Make a Better First Move
By Sandra Eggers

Okay, all you tennis enthusiasts, here's your chance to test your skill and knowledge. Take a try at this question about basic stroke production and find out how much you know about the game. 

What's the first thing you should do when preparing to return your opponent's shot?
a) Decide where the ball will land
b) Turn and run
c) Take your racquet back
d) All of the above

How many of you answered (d) All of the above? Seems logical that you would do all those things, and you probably should, but you may not be doing them in the proper order. Many tennis players have the instinct to turn and run first, but if you think about it, that's not the most effective way to prepare to hit a ball. How will you adjust if the ball takes an unexpected hop, or is effected by wind? If your racquet is not back first, you will have difficulty making these adjustments.

Most of the time if you hit long or wide or in the net, it's because you were not prepared to stroke the ball correctly. There are many factors that could contribute to this, such as poor stroke production or bad timing. Assuming all other things equal, and that you know the correct way to hit a forehand or volley, the most common mistake tennis players make is that they don't prepare the racquet first.

When you watch the pros, they make it look so effortless to blast winners left and right. The reason is that they have their racquet back and are prepared to move with the ball, making small adjustments as they get closer to making contact. Taking your racquet back early actually simplifies the shot, and gives you more time to execute it correctly.

The name of the game in tennis is to get the ball over the net one more time. It doesn't matter your style of play, because if you don't keep the ball in the court, you won't win. Some of you big-hitter may force the issue more often, but it still comes down to getting the ball over one more time. To do this with any kind of consistency, you need to make a better first move and be prepared to hit the ball.

If you're still not a believer, try it and see. Have your partner hit you some groundstrokes and some volleys, but not perfectly to you. Try a few first by running to the ball, then taking your racquet back. Sometimes you get lucky and pull off a great shot, but most of the time you have inconsistent results. Next, have the same partner hit you the same series of balls. This time, make sure to take the racquet back first, then run to the ball. Do you feel a difference? Now go back to the first method of running first and preparing second. You should feel a big difference this time.

When you're playing in a match and finding yourself making too many unforced errors, or just not stroking the ball cleanly, think to yourself that you have to make a better first move. It's the same for groundstrokes, for volleys and for service returns. If you have sloppy and inconsistent racquet preparation, then you'll have sloppy and inconsistent shots.

Make a better first move for better results.