets, I think it’s also important to work on your game of course. So for my latest practice session I decided to record it with the purpose of giving myself a little lesson and also, hopefully, inspiring you my dear readers, to do the same. Recording yourself can be ugly at first. You think you look like Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer on court only to realize sometimes you have the footwork of …
I have been lucky enough to watch the maestro Roger Federer serve up a close a few times and like with all his shots, it really is a fluid motion he displays. However it is not very easy to copy and if you would model your serve on a player I think his countryman Stanislas Wawrinka would be a better option as his movement is rather straightforward. Anyway, have a quick look at the Federer serve in the video I captured during this year’s Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.
Troubleshooting your tennis
It might be a cliché, but the biggest help for your game is the ability to analyze and understand your own weaknesses and bad habits on the court. Knowing when something goes wrong and why is key to improving as a player and getting better results. One of the most common things you see on the court is players doing the same mistake over and over and then beating themselves up about it. It’s extremely destructive and something we all do from time to time. How do you troubleshoot yourself? Well, you make sure to learn the fundamentals. If you …