When we take a closer look at all the points in a tennis match, we discover that players who make less errors tend to win matches. In tennis we have three major types of mistakes: we can hit the ball long, wide or into the net. Coach Marcin Bieniek, founder of Enjoy Tennis Blog, discusses the shots that end up in the net and offers tips to help reduce their number.
At first glance, it looks quite easy to hit over the net, as we have so much space there, but the more we play tennis the more we understand that it is not as simple as it looks. Of course, we don’t lose more points by hitting into the net in comparison to hitting wide or long balls, but understanding the reasons for committing errors and working to change our game are steps that will help us cut down on errors and put more pressure on the opponent.
Are too many of your balls landing in the net? Do you feel like these mistakes happen during the most important moments of the game? Here is why it happens and what you can do to not give easy points to your opponents.
Work on your technical quality
You can test your technique every time you compete. Practice environment doesn’t always show you the real face of your technical quality, so that is why it is priority for players to play matches and see the results of their development. A lot of players miss into the net because they have weaknesses in technical preparation. When your opponent hits various difficult balls, it is time to adapt technically and prepare the most effective shot. If you don’t have these skills, you will definitely put more balls into the net. Understanding your limitations and working on technical habits are steps that have to be taken to improve your performance and reduce the number of net errors.
Trajectory
This is the tactical factor that many players don’t pay attention to. Hitting the ball should also include the height that you want to hit the ball at, because different heights can give you different benefits, but at the same time they have different margins of errors. If you hit the ball higher over the net, even some flaws in the execution will probably keep the ball away from the net. On the other hand, if you don’t think about trajectory at all or if you try to hit the ball low over the net, there is a big possibility that more balls won’t go over the net.
Tactical decisions
The more you play tennis, the more importance you should put on your decisions. It is all about where and why to hit the given ball to get advantage on the court or to minimize the possibility of making errors. Net errors can happen because of poor decisions. If you try to hit flat winners while being a few meters behind the baseline, it shouldn’t surprise you that the ball doesn’t go over the net. The same scenario happens when you try to respond to low balls without significant spin. Think tactically and pay attention to your mistakes from previous points and you will see that you are able to visibly reduce the number of net errors even during the next match.
Errors make players angry. Some of them are made because of opponent’s pressure but most of them are made because of our improper actions. By being aware of the reasons for our net errors, we are able to work on these aspects during training sessions and develop effective responses to put more balls into the court.
Visit our Tennis Tips page for a lot more articles by tennis coaches. There you can learn how to improve specific shots and skills, handle pressure, adapt your game to all surfaces and weather conditions, choose the best tennis racquet, and much more.
