For high-performance tennis players, there are essentially two ways to win a match; play better than your opponent or make them play worse than you. In this article, we explore 3 tips that will quickly enhance your tennis skills and game comprehension, whether you’re on the practice court or in a match.
“To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe”
-Marilyn Vos Savant
1. Watch tennis!: While it might seem obvious, watching tennis effectively involves more than just observing the game. To improve comprehension and retention, I’ve found success using two distinct methods. Firstly, when watching others play, use the changeovers to jot down one thing you learned from the previous two games. For example, you might notice that ‘player A likes to hit an aggressive second serve to the opponent’s body.’ Next, write down what you would do to counter this issue, such as ‘take two steps back on second serve returns to gain more time and space.’ This method trains you to observe the game critically, allowing you to identify potential problem areas and develop effective solutions.
The second method focuses on improving your movement skills, which you can conveniently train from the comfort of your sofa! The quickest way to become faster on the tennis court is by enhancing your anticipation skills which ultimately means improving your ability to rapidly read and react to external stimuli, gathering as much information as possible, as quickly as possible, to predict where your opponent is likely to hit the ball. If you have access to a match video that you can pause and restart, try pausing it right before your opponent hits their shot. Make a prediction about where you think they will hit, then press play to see if you were correct. This exercise helps you learn to read body position, racket preparation, contact height, and more, thereby improving your anticipation and movement skills.
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
-Albert Einstein
2. Practice out of your comfort zone: While it’s often said that “we are what we repeatedly do,” this virtue has its limitations. To achieve something you’ve never had, you need to practice something you’ve never done. The practice court is the perfect environment to push your limits. Spend time hitting as deep, fast, and heavy as you can—play without fear of consequences. Use the practice court to challenge yourself and push boundaries, and you’ll see significant improvements in your game when you transition to the match court, where you can focus on refining your competitive skills.
“An idiot admires complexity; a genius admires simplicity”
-Terry Davis (Creator of Temple OS)
3. Keep it simple, stupid (KISS): During match play, stay focused on the primary goal; collect as many points as possible to turn them into games, games into sets, and sets into match wins. The genius of elite players lies in their ability to simplify complex information. If you miss a forehand wide (hitting it too far to the right), don’t overanalyze your technique or shot selection—simply adjust your target more to the left. If you hit into the net, don’t worry about your opponent’s position or your grip—just aim higher. Keep it simple to stay effective.
Not everyone has access to private tennis trainers or the keen insights of coaches like Brad Gilbert. However, by applying these simple tips to your game, you might just surprise yourself! That said, when I discussed this specific topic with professional tennis player Magda Linette, she quickly remarked, “There are no easy fixes, you lazy bastard!” So, perhaps everything here should be taken with a grain of salt…
