Damn important: The first shot in a tennis match
As soon as you play real tennis matches and don't just hit balls back and forth, the start of every rally takes on a special meaning. Every rally starts with a “special shot” for you: the serve or the return. EVERY.
But what is noticeable even among experienced tennis players is that the service, and even more so the return, is often practiced much less than the groundstrokes. Don't neglect these two extremely important strokes! Develop different serve variations together with your tennis coach and practise how you can defuse different serves with your return.
Helpful: the video analysis
A picture often says more than 1,000 words. A moving picture even more so. Have yourself filmed while playing and you will get a completely new impression of your stroke technique, footwork and coordination. Together with your tennis coach, you can analyze not only individual strokes, but entire rallies in their sequence.
It also makes sense to have yourself observed not only during training, but also in a competitive situation. If your performance in a tennis match does not come close to that in training, you can then recognize what you do differently under stress and which tactical and technical obstacles may unconsciously creep into your game.
Develop variants
If you play tournaments, you will inevitably come up against very different types of players. Your patent remedies, your cream strokes or your usual stroke combinations won't work against everyone. You should work with your tennis coach to practise both stroke and tactical variations that will make you more flexible and unpredictable.
A plan B is necessary if, for example, your opponent uses your power tennis to his advantage and returns everything over the net Djokovic-style. You don't just need a variation on the forehand and backhand, but different strokes in which you can vary the spin, speed, height and length of the shot as well as the angle to lure your opponent out of his own comfort zone. A varied game is the be-all and end-all for a successful tennis match. With the perfect balance between power and control, the right racquet will also support you.
Ensure fitness
An LK tournament usually involves two tennis matches in one day. If you want to be conditionally and athletically prepared for this, then the actual tennis training on the tennis court is probably no longer enough. No matter what you do in addition: make sure that it promotes the skills that are required for tennis, such as intensive resilience at intervals.
High-intensity training (HIT), for example, is a great way to take your tennis fitness to a new level. In the form of circuit training, the body can be trained effectively and fitness can be pushed; even at home, without equipment and without an expensive gym membership.
Develop rituals
Despite all the focus on and importance of stroke technique, tactics and athleticism, the tennis ball is usually not always in play during a tennis match. Meaning: A tennis match is (also) decided between the points and that means: Especially between the ears . The head and the mind play a role that should not be underestimated.
That's why you should develop rituals that direct your thoughts away from evaluating the last rally to the only thing that is firstly important and secondly controllable: the upcoming next rally and, above all, its preparation. You should therefore not “somehow” bridge the time between rallies, regardless of whether you are about to serve or return. Instead, you should develop routines and systems that give you confidence and allow your thoughts to calm down. It doesn't have to be a shirt-tugging orgy á la Rafael Nadal or a ball-tapping marathon. But always following the same routines that you feel comfortable with will actually lead to more confidence, first in your head and then in your game. Of course, it's difficult to learn this in a “tournament match”, so these sequences must also become part of your training until they become automatic.
