THE CONTACT FOOT

You often hear the phrase "take the ball on the rise" in coaching. It's used to encourage the player to step in and take the ball with some weight transfer, and "taking it on the rise' seems to help the player time the ball better.

But what happens when the player can't achieve "stepping in"? 

I coach advanced players and relative beginners. If I told an advanced player to "step in" and take every ball "on the rise", they would see me as crazy.

At an advanced level, stepping in and taking the ball on the rise every time is impossible. The speed and depth of the ball mean that often, the ball dictates what you do, not you, so stepping in and taking the ball on the rise is simply impossible. 

Likewise, telling a beginner to take every ball on the rise will only lead to frustration. They can only do it on some balls.

The problem with trying to teach the "ideal" technique is that 

there is no such thing as the "ideal" ball. 

Tennis is a dynamic, open skilled sport that is unpredictable and requires adaptability. You need a method that can cope with an opponent's unpredictability; don't get locked into one "ideal" technique that makes adapting to different balls almost impossible.

The answer is to throw away your tennis textbook and find ways to gain control over the ball for every stroke, regardless of the type of ball.

The main problem facing players at all levels is Timing. For the advanced player, it's hitting the ball cleanly while your opponent tries to make life as difficult as possible.

A skilled opponent will create speeds, directions, heights, and combinations of balls designed to put you in trouble. Your job is to problem-solve quickly and effectively on every ball.

I have a technique that will allow you to achieve timing on every ball, even the most difficult ones, whether fast, deep, or both.

THE LINE

The Line is an invisible, imaginary line from the top of your head to the foot you use to create inertia (the Contact Foot). The top of your head and your Contact Foot will coordinate to give you perfect timing, balance and, best of all, consistency with your strokes.

The right foot has been selected as the 
Contact Foot and the Line has almost
been completed

The goal is to complete the Line at
the moment of contact

Best of all, The Line can be used in all situations to help you time the ball. You can use either foot, and adopting a closed or open stance works equally well.

You are trying to establish The Line the moment you strike the ball. Creating the Line too early or too late will not give you the timing or consistency you seek.

The Line, while hitting off the
back foot