The main reason for a warm-up is to prepare your body for the rigors and dynamic demands of tennis. With this aim, the specific objectives of a tennis warm-up should be to one, increase your core temperature and the suppleness of your muscles and muscle tissues, two, increase your heart rate and flow of blood (and fuel) through your body, three, activate your central nervous system to improve coordination and four, increase your ability to efficiently, quickly, and forcefully contract your muscles (in other words to get you going and going fast). A normal warm-up of jogging in a straight line and static stretching is not the best pre-match ritual. According to tennis fitness expert, Paul Gold, “The main problem with the ‘typical warm-up’ is that it does not adequately prepare you for the demands of the game. Jogging in a straight line is not representative of the sport of tennis and normally has minimal effect on body temperature. Static stretching is performed slowly either standing still or sitting and while it can be useful at the end of a session for increasing range of motion, before you start play; however, research has shown that it reduces power output, causes a drop in body temperature (negating any gains previously made from jogging) and bears no resemblance to the very active contraction – relaxation process that occurs between muscles when you play.”

At the risk of being accused of emulating a John Cleese (Minister of Funny Walk) parody, the best way to prepare for a match is to include in your warm-up a 15-minute series of dynamic movements and dynamic stretches. Included below are ten well known and proven tennis-specific warm-up exercises (listed alphabetically).

1. Butt Kicks (Improves multi-directional starting, stopping and pivoting.) – Quickly bring the heels of your feet to your buttocks either in a slow or stationary running position.
2. Carioca Steps (Improves lateral running coordination, hip turn and foot speed.) – Cross your left and right feet in front of and behind each other sequentially in a lateral running position.
3. High Kick Walks (Improves hamstring flexibility and strength for explosive power.) – Slowly walk forward alternately kicking your right and left legs to your outstretched arms.
4. High Knees (Improves leg speed and strengthens the hip flexor.) – Slowly run forward or in a stationary position bringing your knees as close as possible to your chest with each stride.
5. Leg Swings – (Improves leg flexion, extension and range of movement.) – Support your body against the net post or fence and swing your right leg forward and back. Repeat with your left leg. As an alternative or additional exercise, swing your right leg (with toes pointing upward) to the left and right (in front of your left leg). Repeat with your left leg.
6. Shadowing (Increases your heart rate and blood flow. Improves mental focus and reinforces proper stroke mechanics and patterns of movement specific to tennis.) – Starting from your ready position, move left and right to shadow hit your forehand and backhand groundstrokes (forehand and backhand volleys). Alternately move forward and back shadow hitting approach shots, volleys and overheads.
7. Side Shuffles (Improves lateral movement and speed.) – Gallop sideways bringing your feet in and out to a wide and low base of support.
8. Walking Lunges (Improves lower body strength and flexibility.) – Start by standing tall with shoulders back, abdominals drawn, chest high, feet together and hands down by your side. Take a controlled step forward with your right leg and bend both knees to lower your hips to the ground. Do not touch the ground with the back knee. The front knee should be directly over the ankle and the back knee should be pointing down toward the ground. Push off the left foot and bring it forward to the start position before stepping forward and repeating (as above) for the left leg.
9. Walking Quad Stretch (Improves quadricep strength and flexibility.) – While walking forward alternately grab the ankle of your back leg to slightly stretch the front of your thigh (quadriceps). Stretch your free arm out at shoulder level and lean slightly forward to maintain balance.
10. Zig-Zags (Develops multidirectional movement and coordination.) – Zig-zag in between a series of (real or imaginary) cones using a side shuffling footwork pattern.

This is the third in a three part series on how to construct a game plan. In constructing a game plan for a match, the main emphasis is to develop a plan to allow you the opportunity to do what you do best. As noted earlier, it is important to first establish an assessment process to define your strengths and weaknesses (what you do well and what you do not do as well) and the strengths, weaknesses and capabilities of your opponent. After a thorough and honest assessment, you are in a position to put your plan in place.

1. If you feel you are more consistent than your opponent, look to prolong the point with higher net clearance, depth, topspin and cross court patterns. If your opponent is more consistent, look to end the point sooner by more redirection and closing in behind the serve, serve return and in response to short balls. Look for every opportunity to attack.
2. If you have difficulty covering the court (either because of a prior or match-induced condition), hit cross court and/or down the middle, buy recovery time with more height (net clearance), play close to the baseline or just inside the baseline to better cut off angles and work your way to the service line to hit mid-court volleys.
3. If court coverage is a weakness for your opponent, employ a strategy that includes more angles, short and deep patterns and redirection.
4. Utilize patterns and court positioning strategies that provide you with an opportunity to hit your “best” shot. In right-handed versus right-handed match ups (or left-handed versus left handed match ups), employ forehand to forehand and backhand to forehand patterns to set up your forehand (or forehand to backhand and backhand to backhand patterns to set up your backhand). Not without some risk, hit short to your opponent’s backhand to set up passing shot opportunities for your forehand (or hit short to your opponent’s backhand to set up passing shot opportunities for your backhand) and hit the serve return down-the-line from the ad side of the court to set up a “Pete Sampras” running forehand. Over cover your weak side to encourage and/or bait your opponent to hit to your strong side.
5. Use your serve to set up your “best” shot. Strategically vary the location, spin and pace of the serve to dictate play and control the point in your favor (e.g. hit slice serves out wide from the deuce side to open up the court for your forehand).
6. To slow down the pace and tempo of play, judiciously use towel breaks, be more deliberate in your set up prior to hitting each serve (e.g. ball bounce), ask for three balls prior to playing each point on your serve (a borderline “nudge move”) and take the maximum time allowed on changeovers. You can also slow the tempo of a match with your style of play and shot selections. Play from a deeper court position. Hit underspin to take pace off the ball. Hit balls with a high and loopy trajectory. Lob whenever your opponent comes to net.
7. To speed up the tempo and flow of the match and to provide your opponent with less time to set up and prepare for each shot, attack and close whenever possible, play closer to the baseline and hit the ball on the rise. You can also pick up the tempo of a match by setting up quickly for each service point and taking less time during changeovers.
8. Exploit the major stroke weakness of your opponent. Pound the weakness of your opponent with relentless pressure to force mistakes and demoralize your opponent. Regardless of success, still find occasion to hit to the strength or opposite wing of your opponent to open up the court (and better expose your opponent’s weak side). This variation also helps to disrupt rhythm and timing and negate the possibility of your opponent finding a “groove” or a better sense of timing.
9. Do your homework and calculations (“what ifs”) and have one or more contingency plan in place in case events of the match do not go in your favor.
10. Think creatively and have fun drawing up your strategy.

This is the second in a three part series on how to construct a game plan. In constructing a game plan for a match, the main emphasis is to develop a plan to allow you the opportunity to do what you do best. In this regard, it is important to establish an assessment process to define your strengths and weaknesses (what you do well and what you do not do as well). For this assessment process, I have listed a series of ten questions you can ask and review to best determine your capabilities.

1. What is your preferred style of play (i.e. aggressive baseliner, counter-puncher, rush and crush)? What is your versatility? To use a baseball analogy, do you have more than one pitch or do you live or die with just one pitch (or style of play)? How capable are you to change your preferred style of play?
2. What is your strongest and favorite shot or shot pattern (other than the serve)? What situations or patterns of play afford you the best opportunity to hit your favorite shot?
3. How do you respond (with groundstrokes, volleys, overheads, serve returns, etc.) to different types of shots and situations? How do you respond to high balls, low balls, pace and varying pace, spin and varying spin, depth, high/low trajectory, hitting from the forecourt, hitting from the backcourt, etc? In what type of situations and in response to what type of shots are you likely to experience success or difficulty?
4. How do you match up to different playing styles and strategies? As an example, do you prefer playing (and have better success) against a player who prefers to stay back or against a player who likes to come in? What shot patterns of play and/or strategies have you successfully employed to counter different styles of play?
5. How would you rate your consistency, patience and ability to stay in a point? Do you generally have more success when the rallies (or length of the points in a match) are long or short?
6. Do you prefer a fast or slow tempo of play (or do you have no preference)?
7. How would you rate your serve? What is your capability to hit the three basic target areas? What is your capability to hit with varying spin and pace? What is your ability to hit a specific serve under pressure?
8. What is your level of fitness? How long does it take you to recover after a long and arduous point? Do you generally fare better or worse in long and extended matches?
9. How well do you cover the court (up, back, left and right)?
10. Is your temperament more low key and calm or fiery and confrontational? Have you experienced situations in which you have become unnerved and lost your focus? What triggered this negative response? In what situations have you responded to adversity with composure and renewed determination? What helped foster this positive response?

This is the first in a three part series on how to construct a game plan. In constructing a game plan for a match, the main emphasis is to develop a plan to allow you the opportunity to do what you do best. The second consideration is to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent and then tailor your game plan to not allow your opponent to do what he/she does best. Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent can happen in watching your opponent play in prior matches, during the warm-up and/or as an ongoing process during the course of a match. For this assessment or scouting process, I have listed a series of ten questions you can ask and review to best determine the capabilities of your opponent and what your opponent is likely to do in different situations.

1. What is the player’s preferred style of play (i.e. aggressive baseliner, counter-puncher, rush and crush)? How versatile is the player? What is the capability of the player to change his/her style of play as necessary to win a match?
2. Does the player demonstrate a left or right side dominance? Is the player left handed or right handed? Does the player prefer to hit from the forehand side or backhand side? Is there a preference to run around his/her backhand or forehand to hit an inside stroke?
3. What are the player’s tendencies and preferred patterns of play when ahead, behind and in tight situations (i.e. hit returns down-the-line on the deuce side of the side, hit lobs when pressured to the backhand side, etc.).
4. What is the player’s response (with groundstrokes, volleys, overheads, serve returns, etc.) to different types of shots and situations? How does the player respond to high balls, low balls, pace and varying pace, spin and varying spin, depth, high/low trajectory, hitting from the forecourt, hitting from the backcourt, etc? In what type of situations and in response to what type of shots, is it likely for the player to experience a breakdown in technique or make a poor decision?
5. How would you rate the offensive capabilities of the player? What is his/her ability to finish a point? Does the player demonstrate quick strike capabilities? How well does the player transition from defense to offense? How well does the player recognize and take advantage of opportunities. Can the player dictate play with a particularly shot, pattern or sequence of shots, tactic or style?
6. How would you rate the defensive skills of the player? How well does the player stay in a point, make opponents hit one more ball, take pace off the ball, etc.?
7. What are the player’s placement, spin and tempo patterns on the serve? Does the player prefer to hit to specific target areas, particularly during tight situations? Does the player have the capability to hit the three basic target areas? Is it possible to adjust your return-of-serve starting position to cover your weak side and challenge the player to hit to your strength? Does the player like play to a fast, slow or varying tempo in delivering his/her serve?
8. What is the level of fitness of your opponent? Does the player have a tendency to show fatigue after a long point? How well does player hold up physically in a long match? Is the player able to sustain maximum effort through the course of an entire match or does performance drop as the match progresses? As a specific example, does stroke velocity tend to decrease with time (particularly with the serve)?
9. How well does the player cover the court? Does the player demonstrate sound footwork patterns in moving to the ball? Are there situations where the player tends to lose balance and lunge at the ball? How would you rate and compare the player’s ability to move up, back, left and right? As a specific example, is there a reluctance to move in to cover short balls?
10. Is the player mentally tough? What is his/her ability to close out a point, game, set and match? Are there situations where the player loses intensity and focus? What is the player’s temperament and demeanor on court? Does the player respond positively in a challenge response to adversity or is the player apt to get down and discouraged? What cues in body language does the player exhibit when things are going well and when things are not going as well.

1. Hit with topspin to force your opponent to hit the ball up and out of his/her strike zone. Use topspin for your second serve. Topspin allows for higher net clearance and margin for error.
2. Hit with slice to jam your opponent for serves hit at the body or to pull your opponent off the court for serves hit to the outside target (target zone).
3. Hit a flat serve for power (which is particularly effective for serves hit to the middle target or target zone).
4. Use a hybrid slice/topspin serve as your main “bread and butter”, meat and mashed potatoes”, fish and chips”, “rice and beans” serve for all occasions.
5. Hit a “kick” serve to “really screw up” your opponent and send him/her “shopping for food”.
6. Vary the spin of your serve to disguise intent and disrupt the rhythm of your opponent.
7. Accelerate the racquet head (generate more racquet head speed) to successfully hit with more spin. Incorporate all body components in a kinetic chain to maximize torque, momentum and racquet head speed. Components include bend and drive with legs, rotation of hips and shoulders and bend and extension of elbow. Maintain a relaxed (continental) grip through your service motion to create snap and acceleration of the racquet head.
8. To impart slice on the ball, toss the ball more to the right (at one or two o’clock) and brush across the ball (on a vertical axis) from left to right. Left handed players should toss the ball more to the left and brush across the ball from right to left. Remember to accelerate the racquet head to generate more spin. The pros can generate ball rotation on their spin serves in speeds (much like a milkshake blender) of more than 4,500 revolutions per minute (rpm’s).
9. To hit with topspin, toss the ball slightly overhead. Following a more horizontal (rather than vertical axis), brush up to the sky and then to right if you are right handed (or to the left if you are left handed). Using a non food analogy, simulate the action required to throw a dart straight up in the air to stick in your ceiling. Maintain a more sideways position. Make an effort to not rotate the hips and shoulders too soon. Likewise, hold the elbow back longer on the swing. Lead more with the racquet rather than the elbow.
10. To hit a “true” kick serve, follow the same considerations noted above in number 9 (in reference to hitting topspin). Focus on hitting the inside and back side of the ball in the brushing up action.

1. Use a “split step” to unweight your body in preparation for each shot. Get on your toes to get a bounce in your step.
2. Take a number of adjustment steps to get in the best possible position for each and every shot including balls hit within your immediate range of coverage.
3. Turn and go using a “gravity step” to get the best start to the ball. The gravity step (or “sprinters start”) is a process in which you step back and “unweight” your lead foot to allow gravity to propel your first motion toward your intended target. To properly execute the “gravity step” begin with a wide stance of support, make a quarter turn with your hips toward the ball and simultaneously bend the knee of your leg nearest the ball so that your foot moves beneath you serving to unbalance your body in the direction of the ball.
4. Use a diagonal path to the ball to reduce the amount of court you need to cover.
5. Use a more closed stance to move in to attack a short ball. Particularly with the forehand, use an open stance to retrieve a more difficult ball. An open stance promotes recovery back into the court.
6. Shorten your steps and come to a stop prior to hitting balls hit to your left and right. Shorten your steps but move through the ball with your feet when executing an approach shot.
7. Remain centered and balanced with a still head position in moving to hit the ball and in recovery after hitting the ball.
8. Do not set your racquet back too early. Use your elbows as necessary to run to the ball. Bring your racquet to the “set” position as you approach the ball and shorten your steps.
9. When playing on clay, slide with an extended and wide stance to dig out the most difficult balls.
10. Rear back and use a jump or corkscrew step to hit high, deep balls from behind the baseline (and have fun doing it).

1. Initiate the footwork pattern for the overhead with a drop step. Time the drop step with your racquet preparation to the “set” position and extension of your non-hitting hand.
2. Use a cross over or shuffle side step footwork pattern to position your body for the shot.
3. Take a number of adjustment steps to get in the best possible position to hit the ball.
4. Plant your feet and attack the overhead with authority, transferring your weight to the front or lead foot with the contact and follow through.
5. Use a scissors kick to extend up and back to hit a deep, more difficult to reach lob. A scissors kick not only provides better reach and coverage but also helps with balance and recovery after hitting the overhead.
6. Make every effort to maintain your net advantage after hitting the overhead. Close into the net after successfully hitting the overhead. Bring your body to momentary “pause” with a split step (using a wider stance or base of support when positioned in the forecourt) as your opponent is about to hit his/her reply shot.
7. Be prepared to turn and run back to retrieve a lob that you are unable to hit with the overhead. Turn with the shot (keeping the ball in view) to better the track the ball. Follow a more circular path to the ball to ensure adequate distance from your body to hit the next shot (to avoid overcrowding the ball).
8. In running down a lob, incorporate a gravity step to get a good jump to the ball. The gravity step (or “sprinters start”) is a process in which you drop back and unweight” your lead foot to allow gravity to propel your first motion toward your intended target.
9. Remember to compensate for the high bounce and “carry” of the lob. Let the ball drop into your strike zone if you have enough time and clearance with the back fence or backdrop.
10. Over-running the ball can be a “good thing” if you are then able to move forward into the court to hit your shot.

1. Increase your margin for error by hitting high over the net. Raise the height of the ball with a lob or semi-lob in response to a difficult “get” to allow time to get back into position.
2. Maintain good footwork. Keep your feet constantly moving. Take a number of adjustments steps in preparation for each and every shot. Be prepared to scramble to retrieve an errant or misdirected shot.
3. Hit past the service line (preferably having the ball bounce midway between the service line and the baseline) and to the middle 1/3 of the court.
4. Maintain a sound stroke pattern with a long extension through the strike zone and a consistent finish and look to your stroke.
5. Relax your grip and support the racquet with your non-hitting hand between shots to reduce fatigue.
6. Hit at a manageable pace. Take pace off the ball (with spin) when the tempo of the rally starts getting out of control.
7. Keep your head down at the point of contact (through the finish of the stroke) to maintain your racquet plane and to ensure solid and consistent contact in the sweet spot of the racquet.
8. Count out loud (one to keep track of where you are in the count and two to help your rhythm and timing).
9. Pick a good partner (someone with compatible hitting skills and patience).
10. Choose a well-groomed court and pray for favorable bounces or if you are so inclined, a not so well groomed court where the lines are barely distinguishable.

1. Start by passing the ball back and forth on the ground or court.  Introduce forehand and backhand options.
2. Have your child practice racquet skills (ups, downs and up-bounce-up’s) to establish and improve control of the racquet face and “feel” for the length of racquet.
3. Have your child drop hit balls (with forehands and backhands) to learn how to initiate a rally.
4. Hand feed balls with an underhand toss to practice groundstrokes and volleys.
5. Establish target goals with drop/hits and feeds. Establish cross court/down-the-line, net clearance and depth targets.
6. Start up close and work back. Start drop/hits, rallies and serves up close to the net. Progress back to the baseline with success.
7. Emphasize control and consistency (“hit the ball over the net and into the court”).
8. Have your child recite “bounce” and “hit” when hitting groundstrokes to establish timing and rhythm.
9. Count (1, 2, 3, etc.) to track progress with rallies.
10. Make it fun and be supportive

1. Establish and maintain a game plan (making adjustments and changes as necessary) and have a purpose for each and every shot. Develop a plan and purpose to take advantage of the things you do best.
2. Make smart decisions. Play high percentage tennis.
3. Focus on one point at a time. Focus particularly on winning the first two points of every game to apply pressure on your opponent.
4. Manage the time and tempo of the match. Take advantage of your 25 seconds between points and 90 seconds on the changeovers to collect your composure and to prepare yourself properly for each and every point (i.e. judiciously use towel breaks).
5. Have a ritual (consistent routine) prior to hitting your first and second serves and prior to receiving each serve from your opponent to eliminate outside distractions and to narrow your focus to the task at hand. Look to Rafael Nadal for a good example of how to prepare with a ritual prior to each and every point.
6. Stay in the present. Don’t dwell on mistakes, missed opportunities or bad turn of events. Deal with the bad bounces, unlucky breaks, etc. by “moving forward and putting things behind you”.
7. Be positive. Use positive affirmations and “self talk” for motivation and to acknowledge good events.
8. Love the pressure of competition. Welcome the challenge of competition, particularly from an opponent who presents a difficult obstacle.
9. Acknowledge, even embrace pain and fatigue to improve your pain threshold and your ability to “fight through it”. When you are hurting, it is best not to “wish it away”. This often leads to passive play and resignation.
10. Have fun. Keep things in perspective and remember what it is you enjoy about hitting tennis balls and getting on the court to compete.