Monthly Archives: September 2024
Mastering Tennis Grips: Key Techniques for Success
Tennis is a complex sport, but when broken down into small bite sizes, it becomes easier to learn and memorize.
Why is the Grip so important?
If you don’t use the proper forehand and backhand grip, you will not be successful. Without the proper grip, your forehand, backhand, serve and suffer the following;
- Lack of Control
- Lack of Power
- Lack of Spin
- Lack of depth on shot
What are the two grips I should use
The two grips we are going to use are called the Semi Western for the Forehand Grip and the Continental for the Back Hand Grip. These are the only two grips you need for a well rounded tennis game. This is how I teach my students, and this makes it very easy to remember. I say easy to remember, but often hard to find the two grips at the right time.
What does the semi western forehand grip look like?
A really simple way to find the semi western forehand grip is to lay the racquet flat on the ground. Simply pick the racquet up off the ground, and you now have a semi western forehand grip! This is a very popular grip, and one used by a high percentage of professional tennis players today. It feels a little awkward to use on the forehand, but only for a short time. When you get the feel of this grip related to the forehand, it forces the racquet face to be closed and keeps it marginally closed at the contact point of the ball. This closed face contact is what creates the natural topspin with the semi western grip.
What does the backhand grip look like?
The backhand grip is referred to either the Continental Grip or the Hammer Grip. An easy way to find this grip is to hold the racquet in your left hand, and place your right hand face on the face of the strings. Simply let your hands slide down the strings, down the racquet and onto the grip. You are now holding the racquet grip in the continental grip. To get a feel for the continental grip, hold the racquet like a hammer, and strike the racquet like you are driving a nail through a wall, you will get the feel of the grip and why it is called the hammer grip.
What grip do I use for the serve and volley?
The backhand grip is also used for your serve, and when you volley at the net. The backhand grip is also used as a slice backhand grip.
How to practice finding these grips while you are playing
The best way to find these grips while you are playing is to teach yourself to always hold the grip in the forehand grip. If you always hold the grip in the forehand position, you only need to practice flipping the racquet from the forehand to the backhand grip. I instruct my students to do this while relaxing and watching tv. Hold the racquet in the forehand position and flip the racquet to the backhand grip. Continue going back and forth, and randomly look down and make sure you are holding the racquet correctly.
Repeat these steps, until you can switch from forehand to backhand naturally without looking down.
The Grip is critical to obtaining proper forehand, backhand, serve, volley, and slice backhand.
Spend some time on the court when practicing. Ensuring you have the proper grip for either the forehand or backhand shot. We will spend a lot more time on this grip when we look at the forehand, backhand, serve, and volley shots.
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Essential Steps for a Powerful Tennis Forehand
In this series, we are focusing on the Kaizen Standard Work process of preparation before you strike the ball. In our last series, we looked at the Kaizen Standard Work process for the ready position. When we break these moves and positions down into individual steps, it becomes clear what is required from a standard work process. If we are not successful in the proper execution of these steps, it will greatly effect the next sequence of moves to have a successful forehand strike.
Standard Work Sheet Split Step and Unit Turn
The importance of the split step and unit turn are paramount.
Let’s begin with the split step. The split step or jump step is performed right after your opponent has struck the ball. After the opponent strikes the ball, you are to:
- Jump slightly forward after opponent has struck the ball
- Determine if the ball is hit to your forehand or backhand
- Your front foot is to point in the direction you are planning to move
- Land from your jump and immediately start the unit turn.
- Perform the unit turn. Turn your shoulder to face the net.
- The shoulder turn will be either for the forehand or backhand
- As your shoulder turn is starting, prepare your racquet in the ready or loaded position
- Racquet slightly above your wrist
- Racquet grip correct for either forehand or backhand
- As your shoulder turn is rotating, begin to bring the forehand to the power position.
- Note: The power position is where the racquet is in loaded position. See example of power position for the forehand
The Forehand Strike
In our next article, we will now put everything together. We have learned how to prepare for the shot with the:
Ready Position
We have learned how to start the shot with the:
Split Step
Unit turn
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Get ready, our next article we will actually hit the ball with a forehand strike!
Is your forehand giving you problems? Landing short, sailing long, no power? Stay tuned for our next article.
Enhance Your Tennis Skills: Importance of the Ready Position
When looking at any tennis stroke, it is important to break the stroke down into smaller, bite size chunks of instruction. To do this I am using a process called Kaizen. I explain the Kaizen process as continuous improvement through standard work, or standard process. The idea is to make the instruction simple enough to follow, but also simple enough to remember. The instructions are to the point and focus on key steps to deliver the desired outcome.
Kaizen Work Sheet
The above is a Kaizen Standard Work Sheet I use with my students in person, and for online training. The students actually recognize when they have missed a Standard Work Step, and in many cases they can self correct themselves while playing. Combining the Kaizen Work Sheet method, with Video lessons, or in person one on one, is a powerful way to quickly develop good form and good habits.
The Goal
The Goal of the Standard Work is to be clearly set and the instruction is to be clearly identified.
The Best Practice Image
The Best practice image is to supply the student/player of the image they should attain when following the Standard Work Steps are followed precisely.
The Standard Work Steps
The Standard Work Steps are the details in step by step order to perform the Goal. Each step builds on the next, until the Goal is achieved. If any of these steps are missed, or done incorrectly, it may put the next Goal in the process in jeopardy.
Key Takeaway
The Key Takeaway depicts the importance of the standard work steps, as it relates to the next standard work movement or shot.
Why is the ready Position so important?
Without the ready position being performed correctly and consistently, all of your shots, whether it be a forehand, backhand, volley, will lack balance, fluidity, power, and control. The ready position is used when:
- Returning Serve
- After you have hit your shot and waiting for the return
- After you have served and waiting for the return
- When ever you retrieve a ball, return to center of court in the ready position
- If you are at the net, you are in the ready position.
Try this Standard Work. Repeat the steps over and over until the ready position becomes automatic. Without the proper, fundamental ready position, the rest of your game will suffer.
Be ready to explode into our next section in this forehand series. We will be looking at the split step and the unit turn in our next Standard Work.
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Kaizen: The Secret to Mastering Tennis Techniques
Kaizen Definition
Kaizen is a Japanese term that means “continuous improvement” or “change for the better.” The philosophy and approach to life and in this case, tennis, is to focus on small incremental improvements over time. This leads to greater efficiency, quality and success.
How I use Kaizen to teach tennis
As a tennis coach, I try to break down each shot, and each movement pertaining to a particular shot or stroke. What is really helpful to me, is to have a reference book to use with the student, to help them follow along with the flow and visual aids for a particular shot or stroke. It is also helpful if you are using video analysis of a player, you can quickly compare the students stroke with the best practice example in the Kaizen playbook. Of course I demonstrate the stroke with shadow swings when I am doing individual coaching, but If I am doing remote on line lessons, it is very easy to compare the strokes with the students video and give instant feedback, and the player has a copy of the standard work playbook to refer to.
The playbook also works well with my online training courses.
13 steps to get ready to hit your forehand
Almost all shots in Tennis, require multiple movements, multiple positions, multiple patterns, which can lead to a wide array of standard steps in one process, such as a swing on a forehand.
In the photo above, the player is running towards the ball to strike a forehand. In this photo, the player has performed 13 steps to get into this position, and she hasn’t even struck the ball yet. The steps she has taken to get to this point of her shot are;
Standard Work Forehand Preparation
- Ready Position
- Visually tracked the ball to determine if the ball will be to her forehand or backhand.
- Performed a split step
- Stepped towards her forehand side out of the split step
- Rotated her shoulder to face the net
- Changed her grip to forehand
- Tilt the racquet above her wrist, position racquet in power position
- Bring her right arm up to track the ball and provide balance
- Perform long stride cross over steps to quickly get to the ball
- Begin her forehand backswing
- Let the racket head drop below her wrist as she starts her swing
- Keep her eye on the ball
- Begin to slow down as she approaches the ball with small shuffle steps
Kaizen Standard Work/Work Flow
In the Kaizen world, these 13 steps would be characterized as Standard Work, or Work Flow. In the tennis world this is known as preparation before the shot. The positive side about looking at Tennis as standard work, is it helps a coach teach with consistency, the student will learn a consistent method, the player can refer to standard work when shots stop being consistent, or you want to add spin or power to your shot.Learning or improving tennis can be simplified with Kaizen methods. If you look at the 12 steps, it is imperative these steps are performed, but it is even more important, these steps are performed correctly.
Standard work for the Ready Position
- Feet shoulder length apart
- Player facing the net
- Two hands on racquet
- Player has forehand grip
- Racquet slightly above wrist
- Eyes on opponent
- Knees slightly bent
- Player in relaxed state but ready to move
Try this standard work for the ready position the next time you take the court. Use the standard work as a best practice to follow. You might be surprised there may be a few things missing from your ready position stance. If you are struggling with your forehand, start with the ready stance. It is extremely important as are all positions in tennis.
We will start a Kaizen series on the forehand!!! Follow along and enhance your game.
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