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Tennis: Use Your Upper Body

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Nail, Tennis coach

DESCRIPTION

Player performs the serving motion.
Player tries to improve the upper body turn.
Player's goal is to turn the upper body so his back is pointing forward.

COACHING POINTS

Player works on technical quality of the upper body in the serve.
To develop additional power, the upper body has to coil and uncoil
The easiest way for players to understand how to work effectively with upper body is to give them the point of reference.
By showing the back to the net, player makes proper coiling action that will allow for good power production and increased velocity of the serve.

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OFTEN USED WITH...

One serve - Under Pressure:

Player 1 has only one serve and the score is 30 - 30.

The first player to win 3 games is the winner.

If player 1 successfully makes the serve and wins the point they win the game.

If not they only have 1 serve for the next point. If they win that point the game goes to sudden death.

Serve and Return

Approach and Close:

The coach feeds into the service area.
-Before the coach feeds Player 1 has to nominate the corner into which they hit their approach shot.
-Player 1 plays an approach shot Player 2 has to hit down the line, Player 2 then finishes the rally at the net.

Attacking

Stay stable after the serve:

Player performs a regular serves.

The goal of this exercise is for the player to land on his/her front foot and maintain balance on one leg after the serve.

The back foot should be in the air.

Serve and Return

Knee Serve (single knee):

Player kneels down, putting one knee on the floor. Player serves from this position.

Serve and Return

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