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
