Recognize these four major mistakes and know how to make quick adjustments to raise your playing level in no time. Of course, it’s normal to make some mistakes. Just try to seldom make the same mistake twice in a row, and never three times in a row. Remember the definition of insanity? “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
The four major mistakes are:
1) Hitting long,
2) Hitting into the net,
3) Hitting out of bounds to the right,
4) Hitting out of bounds to the left.
MISTAKE #1: Hitting Long Cause: 1) Swinging too much low to high, since increasing arc usually results in hitting farther; or 2) Simply hitting with too much power. Corrections: 1) Swing less low to high to lower the ball’s arc; or2) Shorten your backswing to hit with less power.
MISTAKE #2: Hitting in the Net Cause: Swinging down on the ball or too level. Corrections: Swing more low to high to increase the ball’s arc.
MISTAKES #3 & #4: Hitting Out to the Right or Left Cause: The cause of good or bad directional control is the paddle face’s direction at the point of contact. Corrections: If you are right-handed hitting a forehand and hit too far to the right, just contact the ball farther in front to direct it more to the left. The opposite is true if you hit too far cross-court.
Yes, there are many more considerations for playing your best, but recognizing and correcting these four mistakes is arguably an important step toward faster improvement.
