THE 3 KEYS TO IMPROVING YOUR TENNIS GAME, BY PHILIPPE DEHAES

Tennis is a very difficult game that requires many qualities: you need physical strength, technique, good tactical sense and of course great mental qualities.

Here is a series of exercises that will allow you to work on each aspect of the game in a specific way.

1/ TACTICS OR LEARNING TO KNOW ONESELF

To win a large number of matches, it's important to first define the type of player you want to be. Your tennis profile will be directly related to your personality. You'll be more of a defender if you're calm, calculating, reserved, and patient, or an attacker if you like taking risks, are creative, enthusiastic, aggressive (in a positive way), or instinctive.

Your current physical condition should also be considered when analyzing your profile. If you're a natural defender who loves to prolong rallies, make your opponent run, and wait for them to make a mistake, this could be difficult if you're significantly overweight. Remember that a match is played as best-of-three sets…

Tailor your game to what you enjoy doing and, above all, what you're good at! Nothing is more important than showcasing your inherent strengths. Don't attempt things you haven't mastered, even if it seems like the right tactic to beat your opponent. Repeat, as often as possible, the game plans that feel easy and give you confidence.

Example: You have a questionable flight of stairs?

Work on your attacks so that you have the easiest volley to play if you're going up on the fly.

Exercises to improve your tactics

The players play a set during which they change sides after each game. They must use these breaks to visualize what they will try to do in the next game.

The player indicates to their training partner the best and most effective shot or game plan. After each point played, the score is doubled if they successfully used that shot or tactical plan to win the rally.

Example: I indicate to my opponent that after my first serve, I am going to hit a forehand to his backhand.

This series is played without a serve. Divide the court in half by drawing a line from the midpoint to the service line. Players play cross-court points, forehand against forehand. If a player changes direction and plays down the line to the opponent's backhand, they must volley after the change of direction.

This exercise offers several advantages:

• Detecting the right ball to attack (if I start too far back I risk being passed).
• The change of pace (I am forced to hit harder with my attack).
• Patience, learning to accept the exchange of the baseline (capital on clay).

2/ SIMPLIFY YOUR TECHNIQUE, BECOME AWARE OF YOUR BODY

It would take pages to detail the specifics of each stroke. Therefore, I propose a different approach to working on your technique in training.

Relaxation is essential for finding a good rhythm. You will work on your overall posture and try to find the most natural position possible between each shot. This focused position should allow you to react quickly, analyze the situation during the rally, and recover between each shot.

• My face: am I able to play without tensing my face when hitting the ball? Hitting balls while keeping my facial muscles relaxed.
• My shoulders: start each preparation with a shoulder orientation (and not with an arm pull backwards).
• My arms: are they relaxed or tense? The racket head is above my hands and my elbows are slightly bent in front of you. I am calm, I observe, I am ready to react.
• My hands: For a right-handed person, my right hand isn't gripping the handle tightly. It's my left hand that almost completely supports the racket between each stroke.
• My footwork: hit balls while forcing yourself not to "move behind" the ball. Feel your balance. Good footwork should allow you to play each ball in the best possible conditions. Find a stable position behind the ball.
• Breathing: the key… it could be the subject of an entire chapter, it's so important. It's the miracle cure for managing my relaxation and my emotions. Hitting balls while exhaling the moment you touch the ball.

3/ MENTAL STRENGTH, I TRUST MYSELF…ALWAYS!

Mental strength is of course about never giving in, refusing defeat at all costs, never letting go of a point, never getting discouraged, never giving up.

But there are also other elements that come into play when defining a good mental state:

• Event management (I'm playing an interclub final, I'm playing the club tournament which is the most important of the year, I'm playing against a player I've never beaten or a player I can't lose to)
• Managing my emotions during the match (Am I calm and composed? How should I react if I start the match badly, what should I do in important moments, etc.)

Exercises to improve your "mental game"

The players play a best-of-five-sets match, and in each set, one of the two starts down 4-1 (Learning to play under pressure)

The players compete in a set during which they each have the opportunity to take a total of four free points at the moments they deem opportune (Control of one's emotions)

The players start at 4/4 in each set so they learn how to negotiate the end of sets well (play well in important moments).

To improve your game, it's essential to focus your training on the specific area you want to improve. For example, if you're working on your technique during warm-up, don't get frustrated if you miss shots. If you want to practice tactical strategies by playing rallies, don't obsess over your technique. Trust yourself and dare to try new things.

For an hour of tennis, I suggest you divide your training into three parts.

• The first twenty minutes are devoted to warm-up and technical aspects.
• The second part: you set up tactical exercises with or without a serve in the form of points.
• And finally, finish with some free games to solidify your game.

#FightSmart