How can I shorten my back swing on my tennis shots?

Question

I am a good 3.5/4.0 player. I hit a big ball but as I play better and better players I find that I have less time to prepare for my shots. I'd like to do two things; a) Take the ball earlier to take time away from my opponent and b) Shorten and simplify my strokes to be more consistent. What's the easiest way to practice and incorporate a shorter back swing into my game?

Answer 1

Ok the first thing you need to do is be consistent. I am a high school singles player and i always try to hit the "T" the mid service line area or the four corners on the court deep right and left baseline and deep right and left service line. TO shorten your swings this may sound wierdbut go out to a baseball field and have someone pitch your good speed fastballs this will help your timing and will help your motion. Be sure to step into your shots.

Answer 2

If you want to beat these opponents your going to find out at some point shortning your swing isn't the problem. If your shortening your swing and playing defensive all the time you most likely wont win unless the other players makes a bundle of unforced errors.

What you need to be focusing on is moving your feet more and getting as prepared for your shots as possiblle. Keep your eye on the ball at all times. Also as soon as you swing and hit the ball, don't watch it, make sure you start moving your feet again immediatley and get back to center court. If you start doing this throughout the match you'll start to read the ball better, if wont seem as fast and you'll have more time to prepare for your shots and you'll be hitting cleaner strokes.

Answer 3

It has been a long time... but step into the ball... not back up from it that will automatically ready you for the oncoming shot and makes your stroke shorter as you should be putting your racquet
to the front more quickly. Practise a shorter swing. Anticipate better, that is the key in tennis. I would suggest a good work out on a back board incorporating your strokes. I am not an expert but these are things that helped me.

Answer 4

those are very ambitious things to strive for.

if you want to take the ball earlier - move closer to the baseline the way andre agassi does. so many very fine players stay 10-12 feet off the baseline that this could give you a very large advantage. i also play this way and it means really having to focus on watching the ball off your strings, but once you get used to it, you will find that it's not all that much harder to do.

to tell you how to shorten your backswing without seeing it will be a lot harder, but here's what i do:
from the ready position, as i start to move my feet to move towards a forehand or backhand, i pull my racket back AND DOWN and turn my shoulders.
then with my body still turned, i swing the racket making sure that i keep my shoulders still turned. the key here being to start to prepare your racket for the shot as you start to move your feet.

you will have to find for yourself how to really shorten your backswing, but i think the key to stuff like this is really keeping on your toes at all times and preparing for the next shot as early as you possibly can.

my old instructor used to say that you know in your head where the ball will go (forehand or backhand) when it is four inches off of your opponents racket.

that's how early you can prepare if you are really focused.

Answer 5

My tennis instructor told me this once and it helped me so much: look in a mirror sideways and see how far you're normally taking it back. Probably way too far. Now practice swinging the way you want to. Do this again. And again. And again. You will develop "Muscle Memory." Then, when you get on the court it will come naturally. At first when you get on the court try getting easy balls fed to you or through a ball machine. This really helped me. Good luck!

Answer 6

The best thing i can suggest is to step into the court which gives you less time, but also robs your opponent of time because you are hitting on the rise. As for your swing being short, just take your racquet right back instead of doing a loop with the racquet which most people with big backswings do. I hope this helps.

Answer 7

two easy solutions to this, you will get them in time with practice. #1 if you see the player about to hit a high shot (racket back pointed down at a hard angle,) then come in and hit the shot as a overhead smash or a drive volley(forehand or backhand grip but hit on the full at shoulder height.) #2 another shot to play is a shot from the baseline. dont move back any further(unless the ball bounces right on the baseline) and hit the ball as it is on the rise. i know it is hard but you will get it. drop the racket head below the height of the ball and swing through the ball with topspin(to get good depth into the court.) be positive with your shots and dont hesitate to hit that high shot from the baseline. good luck with it!:)