1.한 사람이랑만 장기간(몇 개월이상) 치는 것은 위험하다.
한달만 그와 치더라도 그의 장점과 단점을 알게 되고, 상대도 마찬가지이다.
그렇다면, 상대가 무슨 샷을 날릴지 등을 금방 예상할 수 있기에 경기력의 향상은 기대할 수 없다.
2.자신보다 상수들과 많은 경기를 경험하라.
자신보다 잘하는 여러 상수들과 많은 경기는 도움이 된다.
경기를 하면 할수록 그런 경기가 자신에게 도움이 된다는 것을 느낄 수 있다.
(상대가 자신과 비슷하거나 하수라면 최선을 다하지 않는 경향이 있다. 사람은..)
3.하수와의 경기시는 현재 익히고 있는 skill을 연습하라.
재미로 치는 것이라면 하수를 가벼이 이겨주는 것도 상관없다.
하지만 하수와의 경기에서도 무언가를 배울려면, 현재 배우고 있는 스킬을 되도록 많이 치려고 노력하라.
당신의 약점이 백핸드스크로크라면, 상대가 백핸드쪽으로 공을 보내도록 유도를 할 수 있어야 한다.
이런 식의 경기가 도움이 된다는 것을 알게 될 것이다.
(상대가 자신보다 상수라면 감~히 이런 식으로 유도하지는 못할 것이다.)
4.초보자라면 경기전에 네트를 넘기는 연습을 많이하라.
초보자가 연습도 없이 경기를 바로 한다면, 거의 백발백중 이전의 엉성한 스트로크 자세로 공을 칠 것이다.
초보자라면 경기전에 네트를 넘기는 연습을 하는 것이 좋다.
베이스라인옆에 공을 다량 확보해 놓고, 스스로 바운드를 시켜서,, 다운다라인으로도 쳐 보고 크로스로도 쳐 본다.
잘 되었을 때,, 어떻게 스윙을 했는지 다시 상기하면서 해 본다.
이런 연습후에 경기를 해 보면, 이전보다는 스크로크가 나아진 것을 느낄 수 있을 것이다.
(중수이상이라면 벽치기를 해도 괜찮으나 초보자에게 벽치기는 금물이다.)
5.스플릿스텝시에는 공의 궤적을 보고,, 공이 어디에 바운드될 것인가를 항상 예상하라.
이것도 습관이다.
당장은 잘 안되더라도, 계속적으로 하는 습관을 들여야 한다.
어느 날부터 적중력이 높아질 것이다.
우선은 습관을 들이는 것이 중요하다.
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TO improve your tennis game do not play against the same player too often unless he is the better player. Vary your opponents. By playing against the same man too much you soon learn each other's weaknesses and do not improve.
The strokes are the same all the time and each one knows where and when the ball is coming. If you play with different players, you will meet new strokes, fresh tactics, and varying temperaments.
Play as much as possible against men who can beat you. Beating will do you good from the start, as you will know you are getting good practice.
When you know that you can beat a man, you will not be forced to your best, which makes you careless in stroke.
If one could remember to practice his weak strokes when playing against a poor player it would do a world of good. Do not be content to give him a bad beating.
For example, if you have a weak backhand, leave openings in your backhand court for your adversary to put the ball. He being out to beat you will keep on putting ball after ball there. Thus you can get good practice.
The opponent, being a poorer player, gives you more time, and is not forcing you on your strokes. You thus get time to correct your form and improve your game. If one's net game is weak he can get good practice by going up on practically every ball.
Against a good player he would not dare go up so often.
The easiest way to learn strokes is to take a dozen balls on the court. Stand a foot behind the base line. Drop the ball so it will bound about knee or waist high and to one side of you. Judge it so you have a free swing and drive it over the net.
Start well back with the swing and finish out your stroke. Keep this up until you send all the balls into the other court. Then go in the other court and return them. Do this for a half hour or so a day. In this way you are not hurried on the stroke.
The trouble with beginners is that they like to play instead of practice at the start. Then when they play they return the ball "any old way," so long as they get it back. Thus one acquires faults and bad habits.
Learn your strokes well first; you have a life-time in front of you to play. You cannot learn your strokes and play at the same time, for the reason that your adversary is out to beat you and is forcing you on all of your strokes.
Some faults and habits that a beginner acquires through playing before he has learned his strokes are:
1. Covers his weak strokes instead of playing them.
2. Does not learn to anticipate where the ball is going to drop and hence cannot judge it correctly to hit at the right time.
3. Hurrying his shots, which makes him overrun the ball.
4. Not taking proper swing.
If a beginner would only have the patience to practice more from the start, he would learn to make his strokes correctly, to judge the ball, and to meet it at the right time and distance from him. His stroke is also corrected, as he is not being hurried. He soon gets so he can put the ball in any part of the court he wishes.
He also learns the angles of the court and has better control over his ball. When one gets so he can put the ball into any part of the court, that's time enough to begin to play.
In playing one has to anticipate where the ball is going to drop. Judge it so you are in good position to return it. Take it on one side of you so you have a free swing.
For volley practice have some one drive balls to you. Have a boy throw balls up for you to smash. Serving you can do all by yourself.
The reason I recommend dropping the ball and putting it over the net instead of practicing against a wall or in a squash court is that one learns to get the right height on each shot and to put it over the net instead of against a wall at any old height. He learns the angles of the court better. He learns to place his ball. He can see if his return is good or bad.
It is very good practice, however, for experienced players to try strokes against a wall or in a squash court. I would not advise this for beginners, as they would acquire a squash stroke, more or less, instead of a tennis stroke. From my experience of squash and tennis the strokes are not alike.
