AVERY Racquets are “Real Racquets“

First, and foremost, because they allow you to play to your potential and tokeep improving and growing as a player.

Second, they are arm friendly, very comfortable at contact, they absorb the shock of ball, racquet, collision, giving you superior arm protection.

Third, they also allow you to hit the heavy ball, with pace , spin and depth to your opponents side, making it more difficult for him.

Last week we talked about never hitting a ball in the net.  We discussed how bending with the knees and getting the racquet lower (minimum one foot) than the contact point before swinging forward, will guarantee net clearance, every single time.  So, you went out and practiced bending more with the knees and getting the racquet lower than the contact point before swinging forward. But, unfortunately, now your shots are going long beyond the baseline.  Take heart, this is usually what happens when players start to really bend and get their racquets low.  Still the question remains; how do we guarantee net clearance and at the same time prevent hitting long?

The Key Factors are keeping the racquet closed on the backswing and swinging from the shoulder. When we hit long it’s because the racquet face is slightly laid back at the moment of contact.  As a matter of fact, for every degree the racquet is laid back the ball will land 6 feet longer.  Think about that a moment, lets say you hit a ball with a vertical racquet and it lands 3 feet inside the baseline, then with the same swing speed you hit another ball but the racquet is laid back 1 degree (1 degree is a very small lay back), the ball will now land 3 feet long, beyond the baseline.  This highlights why it is so important to understand stroke mechanics.  If you understand the mechanics of how to be consistently vertical at contact you’re going to be a tough competitor.

I have a video over at http://www.tomavery.com that will help you understand what you’ll need to do to prevent hitting beyond the baseline.

All the best and happy hitting,
Tom

One of my favorite coaches Vic Braden who’s been coaching for over 60 years said this, “the number one mistake I see the average player make in all my years coaching is hitting into the net.” You may be thinking, ‘man this is real basic stuff’ I know why the ball goes in the net.  Yet, like Vic, I too have found that many.. many… players DO NOT REALLY KNOW what causes shots to go in the net and how to fix it.  I remember years ago I was doing some sparring with a Tour Player.  As we practiced he was hitting quite a few shots into the net.  So I said to him, “Why do you think that’s happening?”  Guess what?  He had an answer but, it wasn’t the correct one, he really didn’t know.  So, if a Tour Level player doesn’t know, is it any wonder the vast majority of players out there DON’T REALLY KNOW. Remember this, knowledge of why certain things happen is power to fix it.  When you have the ability to fix your mistakes you become an independent player.  That’s my goal as your coach, to help you become an independent player.

This video clip was taken from the Tom Avery’s Extensive Video Lessons Archives, in the right hand column.  There are a lot of similar lessons in the Archives (well worth the price) that will help you become that Independent Player (a player who can correct his/her mistakes to play more consistently as a match progresses).

The Swinging Volley is a nice shot to have in your tool box when you see that floater coming back.  However, it’s a shot that takes some sound technique in order to hit consistently inside the court.  Concentrate on the The Two Key Points mentioned in the video to become consistent with this shot.  Especially concentrate on The Elbow Up and Away From the Body, this is the biggest mistake I see, when players make errors with this shot.  When a player drops the elbow into the body on the backswing the racquet face opens up and then must be adjusted on the forward swing.  This adjustment must be made just at the right milli-second to hit the shot successfully, this is risky business.  On the other hand, when the elbow stays up and away from the body on the backswing the racquet face stays closed, now simply swing low to high and the racquet will automatically be vertical at contact.  Actually, the racquet can stay vertical for a good ‘foot and a half’ in the contact area. Keeping the racquet vertical for as long as possible in the contact area is something that Roger Federer does so well.  Keeping the “Elbow Up and Away” will help you do the same thing.

Be sure to Sign Up for OVER 60 Minutes of my FREE Video Lessons listed in the top right column and the FREE Weekly Newsletter with more tips on everything from A to Z regarding this great sport.

All the best,
Tom