Tennis Challenge: The 2 Best Things I've Done

Coaching

I wrote about selecting a coach and about my first lesson .  Into my third week of this challenge, I am convinced that coaching is the most important step that I’ve taken so far.  That should probably go without saying, but I must admit that I didn’t realize how important it was.  Finding a good coach like Doug Bowie* has increased my progress by at least 4 billion percent.  

I’ve also found two websites which offer tutorials and have helped me work on some important details of my game.  While not as helpful as having a personal coach, these videos are good supplemental tools.  Definitely worth the time.

FuzzyYellowBalls.com

USTA Player Development Digital Library

Ball Machine

If coaching is the number 1 thing I’ve done, hitting with a ball machine is 1A.  I was amazed at how much I improved after one session, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed my improvement.  The people I have been playing with noticed a big improvement too.  Learning the correct way to stroke the ball from a coach is crucial, but the only way to incorporate that newfound stroke into your game is to practice it so much that it becomes your natural way of hitting the ball, and nothing gives you better practice than a ball machine.  After my initial coaching session with Doug, I found myself thinking so much about the proper techniques of hitting that the game was moving faster than my brain could keep up with.  I would end up reverting to my bad habits after one hit because I didn’t have time to think about proper form before the ball was returned back to me.

The ball machine changed all of that.  Fortunately, Doug has a nice ball machine that holds 250 balls that he lets me use.  I can set it to hit the ball anywhere on the court with top spin, back spin, speed control, etc.  It allowed me to hit ball after ball in the same spot, concentrating on correct form.  I can’t even begin to explain how much this improved my game (and wore me out!).  After only one session with the ball machine I was able to defeat myself in a one-on-one match.  Impressive.  

Hitting with the ball machine without the coaching would only have helped me further develop bad habits, and only having the coaching without the ball machine wouldn’t have provided the rapid improvement that I am working towards.  But both together have helped me advance more than I could have imagined in such a short time.

*If you’re looking for a good coach, give Doug a call at 770-717-9755.