Tennis Tip

Aim for the Sky for Better Backhands

 

The key to having a successful backhand is to be able to lift the ball over the net about four to six feet. One of the many problems students, especially young beginners have is they try to hit down on the ball or swing across. We teach our students to use a two hand backhand with the left hand on the top. You will take the racket back into the back and down position, with your  left hand at the thigh. The left palm should also be facing the ground to keep the racket face closed. From the thigh, you go up toward the sky finishing with your shoulder touching your chin and the racket wrapping around your right ear.  If you can remember, thigh to the sky you will no longer be hitting those backhands into the net or sailing to the back fence. You will have a more controlled swing and be on your way to mastery.

True Competition

I see so many times kids today are focusing so much on winning. They are in the quest to be number one. They want to be at the top. As someone who played college tennis, played briefly on the professional arena, I realized one of my greatest faults was this thinking. Winning is not the ultimate goal. Mastery is. It dawned on me one day that in a tournament of 64 players there will be 63 losers and only one winner. So does that mean all of your efforts were in vain? I think not. The truth is, I figured out that I am not playing another person. I am really playing the ball and myself. I am my own worst enemy. If I can do everything I have been trained to do to get one more ball back, than I have accomplished a goal. What the other person does with the ball is irrelevant. I can only control what I can do. 

The key point I am trying to make today is, you are not competing against others in any aspect of life. I know there are people out there who will say that is just what people who have never won anything say. That is simply not true, it just helps you put your life into perspective. You are competing against yourself only. How many points can you win? How many obstacles did you overcome? What did you like best about the match you played? 

I found that when I took the focus off of the external and focused on what I could control, I was more relaxed and able to play at a higher level.  I also realized the anxiety of having to live up to an external expectation was gone. I now had peace and that is probably the greatest trophy of  all.

USTA CORE VALUES: DETERMINATION

COMPETE LIKE A CHAMPION

The best players in the world are great competitors. Specifically, they are very determined to compete and play their best game on every point. Determined players push through adversity and struggle and continue to strive for success in a positive, productive manner.

Determined players embody the following:
“Champions train, losers complain”
“If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough”
“The difference between the possible and the impossible lies in a person’s determination.” – Tommy Lasorda
“Don’t limit your challenges. Challenge your limits.”

TO PLAY WITH DETERMINATION IS TO:

• Be willing to do what it takes to succeed (in an appropriate way) and do not let obstacles keep you from achieving your goal.
• See obstacles as challenges to move through and around.
• Be willing to fight and compete, especially when you are frustrated and angry.
• Very rarely become disappointed while you play. But if you do, you do not lower your commitment or energy and do not give in to doubt.
• Maintain high levels of energy and intensity even when you are losing and/or performing poorly. Keep fighting and trying to find a way to succeed.
• Understand that determination may just be more important than confidence. It is unrealistic to believe you will always feel confident. But if you have a plan and you are determined to follow it, you may surprise yourself with just how well you play.
• Put yourself in difficult training or match situations, have a plan for getting through it and stick with it. Determination only comes from exhibiting determination.

DO YOU REMEMBER THIS GREAT EXAMPLE OF DETERMINATION?
John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut in the longest match in tennis history, both in terms of duration and games played. The encounter lasted more than 11 hours and, due to its length, was played over three days. Neither player was willing to give in, even as the fifth set went to 10-10, 30-30 and eventually 68-68. But in the end, Isner’s will to win prevailed, with the exhausted American finally earning the elusive break – and the victory, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68 – on a down-the-line backhand passing shot.

(2015) http://www.usta.com/corevalues/determined/ 

Novak Djokovic - Slow Motion Backhands (Left Side) in HD

The Path of Learning

Tennis is a sport that is not like the team sports most people play. Some people can go out and perform baseball, football, or basketball without any instruction. This may not mean they do not need to learn advanced tactics, but they have something in them where they can perform the basic skills without any teaching. Tennis is not like that. In fact, if you try and do what comes natural to you, you probably will not be very successful. Tennis is not like baseball where you hit a ball. You have to change your thinking and muscle memory to learn how to stroke a ball. Our goal is to be able to take the old information each student has about how to play tennis and train their muscle memory so that it is instinct.

The first phase our students will always go through is not knowing what they did wrong or how to correct it. When our students start with us they are aware that they need to get the ball over the net. When we teach them the forehand, for example, they now know what to do but when mistakes occur they may not know why the mistake happened and how to fix it. We use modeling followed by timely and specific feedback to help the student understand what they should be doing.  

The next phase the student will be able to start recognizing what they did wrong and ways to correct their mistake.  The student is now able to recognize on their own their errors and how to fix them. This can be mundane for students at a young age unless you know how to one, make sure they have success, two, add constant challenges, and three make sure they know that winning in tennis is hitting the same old boring stroke. What we have found out is that after a few lessons, we are able to use a feedback in the form of a question. The student may have used their forehand and the ball went off to the side. I may ask,"Why did the ball go off to the side?" The student will reply," I was too close to the ball."  

The third phase the student will be able to train their muscles to comply with what they are learning. Again, in this phase the student is going to be using a lot of repetition to develop the correct feel of their strokes. The student will be working on the correct technique consciously.

Which leads to our ultimate goal, the student will be able to have tennis strokes based off of instinct. The student will no longer have to think about how to stroke the ball. They have put in the 10,000 hours for mastery and have completely retrained their original process.

USTA Core Values: Engaged

COMPETE LIKE A CHAMPION

Have you ever noticed the laser focus of top players? They are engaged at all times, during practice, matches and training, to ensure the highest level of success. Engaged players should have their full focus directed on what matters in that particular moment and be invested in their own success.
Engaged players embody the following:
“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus”
“Always remember, your focus determines your reality”
“Don’t count the days, make the days count”

TO BE ENGAGED IS TO:

• Have full focus in the moment. Have all of your senses involved and be alert.
• Have the right mindset, developed from solid preparation.
• Have a goal or two for practice that relates to part of your game that needs improvement.
• Think about your goals prior to practice and see in your mind’s eye achieving them.
• Talk with your coach about the plan for the training/practice/match.
• Have a good dynamic warm-up, getting the body and mind awake and ready and the heart rate up.
• Get your feet going by bouncing around on your toes.
• Listen to your coach and ask questions if you are not sure about his/her instruction.
• Try your coach’s feedback.
• Give yourself feedback on how you are doing on your goals.
• Have a bounce in your step and move quickly between drills or balls.
• Be fully prepared for each drill or game and know the goal and what you are working on.
• Refocus on the purpose of practice during short breaks, even if there are distractions.
• Use the “breathe and believe” technique when things aren’t going well.
• Write in a journal about your goals and how you did in working on them.
• Learn from your mistakes.
• Look your coach in the eye when talking.

EXAMPLE
Rafael Nadal is renowned for his work ethic and his focus in practice. He runs for every ball in practice and works diligently on his game. You can imagine he does some of the drills that you do, such as two on ones, but does them with a very high level of engagement. He knows what he is working on and works with a high intensity. As Player Development Director of Coaching Jose Higueras said, “Rafa works with every cell in his body immersed in what he is doing.”

Source: (June

2015)  http://www.usta.com/corevalues/engaged/

Tennis Tip

Wear Handcuffs to Hit a Solid 
Forehand Volley

Hitting a solid forehand volley can make or break a point. When you are hitting a forehand volley you have obviously moved into the net to make a winning shot. With that kind of importance, it makes sense to make the most of a forehand volley. The best way to hit a forehand volley is to keep your left hand parallel with your racket in order to have more control. Too often people come to the net and hit a volley with their stomach facing the net and slap at the ball with their racket. Next time you come in for a forehand volley, pretend you have handcuffs on and you will make the winning shot.

Summer 2015 Encanto Park

Our summer tennis classes at Encanto Park are open for registration. You can enroll online or in person at Encanto Park. We are offering our traditional learn to rally classes and beginner classes. This summer we have added an  advanced beginner class for those students who have been apart of our beginner classes. We are also trying an evening class for intermediate players. 

I am really excited and looking forward to all that is happening at Encanto Park Youth Tennis this summer. Last summer was our first summer and we only met one day per week. We have been able to open up more days and times to accommodate your schedule. Amazing! What a blessing it is to serve all of you!  

 Learn to Rally Ages 5-7
5862     Tuesday        7:30-8:00 am
5863     Thursday       7:30-8:00 am

Beginner Classes
5865      Tuesday       8:00-9:00 am
5864      Thursday     8:00-9:00 am

Advanced Beginner
5866      Thursday     9:00-10:00 am

Intermediate
5861      Monday      7:00-8:00 pm

https://apm.activecommunities.com/phoenix/Activity_Search?txtActivitySearch=youth%20tennis&applyFiltersDefaultValue=true.   

Tennis Tip

Brush Up the Neck of a Giraffe For Better Forehands

The most important part of the game of tennis is to be able to get the ball over the net and land into the court boundaries. If you want to be more consistent you have to be able to understand you are not hitting a tennis ball, you are lifting and brushing the ball with the strings. The swing pattern in tennis is low to high. Your racket is below the ball on the bounce and brushes up in the same angle of a giraffes' neck. So next time you are playing tennis, imagine a giraffe in front of you and you are going to swing up his neck. When you do, you will see more balls going over the net and you will be in the position to succeed.

Serena Williams - Serve Practice Slow Motion and Normal Speed

Factors that Determine Success

I used to think that success was when you accomplished a goal and the more goals you accomplished the more successful you were. I even used to think that the bigger the goals you accomplished meant that you were more successful. The problem I had with this thinking is that it lead to me getting burned out and never feeling content. I just recently read a book by Dave Ramsey called The Legacy Journey and in it he talks about how that was his thinking too. Then one day he had a realization that he was a success not because he was accomplishing goals, but because he was working towards those goals. Too often I would get to the target date of a goal and completely fall short. Then I would be disappointed, but the truth is, I don't know the real end date for a goal to come to fruition. The work I did was opening up things for the future. This applies to tennis because it may take a year for a student to really master a particular stroke or skill. The parent's may be watching or the child may be thinking, I just can't get this. The truth is, the child is a success because they are working toward a goal of mastery, they are actually doing something to get better. Over time, one day it will click.  USTA High Performance Program says dedication and persistence influences the students success was the most important, followed by family and friends support, third was the coaches influence, fourth love for the sport, and fifth was the training program and facility. Our focus in our tennis lessons is to be able to allow our students to enjoy the journey, giving them the support they need, and provide them with the instruction that will allow them to grow.

Today's Thought

The USTA changed the way tennis has been taught to children around the middle of the 2000's.  Tennis noticed baseball starts with t-ball and sports such as basketball, soccer, and football have smaller fields, balls, and goals.  Their sport did not have any of that with the exception of a junior racket. The children used the same heavy pressurized ball, the same 78 foot court, and the same three foot net. What I have noticed since starting ten and under tennis lessons two years ago, is that the students are learning to develop more control, they are able to develop their strokes, and learn to keep a ball in play with more success than if they were on the bigger courts. They also changed the types of balls. The student starts out with a red foam ball and graduates to a red felt ball. As the student progresses, the student will move to the orange followed by the green tennis ball. The tennis ball color determines what size court the student is learning on.

Daily Thought

Pepsi Open

 

 

The past eight weeks have been a hard time for me because I had a partial muscle tear in a muscle. I was able to teach and to give everything I had, but I had not been able to play or maintain my strokes because I was limited in my movements. Yesterday at the North Phoenix location, I had the opportunity to finally get back to rallying. I was working with one of the top juniors in the camp.It felt really good to be able to get the body moving again and work out the stiffness that comes with the rest and rehabilitation. The key take away that I had was that my strokes had not diminished. If anything, they were more solid. I think the rest allowed my body to recover and renew the neuron-pathways. I also give credit to all of the hard work and time spent years ago perfecting my strokes.  The time you put in now will benefit you, because it will cut down on the amount of retention time.

Has it Been 20 Years? Really?

Encanto Lessons 2014

Summer has always been one of the most exciting times for ten and under tennis lessons. It is a time when so many little ones take an opportunity to try something new or get better at your craft. I think back to when I first started teaching tennis. Amazingly, it was twenty years ago this June and the amazing part is I have just as much energy and strength now as I did then.
On May 30,1995 I was at my high school tennis banquet and our coach had said that a township parks and recreation was looking to start a youth tennis program. I inquired and ended up getting the contact information.  On May 31,1995 I graduated from high school and a week later I had a great summer job. I was looking for a job exactly like this. It was amazing how when everything seemed stacked against me, the perfect opportunity fell into place. 

To show you how committed I was to the job, I can remember the first week lessons were supposed to start, the temperature in Wisconsin was in the 90's with 70-80% humidity, and I was out there waiting for students to show up. No one came that first week. I stayed the entire time and taught a lesson to myself. I figured, I might as well get some practice and teach like I would to 20. In between that time I would go to the local grocery store and set up a table and recruit. To make a long story short, we ended up getting twelve students that summer and in eight summers in Wisconsin, we grew to fifty students in a summer. It was after some time off that I got my vision back and started teaching ten and under tennis lessons as my primary focused and have been blessed with not one, but three locations, that I never could have imagined I would be able to teach at.I look forward to seeing many more students and parents this summer and serving you to develop your skills.

This was one of our most successful programs in 1999