The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible. Thank you for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
Modern Zonal Tennis
Mastering Zonal Tennis is essential for the most successful tennis career, whether it is playing junior tennis, collegiate tennis, country club tennis or professional tennis, players that choose proper shot selection (laws of zonal tennis) advance at a quicker rate. The following questions and answers may help you understand the importance of zonal tennis.
Question: “I must have spent $10,000 on lessons, forehand, backhands, serves…all the strokes. I look like a pro during lessons, but in real match play, I stink! I can’t even beat Mildred on the super senior squad. Why?”
Frank: The quick answer is that your loses are most likely due to poor shot selection and not stroke technique. There are four causes of unforced errors in match play: Stroke Mechanics, Shot Selection, Movement/Spacing and Emotional/Composure. The most common cause of errors in match play is poor tactical choices or shot selection.
Another interesting tidbit is that the human brain can’t consciously fix stroke mechanics while playing in the zone. Try shifting focus away from your own back-swing and follow-through and onto zonal tennis. Hitting balls short into your opponents court or continuing to hit a ball your opponent is hitting winners on is the equivalent of asking them to beat you.
Question: “Do retrievers have all the trophies due to their elegant strokes or their well-developed shot selection skill sets?”
Frank: The player with the smartest shot selection is usually the winner. Reduce your errors by applying Zonal Tennis: the use of proper air zone and court zone tactics. Note: Be aware that exceptions shadow every rule, so use your court sense in match play.
Air Zones
The Air Zones refer to the height at which the ball travels above the net. Your court position dictates the height your shot should be traveling above the net.
The Three Air Zone:
- Aim 2-3 feet above net when positioned inside the court.
- Aim 3-5 feet above the net when positioned on the baseline.
- Aim 8-10 feet above the nest when positioned ten feet behind the baseline.
Unforced errors and short balls multiply dramatically when players choose to ignore the laws of the air zones. Thanks, Frank Giampaolo
Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
