How to Control the Ball: Feel

How to feel your shots:

In order to win preparation before the match has to take place. Winning doesn’t start near the end of the match but before it even starts. 

Pre match: visualize what it looks like and what it feels like to hit your shots. Take a few minutes to visualize each of our strokes. Take a minute out of your day or preparation and find a calm place. See each shot in your mind and focus on the muscle movements. Using this visualization will help you at the end of your match as you can turn to this type of exercise again to focus on specific things to keep you in winning form.

  • Visualize what it feels like to swing the racket and hit your forehand.
  • Close your eyes and see yourself hitting your backhand, feel your shoulders rotate, feel your feet behind the ball, and feel your swing as your racket comes from behind the ball, hits the ball and continues to accelerate forward through the ball.
  • See yourself moving your feet during the match. Play back some points in your recent matches and pay attention to your feet. See how many steps you take. Remember the feeling of your body moving toward the ball as you keep your feet moving and stepping.

During your swing:

  • Exhale when you hit each shot.
  • Keep your head down watching the ball as you hit it, don’t peak at where the ball is going
  • Stay low with our hips and a wide balanced base on each groundstroke.

Focusing on the ball:

  1. See the laces of the ball as it comes to you
  2. Keep your eyes focused on seeing the ball hit your strings on each shot.
  3. See where on the ball you are making contact. (what part of the ball are you hitting)
  4. See the ball make contact with your opponents racket