Improve Your Consistency in Tennis

The most often asked question I hear in tennis circles at the club level is, "how can I get to that next level?" The answer is simple, topspin. The true difference between abilities levels (ie. 3.0, & 3.5) is not how many different strokes you can hit but with what consistency can you hit those different strokes. The number one comment I hear during almost every match is "Oh, I got lucky there or I didn't mean to hit that!" So it is obvious that players of all levels can hit and make all the strokes available, whether on purpose or not. So what separates a 2.5 player from a 4.5 player? The level of consistency in making those shots is the determining factor. So the next logical question is "how can I become more consistent?"

Becoming more consistent is simple in theory yet more difficult in practice. The theory first: To be consistent a player needs the ability to hit the ball in every time. If you can hit the ball in one more time than your opponent, you are most likely going to win your match. Every player when striving for consistency should follow the following chart:

1^st Serve

60%

2^nd Serve

80%

Groundstrokes

5 in a row

Volleys

5 in a row

The in-practice side of being and/or becoming a consistent player is a road through hard work. There is no substitute for good old fashion elbow grease and sweat. It is no big secret that to be a clean consistent ball striker, a player must go out and strike balls, a lot of them! That being said, it is imperative that players learn to impart topspin onto their shots to increase their margin of error and consistency. Adding topspin to your groundstrokes allows you to hit higher and safer over the net. Also the more topspin you add to your ball, the smaller the chance of your shot going long becomes. The long and short of it is, that topspin is only good things happen when you hit with topspin. Every player needs to learn to trust the brush and add this asset to their tennis arsenal.