A Technical Quick Tip To Improve Your Tennis!
By Ryan Segelke
Ready…Aim…Fire... It all starts with a perfect ready position.
Whether you are trying to improve your forehand volley or your backhand return the stroke emanates from a perfect ready position. We certainly use the term “perfect” somewhat loosely, but as Vince Lombardi said, "If we chase perfection we can catch excellence"! A tennis swing is very much like a swing set at the playground. If it is twisted at the beginning, it will be twisted in the middle and twisted at the end. Therefore it is crucial that we start the swing correctly from the ready position and here's how:
1. Be in a composite/forehand volley grip (between 2 and 3 on the bevels of the grip/between continental and eastern grip) so you can always look to move foreword first! If you are waiting on your forehand grip in the ready position you won't be looking to move forward when you have hurt your opponent during a rally thus letting them back into the point instead of finishing them off.
2. Place your left hand on the throat of the racket/right hand for lefties
3. Put the butt cap of the racket right up against your belly button, this will center the racket on body.
4. Extend your arms straight out from your belly button. Move your hands far enough away from your body that you can fit a basketball between your hands and your stomach.
5. Elbows should be away from your sides far enough to fit a softball underneath your armpits.
Now your swing set is ready to flow properly, untwisted, from front to back!!! If your shoulders are sore after correcting your ready position, you are doing it perfectly!!
Ryan Segelke has worked with numerous professional tennis players on the WTA circuit as well as international and national level juniors.
For more tennis tips, make sure to 'like' us on and Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube. To get more individualized attention, make sure to sign up for a private tennis lesson!
By Ryan Segelke
Ready…Aim…Fire... It all starts with a perfect ready position.
Whether you are trying to improve your forehand volley or your backhand return the stroke emanates from a perfect ready position. We certainly use the term “perfect” somewhat loosely, but as Vince Lombardi said, "If we chase perfection we can catch excellence"! A tennis swing is very much like a swing set at the playground. If it is twisted at the beginning, it will be twisted in the middle and twisted at the end. Therefore it is crucial that we start the swing correctly from the ready position and here's how:
1. Be in a composite/forehand volley grip (between 2 and 3 on the bevels of the grip/between continental and eastern grip) so you can always look to move foreword first! If you are waiting on your forehand grip in the ready position you won't be looking to move forward when you have hurt your opponent during a rally thus letting them back into the point instead of finishing them off.
2. Place your left hand on the throat of the racket/right hand for lefties
3. Put the butt cap of the racket right up against your belly button, this will center the racket on body.
4. Extend your arms straight out from your belly button. Move your hands far enough away from your body that you can fit a basketball between your hands and your stomach.
5. Elbows should be away from your sides far enough to fit a softball underneath your armpits.
Now your swing set is ready to flow properly, untwisted, from front to back!!! If your shoulders are sore after correcting your ready position, you are doing it perfectly!!
Ryan Segelke has worked with numerous professional tennis players on the WTA circuit as well as international and national level juniors.
For more tennis tips, make sure to 'like' us on and Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube. To get more individualized attention, make sure to sign up for a private tennis lesson!
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