Tip: The Hidden Practice Opportunity

If you're like most players, whenever you have the chance to be on the tennis court you prefer to play rather than practice. After all, your time is limited and you have a busy schedule, right? Consequently, you don't get as much practice as you should. But there's a way to get a little extra practice in each match that few players take advantage of. What is it? The feed.

Think about it. Every time you play you have to pick up and return back to your opponent dozens of balls that aren't in play whenever he's serving. This is a perfect opportunity to put a little extra polish on your ground strokes. For example, I often play against a guy with a strong forehand but a relatively weak backhand. But he's smart and he uses every opportunity to get a little extra practice on that side. So, every time I'm serving and I need him to send over a ball or two, he feeds it with his backhand. He bounces the ball in front of him, takes a proper backswing, makes good contact and follows through normally. By the middle of the first set he's usually found his rhythm on that side.

The same thing works for your forehand too. Whenever you feed a ball to your opponent try to maintain good form. Don't just slap the ball back over the net, otherwise you'll be unintentionally grooving a bad motion.