By John Key
Following his amazing efforts at the 2008 US Open, Andy Murray has truly arrived and is a force to be reckoned with on the men's tennis tour - and so has his two-handed backhand. Andy's backhand really is a classy stroke and a great example of the two-hander for junior and adult players to copy.
So Why is it So Good?
There are so many good points about Andy Murray's backhand that it is difficult to know where to start.
The Movement
His movement, compared to a couple of years back is like the difference between chalk and cheese. His general court coverage and his ability to chase balls down is awesome. His tuning around the ball (those small sharp steps around the ball) is also vastly improved. It has now become extremely difficult to get the ball past Andy.
The Drive
It's scary how many options Andy has open to him on his backhand drive! His racket-head control is full of snap and his timing is perfect. He really makes this shot tell in a rally, partly due to the way he positions himself up the court striking the ball very early after the bounce. Andy's constant smothering of the ball is very tiring for the opponent to play against as they are given very little time between shots.
One minute he winds up with a full blown shot, the next he abbreviates, blocks or floats the shot. He has an uncanny ability to mix the pace, stopping his opponent from settling into a comfortable rhythm.
Andy has a straight right arm on take-back and flexes his arms slightly on impact. Lovely! Many of Andy's drives around the baseline are played with an open stance and with excellent weight transference. He has superb balance, very rarely collapsing when making contact with the ball (a common mistake when social players get too close to the ball).
The tremendous racket-head speed Andy generates has got to be my favourite part of his drive. The tip of the racket overtakes the grip with ferocious speed on the Murray drive. As a result, his arms and racket are wrapped over his shoulder on completion of the shot.
The Slice
Andy utilizes a text book take-back and follow-through and like so many two-handers, he plays his slice as a one-handed shot. Time after time he weaves this shot into his rallies for change of spin, change of pace and for approach shots. Sometimes he just floats his slice backhand to length without much pace and other times zaps it over the net fast and low. He also utilizes a cheeky short cut shot that fizzes low.
The Drop Shot
As Andy possesses a really natural slice backhand, the drop shot is a natural progression for him. Nowadays Andy is selecting when to play the drop shot with more care, resulting in a far more effective drop shot.
The Service Return
Week after week on the men's tour Andy can be seen hitting his returns early, constantly hitting to the feet of the incoming serve-volleyer. His natural ability to abbreviate and adapt his technique makes his return a real weapon. He moves forwards into the court and following a split step, pounces on the ball. His superb racket-head control means that the clipped shots and improvised flicks are a breeze.
If an opponent decides to stay back on the baseline, Andy will constantly nail his returns into the corners of the court. Intimidating to say the least!
Andy Murray has arrived and is here to stay!
As a coach, John Key has worked with all levels of tennis players from beginners to junior national champions, Davis Cup and Wimbledon. His tennis website Backhandworld.com offers lots of free coaching tips and advice for all standards.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Key
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Andy-Murray-Backhand-Stroke---Analyzed!&id=1481669
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
10 Top Tennis Tips For Coaching Junior Tennis Players
By Rufus Keown
Mini Tennis, Pee Wee Tennis, Tiny Tots Tennis, Little Mozzies! Coaching Junior Beginners has been called everything. The bottom line for tennis coaches is that having a strong beginner tennis coaching program is the key to a long term sustainable business operation.
Putting together an exciting and challenging tennis coaching program for the young player should be a priority for any serious coach. These young beginners also need some special coaching methods to teach them to love tennis and stay in the game.
Tip 1 - Success equals Confidence equals Fun! Tennis is in the recreation business and coaches are fighting to attract young athletes to the sport so that grass roots programs flourish and we produce players at the elite level. Be constantly positive; play fun games which all players can succeed; create an atmosphere at your club that parents and children can enjoy. Do your best to keep children in tennis for life.
Tip 2 - Use modified tennis equipment. This relates to tip number one because by using lower nets, softer tennis balls, lighter tennis racquets and fun equipment we can help our students succeed and therefore enjoy tennis.
Tip 3 - Use cones to position players. Use cones or spots to position students for games and activities. This will give them a reference point and prevent them from wondering off.
Tip 4 - Refer to the names of lines and areas of the court. Use the names of lines and parts of the court when giving directions. This will provide a "full" tennis education and help when playing matches later on.
Tip 5 - Demonstrate before you explain the drill. Young children are fantastic learners. They learn best from observing and copying; as well as experimenting and feeling how something works. In your tennis lessons give the players lots of visual coaching and have them shadow swing so they can feel the correct stroke. This will be far more effective than explaining to a child with a very short attention span who may not fully understand the meaning of your words.
Tip 6 - Don't get too technical! This relates to tip number five. Technical instruction is wasted on young children but they do understand simple distinctions. For instance using higher or lower; softer or harder; to the left or right are effective words to guide a young player. This is one reason why the use of targets and cones can be a very valuable coaching tool.
Tip 7 - Use targets for students to aim at. The reason for using targets is to compel the players to use control over power. Many young players will associate success with how fast and far they can hit the ball. Studies have shown that in sports that require both speed and precision (like tennis) it is far better to learn slow, controlled moves and then make them faster; than learn fast uncontrolled moves and them slow them down. By hitting accurate controlled shots our players will become better at rallying (which should be foremost goal of any program.)
Tip 8 - Don't take private lessons too early. While some parents will expect us to dress up in a clown suit and entertain a 4 or 5 year old in a private lesson it is inappropriate at this age. The children at this age enjoy the excitement of playing with their friends and social interaction - the coach will soon become weary and lose passion for their job.
Tip 9 - Progress the program. Keep giving the students a reason to come back to the game. Progress from a mini court to full court; a mini racquet to a graduate racquet; low compression balls to championship balls; a 30 minute lesson to a 45 minute lesson. Keep challenging the students or they will feel they are not improving and find another sports which offers a pathway.
Tip 10 - Let them play the game. As coaches we are trying to teach players the game of tennis. Once the fundamentals have been taught modified game play should become an emphasis. While at a young age hitting the ball over the net seems miraculous, and returning an impossible dream; let the students experiment with a modified rally. The coach can help or make special rules so it remains enjoyable and the students can experience some success.
Follow these tennis tips to success in your own junior tennis program!
By Rufus Keown
Club Professional Coach
Co-founder http://www.globalsportscoaching.com
The global website for tennis coaches and players with 1000's of tennis drills, tennis articles, tennis tips and tennis lesson plans.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rufus_Keown
http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Top-Tennis-Tips-For-Coaching-Junior-Tennis-Players&id=1493080
Mini Tennis, Pee Wee Tennis, Tiny Tots Tennis, Little Mozzies! Coaching Junior Beginners has been called everything. The bottom line for tennis coaches is that having a strong beginner tennis coaching program is the key to a long term sustainable business operation.
Putting together an exciting and challenging tennis coaching program for the young player should be a priority for any serious coach. These young beginners also need some special coaching methods to teach them to love tennis and stay in the game.
Tip 1 - Success equals Confidence equals Fun! Tennis is in the recreation business and coaches are fighting to attract young athletes to the sport so that grass roots programs flourish and we produce players at the elite level. Be constantly positive; play fun games which all players can succeed; create an atmosphere at your club that parents and children can enjoy. Do your best to keep children in tennis for life.
Tip 2 - Use modified tennis equipment. This relates to tip number one because by using lower nets, softer tennis balls, lighter tennis racquets and fun equipment we can help our students succeed and therefore enjoy tennis.
Tip 3 - Use cones to position players. Use cones or spots to position students for games and activities. This will give them a reference point and prevent them from wondering off.
Tip 4 - Refer to the names of lines and areas of the court. Use the names of lines and parts of the court when giving directions. This will provide a "full" tennis education and help when playing matches later on.
Tip 5 - Demonstrate before you explain the drill. Young children are fantastic learners. They learn best from observing and copying; as well as experimenting and feeling how something works. In your tennis lessons give the players lots of visual coaching and have them shadow swing so they can feel the correct stroke. This will be far more effective than explaining to a child with a very short attention span who may not fully understand the meaning of your words.
Tip 6 - Don't get too technical! This relates to tip number five. Technical instruction is wasted on young children but they do understand simple distinctions. For instance using higher or lower; softer or harder; to the left or right are effective words to guide a young player. This is one reason why the use of targets and cones can be a very valuable coaching tool.
Tip 7 - Use targets for students to aim at. The reason for using targets is to compel the players to use control over power. Many young players will associate success with how fast and far they can hit the ball. Studies have shown that in sports that require both speed and precision (like tennis) it is far better to learn slow, controlled moves and then make them faster; than learn fast uncontrolled moves and them slow them down. By hitting accurate controlled shots our players will become better at rallying (which should be foremost goal of any program.)
Tip 8 - Don't take private lessons too early. While some parents will expect us to dress up in a clown suit and entertain a 4 or 5 year old in a private lesson it is inappropriate at this age. The children at this age enjoy the excitement of playing with their friends and social interaction - the coach will soon become weary and lose passion for their job.
Tip 9 - Progress the program. Keep giving the students a reason to come back to the game. Progress from a mini court to full court; a mini racquet to a graduate racquet; low compression balls to championship balls; a 30 minute lesson to a 45 minute lesson. Keep challenging the students or they will feel they are not improving and find another sports which offers a pathway.
Tip 10 - Let them play the game. As coaches we are trying to teach players the game of tennis. Once the fundamentals have been taught modified game play should become an emphasis. While at a young age hitting the ball over the net seems miraculous, and returning an impossible dream; let the students experiment with a modified rally. The coach can help or make special rules so it remains enjoyable and the students can experience some success.
Follow these tennis tips to success in your own junior tennis program!
By Rufus Keown
Club Professional Coach
Co-founder http://www.globalsportscoaching.com
The global website for tennis coaches and players with 1000's of tennis drills, tennis articles, tennis tips and tennis lesson plans.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rufus_Keown
http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Top-Tennis-Tips-For-Coaching-Junior-Tennis-Players&id=1493080
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