The last couple of weeks we talked about getting setup to hit with power and consistency. As you practice and develop that consistent power you can start to use it constructively against your opponents. If you watch the tennis pros play, you’ll see that most of their ground strokes land well behind the service line, closer to the base line. Hitting the ball this deep reduces the angles that your opponent can create and makes them hit from a defensive position. In fact, many times, if the ball is close to the base line, you can cause an error from your opponent.
Here is a good way to condition yourself to hit the ball deep.
The next time you are practicing(moving your feet & hitting from the Strike/Power Zone), hit 10-20 forehands from your base line to the opposite fence. That’s right, I want your ground stroke to make it all the way to the opposite fence before it hits the ground. You really have to hit through the ball to hit it that far. This will give your shots better pace as well as condition you to hit deeper. Once you get the feel for hitting that hard, add some topspin and try to bring your shot down just inside the baseline. Just make sure your setup and consistency are in place first, then you can add the power.
Remember..Hit “de-fence” to put them on defense.