Younger players who want to learn how to play tennis often ask me if they should run around their backhand to hit forehands. Andy Roddick does it, so why shouldn't they?

The forehand is one of the 2 biggest weapons that a player can have--the other one is the serve. If a player has a big forehand, it's common to build the game around that shot. So, you end up running around the backhand a lot. Kids with a big forehand don't even have to be taught that; it happens naturally.

The problem sometimes is that many players--such as Roddick--win so much with their forehand (and/or serve) when they are young that they neglect to develop a good solid backhand, or a net game.

This haunts them when they reach the highest levels!

Want to improve your backhand? Watch these tennis videos for tennis tips from yours truly:

http://www.playsportstv.com/box.php?id=6&media_id=387

http://www.playsportstv.com/box.php?id=6&media_id=389

Posted by Gilad Bloom at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This depends on the size of the player. In general, it is safe to get a junior racquet from one of the leading brands and make sure that the grip fits the size of the hand and that the racquet is not too heavy. A racquet that is too heavy can cause injuries and bad technique early on.

Posted by Gilad Bloom at 09:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For kids starting out in youth tennis, is it necessary to spend a lot of money on gear?

The two most important equipment items are the racquet and shoes. I suggest buying a good-quality racquet and a pair of high-quality shoes.

Apart from that, just wear basic shorts and T-shirts and save the rest of the money for the actual tennis lessons—which are big expenses.

You need a good racquet that feels good in your hand, hits a clean ball, and is neither too heavy nor too light. You also need good shoes to have a good grip on the court, for protection to your ankle, and for comfort when you play long matches.

Investing heavily in showy or “cool” attire is mostly due to peer pressure—we all want to look great wearing tennis clothes but it doesn’t actually when you any points!

Posted by Gilad Bloom at 07:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My young daughter plays tennis with both hands.  Is this okay?

Many young athletes start off hitting with two hands on both sides.  This is natural, because they are not strong enough yet to hit with just one hand.  Very few young athletes stay with using two hands, and those that do are ambidextrous and develop their own unique style.

There’s no need to pressure your child to go with one hand.  Give her the option to do what feels best right now.  In all likelihood, she’ll switch to her dominant hand at some point.

Of course, there are certain advantages to playing with two hands on both sides—increased power, crazy angles, and disguise.

At some point, teach your daughter a one-handed forehand—she’ll need it on wide shots.  If she does decide to stay with two hands, have her watch great athletes who play this way, such as Monica Seles, Fabrice Santoro, and Jan-Michael Gambill.

Posted by Gilad Bloom at 06:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Most players today play with a 2-handed backhand, including on the pro tour, although most great champions have used a one-hander.

It is a decision that has to be made on a case-by-case basis. Depending on how old the player is. 11 is young enough to switch. I always say if you don't have a great 2-hander you might as well use a 1-hander; it will help your slice and your volley. Also, if you are not athletic and have slow feet or if you are going to be very tall it is recommended to switch to a 1 hander, because the 2-handed backhand requires extra footwork and extra bending down for low balls. The advantage of a 2-hander is on the return of serve and on high looping balls.

Posted by Gilad Bloom at 04:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The old saying "You are only as good as your second serve" is still true. Many players can crack a first serve, but in crunch time you will need to rely on your second serve. Obviously there might be some technical flaws that need to be fixed, but in general it is recommended to move the grip over towards the backhand grip to increase safety.

Once you do that the serves might go into the net in the beginning. It is recommended to serve from well inside the court until you get the feel and gradually move back until you are ready to serve from the baseline. It is important to snap the wrist up and to the right (or to the left if you are left handed) and to accelerate as you connect. Another source of power can be a deep bending of the knees just before the contact.

You should always serve with targets and a high net, and also practice serving and volleying with only one serve--this will help create more body weight shift into the shot.

Posted by Gilad Bloom at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kids don't like to experiment with their game, and usually stay in their comfort zone, which is to stay with the baseline game and not come to the net. Nobody likes to get passed or lobbed, and when the match is on the line they will hesitate to go in and take a risk.

It is true that there have been players who rely strictly on a baseline game who have done well on the pro tour, but if we look at the top men and women in the world we will find that in the high levels they all have a variety of shots with which they hurt their oponents.

Roger Federer is the perfect example of a player that has every shot in the book, which allows him to change his game according to the surface and the oponent and to dominate the world ramking. In the women  Justin Henin is an example of a player that comes in a lot, about 15-20 times per
match (on hard court). 

Posted by Gilad Bloom at 03:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I recently watched some of the best girls in the country play in a junior tournament. One thing I noticed was that none of the girls adjusted their game to the surface which was clay. They played as if they were on hard court, they were not sliding into the shot like they are suposed to, did not use the angles, the drop shot or play a more patient and sophisticated game that is required when you step on a clay court.

The reason is that most tournaments in the U.S. are on hard and most coaches don't really know how to move or play on clay themselves. It didn't really matter because they (the girls) were all playing the same hard court-type game anyway. I had a feeling that any mediocre European player who grew up on red clay would have been able to win against those highly-ranked girls.

Kids are reluctant to learn the new stuff, such as what it takes to play well on different surfaces, but i find that  the effort will pay off later on in their careers.

Posted by Gilad Bloom at 03:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I just got back from a junior tournament with one of my students, a girl who is playing the 18-and-under category. I had a chance to watch a few of the top girls in the country play and what struck me was how similar they all play.

It is safe to say that more than 90 percent of the girls play the same exact style, a one-dimensional attacking baseline game with a 2-handed backhand and a semi-western forehand. It is rare to see a girl with a one-handed backhand, a slice, a decent volley or a drop shot. Serving and volleying is not even in their vocabulary, and the only time they come to the net is if they have no choice -- a very short ball -- or to shake hands at the end of the game.

This leads to matches and points that look the same, long rallies between 2 girls that hit the ball very hard and very accurately until someone puts the ball away or misses. The girls that I watched were all very good hitters and atheletes and could easily be taught how to hit a decent volley or a slice.

It is the fault of their coaches that they don't posses more weapons. For this reason most
of them will end up in college or in low-level pro events playing against similar-type players.

When I work with my junior players in my academy I try to work on a variety of shots from an early age and practically force them to come to the net, use the slice and work on "special shots" such as a drop shot and the short angle. It is not very popular and many times the kids are reluctant to learn the new stuff, but I find that the effort will pay off later on in their careers.

Posted by Gilad Bloom at 05:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The mental side of tennis is very important in tennis, it being an individual sport that does not allow coaching. The player is on his/her own out there and can't rely on anyone else but himself/herself to win.

Playing a match is almost like playing chess against your opponent; you must always be on guard for your opponent's next move and can never show your emotions or lose your composure.

Being mentally strong means being under control throughout the match. Positive body language is very important too. In my career I realized that fighting for every point regardless of the score without showing signs of giving up will break down opponents many times.

In the high levels all players are technically sound and more or less equal. It's the mental ability to perform under pressure that separates the good from the great.

Posted by Gilad Bloom at 04:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)