Guidelines for Perfecting the Art of Swinging Articles | Tennis

Though there are plenty of skills which need to be developed and improved when you start to play tennis, one of the primary skills which come between a player and a non-starter is the fine art of swinging.

If you wish to improve your swing, try the following guidelines:

Step #1:
Be ever ready for the hit: It is time to decide on your position in the court, as soon as the ball has left your partner’s racquet. The important thing to remember here is that you must keep your racquet back all the time. This will help you to make a neat shot. While you are proceeding to hit the ball, always remember to:

1. Realize that the ball is coming towards your forehand side.
2. There must be a balance sideways stance which you need to adopt when you are readying yourself for hitting the ball by letting go of your non-dominant hand. At this point the racquet must be kept away from the targeted ball and placed at waist-length.
3. Now you are ready to hit the ball. Keep a reasonable distance between the ball and your body, as this will allow you to put some punch on your stroke. Hit the ball when it has reached waist-high. In case the ball comes below your waist level, bend your knees slightly, so that the ball ultimately is at waist height.
4. The next step is to hit the ball. While doing this, remember that the ‘head’ of your racquet must remain at the same height as your hand. Never bend or straighten your hand or even twist your wrist. Start moving your shoulders in circular motions while focusing your attention on the ball.
5. The time for contact with the ball has arrived. Firstly, the contact point with the ball should be somewhere around your front foot. Secondly, ensure that the ‘face’ of your racquet is placed square to the incoming ball. Rotate your shoulders as you hit the ball as this will ensure that the face of the racquet moves in the right direction throughout the entire swinging process.

Follow it up: The correctness of the initial phase of the ‘swing’ must be further enhanced with proper follow through steps. Like the back hand, the right follow-through makes an arch that starts from the contact point with your ball to an area which is just above the opposite shoulder to your active hand. A smooth contact is a natural fall out of a right follow through measure. Remember, a powerful swing can not be created only by using might of the hand. The crux of the matter lies in creating a super fine execution of a fine and powerful stroke combined with the right follow through phase.

A powerful follow through consists of the following steps:

1. Keeping the arm and wrist fixed while hitting the ball as it passes over the net.
2. Completing the rotation of the shoulder. In case your chest is facing the ball, you are positioned wrongly to hit the ball.
3. Keeping the racquet perpendicular to the ground during the entire process of follow through.

Though the above tips and tricks will help you improve your swing, the essence of playing good tennis is repeated practice, which perfects the art.