Welcome to the Park with Tommie Ray! I recently read this interesting article in my USNTA News Notes newsletter. I thought it may help you with some stroke problems you may be having. Hope it helps:

Your efficiency and accuracy for a stroke are in direct ratio to correct timing and technique. Therefore, the timing is the first important detail you should focus on. here is a list of some things you should check out when you have problems with a particular stroke:

1) Check your grip by pressing your racquet flat against a vertical surface, like a fence or a wall, to see if you have good support of the racquet. Although many topsin shots are hit leading the shot with the racquet's upper edge, some kind of support for the impact on the stings is necessary for the shot to be truly effective. To test the grip for your backhand slice and your volleys, push with the bottom edge of the racquet, angled at a 45 degree angle to the wall.

2) Do you start your swing too early? On ground strokes, do you wait for the bounce of the ball?

3) Do you focus on finding the ball, or are you focusing on something else?

4) Does it feel like you hit behind the ball, or that you hit from the ball forward?

5) Do you follow through just by the momentum of the early part of your stroke, or do you deliberately accelerate toward the end of your swing?

6) Does it feel like you finish the stroke in the same place all the time, independent of where you hit the ball, or does you finish vary?

7) Do you concentrate on finding the ball and then the finish of your stroke, or are you thinking of your footwork or something else?

8) On your groundstrokes, do you sweep your hand smoothly through the stroke, or do you make sudden changes in racquet angle, disturbing its path?

By correcting these basic items, everything else should fall into place. Overall, the most important thing is to get the ball in the court! ---Oscar Wegner

Thanks for stopping by the park, it's always nice to see tennis players looking to improve their game . The more knowledge we obtain the better we will become as players.

Tommie Ray

If you have any questions or comments please email me :-)