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Ask The Professional
This month¡¯s Ask the Professional was an article written by Coach Marc for Quo Magazine promoting tennis.
Question:
Coach, all my friends are playing tennis. But I don¡¯t know how to play, and I would like to learn how to play tennis. Can you help?
Marc's answer:
Learning a sport of a lifetime can be one of life¡¯s best gifts that you can give yourself or your family. Tennis is truly a sport that is fun; it¡¯s great fitness and its forever. Did you know that tennis is one of China¡¯s fastest growing sports? And that tennis is played all over the world. In fact scientists and doctors view tennis as one of the most healthful activities in which someone could participate? Now the easy part, learning to play tennis.
First, in tennis you don¡¯t need a lot of equipment to get started to play. Just a tennis racquet, and shoes, comfortable clothes, and let¡¯s don¡¯t forget tennis balls, and you¡¯re ready. Shanghai has lots of tennis courts, and spring is here so it is the perfect time to hit the courts with your friends and have fun. Today¡¯s tennis players need to learn how to control the ball from different parts of the court, so we are going do divide your half of the court into 3 zones. I want you to start in Zone 1 inside the service line and closer to the net. You and your partner should learn to play MINI-Tennis. With MINI-Tennis, Players stand on opposite sides of the net, but closer to the net and just lift the ball over the net softly, letting the ball bounce before hitting the ball. Players should practice this drill till they can keep a MINI-Rally going over the net, 10 Times. MINI-Tennis teaches ball and racquet control, footwork and touch and the feel for the ball. These are skills that are important to learn. Once you have ball control, with a MINI-Tennis Rally, you now can reward yourself and move back to Zone 2. Zone 2 is the area between the service line and about 4 feet inside the baseline. I call this Nowhere Land. Now from this new location begin hitting the ball to your partner and try to hit through the ball and finish with your racquet arm up high. Your goal is to control the MINI-Tennis Rally for ten times. This will take practice but it is setting you up for success by mastering ball control. Remember you are now half way back to the baseline so you only need half of a swing. Now that you both have completed a ten-ball rally, reward yourself again by moving back to Zone 3. The key for hitting the ball using the full court from the baseline is to prepare early by turning your body sideways to the net. And from this zone you now want to hit the ball with a full swing pattern.
The control that you learned closer to the net will now help you at the baseline, remember to use your body and arm together and swing slow. Your swing shape should start in a lower position and then contact the ball in front of your body, with a smooth and high finish. The whole idea is to learn tennis with a method that is as easy as 1-2-3 plus it will help you to improve faster. Did you know many top players warm up with MINI-Tennis and use the same method of different zones for selecting the stroke that they will use? I practice and warm up my tennis everyday with MINI-Tennis. So this weekend when you call your friends to go out to play tennis, remember it¡¯s as easy as 1-2-3 to play this sport of a lifetime.
Remember MINI-Tennis will get you started, but a few good lessons, from a trained professional tennis teacher is the best medicine to teach you proper techniques which can help you to have fun playing the sport of a lifetime. Let the games begin, with instant tennis, using MINI-Tennis.
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