In this article I would like to talk about the misconception that many players have about hitting winners with power. This inaccurate thinking lures many players into trouble. They try to associate winners with power. Winners do not mean power! Hitting a winner simply means hitting a shot that your opponent can not return. You could be hitting a shot 20 miles an hour or 90 miles an hour. If the ball is unreturnable, it’s a winner. Power does not have to be a part of a winner.
Most players overplay their winners and lose control of their put-aways. Why is this important to understand? When they finally have the right opportunity to win the point, they abandon control and go with power. Let me say that again: They abandon control and go with power.
Excessive power makes them lose their focus, tighten up their muscles and yes, sometimes even hold their breath. Somehow, by holding their breath they think they’re going to gain control of the situation. On the contrary, they don’t; instead they turn blue and the ball goes anywhere but where they’re aiming. By the way, power is achieved by timing and rhythm, not by tightening up your muscles and trying to knock the cover off the ball.
When I tell one of my students that he or she should have hit a winner on the last shot, the next time they immediately focus on power and overplay that same shot. Now don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. It’s all right to hit a winner with power, but you must maintain control when you do. All players have been guilty of overplaying their winners. I believe the main reason this occurs is because they are confusing winners with power.
Power without control is meaningless. When most players hit with power they inevitably go outside of their control range. Therefore, the solution to this problem is to practice toning it down a notch. The next opportunity you have to hit a winner, take your time and slow it down a little.
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Think about placing it for a winner, not pulverizing it for a winner! You must learn what your control range is with a given amount of power. If you step outside this control range, life on the tennis court becomes tough, not to mention frustrating. By doing this, you will find that two important things happen: (a) you will be more relaxed; (b) you will wind up hitting the ball hard anyway. A perfect scenario!
Next time when you’re practicing or playing give it a try. You will be relaxed but still alert. And the power you achieve will come correctly from timing and rhythm. It may take some time to acquire a feel for this technique, but you’ll be one up on your competition. In this situation, just like many other situations in life, less is more.
Remember, they’ll still be thinking that winners mean power and will overplay many of their shots. If you would like to increase your power and still stay in your control range, here is a principle that can help: practice! In your practice sessions, try hitting high ball after high ball for a winner with minimum power, then increase that power as you see your control improve. If you find yourself tightening up again and trying to muscle the ball, back off a little and practice relaxing until you can hit with the amount of power that feels comfortable. I am constantly telling players to relax on their winners and not to overplay. It’s just human nature to want to do more on your winners when that magical moment occurs…and you should! But that does not mean you have to abandon control.
Guadalupe Cruz has over 20 years of experience as a tennis player. His repertoire of accomplishments is vast. To maintain his edge as a tennis player he competes in various tournaments. He is a resident of Tahitian Village and a native Bastropian.
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