Comments on: Effort is a Skill

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:08:53 +0000

So true – this is great advice and can make a big difference. Last week playing mixed doubles, an opponent hit a drop-angle low and close over the net in front of me when I got caught in no-man’s land. The other 3 on court thought the point was over. The shot was to my backhand, as I am a lefty and was in the deuce court. But I took two quick powerful steps and lunged forward, scooping the ball up from outside the alley before it double-bounced. All I could do was flip my wrist but somehow, it arched up and over my opponent’s partner, bouncing on their baseline for a winner. Jaws dropped, literally! I realized then that 90% of players in my group would have written that shot-off as finished. But fate is up to us – don’t quit! Give 110% – you’ll be remembered and respected for it.

By: Pat

Pat — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:20:34 +0000

Here’s another suggestion for the list…and not nearly as easy as it may sound:

I will use good footwork to put myself in the best possible position to hit every ball.

When I do this I notice two things: 1) my ground strokes get much better 2) I get tired 5 times as fast, especially when I focus on staying low and maintaining an athletic stance.

By: Kim

Kim — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:51:43 +0000

Just linked to your blog post to promote it to my readers at tennisfixation.blogspot.com. It’s the kind of advice they need.

By: Kim

Kim — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:38:57 +0000

Great post. I not only come up against this kind of player a lot, I often get partnered up with them. You have to do a lot of “pep talking” to get your partner up and trying for every ball if that’s not their usual style of play.

By: Sam R.

Sam R. — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:30:35 +0000

Nice, thanks for the advice.

By: Brian Mark

Brian Mark — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:44:12 +0000

Good stuff. I’m sure I need more work at this, but I think this is what takes you from casual player to tournament ready player.