Tennis : steps to success

176 Pages·2004·3.4 MB·English

by  Jim Brown

Third Edition
Tennis
STEPS TO SUCCESS
Jim Brown
Human Kinetics
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Brown, Jim, 1940 -
Tennis : steps to success / Jim Brown.-- 3rd ed.
p. cm. -- (Steps to success sports series)
ISBN 0-7360-5363-8 (soft cover)
1. Tennis. I. Title. II. Series.
GV995.B6924 2004
796.342'2--dc22
2004007825
ISBN: 0-7360-5363-8
Copyright © 2004, 1995 by Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
Copyright © 1989 by Leisure Press
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Tennis: Steps to Success is dedicated to the memory of Bryan Kirby,
a good tennis player, a good friend, and a good person.
JMB
Contents
Climbing the Steps to Tennis Success vii
The Sport of Tennis ix
Key to Diagrams xxiii
Step 1 Hitting Forehands
for Offensive Control 1
Step 2 Turning the Backhand
Into a Strength 23
Step 3 Serving to Set Up Points 35
Step 4 Volleying to Force
the Action 49
Step 5 Hitting Half Volleys
off Short Hops 63
iv
Step 6 Lobbing to Control
Your Opponent 73
Step 7 Smashing the Overhead
Shot With Authority 85
Step 8 Executing Drop Shots
Effectively 93
Step 9 Competing As a Singles
Player 101
Step 10 Playing As a Doubles
Team 119
Step 11 Preparing for the Match 133
Glossary 147
About the Author 151
v

Climbing the
Steps to Tennis
Success
For beginning and intermediate players, as well Then there are strokes, strategy, self-paced drills,
as teachers and coaches, this newest edition of and methods of evaluating each student, plus a
Tennis: Steps to Success can help build a foun- 170-term tennis glossary. The previous editions
dation or add to what the player has already of the book have been used in more than 100
accomplished in the sport. colleges and universities, as well as in countless
The Steps to Success are arranged in order— high schools. The approximately 80,000 people
one stroke at a time. Beginners can start with who have bought previous editions include
the forehand and backhand and learn to serve teaching professionals, program directors, and
and volley before tackling specialty shots such parents working with their own children.
as the half volley, lob, smash, and drop shot. Tennis coaches, even those who were suc-
The explanations and accompanying illustra- cessful players, don’t automatically acquire a
tions not only provide clear instructions for complete understanding of strokes and strat-
executing each stroke, but they also provide egy. Coaches add pieces of information to their
options. Players won’t be locked, for instance, personal databases step by step and year by
into a specific grip, stance, or swing. Experiment year. Steps to Success can accelerate that learning
to find a style that fits your playing level, your process. This edition has “big-picture” strategy in
body, and your attitude. The 10 percent of play- each of the first eight steps and more than 200
ers who are left-handed get equal instructional tactical suggestions in steps 9 through 11.
treatment. For this edition, each step has been rewrit-
Intermediate players already know how to ten to include the best of past editions while
hit the ball. Steps to Success offers more thor- adding new information; detailed explanations
ough explanations of the strokes than do basic of stroke production; and instruction for begin-
instruction books. Refine and polish skills with ning and intermediate players as well as some
game-specific drills as you move toward playing tips for advanced players. The instruction for
at an advanced level. Get more insight into when each stroke also includes suggestions about
and why to hit certain shots. Put the collection overall strategy, and the last three chapters
of strokes into a game plan that includes overall are devoted to specific tactics for almost every
match strategy and point-by-point tactics. competitive situation. Better drills replace some
For teachers, Steps to Success provides a of those from previous editions, and new drills
turnkey instructional package. Teachers who have been added.
already have an established teaching system What could be new about tennis instruction?
can select from the information, drills, activities, Plenty. As you will see in the section on equip-
and methods of grading that fit their programs. ment, racket technology continues to evolve.
The background section includes a brief history Lighter, bigger, stiffer, and stronger rackets allow
of tennis, updated equipment information, an players, regardless of skill level, to generate more
explanation of rules, warm-up and cool-down racket speed and hit the ball harder. Young play-
guidelines, information on tennis-related injuries ers are getting bigger and stronger. As a result,
and treatment, and Web-based tennis resources. players can use a greater variety of acceptable
vii
Climbing the Steps to Tennis Success
stances, grips, and swings. Teaching methods process. If players are familiar with these
have changed to keep up with the game, and common missteps ahead of time, they
those methods are reflected in every step. may be able to avoid them altogether.
The system of monitoring progress has been
6. Success summary. Near the end of each
refined. There is a new way to score success for
step is a Success Summary, a brief
every drill and to determine an overall rating for
reminder of the most important teach-
each of the 11 steps. You’ll know when you are
ing and learning points for that particular
ready to move on or what you need to work on
stroke. Each step concludes by asking you
before you do.
to rate your success. By circling the score
Steps to Success provides a systematic
you attained on each drill and adding up
approach to playing and teaching tennis.
your points, you’ll know if you need more
Follow the same sequence as you work your
practice or if you’re ready to advance to
way through each step:
the next step.
7. Tactics. Steps 9 through 11 answer some
1. Stroke instruction. In steps 1 through
of the following tactical issues. How do
8, read the explanations for executing
singles tactics differ from those used in
the respective strokes and look at the
doubles? How do you prepare for the
accompanying illustrations to get a mental
match? How do you play well against
picture of how to hit the ball. These illus-
certain types of opponents? How do
trated explanations include instruction
you adjust to various playing conditions?
for moving to the ball; holding the racket;
These three steps also contain drills and
and using the proper stance, preparation,
activities that simulate game and match
swing, and follow-through.
situations.
2. Self-paced drills. Perform the drills within
each step in the order in which they Make Steps to Success work for you. Learn
appear. Each drill can be modified to the game from scratch as a beginner, sharpen
make it more difficult (see To Increase your skills as an intermediate player, teach the
Difficulty) or less challenging (see To game using a systematic approach, or coach
Decrease Difficulty), depending on skill with a more comprehensive understanding of
level. the game. Even advanced players will find drills
that challenge their skills and strategy tips that
3. Success checks. While executing each drill,
might give them an edge over opponents.
focus on a few components of the stroke.
The reward for completing the steps to suc-
Read the Success Checks for a reminder
cess is whatever you want it to be. For some,
of what to focus on.
playing tennis is just plain fun. For others, tennis
4. Score your success. You will earn anywhere
provides a lifetime of healthy physical activity.
from 1 to 15 points on each drill. Repeat
And for those who like the competition, a world
the drill as many times as you like, but
of players is out there waiting to challenge you.
don’t worry about getting a perfect score.
Good luck on this step-by-step journey to devel-
If you wait for perfection, you’ll miss the
oping tennis skills, building confidence, and
fun.
experiencing progress. Be sure to enjoy your-
5. Missteps. Players at all levels make some self along the way. Whoever and wherever you
common errors on each stroke. Pointing are, Tennis: Steps to Success is ready to take you
out these missteps and offering ways to several steps closer to becoming the best player
correct them may speed the learning you can be.
viii
The Sport of
Tennis
Englishman Walter Wingfield had an idea he tive wing to women in 1889, tennis became a
thought would make him rich. He combined the respectable sport for both sexes. Female stars
sports of badminton and court tennis to create such as Suzanne Lenglen, Elizabeth Ryan, Helen
lawn tennis, a game he first called sphairistrike, Wills Moody, Alice Marble, and Helen Jacobs
to be played on a court the shape of an hourglass. attracted fans—but men such as Bill Tilden,
In 1874, Mr. Wingfield received a patent for his Jean Rene Lacoste, and Don Budge dominated
invention, devised a tennis kit, and put the kit play and headlines for the first half of the 20th
on the market. century. Today, about half of the players in the
People took to lawn tennis quickly, although United States are women, and many tennis fans
they did not subscribe to its Greek name or the think the women’s game is more entertaining
shape of the court; and just as quickly, people than the all-power all-the-time game played by
realized they didn’t need Wingfield’s kit to play the best male players in the world.
the game. He let the patent expire three years Club tennis is still strong, but people of all
later, the same year a tennis tournament was socioeconomic classes now play the sport. In
held at the All England Club, the first Wimble- the United States, most players participate free
don. Although Wingfield never became rich, he of charge on public courts. Most of the 22 mil-
is given credit for inventing a sport in which lion Americans who play tennis at least once a
others have made millions and become sport year range in age from 8 to 80 years old.Most
superstars. are amateurs who play for fun with friends, in
For a long time, tennis was a game played tournaments, on teams, and in leagues through-
mostly by wealthy men who belonged to exclu- out the country.
sive clubs. When the United States Lawn Tennis Once only amateurs played tennis. When
Association (now the United States Tennis Asso- professional tennis finally arrived, the few play-
ciation, or USTA) extended its so-called protec- ers who could make a living, such as Richard
The Most Dominant Player Ever?
Who was the most dominant player in the history of tennis? Sampras? Williams? Laver? Navrati-
lova? Borg? King?
Consider the case for Margaret Smith (Court). The Australian, born in 1942, won a total of 62
grand slam championships—more than anyone in history—in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.
She was only 18 when she won her first grand slam, the Australian Open. She took the grand slam
in mixed doubles in 1963 and again in singles in 1970, for which she collected a total of $14,800.
During that year, she won 21 of 27 tournaments. On three different occasions, she won singles,
doubles, and mixed doubles titles at a grand slam event. She represented Australia six times in
the Federation Cup and never lost a match.
Court retired in 1966, got married, and started a family. She returned to tennis in 1970 and won
her last title in 1975. In 1991 she was ordained a Christian minister and founded a church in Perth,
Australia.
ix
The Sport of Tennis
Gonzales, Pancho Segura, and Jack Kramer, par- boron, fiberglass, and Kevlar. The size of racket
ticipated in small barnstorming matches and heads started at 60 to 70 square inches, moved
tournaments wherever a promoter could book up to jumbo-size models, and settled down to
an arena. Open tennis, in which professionals midsized and oversized frames of 100 to 115
were allowed to compete with amateurs, started square inches. The width of tennis rackets
in the 1960s with the help of visionaries and changed from narrow to wide and back again.
promoters such as Kramer, Lamar Hunt, and Lighter, stiffer, and bigger rackets have made it
George MacCall. Open tennis, however, was easier for beginners to learn to play, for interme-
not a universally popular concept. An Austra- diate players to improve their strokes, and for
lian newspaper demanded that MacCall, who pros to hit shots at bulletlike speeds. Serves have
was in Australia to sign the country’s best play- been recorded in the 150-mile-per-hour range.
ers to professional contracts, leave the country. Finally, the access to tennis instruction and
But open tennis was here to stay, and the game the science of tennis training have changed.
would never be the same again. The money During the first two-thirds of the 20th century,
paid to players, even to so-called amateurs, went interest was not high enough to support many
from under-the-table deals to widely publicized teaching professionals. Today, however, tennis
contracts. Now world-class players often skip pros, teachers, coaches, camps, courses, and
college to turn professional during their teens. In clinics are commonplace. Organizations and
fact, the number of college graduates who have businesses train and certify people to become
won major singles championships in the past 50 teaching professionals. The availability of infor-
years can be counted on one hand. mation regarding preparation, performance,
Television changed tennis in ways both good nutrition, hydration, psychology, safety, injury
and bad. In 1972, more than 50 million viewers prevention and treatment, and sport science
in the United States watched Australian stars Ken has, for the most part, elevated the quality of
Rosewall and Rod Laver play a classic. Rosewall play. Unfortunately, little control is exerted on
won in five sets. A year later, Billie Jean King the quality of information, especially on the
beat aging hustler Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of Internet, making tennis consumers vulnerable
the Sexes” at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. to fads, fiction, and frauds.
The spectacle attracted a crowd of 30,000 people
plus a national television audience. American
EquipmEnT
stars Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe played
brilliantly in front of millions who watched on
All tennis players, regardless of skill level, require
television, but it can be argued that their boorish
the same tools to play the game. Although their
behavior set an example that negatively influ-
quality and cost may differ, rackets, strings, balls
enced an entire generation of young players.
footwear, and tennis apparel are necessities of
The number of players, products, and pro-
tennis life. Here are some suggestions for buying,
grams increased almost simultaneously with the
using, and taking care of these products.
growing number of tennis events shown on tele-
vision. Names such as Ashe, Newcombe, Roche,
Rackets and Strings
Smith, King, Navratilova, Becker, Evert, Borg,
Graff, Sampras, and more recently Agassi and When you shop for a tennis racket, take time to
the Williams sisters boosted ratings. The major read the material on or attached to the racket.
tournaments—Wimbledon, the Australian Open, The labels, stickers, cards, and hangtags pro-
the French Open, and the U.S. Open—attract vide important information about racket-head
viewers who are not mainstream tennis fans. size, length, string tension, flexibility, and other
Technology has also changed the sport of properties.
tennis. Once, courts were made only of grass, Wilson, Prince, and Head sell 75 percent of
clay, or concrete. Now they are made of colorful all tennis rackets. Approximately three-fourths
synthetic products with made-to-order surfaces. of all tennis rackets are prestrung, are made
Tennis rackets have gone from wood to graphite, of aluminum or low-end graphite, and cost
x