What Makes A Great Tennis Player

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What actually makes a top player? Is it technique, is it talent, is it determination, is it hard work? Maybe all of them...
But considering that tennis is a sport where we have to hit a ball that is moving toward or away from us and it has to be done in almost perfect balance, a short time and the racquet has to meet the ball at the right moment... the answer lies in... footwork, timing and feel.

Let's analyze them:
1. Footwork
Since the ball doesn't stay still for us to hit it nor does it come to us, we have to make the necessary adjustments to move to the ball, be in balance as we do that and stop at the right time. Not to mention  quick recovery and early preparation for the next ball. Without great footwork, a player will get to the ball late, will be unbalanced and late to recover. So good footwork is the first ingredient to being a great tennis player.

2. Timing
Why do coaches ask students to keep their eye on the ball? You are right! So they know when to swing at it!
Timing is something that you cannot teach or learn. It cannot be developed in a few hours of practice.  It requires repetition that sometimes can take months or even years.
Perfect contact with the ball is the result of the arm's swing speed meeting that moving ball at the best possible moment .
Even though you watch the ball, you still can't always hit it  at the same, precise moment.  Only through practice will you develop better timing, or at least on a more consistent basis.
Actually, the more you practice, the shorter it takes to develop better timing.

3. Feel
You make contact with the ball right in front of you and at the right moment but your racquet face is open and sends the ball over the fence... Now what, what happened?
In order to control the ball at contact, the racquet face must be angled perfectly forward otherwise even the slightest tilting can send the ball several feet deep or short.
Have you seen a recreational player who never had the time to develop a good technique but yet he can hit tens of balls over the net and into the court during a rally. You wonder how come someone who cannot swing the correct way manages to be so consistent?
The "feel" is a player's ability to control the wrist, the arm, the racquet, and their balance at the moment of impact with the ball.

Even though we, coaches, spend a lot of time teaching the technique, tactics and strategies necessary to win and enjoy the sport of tennis, all these cannot be optimized unless the player takes the time to develop footwork-timing-feel, first.

Can a coach teach these three? No!
They are developed and mastered only through practice... repetitive practice.
In fact, if you only work on these three aspects I'll guarantee that better technique will be the outcome of these skills.

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Source by Cosmin Miholca

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