- Hit the serve up enough.
- Learn a good backhand underspin one hander.
- The service grip is the most functional grip in tennis.
- “No man’s land” is a myth. You have to learn many shots from mid-
court. These are “shortened” shots (service returns, approach shots,
etc.). They are most often hit with underspin. Particularly in doubles. - Basic tennis strategy (singles) says: Down the line, come in. Cross
court to stay back. - Hitting on the rise takes court and time away from your opponent.
It’s harder, but essential. We played “21,” restricting all rallies to be
made from within the court, i.e., you step behind the baseline or out
side the side line, and you lose the point. You can go to the net any
time after the first rally. - Add one shot each fall. You don’t have time in the spring. In the
spring you play. Examples:
• A one-handed backhand chip
• Backhand service return
• Forehand service return (underspin, too)
• Backhand approach (often a weakness) - The game is the best teacher. If you play enough tough matches
(practice-challenge-varsity) you will get better. It’s not high school
and every match is tough. You have to rebound from yesterday’s 7–6
in the third loss to play again today. Tough-minded players survive
and learn from these matches. - Learn to acclimatize to early morning play. Lots of important
matches occur early. College kids have different “clocks,” and they wil
resist this suggestion. - Beer and idle dorm conversations cause the most “causalities.”
-
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The Little Green Book of Tennis 