Relishing the contest.  Appreciating the opponent.  Understanding (really) the rules of a contest.
To my mind, some matches are determined before ever hitting the first ball.  We have all been in situations where we knew immediately that the opponent had no chance - and equally we have all been in situations where we knew immediately that we had no chance.  None at all.
The fun occurs, when we play an evenly matched opponent.  And in these contest, both players have an even chance to win.
Look for these opportunities.  Keep your cool.  You can be ahead and blow this lead, you can play from behind and catch up - but in any event there is chance, there is luck, there are a few balls close to the line.
The post ETI 022 | Relish the Contest appeared first on Jim McLennan's Essential Tennis Instruction.

ETI 022 | Relish the Contest

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This lesson is “borrowed” from Batting Basics – a wonderful book on baseball batting technique written by a bona fide physicist – using concepts of gyroscopic stability and precession – he argues that baseball batters who “over-stride” have less rotational force in their swing. The same happens on the court – many players I see […]

Batting Basics

Download this Video The most difficult opponent we face is often the “dreaded pusher” – but in spite of this players consistency, this players movement, and often how “poor we think they look” – often the simplest issue here is that their soft floating moon balls deprive you and I of the rhythm we get […]

Early to Step

Both Roger Federer and Bianca Andreescu square the face to the incoming ball – though still moving forward they have both “aligned the wall to the ball.”                   Tom Stow often introduced the simplicity of the volley technique by using a stool or chair such that the […]

Wall to the Ball

Choke way up on the racquet
This enables you to feel which way the butt cap rotates and when
And clarifies whether you are pushing or snapping and where
This drill serves as an intervention
There are lots of words on the web and perhaps this is simpler than the words
You hope to see the butt cap when the arm is up
And if so you will find a bit more ball speed with far less effort
The post ETI 054 | The Role of the Buttcap when Serving appeared first on Jim McLennan's Essential Tennis Instruction.

ETI 054 | The Role of the Buttcap when Serving

http://dg2e30wx7kvei.cloudfront.net/eti_network/ETI_TheOtherSideOfTheNet.mp4 Download this Video Some time ago I was in Sacramento watching the Power Shares tour event – Courier, Sampras, McEnroe and Blake. James Blake beat John McEnroe in the finals – Mac having beaten Courier, and Blake easily beat an injured Pete Sampras (who was looking very slow on court compared to the other […]

ETI 022 | Relish the Contest

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