TIPS

Doubles Positioning
By Kurt Haggstrom

The most common mistake I see when watching doubles play involves court positioning.  All to often, one player (usually the net player) gets lobbed and expects his/her partner to retrieve the ball.   Any ball, whether it be a lob or not, that is hit to your half of the court is your responsibility.

Whenever you are lobbed, it is advantageous to hit the ball before it gets over your head.   In other words, the ball should be hit out of the air before it bounces.

The remedy to this challenge is simple.  By moving back from the net, you are able to easily retrieve almost every lob.  Your partner is now able to come to he net along side of you without worrying about retrieving balls hit to your half of the court.

If you find yourself constantly retrieving your partner’s lobs, let them know that they need to move further away from the net.   By stepping away from the net you can both move into the net and put pressure on your opponents.


Grip Pressure

By Kurt Haggstrom

Would you like to be a better Tennis Player?   Does Tennis elbow or a sore wrist keep you from playing more. Your grip pressure just may be the problem.

If you have ever suffered from Tennis elbow you know how crippling it can be.   The symptoms make people try ice, ibuprofen, arm braces and sometimes even surgery.  The solution in most cases is to simply hold the racquet more loosely.

Grip pressure not only effects your arm,  but also your whole body.   Holding a tight grip limits your movement and even your mind.   Players with to much grip pressure feel tense and have more trouble feeling relaxed in a game.

Additionally, your stroke production is very much effected by grip pressure.   Your ability to follow through and have touch on shots becomes very limited by a tight grip.

Next time out try loosening your grip pressure.  This should allow you to play better and keep your arm healthy.

 


 

When in Doubt – Call it Out???
By Kurt Haggstrom

Have you ever been in a game that involved an individual making incorrect line calls? Me too!

Nothing and I mean ‘nothing’ can spoil the mood of a game more than this.

Let’s face it, most of us play tennis for two reasons: Exercise and Sociability. We all need to remind ourselves of this, and also the person making the bad line calls.

When winning a Tennis match becomes more important than exercise and camaraderie, it ceases to become fun for anyone.

The moral of the story is: “When in doubt, call it ‘IN’. This way everybody wins.


The Forehand
By Kurt Haggstrom

It is a common misconception that one must turn sideways and “step into” the ball when hitting a forehand.

This is a very unnatural motion and simply not true.

When hitting a forehand properly one should position their hitting side (shoulder, hip, leg & foot) closest to the tennis ball.

When waiting in ready position (facing the net) and the ball is on one’s dominant side, no step is needed unless the ball is out of reach.  In that case, one should step forward or to the side with one’s dominant foot.  The resulting forehand is being hit facing the net and not sideways.

To see this for yourself, just turn on your television and watch the pro’s or observe a teaching professional give a lesson.  The teaching pro will always feed a ball while facing the net and anyone good enough to be on television will hot open-stance forehands.


Tennis Etiquette
By Kurt Haggstrom

Common courtesy is at the heart of all tennis etiquette.  There are not many rules to remember, just a general consideration and respect for others.

Please bear in mind that your Plaza Racquet Club is designed so that you do not have to cross anyone else’s court to get to your own court.

Each court is individually accessible through its own gates.  If for any reason you must cross over to your own court, be sure to wait until after a point, or preferably, a game, is over.

Rather than expecting someone else to do so, ALWAYS bring a can of unopened balls to your game.

Avoid loud voices across the courts to other players or spectators.  And please….always be aware of others around you and respect their rights to concentrate on their play.

Trash cans are available on each court.  Please pick up your loose balls and any trash so the next people playing have a clean court to begin their play.