The boiling weather doesn’t mean you can’t improve some of your sporting skills. We spoke to Mitch Manns of Tennis 360, who is running several indoor training courses and has 35 years of coaching experience. He has five easy ways for you to improve your game, whatever standard you’re at.
Ground strokes
For both forehand and backhand, there are two things to focus on. First is the early body turn: as soon you know it’s going to be a forehand or backhand, get your shoulders and hips turned in the direction you’re going to be hitting from. The second part is to let your knees have a little bend in them to keep your weight down. Too many recreational players have a tendency to bounce up and down so they look like a jack-in-a-box when they’re hitting – they’ll squat down and then pop up. The swing should be rotational, like a golf swing.
Play the ball
Don’t play the opponent as much as you play the ball. When you play, you’re in three different phases: either a neutral phase, where you and your opponent are on equal footing; a defensive phase, where your opponent has just hit a good shot and you’re trying to get the ball back into play; or an offensive phase, where your opponent has just given you an opening that you’re going to take advantage of. In each of those phases there are certain shots available to you and certain shots that aren’t. If you’re in the offensive, where you can really go for a ball, do it. If you’re neutral, just try to keep the ball in play and wait for that opening. And if you’re in defensive, try to stay in play. This is where most recreational players really goof it up: their opponent will hit a good shot and they’ll try to hit an incredible shot – the impossible shot that only a champion like Federer, Nadal or a top player could pull off with any consistency. Recognise what your position is and hit your shot accordingly.
Return of serve
When most people serve, they focus on getting the ball into play or taking the offensive, but the same thing can be done with the return of serve. Most people are afraid of it; they just block the ball back into play. It would be better for most recreational players to try to play more offensively.
Serving
The most critical part of the serve is the toss – if it’s good, the body will do the right things to hit a good serve naturally. If it’s bad, you’ll be trying to adjust and it’s not going to work.
Volleys
Keep your elbows in front of your body and never swing. The volley is just a blocked ball. You create that velocity by moving your feet forward and keeping your arms and wrists firm. Pretend you have a butterfly net and you’re just catching the ball in that net. You don’t swing at it; you just hold the net out there and let it fly in. Imagine your tennis racket strings are the net. Tennis 360 is running indoor coaching and leagues at Dubai Sports World until August 31. Charging Dhs2,250 for 10 45-minute sessions. Dubai World Trade Centre, www.dubaisportsworld.com.
Tennis venues around town
If you’re looking to become the next Federer or Navratilova, or you simply want to get a rally going with a friend, try one of these local tennis courts.
Abu Dhabi Country Club
Full time tennis coaches offer individual and group lessons.
19th Street – Al Saada Street, Al Mushrif (02 657 7777).
Ladies Tennis Challenge
Women’s tennis classes at a reasonable price.
InterContinental Abu Dhabi, Khor Al Bateen (02 666 6888).
Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex
Boasts six training courts and an ATP standard grandstand court. Open for members and customers. Members benefit from unlimited court time and priority on bookings.
Zayed Sports City, Al Madina Al Riyadiya (02 403 4200).
The Club
The tennis section is active in its membership and hosts weekly social evenings, fun tournaments and the annual Club Championship. The resident professional offers individual and group coaching for both adults and children as well as training for The Club’s teams participating in the Abu Dhabi Tennis League.
The Club, Mina Saadiyat (02 673 1111). You can also try www.duplays.com or www.esportsdubai.com
