Your “topspin serve” material interested me. But it left an unanswered question: does one pronate the wrist as part of this serve?

Your video suggests “yes”. But the easy way to brush up on the ball involves either no pronation or actual suplimation (turning your wrist out rather than in).

I would answer this in 2 ways.

First, if I was teaching someone, I wouldn’t mention pronation at any time (unless someone really wouldn’t “get it” after continuous practice).

Your goal is to brush up the ball as demonstrated and explained. And then do it better!

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Hi! I recently ordered your e-book on mental toughness and would like to ask a question about my tennis.

I have a wonderful forehand against the machine and my tennis coach.

However, during match play, every time I try to do things the “right way”, the ball goes long.

I’m pretty sure my issue is in my head and not one of technique. Any suggestions?

What “worries” me a little bit in your short description are the words “the right way”.

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Here are 3 questions and answers about tennis grips that I received recently.

1. What grip do you hold when you are returning a serve (backhand, forehand or in between)?

I generally don’t teach that. I leave it up to the player to find what is comfortable for them.

I personally hold a forehand grip since I find changing to backhand grip easier and faster than vice versa. And I play a one-handed backhand.

Most players with a two-handed backhand also use a forehand grip since it’s easy for them to switch to a continental grip with their dominant hand.

Some players with a one-handed backhand like to have their backhand grip ready since they receive more serves to the backhand than to the forehand side.

Another option is to use a continental grip which allows you to block fast serves on either side and you don’t have to change the grip much if you change to either a forehand or backhand grip.

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Reaction speed is one of the keys to playing great tennis at a higher level, where the balls fly much faster.

Quick reactions are also important at all levels of tennis doubles, where there are ball exchanges at the net when players volley at each other at shorter distances.

If your reactions are fast, you’ll have more time left to:

• get to the ball,
• make the right decision,
• balance yourself before the stroke
• perform your stroke

So how can you improve your reactions in tennis?

There are a number of steps this equation, and the first one is anticipation. (more…)

How do I avoid self-cluttering?

This happens occasionally when I get to the ball and freeze because my footwork stops.

After that I play a short ball which my opponent can easily attack.

Let’s try and figure out why you freeze. The most obvious reason at least in my experience is lack of decision.

You see a ball and then you start consciously thinking all the things you need to do “correctly” like:

• prepare early,
• get into the right distance,
• try and use the closed stance,
• keep your eyes on the ball and head still,
• etc.

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Tomaz,

A coach I know teaches a topspin groundstroke style that produces shots with a pronounced curved trajectory and land deep into the opponent’s court with an aggressive high bounce (above shoulder level on a hard-court).

This style seems to be very effective: it pins your opponent to the back court and often forces him to produce a weak or short reply.

However, I also see that most pros don’t play this way. They hit shots that have tremendous pace and spin, but don’t bounce up that high.

Is this because unlike us, the pros can actually produce a winner off of a high bounce, so feeding a high bouncing ball to them is actually giving them an opportunity?

Please write an article discussing the mechanics of hitting high bouncing balls. Thanks!

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Hi, I was viewing your Tennis For Beginners videos online and had some questions about the serve.

The basics of serving I understand such as the grip. Here are some questions about some things I am not sure about:

1. My first question deals with the transition from the trophy position into the forward swing. In coming out of this stage should the lower part of the body be moving forward while the racquet and hand are going back.

It would kind of feel like you are going in two different directions at once.

Yes, if you analyze it like that, then this is true. But that’s not how you learn to do it.

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Dear Tomaz,

I am very happy with my subscription to your Web Page and I am trying to implement by myself some of the things I learn from it.

I have practiced what you say on the serve in the page on How to Play Tennis Videos and what you say in The Ultimate Topspin Tennis Serve Video Guide.

In the page on top spin you add the leg movement and it is in my timing of the racquet drop and the leg movement that I am having trouble.

I think I am bending my knees too soon at the end of the backswing, so that I lower or drop the racquet immediately after or while I do the backswing and bend my knees. I mean, I am getting into the racquet drop position while my knees are bent and my right shoulder is still down.

In the pictures of professionals I have seen in John Yandell’s page I see that they lower the racquet a bit later, while they are raising their legs and their right shoulder. But I am neither a professional nor a beginner. I have played for several years and I already have some muscle habits.

Is my movement I described a bad one for a good serve? Could I get more power by dropping the racquet while my legs and right shoulder are going up?

If so, I assume I should practice a variation of the last exercise on the serve (serving from the base line) , combining my leg movement with your two parts of the serve, so that in the first part I go from the backswing to the trophy position while I lower my legs, and in then the second part I drop and raise the racquet while I jump or extend my legs.

I’ve tried this new second movement and I find it backward, I seem to rush, not to have enough time to lower and raise the racquet to hit the ball while I am raising my legs, and sometimes I am late hitting the ball, hit it with the rim, etc.

So, my question is: Should I stay with my present movement, (in which I make my full racquet drop immediately after or while I do the back swing, and bend my knees,), or should I try to delay the racquet drop so that it is timed to go with the raising of the legs and right shoulder?

Even if it will be difficult to change my habits I have the will to repeat the above exercise or any one you may suggest to have a better serve.

Thank you for your help.

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Hello Tomaz,

Have so far had a good flick through the ideas it the Tennis Strategy Encyclopedia and I look forward to really getting into it.

Just a quick question for now based on a game I played earlier against an attacking & competitive aggressive baseliner, which I lost & is still haunting me.

I’d say I’m an all-rounder but his game dictated play throughout & gave me no rhythm, largely as in rallies his deep groundstrokes esp. on forehand were a lot quicker & harder than I’ve been used to & I struggled to cope with putting them back deep & with any control.

So throughout I was experimenting with suitable techniques eg on my forehand shorter swing & tighter grip & others without satisfactory success, I am a strong & athletic player, still learning after just a year, with a very good level for this time.

I feel that I am capable to handle this type of pace esp. on my forehand & also this type of player but just for now I would appreciate if you could advise on the best forehand technique for handling such power & pace on defence ie stance, grip, swing etc?

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Learning to hit an effective slice tennis serve may need a little more detailed video instruction but here are 7 tips to hit a wide slice serve to the deuce side: (for right-handers of course)

1. Position yourself more to the right of the middle to have a better angle.

You can even stand half-way between the middle and the sideline.

2. You need a continental grip so that you will impart slice naturally.

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