There’s a lot of online tennis instruction out there and while a lot of it may be good, it may not be good for you.
The reason why is that they teach “how to hit like the pros”.
Why Trying to Hit Like the Pros Could Be Bad
Hitting like the pros though is not what most players should be trying to do.
As a player you want to learn and practice shots that will be effective at your current level or maybe 1 level above.
For example if you’re currently a 3.5 and you want to become a 4.0 rated player, you might decide that what’s needed in your game is the ability to move up to the net. So you might practice your volleys and approach shots so that you can begin putting those things together.
But what’s not needed in your game to win at the 4.0 level is the Roger Federer lag forehand, and most players even if they focus hard on learning that forehand for a while won’t be able to hit it well or consistently.
So why do we see so many YouTube videos and instructional courses showing how to hit shots like the pros do?
Because it’s not ‘sexy’ to teach a 1/2 swing block forehand or a slow spin serve.
It’s more impressive to teach a complex shot that involves a lot of power and really showcases the kinetic chain.
But the question you need to ask is if learning to hit like the pros is the best move for you?
You also need to be honest with yourself and ask how athletic are you compared to the pros, and do you have physical limitations.
And then always remember that success on the tennis court doesn’t boil down to how nicely you strike the ball, but instead it’s how well you place the ball and the effects that has on your opponent.
Players who don’t ‘look good’ beat players all the time who ‘look better’ in terms of how they hit the ball.
Tennis has more than 1 dimension, and technique is just one small piece of that.
Tactical Videos Might Be More Beneficial For You Than Technical Videos
If you’re going to watch online tennis instruction, my suggestion is to watch more tactical videos, showing you patterns & plays that you can execute.
Even if the video is showing a pattern that a pro player is using you can still try to execute that pattern on a smaller scale or simplify it and take away bits and pieces.
Tennis happens very quickly. Even if you wanted to learn a pro swing for some reason, without videoing yourself practicing it or at least having a coach observing, you won’t know if you are hitting all of the proper checkpoints.
This is another reason why when learning through online instruction it’s easier if you are following along with a simplified swing.
If you’d like me to send you some instructional videos that will help you in both Spec Tennis and tennis, send me an email nate@spectennis.com