Tennis lessons come in all shapes and sizes at 6-0tennis, and this one is no exception. Read on to hear my view on the new French tennis sensation that is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

A few weeks ago when the draw for the 2008 Australian Open was released the British press were confident of Andy Murray making short work Tsonga and moving through the rounds with ease until Nadal in the semis. I knew that the Frenchman would be no pushover and was the kind of player that nobody would want to face in the first round of a slam.

Tsonga has the kind of game that when it is on, blows opponents apart. His explosive movement, aggressive baseline shots and powerful serve makes him a formidable player. His weakness has been consistency over the course of a tournament. He seems to have corrected this problem over in Melbourne and we are beginning to see him step closer to fulfilling his massive potential.

Tsonga won the US Open junior championships in 2003, when he defeated Marcos Baghdatis in the final but has never really translated his junior form into major results on the men’s circuit. Before he beat Nadal yesterday he had never won against a top 5 player. Is this a flash in the pan or can he consistently win at the very highest level? And what can the average player learn from Tsonga’s performances at this year’s Aussie?

Let me give my opinion firstly on the second question. What lessons can we learn?

Watching his performances during this tournament it is obvious he is having a ball. He is striking the ball well out in front and moving it about the court with precision and serving consistently big and accurate. But if I were to take one thing from Tsonga this week – it would be his relaxation.

That’s right; all too often amateur club players get tight on their shots and either put too much on them so they sail out or get nervous and ‘pushy’ allowing their opponents to dictate. Tsonga’s shot making has been full of relaxation and calmness – he is flowing through his shots like water flows through a river.

If you can emulate that same ‘natural’ relaxation with your own strokes I guarantee that not only will you pick-up less injuries and get better results – you’ll enjoy it so much more!

Tsonga reminds me a lot of Marat Safin. Not only in his game; where bruising ground-strokes and explosive athleticism fuel his dominance, but also in his mannerisms. The slow plodding walk, the relaxed almost nonchalant body language and the bursts of fiery emotion.

In my opinion the jury is still out on whether he will go on from here and win grand slam titles – should he win this one or not. The Australian Open always seems to throw up a surprise or two, is this not just another one?

To become a true champion you have to maintain the winning mentality whether you are leading or losing and ultimately show that you can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. I don’t think Tsonga has shown us if he is able to do this yet, despite his wonderful form.

For the sake of adding a great character to the men’s game, I hope he will go on from here and become the player that his talent and current form suggests he could be, but the choice is ultimately with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

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Since the Australian Open has begun this week I thought it would be appropriate to discuss a little bit on how to deal with extreme heat whilst playing tennis. I’ll give you some basic tips in this article and relay some of my own experiences of these conditions. Another tennis lesson with a difference!

Heat has got to be the biggest climatic factor that we have to deal with when playing tennis. Obviously the best way in dealing with extreme heat conditions is to simply not play but this isn’t always possible especially if you are scheduled to play in a tournament or league match and the officials or opponents refuse to call it off.

In these situations it is absolutely vital to be properly hydrated. Drinking before, during and after the tennis session should be a part of your routine whether it is hot or not but it is amazing how many players don’t do this.

When playing we perspire, in warm weather the evaporation of that perspiration from our skin produces cooling thus bringing down the body’s core temperature. When the body doesn’t have enough fluid to perspire adequately this cooling mechanism fails and the core body temperature rises often leading to severe consequences.

I have played in huge heat many, many times. Once whilst playing in Egypt the temperature was 55 degrees - and that wasn’t even on court! Whilst I was playing a futures event in Hawaii my roommate had a marathon match against a local player.

My friend won the first set comfortably but began to struggle in the extreme conditions. It wasn’t only hot but humid as well, it was even more difficult to stay cool in the midday sun. Midway through the second set my mate (he was from Australia!) was unable to play to his normal high standard and began to hit slower and softer. The rallies became longer and longer and it was obvious that he was in trouble despite being far and away the better player.

After one particularly grueling rally he approached the side netting and threw up a combination of water and Gatorade. Following that after pretty much every point there was more vomiting - everything he drank down came straight back up again. It’s not pleasant to write and believe me, it wasn’t pleasant to watch!

Somehow he came through the match in a second set tie-break - relying on his powerful serving to get him through. After the match he clambered back to the hotel room and jumped in the shower, which is when the cramps started. I was relaxing in front of the TV when I heard agonizing screams coming from the bathroom. I rushed to see what was up and he was slumped in the bath in excruciating pain.

I called down to the tournament director and he sent for an ambulance. Whilst the paramedics were on their way I tried to help as best I could to get water down him and put on his clothes. He was rushed to hospital and needed a total of 4 drips to get his level of hydration back up where it belonged. Needless to say his match the next day was a non contest, his body simply couldn’t recover.

The total body muscle cramps that my friend suffered were caused by severe dehydration. Despite his athletic prowess and constant drinking his body was unable to cope. Some people are simply more susceptible to cramps.

Potassium is often cited as important in avoiding cramps and this is why we often see the professionals eating bananas on court - but this has yet to be scientifically proven. If you suffer cramps easily I would recommend taking Quinine Sulfate tablets once per day during a tournament when high heat is expected.

Let’s look at some other ways to avoid problems in the heat. Firstly, if you must play, avoid playing between midday and two o’clock. As mentioned above, make sure you are properly hydrated - again before, during and after tennis. Water is the best kind of fluid and when mixed with a commercial electrolyte product such as Gatorade can be even more beneficial.

At every change of ends I used to drink approximately half a cup of these fluids - your body takes a little while to process this so it is unnecessary to drink more. Be sure not to wait until you get thirsty - by then it’s too late - you’ve already lost a percentage of your body weight in fluid and your athletic performance will be compromised. Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coca-cola or iced-tea. Caffeine causes dehydration

You should also wear white clothing as it reflects the sun far better than dark colours. A hat is advisable and look to purchase light weight, dri-fit type clothing which is far better at allowing your skin to breathe compared to regular cotton.

Another good tip is to bring to the court a cooler with ice and a towel. You can use these at change of ends to cool your head and neck. Be sure to take your time, utilise any shaded areas between points and especially at the change of ends.

I do hope this has helped any of you who anticipate playing in severe heat. If you have any comments, questions and concerns I’d love to hear from you. Bye for now and happy hitting!

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I read a post on a popular tennis forum today and it made me rush back and write this article. The people on this forum were giving advice on which of the two coaching methods would be most beneficial for a beginner, albeit one with a significant athletic background. Here is my take on the debate, and I do hope you find it valuable.

It is of vital importance in tennis that one has a good grounding in the basics of technique. Without this a player will, more often than not, develop ineffectual movement patterns which will eventually lead to soreness and injury.

Tennis is an extremely technical sport and consequently it is essential that a player gets the appropriate attention from a professional who can spot any flaws and correct them early on. If poor technique is allowed to continue for a lengthy period ‘muscle memory’ takes hold and the habit can be very difficult to fix.

If you are serious about your game then in my eyes private 1-on-1 tuition is a must. This kind of tennis coaching allows the coach to focus solely on your game, whereas in a group environment this isn’t possible and attention must be spread equally among participants. Often an inexperienced coach will tend to work with the lesser players in a group environment, this means more value for them and less for the better players!

In general, if a coach knows what they are doing, group lessons should be less technical with only short pointers every now and then to ensure that everyone is participating fully and the lesson flows nicely. They are used more for practicing what has been learnt in a private lesson and putting these skills into tactics, rallying, drills and match-play.

They are also great from a social perspective and measuring yourself against others of a similar standard. One other nice point regarding group sessions is that you get to learn from others mistakes.

Having said all this; make sure the pro who delivers your coaching has a sound knowledge of the game and a personality that makes learning fun. Private lessons can be boring but if you find a coach who mixes attention to detail with humour and excitement then that can make the difference between improving slowly and steadily and improving vastly and quickly.

Tennis is supposed to be fun so ensure that your coach breathes his enthusiasm into your game. You’d be surprised how many coaches lack this essential ingredient so choose wisely.

So when all is said and done it is my opinion that both private and group lessons should be taking by all who seek to improve their game. Privates for working on technical shot making in general and group lessons to constructively practice what your coach has worked on in a friendly and sociable environment.

It is also advisable to blend these tennis lessons with your own practice without the input of a coach. This will lead you to make your own insights and understandings and will lead you to develop your own style and individuality which is one thing that makes tennis so much fun!

Structure your week’s tennis with these things in mind.

If you have any comments on this I’d love to hear from you. I’m also available for coaching sessions and I will be shortly adding a page on how to go about arranging one! Drop me a line about anything at all via my contact page, and sign up for my exclusive newsletter via the email opt in on the home page.

Thank-you and good-night! ;o)

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The tactic I am about to disclose is not often utilised by amateurs and is rarely taught by most coaches who give tennis lessons to adult club players. It can be used by anyone but can be especially valuable to baseline players who feel uncomfortable at the net.

The ‘ghost’ volley as it is known; means sneaking into the net when your opponent least expects it or when they rotate their shoulder right round to make the shot. I regularly employed this tactic on all surfaces and it proved very effective, especially against players who preferred to slice the ball on their backhand. If you learn to use this tactic effectively it can add another dimension to your singles game and help to quell tiredness by eliminating some of those long, brutal baseline rallies.

When you are competing against a consistent baseliner who enjoys playing with heavy topspin and rarely slices, try moving them out wide so they have to slice. Pay close attention to their swing and learn to anticipate when a slice is coming. Sneak into the net just before your opponent makes their stroke. You are then able to take advantage of the slower pace of shot and make an easy volley across into the open court. If your opponent has excellent court coverage you can even take advantage of the back behind volley.

I recommend working on short angled volleys off of these slower balls, this forces your opponent to move both laterally and forward thus making their next shot extremely difficult.

Another fantastic play is to hit a high looping topspin shot towards their weaker wing and follow that in. Once again remember to wait until the last moment before making your move otherwise you are susceptible to the lob. The whole purpose of coming in late is to catch your opponent off guard. This can lead to unforced errors when they notice your movement out of the corner of their eye and change their shot. It also makes your volley easier because they just don’t expect you to be in at the net.

Once you have used this tactic a few times you can also ‘fake’ the move where you begin to come to the net but then hold back. Again this often leads to unforced errors when your opponent is constantly watching for what you do rather than focussing on their stroke.

Remember to move quickly and with volition should you decide to use these tactics. Work on your overheads also because sometimes the only response to your ‘ghosting’ in is for the other player to throw up a lob. Have you noticed that the top players hardly ever miss an overhead? That is because they practise it a lot.

I’d suggest that the overhead is probably the least practised shot of all but it is vitally important because it sends a message to your opponent that you are solid and don’t miss balls in the air. This makes them nervous for they know that if they send up a poor lob – they will get punished.

Developing a net game WILL for sure improve your results; get out there in the New Year and practise!

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There is nothing that kills a good serve more than a poor toss. Pat Rafter had such a magnificent topspin serve in part because his ball toss placement was the same every-time. He was so accurate with this he could hit at full pace with his eyes closed (weather permitting!) – I’ve seen him actually do this!

If you ever watched Rafter play you will remember he often caught the ball if he threw it in the wrong place and would say “sorry mate” – too many club players just hit the serve anyway and make errors. Being able to stop and start again without getting embarrassed is essential if you are to master the serve. Here I’m going to talk about how you can make your ball toss as accurate and consistent and Rafter’s.

Be very careful to place the ball up above your head. I see many, many players become casual with their ball toss – chucking the ball above them with little or no accuracy. I like to imagine I am placing something very carefully on the highest shelf.

The motion should be almost like a lift rather than a throw or toss. Prior to releasing the ball it should be on the pads of your fingers, not the tips and not back in the palm. Face the palm upwards, extend the arm and lift the shoulder.

A key here is to allow the arm to drop so that your hand is just inside the thigh of your front leg; this allows you to gain enough momentum and avoids the need to force the toss. Release the ball as high as possible without tossing it back behind you and over your shoulder.

A tip here is to spread the fingers as you release, this relaxes the hand and makes placement easier. You can practice this concentrating on keeping the ball still so that it doesn’t spin. The high, gentle release will lead to a more accurate placement of the ball on the toss.

There has been a study conducted that concluded that the top players in the world toss the ball somewhere between 8 and 12 inches above their contact point, this height tends to allow better synchronization of the body to the contact point and is the optimal range for solid, consistent impact.

Make sure that your arm extends upwards even after releasing the ball and stays there until the racket reaches the trophy position, this helps to keep the hitting motion smooth and keeps the shoulders closed. When this arm is released it should fold to your mid-rift with the elbow bending at approximately 90 degrees staying there for the remainder of the serve a-la Boris Becker or precede the racket’s follow-though as is more common.

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Keep up the practice and I look forward to seeing an explosion of tennis players visiting the site in 2008 - tell your friends!

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After my exertions of last night I thought I’d give you a different kind of tennis lesson - here are a couple of videos of two kids who are very young but also extremely good. Watch these videos of their tennis and see what you can take from them and add to your own game.

Jan Silva - Jan is a six year old kid from the States with a massive amount of talent. He is based in California after having spent some time at an academy in France. I watched this video and was massively impressed by his ability to come over the ball on the single handed backhand. I think that any social player can learn a lot just by watching this video.

Zachary Svajda - Zach has just turned 5 and trains with my friend Matt Hanlin and former tour pro in San Diego. He has a big topspin forehand and great work ethic.

Both these kids can have a great future in the game if they stick with it, work smart and get the right advice. If they become Grand Slam champions one day remember, you heard it here first!

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I’m sure most people would agree that the serve is single most important shot in professional tennis, certainly in the men’s game. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the same significance in amateur club and league tennis but nonetheless it is of great consequence.

Having a reliable serve breeds confidence and can make all the difference when two players are closely matched. To develop a great serve many hours of repetitive practice need to be pursued, however the rewards are great and unlike other strokes; you can practice alone! Let’s begin by talking about the grip.

Too many club players use the ‘frying pan’ grip as I call it. By this I mean the eastern forehand or even semi western grip. For many this is comfortable and supportive but it leads to the classic mix-in serve where the wrist is laid back, the elbow points to the ground and the racket resembles a waiter’s plate.

From this position it is difficult for the player to hit the shot with any accuracy and it is virtually impossible to deliver with power. Invariably this technique leads to the granny style ‘plop’ serve – the ball is pushed over the net with nervousness and sits up to be hit away.

The initial grip one should learn for the serve is the ‘continental’ or ‘chopper’ grip. Here the first knuckle of the hand should be placed on the bevel situated at 1 o’clock, the hand will create a ‘V’ shape and the middle of this ‘V’ should run up the centre of the racket. I will be adding some photos and video of the various grips sometime in the near future.

The difficulty in learning to use this grip is at first the ball will often be overly sliced or mishit and players will give up reverting back to the ‘good old’ reliable granny serve. (No offence to you older ladies!)

If you find yourself in this situation, you must deal with the limitations and stick with it even though immediate results may not be to your satisfaction! Part of the battle is just feeling comfortable with the new grip over time which can happen over just a few practice sessions.

The other part of the battle is to become aware of the path that the racket must travel relative to the grip change. It is important to remember the four different movements your hitting arm should make when serving.

Firstly there is the cocking or trophy position, this is where your arms and racket together create a Nike swoosh shape. Here the racket face (hitting side) should be facing the fence. The elbow is bent creating a “V” formation from the shoulder, to the elbow, to the hand. The racket must then drop down more or less perpendicular to the back insinuated by the elbow moving forward and up.

From here the only way is up! The racket can begin its rapid rise toward the ball and contact point. This movement is where all the power comes from and if made correctly there should be an internal rotation of the shoulder followed by pronation of the forearm and the outward rolling of the wrist through contact.

To gain greater insight into this, place your hitting hand flat on your ear, throw the ball up as high as you can reach and give the back of the ball a high five. This is the movement you are aiming for – connecting squarely and fully.

The final movement is the follow through. After contact your racket should continue moving upwards and out. The wrist should outward and the racket should continue its deceleration passing by the left leg (for a right handed player). Be sure to finish your swing on the correct side of your body (left side for righties and right side for lefties) and not out in front, keeping the arm relaxed.

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Mark Phillipousis’s comeback at the Australian Open wildcard play-off was cut short when his infamous knee injury flared up again leaving the possibility of retirement. Jelena Dokic who was also attempting a comeback at the same play-off suffered a similar fate.

She won her first three matches but withdrew in the quarter final after injuring her thigh. And then there is Richard Gasquet, the world number 8, who withdrew from the Adelaide International tournament yesterday because of a knee injury. Why are players so often succumbing to injuries?

It is my belief that the primary cause of injuries in professional tennis is down to poor scheduling and a lack of a proper off season. I would advocate moving the Australian Open to sometime in February thereby giving players the whole of December off and keeping January for training and preparation

There are a vast number of players who play tournament after tournament chasing the ranking points they need to break into the top tier. I often think this attitude does more harm than good causing unnecessary injury although ultimately the decision is with the player. I would be intrigued to see what would happen if the authorities removed this decision by reducing the schedule.

Now I’ll give you a couple of simple tips which you can employ to prevent injuries;

I would suggest being strict with yourself and warming up before every session. This is very often overlooked especially by adult club players despite them being among the most subceptable to injury. A decent warm-up will increase the blood flow and oxygen to the muscles. It will increase body temperature, the speed of nerve impulses and your joints range of motion making you faster and reducing the risk of muscle and/or ligament tearing.

Your warm-up will not only help injury prevention but also improve your performance. My routine would include a gentle jog utilising various tennis specific movement patterns and gentle stretching Then I would begin to hit balls, starting slowly from the service line and gradually edging back until rallying baseline to baseline progressively adding speed and power.

In addition to a warm-up, a cool-down routine is also necessary. I know you want to get straight to the bar but seriously this part cannot be missed! The cool-down slows the heart rate, helps remove waste products such as lactic acid, reduces the potential for muscle soreness and helps restore muscles to the condition they were in before exercise. I would recommend beginning a cool-down with light jogging and follow that with gentle stretching.

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Yesterday we talked about the preparation on the single handed backhand. Today we are ready to talk about the follow through and finish.

From our ready position we have split-stepped, made a complete turn and moved into position having lined up the incoming ball. We are twisted to the point where our opponent can see about half of our back and our chin is resting on our shoulder. Our racket is set straight back and ready to go.

I feel I must mention here that it is imperative that we need to dictate what the ball does, where we make contact and when. Many club players lack this mental conviction and let the ball dictate what happens, this leads to mistakes, usually hitting late.

As the forward swing begins keep the wrist locked and pull the butt of the racket towards the ball passing close by the hips, this helps with stability. Make sure the hitting arm straightens out as the ball comes closer. Contact should be made well beyond the front foot, although exact contact points can vary between individuals.

The arm should continue to move straight out on the follow through and continue through the finish. One of the most common mistakes in amateur tennis is the infamous ‘elbow lead’ where the elbow bends on contact leading to erratic results. This can be avoided by keeping the stroke simple as we stressed in the first part of this lesson.

So there it is, get out on the courts and practice this if you fancy having a solid and powerful single hander. Should you prefer a double handed backhand, I’ll be discussing that in the coming weeks. Until next time take care of yourself, and each other! ™ ;o)

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