Rod's Tennis Comments
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1/1/1999 If you have tennis comments, information, strategies, or rules that you would like to add here please email them to rod@comp-aid.net.
991 Basic strategy. If you hit every ball in you will never lose a point.
992 If you hit your first serve in you will never double fault.
993 The One strategy or the Isolation strategy in doubles. Hit optional balls to the weaker side of the weaker player. Even if you choose the wrong player or the wrong side the strategy generally works because one player gets worn down and the other over plays.
994 Be aware whether you are Ahead, Even, or Behind during a match, set, game, or point. The score tells you for a match, set, and game. During a point if you are trading strokes in a rally you are probably even. If are controlling the point with depth, placement, and pace you are probably ahead. If you are scrambling you are probably behind. The goal if you are behind is to get even. The goal if even is to get ahead. If you try to hit a winner when you are behind you will probably hit a loser.
995 As I understand it the footfault rule is that you must stand stationary behind the baseline inside the outside line and right of the center line while serving to the duece court and left of the center line while serving to the ad court until you make contact with the ball.
996 I watch a players feet during their warm up and remind the server and his partner if they foot fault. If the nonreturner in doubles checks for foot faults, don't look very long because your primary responsibility is to see and call the ball in the service box.
997 Hard servers and net rushers get a two step advantage by foot faulting. They get a shortened distance to the net, momentum toward the net, and usually can serve harder.
998 If you foot fault a good solution is to back up and not change your serving motion or ball toss.
999 The foot fault remedy is to warn a player once and let him repeat that one serve. Second and repeated foot faults are treated like and other faults.
99A I rarely impose the remedy. I will usually ask the foot faulter to serve from behind the line. For chronic offenders I will ask the foot faulter to repeat the one serve.
99B Last night we had a hard server and net rusher that foot faulted about 60 times. I reminded him to serve from behind the baseline a few times. We won anyway.
99C I've never won a point when I've double faulted. I've never won a game when I've double faulted on the final point. I've never won a set when I've double faulted on the final point. I've never won a match when I've double faulted on the final point.
001 A college tennis coach said "Double faults are double trouble in doubles".
002 In a tournament the foot fault solution is 1 request not to footfault, 2 play a let, and 3 ask for a referee.
003 Never double fault to "The One". See the 993 comment.
004 An ex-college tennis player from our state USTA 4.0 team double faulted 7 times in a game and won the game in a practice match. I know because it was against me.
005 I didn't get to a ball in time so it bounced twice. It was very close. The ball was "Not Up". I have to make the call on myself. The handball front wall guideline can help you. In handball if the ball comes horizontally back it probably hit the front wall first. If the ball hits the floor before the front wall it tends to go up. In tennis if the ball is Not Up it tends to go up from the racquet face. If you get to the ball in time the ball usually goes perpendicular to the racquet face.
006 When a ball accidentally comes across the court during a point, call a let and play two serves.
007 If a player intentionally throws or drops a ball during a point, play a let the first time, and take the point the second time.
008 We play with a college coach who throws the second ball across the court if her first goes in. Call a let the first time. Encourage her to use a pocket or have someone hold a ball for her. If she refuses and taking points seems too severe, play a let every time she drops a ball.
009 Clear any ball laying on or around the court before you start a point.
00A Do not start a point while a ball is rolling on or around the court.
00B If you start a point with a spare ball on the court you have to leave it there. If you touch it during a point the point is over.
00C Up and easy. When you run up to get a short ball swing easily since your speed adds to the racquet speed.
011 You have to win at least 48 points to win a 2 out of 3 set match.
012 Replacing the third set with a tie breaker takes away the interesting matches. One sided matches are decided in two sets. Matches with split sets are more interesting.
013 An old tennis quote is "If your knees aren't bleeding, you are not getting down low enough."
014 Let the net be your friend. Let the net catch your opponents balls, and not yours.
015 If you must fail, fail long, not short. Your opponent might hit the ball, or it might accidentally fall in.
016 A quote in golf is "The ball can't go in the hole if you don't get the ball to the hole." In tennis you can't get the ball in if you don't hit it over the net.
017 The service box is as big as a living room. It is easy to hit a serve into a box that big.
018 A tennis court is as big as a house. It is easy to hit a serve into a court that big.
019 When in doubt hit the ball in.
01A May all of your miss hits go in.
01B High back hand may be the most difficult shot in tennis.
01C Winning Ugly : Mental Warfare in Tennis-Lessons from a Master - book by Brad Gilbert
021 Serving second. A reference is "Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis-Lessons from a Master", a book by Brad Gilbert, a past Andre Agassi coach and pro player. By serving second we are trying to get an extra break before the opponents are warmed up and familiar with us. We choose side to get the sun or wind at our servers back or a chance to serve into the side fence. Being up 2-0 is a nice place to be.
022 Most points are lost by unforced errors in 3.5. 3.5 whackers win some spectacular points, but it takes 48 or more points to win a match.
023 We need reliable players. Reliable players make commitments, and keep those commitments. They show up on time. They try to hit the ball in. Unreliable players make excuses.
024 No one has fun when we forfeit. Three players don't get to play. Then the rest of the team has to win 3 out of 4 matches.
025 We need players on the team that will play more than half of the time. People who want to be part of the social group, but will not play more than half of the time should probably not take up a roster spot.
026 We must remember that we are playing to have fun and play more tennis.
027 Three stage strategy that we call "Playing the score". We try to stay aware of the score within a 1 team match, 2 individual match, 3 set, 4 game, and 5 most importantly the progress within a point. There are 3 stages: 1 ahead, 2 even, and 3 behind. We try to move up one stage at a time without skipping stages. Also when we are behind we play more conservatively and reliably, and when we are ahead we play more aggressively. The pros (7.0) do just the opposite. When it is hopeless they go for it. Another exception is big servers. Players with a big reliable weapon have the green light to use it all of the time.
028 You like to have strong lineups with the right partners against the strong teams. In reality with travel schedules and illnesses, just get 8 reliable players to commit to a match. Reliable players will adjust their travel and social schedules where possible.
029 Doubles practice with more than 4 players. Learn each others games as partners and opponents. One set format. Four players on each court. Play 4 games with each player serving once. Play with each partner. Total of 12 games. Keep track of how many games each player wins. There are 24 total points. Switch courts. Winners move up. Losers move down. New foursomes do it again.
02A After a couple weeks it will be more clear who the good partnerships and singles players are.
02B From Tom. Experience is a great teacher (for those that study the game), and you have had more of it that I have.
02C From Tom. One of our players may get disillusioned with some of our team members. He doesn't care if they lose so much as he cares if they don't have spirit or motivation.
031 Play in order against the teams you can beat, and use the Stanford switch when you are the underdog.
032 Tanking against ringers to get them bumped up after 3 weeks. USTA started the 3 week review this year because teams were replacing ringers that got bumped up with new ringers. With no ratings by professionals and no bumping until the end of the season new ringers were playing down.
033 From Tom. IMPROVE YOUR GROUNDSTROKE SHOT SELECTION Adapted from a tip by T. Lance RED - YELLOW - GREEN - TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM One common mistake made by intermediate players is to try to play aggressively from a poor court position. Whether it's the result of impatience, desperation, or bad judgment, this is a fundamental error, sometimes called "going for something that isn't there." Recreational players can improve their shot selection by using the "traffic light" system. It is called Red Light - Yellow Light - Green Light. Here's how it works: Red light: When you're behind the baseline the red light is on, which means you shouldn't try to hit winners. Shots made while you're playing from this area should be rally shots hit with the intention of keeping the ball out of the reach of the opponent net person and hitting the ball IN. Yellow light: IF you get a short ball that allows you to move inside the baseline, then the traffic light turns yellow and you can go into attack mode. Although you may occasionally be in place to hit an outright winner from this part of the court, your best bet is to hit a forcing but cautious shot that makes your opponent run. Be ready to immediately move closer to the net if you get a weak reply. Green Light: IF your attack produces a weak return and allows you to get close to the service line, or inside the service box, the green light goes on and your goal should be to finish the point either with a solid volley placement or an overhead.
034 From Tom. When you feel yourself getting up tight, that's anxiety. Anxiety causes your muscles to tighten up. The tendency is to rush. PLAY SLOWER not faster. Especially when you're serving, take your time. Breathe DEEPLY a couple of times. Concentrate. Take a tip from Rod - before each and every serve he walks up to the baseline, bounces the ball 3 times, and then serves. Play to YOUR rhythm, not to the opponents.
035 From Tom. Foot faulting and what to do when it happens (in doubles) if there is no court supervisor at the court. (If there were a court supervisor you would ask him to officiate.) The foot faulting should be obvious or flagrant (as in the case of several of the Hollow Rock players who habitually foot fault 4 to 6 inches on every first serve). Flagrant means that you can see it easily from your side of the net. When the opponent is serving and makes a flagrant foot fault, you should verbally warm him that he has foot faulted and you must tell him that you will call it if he does it again. If he does it again on a first serve, you should tell him that the serve is a fault and that he has a second serve coming. If he does it on a second serve, then verbally claim the point as yours, announce the score (reflecting the point as yours), and change your receiving court position. (In other words, whoever was receiving goes up to the net and his partner goes back to the baseline to receive). If the offender argues with you, do NOT give in to his argument. You are within your rights according to the rules of tennis. If the other team refuses to continue play, then you can mention the rule of "continuous play." If the team still refuses to play, you MUST NOT leave the court, as the first team to leave the court causes a default for his team. Personally, I would not call a foot fault unless the server repetitively does it and has a serve which is aggressive and often wins the point because it is difficult to return. In other words, I wouldn't call a foot fault unless the habitual foot faulting provides the server with an unfair advantage.
036 A bench mark player is every player that goes to State and stays at his rating.
037 The object of the service line warm up exercise is to warm up and control the ball. Hit the ball to your hitting partner bouncing the ball in front of him. Hit no winners.
038 Doubles practice with 4 players. Learn each others games as partners and opponents. Three set format. Play one set with each partner. Total of 3 sets. Keep track of how many sets each player wins. There are 6 total points. If one player wins 3 then the other players win 1.
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