You may have watched the likes of Roger Federer, and you are left admiring the quality they display on the court. Let alone the entertainment they bring. You agree that tennis is a great game and especially when quality meets class.
The scoring of tennis makes it more interesting. Before you win a match, you must have won 2 sets. You win a set if you have won 6 games with a difference of 2. And you win a game by scoring 4 points.
You will love the game more as you experience the fight to win in a deuce tie. You are probably wondering how the players understood the scoring. And beyond that to master the game and produce outstanding performance. Yes, it means putting in a fight with great skill and power.
You can be like them and also produce a good account of yourself. Continue reading below to find out what it takes to be a good tennis player.
1. The Correct Clothing
The first and most important step towards perfecting your skills as a tennis player is investing in the proper clothing. The shoes significantly, greatly impact your performance. You can read more here to find the different designs available in the market that meet your budget. Having comfortable shoes boosts your performance in the game. Besides, it prevents you from injuries that could result from using the wrong shoes. To get to know more about the type of footwear that will suit you as you train to become a top player, visit shoeadviser.com and have a look at their reviews and extensive buying guides.
When it comes to clothing, a hat, cap, or headband is highly recommended to protect the eyes from the sun. A comfortable cotton shirt and shorts should accompany this for uninterrupted playing. Also, if you are prone to ankle sprains, a wristband should come in handy to absorb the shock from the racquet coming into contact with the ball.
2. Physical Fitness Level
It would be best if you worked on your shape. Your fitness should be part of the arsenals in the court. However, it is also true that you can only pull specific skills with a given fitness level. Otherwise, you will injure yourself.
It would be best if you were fast on the court. The ball should not bounce twice on your court. So you need to have a light body that can be stretched. And that you can move quickly.
You not only need physical fitness for your mobility but also for stamina to withstand fatigue. To win a game, you may have to fight long. Therefore, it would be best if you did not let exhaustion play to the advantage of your opponent.
Your efficiency in applying less effort but still scoring against your opponent is a function of how physically fit you are. A higher fitness level will allow you to sharpen and make your skills lethal. Like in the game of football, attacking at an electric speed will mostly get your opponent off-guard. And you will score.
3. High Intense And Concentrated Practice
Make your practice sessions short but very intense. Long and less concentrated practice sessions won’t benefit you. Also, practice regularly. Practice every skill that is needed.
How to grip the tennis racket correctly and how to swing it with power
During serving and volley, you will probably use the continental grip. And for groundstrokes, you are likely to use a semi-western grip on the racket. A proper grip will give you a more significant amount of topspin on the ball resulting in more power and control.
You should also master the tennis ball toss
This is essential during serving. A good serve has a powerful forward momentum and speed. Practice beyond applying the skills correctly; you should exercise until you can’t make an error.
You realize, Serena and Venus Williams are famous for powerful return serves. They are confirmations that a good tennis player should be familiar with the basics, to perfection.
4. Focus On The Racquet And The Ball
Limit every possible distraction. Put all your mind on the game. Your opponent will convert every time your mind wanders. So you need to concentrate irrespective of your problems off the court.
The game of tennis ball will require you to apply several skills. So you need to keep the focus on the racket and the ball and how to use the skills. Getting distracted will cost you.
5. Actively Learn By Evaluating Your Misses
One of the fastest ways you will learn tennis is by being your coach. First, evaluate your shots and keep adjusting. Then you will become much better.
When you actively learn, you’re concerned with why you keep making certain mistakes. Grasp the learning opportunities presented by your mistakes. And improve yourself until you can’t miss anymore.
6. Breakdown Skills Into Manageable Chunks
You will find great pride in perfecting your skills. However, you may also meet a lot of frustration if you don’t break your skill sets down. Don’t see a skill displayed by a tennis player you admire, and off you go to try it out.
The wiser approach is to break down that skill into little bits. Then step by step, work on them. This is how you add to your improvement in tennis.
7. Refresh, Regroup And Enjoy The Game
The way to play tennis is to enjoy the game. You, however, don’t have an unlimited concentration span. Even the best of the best in tennis have a limited attention span. So how do you make this work for you?
You spare plenty of time for refreshing yourself and regrouping. This is an attention booster technique. Only pros know their moments of vulnerability and mitigate them. And this is one of them; you can imitate this to remain alert for the game.
8. Video Record Yourself And Improve Your Techniques
Another great way to improve yourself is to video record yourself. Then, later on, watch how you display your techniques. You will be surprised at what you see and what you thought you were doing.
When you watch yourself, you will quickly notice where you’re not doing well. This will encourage you to go and perfect the skill.
9. Find A Coach
You may have built yourself as a tennis player. But there’s an extent you can’t get without professional input. So it would be best if you had someone who will improve your game’s art and science. A coach will help you with that.
A good coach will help you solidify your foundation by giving you exercises and challenges that give you a broader perspective.
10. Be Smart: Improve Your Tactical Side Of The Game
As a player, you should widen the approaches you can use to convert a score. It would be best not to rely on the opponent hitting the net or serving the ball outside the court to count your scores. You can as well hit their weak points hard to score. Use the serve and first shot after shot as a package to swing the point to your favor.
To be a good tennis player takes effort and discipline. The ball is in your court. You can become one by some of the tips shared in this blog. However, you should know the results come from continuous practice.