Many times people feel like they are not fast enough to be a good tennis player. However, raw speed is most often not the issue. In recreational tennis, there are three other factors that can make you seem much faster than you really are. They are anticipation, focus and court position.
Anticipation is part experience and part pattern recognition. Experience tells you where your opponent is likely to hit the ball based on court dynamics and general tennis strategy. Pattern recognition is all about evaluating your opponent during the match. All players have patterns and tendencies from different places on the court. Picking up on these quickly during a match will allow you to move toward their likely target before they even hit the ball. Focus seems obvious. It seems that way because it is so often said. However, when I say focus I mean focus on specific things about your opponent's movement and early recognition of ball direction as it comes off of their racquet. When your opponenet is about to serve or is setting up to hit the ball, pay close attention to how they are positioning themselves and how they are lining up their backswing. This orientation often tells you where they will trying to hit the ball and rather they intend to drive the ball, slice or hit a drop shot. Your mind is an expert at this early recognition naturally. Trust your instincts and you will find yourself comfortably in position to hit your next shot.
Court Position is an item that can be studied but must also be practiced.
Good court position requires you to be proactive. After you hit the ball, you must immediately move toward the ideal position based on court dynamics and your opponents tendencies. Most recreational players stand static admiring their shot and failing to reposition until they react to their opponents next shot. Get into the habit of moving to the optimum court position after every shot during matches and practice. It may seem like extra work at first, but you will quickly find that you have more time and actually work less.
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