Want to improve your toss? As you start the toss, make sure you're holding the ball in your fingertips, not in the palm of your hand. This one tiny thing means the difference between a ball that goes up smoothly in a determinable line (wherever you want it - more to the left, more to the right, out front, over your head) and a ball that is spinning and out of control (Yikes!). 
Sometimes, doing everything correctly in tennis can be overwhelming. You just can't think of every possible thing you are supposed to be doing AND actually do it, all at the same time.
You see it all the time: Players choke. They don’t focus. They throw in the towel. They fail to close out the game, set and match. Tennis is such a mental game!First, take a deep breath as you walk to the line to establish your presence. This is brief but deliberate. Second, create a quick visual image in your mind of the ball traveling toward your target. Make sure you are decisive with your placement of the serve. No second-guessing. This is critical. Third, check the tension in your shoulders and arm. Keep a loose arm! This routine is followed by you bouncing the ball a set number of times (how many is up to you) and then serving. Keep this routine consistent and practice it regularly so it’s automatic.Greenwald, p. 55. How easy is that? Breathing, visualization and getting loose – all the elements that will undoubtedly help you get off a good serve.
Do you start the morning with coffee and then transition to your favorite caffeinated soda? Are you doing this even though its blistering hot outside by the time your tennis match starts? Bad idea! Caffeine is a diuretic and not only will not hydrate you, it will actually increase the likelihood of you becoming dehydrated. Acceptable things to drink during a match are water, fitness and flavored waters, and sports beverages. Fruit juices and decaffeinated sodas are a distant second and caffeinated beverages do not even count towards fluid intake. The way I look at it is - I have enough issues when I'm playing tennis. I don't need to add to my problems by dehydrating myself and drinking caffeine!
I recently posted some of the great "tennis one-liners" - those wonderful tennis tips that are distilled down into one sentence. Sometimes they're genius, sometimes they're funny, sometimes you wonder just who comes up with these things. Here are a few more great tennis one-liners to apply to your game. Send me your great tennis one-liners so I can include them on Tennis Fixation!
“Have no fear of perfection. You’ll never reach it.” - Salvador Dali
How often should you restring your racquet? The rule of thumb is you should restring your racquet as many times per year as you play per week. So if you play about three times a week, you should restring about three times per year. You can also take a look at your strings and see just how worn and fuzzy they're getting. If they look like they're about to break, it's probably a good idea to restring. You'll love how much better you hit the ball with a newly strung racquet.
We're in Grand Teton National Park for the 4th of July and - sorry, kids - no fireworks allowed! But the natural beauty is so overwhelming, I don't think we miss them much. So instead of bombs bursting in air, here's a fantastic picture of Mt. Moran (I hope) taken by my incredible husband who just keeps taking these kind of wonderful pictures, and saving our family memories, no matter how much we all complain. And this is just one of a number of typical pictures - these views are everywhere!Andy Roddick takes the first set off Roger Federer in the Wimbledon finals??!!! They're in the 3rd now and I won't know the outcome until tonight. Come on Andy!
