Lose The Fear Of Being Hit

LOSE YOUR FEAR OF BEING HIT One of the reasons players don’t like being at the net is that they fear getting hit & hurt. I completely understand this as this topic crops up all the time when I’m teaching doubles.

You can’t play good tennis when you’re apprehensive & lacking confidence so you need to practise how to cope with balls that are struck at you. A great way to do this is to have someone throw balls at you, slowly at first so you can get used to the technique & then build up speed so it becomes match pace. Once you realise that there is a way to protect yourself (& stay in the point!) you’ll feel much better about volleying. Your confidence will grow & you’ll start to relish being at the net.

The key ingredients: 1. Be on your toes – if you’re flat-footed, you’ll be slow to move. 2. Work out when your opponent is likely to fire a ball at you – it’s normally when they hitting off an easy ball under no pressure. 3. Be prepared to play a backhand volley every time – it’s far quicker & easier than playing a forehand. Watch the short video & follow these tips & you’ll find that being at the net isn’t so bad after all!