The following few paragraphs will take your game from amatuer to professional in 700 words. These tips exceed the normal advice that you hear from your parents (who think they’re professionals because they watch Nadal every Sunday night), telling you to shorten up your backswing. Without further ado, here are the top five things you will need to become the player you so crave to be.
1. Swag.
Every tennis player needs to play with killer style. You don’t have to be Rafael Nadal and be sponsored by Nike and to look good. You do, however, need to spend some time while choosing tennis outfits. On practice days, it’s acceptable to wear your senior t-shirt and old Adidas short-shorts, but on match days, you must dress to impress. No mix-matching Babolat and Under Armour. Odds are that you are probably no Andy Murray, and your forehand down-the-line shot isn’t clocking in at 80 MPH, but wearing your matching Fila visor and midcalves make for a good look, regardless of the outcome.
2. A killer serve.
You’re not John Isner. You can, however, aspire to be like him. Having a serve that scares your opponents not only gives you the bigger advantage, but it also sets you up for the rest of the point. Whether you’re clocking in at 70 or 110 MPH, your serve will be efficient if you know what to do with it. Your opponent has a weak backhand, give em one up the line. Similarly, if they have a weaker forehand, serve them one up the T. Regardless of how hard you hit your serve, you must be able to control where you put it. If you know your opponent's weaker shots, you will be all set to win 6-0.
3. Confidence.
Tennis is a game of mentality. If you’re not mentally stable and you let points get to your head, you will never have a successful match. There have been instances where I have not been confident in myself, and that makes for a very hard time winning. It is hard to be completely sure of what you’re doing and what shots you’re going to make when you do not have complete confidence in your abilities. Once, I was benched because my coach told me that I had been lacking confidence, and that I had not been playing to the best of my ability because of it. Shortly after, I worked on how to mentally ensure myself that I was good enough to beat the person that I was facing. I now play tennis at a competitive, collegiate level.
4. A good support system.
As they say in “Mean Girls,” every girl needs an “ignorant band of loyal followers.” In tennis, every player needs a team behind them that they can count on. Whether it’s counting on a team member to hit before an early morning practice or having them bring you an extra headband, it is imperative that you have a team behind you to back you up.
In some cases, though, such as in professional tennis or USTA tournaments, you are playing as a solo player rather than having a team to carry you. Even though tennis is technically a team sport, it may feel as though you’re on your own in some situations. In these instances, you must use everything that your coaches has taught you, things that your parents have shown you, and techniques that others have brought for you to increase your game and consequently come out victorious.
5. The perfect coach.
I didn’t realize how much I actually enjoyed playing tennis until I had the perfect coach. It wasn’t until recently that I realized how much the game means to me. With that being said, it is very important to find a coach you like, stick with him or her, and work toward your goal. Oftentimes, you will have to go through a number of coaches at a variety of different clubs until you find the one that works for you. Steven Deyon, who is my current coach, is the person who made me want to play college tennis. He taught me how to win, how to be competitive, and how to achieve my goals.
