On the serve, think where you are going to hit the ball. Aim for the top of the net.
The toss should go to the same place every time.
Keep your tosses high.
Your toss should be the same on both your first and second serves.
Hit the ball with the center of your racquet.
Power in the serve comes with practice.
On the serve, place yourself close to the center of the court.
Serve to your opponent's weakness.
On the serve toss, keep your arm up as long as possible.
Always keep you eye on the ball during the serve. Don't tip your head down.
Don't hit a bad toss. Catch it or let it bounce and start over.
Vary your serve.
Go for the ace when you are up 30-0. Go wide to your opponent.
In returning, use short backswings on fast serves, long backswings on slower spin serves.
Against a power server, line up about 2 feet behind the baseline.
Against a placement or spin server, line up within the court.
Return the ball to a position that makes the server move.
Try to take the ball early and on the rise when returning a serve.
If you opponent rushes the net, return low and short.
If your opponent stays back, return deep and soft.
If you can't put a volley away, volley back down the line.
If you do not play the net well, avoid coming to the net.
Focus on placement of the ball, not how hard you hit it.
Practice your power shot for half your practice time.
When volleying, keep moving forward.
When volleying, move to the point where the ball intersects the top of the net.
Use the pace of your opponent's shot to strengthen your shot.
Drop shot a drop shot.
Never hit a drop shot from a deep court position.
Use the lob as a second passing shot.
When overhitting, hit primarily cross court.
Follow-through lower on a harder ball and higher on a softer ball.
Hit higher, not always deeper.
Hit the ball as it is rising or at the top of its bounce.
Most points are lost, not won, so keep the ball in play.
Do not take a backswing on a half volley by your feet. Hold the racquet low.
Don't take your racquet back on a volley.
For a good backswing, turn your racquet back with your shoulders.
The closer you get to the net, the shorter the backswing.
Get your racquet back before the ball crosses the net.
Keep your grip on your racquet relaxed and don't squeeze the handle during a serve.
As you stroke the ball, try to use a steady breath release as oppsoed to a grunt.
Hit stepping into the ball. Try not to hit off the back foot.
Higher string tensions provide greater control. Lower string tensions provide greater power.
Be ready for all volleys at the net by keeping your arms in front of your body.
Get to the net with a deep shot or good deep lob.
To retrieve a deep lob, do not back up facing the net. Turn and slide back sideways.
For volleys, keep the racquet head up about chin level.
Keep your elbows in front of your body during a volley.
Use a punching type of stroke for a volley.
Bend the knees, not the waist, on low shots.
