How to Play Tennis

What are the 5 crucial things that the pros do that amateurs and club players don't?

1 - The Pros are extremely aware of being consistent.

If you want to play like a pro, dedicate 45 minutes of your practice to just consistently hit balls back and forth with your practice partner. The boring stuff, 5 minutes each: cross forehands, backhands, down the line another 5 minutes each side (more advanced use the tram lines for accuracy), at the net forehand & backhand volleys plus smashes 15 minutes each player.

2 - The Pros are light footed and always-in motion between shots.

If you want to play like a pro, during all your practices and matches get into the good habit of bouncing and recovering quickly between shots.

3 - The Pros are always in the right position at the right moment, they anticipate!

Learn during your practices, especially by playing with lots of different people to read what your opponent is going to do and go that position a fraction of a second earlier.

4 - The Pros never over hit the ball and when they do they tend to lose easy points like any of us earthlings!

There is a misconception that pro's hit winners all the time! Far from it! If you want to play like a pro you will need to be patient, trade shots with your opponent, build up your points carefully and only hit winners when 90% of the odds are in your favour.

5 - The Pros use the limits of the court and it's angles to their advantage.

Learn to place the ball from corner to corner and how to generate angles. Use a simple drill; on both sides of the center of court draw a rectangle (12 x 24 feet) from the net to almost the baseline. The rectangle is the no play zone balls bouncing inside of the no play zone are points for your opponent, play matches of 11, 15 or 21 points.

Soon you will have your opponents running all over the place! Enjoy "The Game".

For comments or ideas about this article please email the author Sergio Cruz. Sérgio Cruz is an ex # 1 National Champion, Davis Cup Player from Portugal and former Coach Jim Courier ATP World Ranking # 1 cruz@tenniscruz.com http://www.tenniscruz.com http://www.tenniscruz.com