Transforming PLAY on the Practice Court

USPTA WCVC

As we navigate the challenges of the match court, our tennis games on the practice court have in the past resembled an assembly line process of hitting balls in the court.  Transforming PLAY on the Practice Court will look at how we can better negotiate the pressures of match play by creating momentum games.  Momentum is how we gain the advantage and win more and keeping score in practice is the beginning of this transformation.

Outline:

1. GPS Navigation System to Winning more in match play
2. 90% of points will end on or before the 8th shot of the point.  That’s 4 shots per side, or 2+2.  Shot Momentum is the first level of concentration.  Planning the first 2 shots and then staying with the plan is key, the biggest threat to losing points is changing the shot selection in the First Strike Stage of the Point.  First Strike Stage 0-4, Patterns of Play 5-8, Extended Rally Stage +9
3. Rehearsing First Strike Patterns is the first level of “striking first” to gain the momentum of the point.  We’ve all hear the phrase, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”
4. Best First Strike patterns to rehearse are Primary patterns, primary shots are shots played to the largest part of the court, width and depth.  So primary patterns would include at least one crosscourt shot, and so therefore Secondary patterns are those in which both shots are hit to the smallest part of the court, width and depth.
5. There are winning probabilities that align with each Momentum/Game Score Scenario - you can and must be aware of these in rder to play the pattern that increases your chances at the win/loss probability.