One of the key foundational elements to singles success at ANY level is the ability to control what your forehand and backhand does off your strings. Unfortunately most players have very little awareness of what affects where their shots go, and that was true of our VIP clinic students as well. Watch as they're guided through a series of drill progressions to heighten their awareness of the critical technique elements that make up control. Use them the very next time you step onto the court!
Now the group progresses on to fine tune their forehand and backhand control by focusing on the specific elements of height and depth. Being able to dictate these two factors at will means being able to control your singles points! More height and depth will keep your opponents pushed back off their baseline in a defensive or neutral position, while being able to hit low and hard on purpose will give you much needed offense and finishing power.
The middle of the baseline should NOT be your home base most of the time as you engage in baseline exchanges. In this section of coaching you'll learn which geometrical considerations to keep in mind so you can always be in the right place at the right time and as a result get to more shots. Without this knowledge and execution you'll be doomed to leave openings for your opponents to exploit over and over again which makes winning next to impossible.
Control and consistency is great but without some kind of attacking game your most steady, savvy opponents will drive you insane! That's why we don't leave the offensive "rock" unturned with this group of students. You'll learn when, why, and how to "change direction" during your singles exchanges so you can dictate points at the right time, throw your opponents off balance and take control. Equally as important you'll learn when NOT to hit down the line so you can avoid beating yourself!