comes together. Sometimes we fall in love with that moment and get caught admiring
our shot, forgetting that the ball is coming back. Nothing ruins a brilliant shot like being
out of position for the reply.
In this article, I'll introduce the shot cycle model, which describes the three phases that
make up every shot. This model expands our thinking, so we become aware of the many
aspects that are involved in hitting a tennis ball. My focus will be on recovery, which is
the movement of a player after s/he hits the ball and before his/her opponent makes his
reply.
play the game) and technique (how to hit the strokes), are taught in tandem. This method
ensures that players develop their strokes, tactics, and learn the rules of the game, thus
empowering them to rally and play with other players from the get-go. One of the reasons
I chose PTR for additional training, was its inclusion of tactics, in the `Play, Practice, Play'
method.
I coach adults from the beginner level on up, and have worked with many women's USTA
League teams. Although technique is extremely important, adult recreational players
may not want to put in the time to change their technique, especially if it's been engrained
over many years. I've seen a great deal of improvement in players who learn tactics
without making any changes to their strokes. Additionally, it's easier to benefit a whole
team by creating a common strategic understanding, than by attempting the difficult task
of working on stroke technique in a group setting.
infographic, each shot has three phases: centering, receiving and sending, and within
each phase there are three parts. The model is based upon my Canadian training, but
I've developed it as described in detail in my book, On the Ball: Doubles Tennis Tactics
for Recreational Players.
Recovery is the third part of the sending phase of the shot cycle. I call it the hidden gem,
because it's extremely important in the construction of a point and makes a huge differ-
ence in the number of points won. Despite that, it's often neglected. Many recreational
players don't know where to move, or even that they should be moving after they hit the
ball.
After recovery comes the centering moment, which should be timed as the opponent
strikes the ball. The centering moment includes the all-important split-step, with the as-
sociated ready racquet position and a clear, calm mind. The receiving phase begins di-
rectly from the centering moment, and this is followed by the sending phase, and so on.
the optimal place to receive the next ball. I call this optimal place `home'. This is the lo-
cation on the court where the centering moment should occur when the opponent hits
the ball. While higher level players may have trained and engrained this skill, beginners
and lower level players need to learn and practice how and where to recover.
Once the impact and follow through are finished, a player has the time it takes for the
ball to travel across the net until it lands in the opponent's court, to recover before the
centering moment. To make use of this valuable time, a player needs to know where to
go and to move immediately after the follow through. Players often waste precious time
watching and assessing their own shot before recovering, leaving themselves with in-
sufficient time to recover well.
If a player fails to recover to the optimal place on the court before his opponent hits, s/he
would still be well advised to pause in the centering moment wherever s/he is, and to do
his/her best to receive the next ball.
move when rallying or playing points, and whether they
pause and split-step when their opponent hits. Some
players wait until their opponent strikes the ball before
moving, thus missing the recovery phase entirely, and
few incorporate the split-step. Often I notice players
creeping in from the baseline until they're standing in no-
man's land as their opponent hits. Players have ex-
plained to me that they're moving in because they've
been told to get into the net. This is a misunderstanding.
Approaching the net requires a quick, deliberate forward
movement to reach the appropriate `home' at net.
In the beginning, I like to place physical homes on the
court, in the form of non-slip colored dots. My hope is
that the physical reminder of where to move, will become
emblazoned in my players' brains. It takes plenty of pa-
tient encouragement and reminders by the coach to help
a previously stationary player remember to move after
hitting. Recovery and the split-step go hand-in-hand, so
I also encourage the split-step as part of this process.
- depends upon where the ball is in the opponent's end
of the court. Keep in mind, that as a player's understand-
ing develops, the exact location will become more and
more refined, and will take into account other factors,
such as the player's and the opponent's favorite shots.
In terms of the side-to-side direction, the home is located
approximately in the middle of the best possible angles
of return that the opponent can hit. This is called `bisect-
ing the possible angles of return'. This may seem like a
lot of thinking at first, but the theory is good to know, even
if it feels intuitive once you're on the court.
In the video Doubles Tennis Tactics, Louis Cayer demon-
strates the possible angles of return by using ropes
stretched from the location of the ball in the opponents'
end of the court, across the net and to the appropriate
doubles sidelines. It allows the students to be on the
court and get a feel for how much lateral distance they
need to reach any ball, and how the distance gets less
when they're closer to net.
If you don't want to spend the time or the large amount
of rope needed for such an exercise, a diagram is the
next best thing. I use my court clipboard to explain and
demonstrate new drills. With this tool you can draw the
possible angles and explain the reasoning behind the
suggested homes.