How Can You Make Practice Fun?

Tennis is a very repetitive sport and to get really good at it you have to hit thousands of balls over and over again. This can get very monotonous if you are not working on specific things to improve. One of the first ways to liven up a practice is to work on more than one skill. If you practice just one shot over and over, you can become mentally and physically tired and this could easily result in an injury. For example, a player might want to improve their drive topspin forehand. You might hit hundreds of balls, repeating the same swing with very little break in-between. This is a good way to reinforce the muscle memory needed to learn the stroke; however, you can quickly become tired or frustrated, with the results of the practice deteriorating rapidly, and soon enough you won't be enjoying the process of learning.

A better solution would be to practice two or three shots during each session. For example, hitting forehands and backhands helps even the load on the body and can help prevent overuse injuries. Having more than one thing to work on can also help you stay more focused and can bring back the fun aspect of learning. Another way to keep practice fun is to try playing different shots with different spins, or alternating topspin with slice, or hitting every ball past the service box or within the service box.

Tennis is a difficult game and the more you are willing to try new things, the more knowledge you will have of what works and what doesn't work. In the end, tennis is what you make it; having a plan before you practice should increase your chances of having fun when you play. If you need suggestions, come ask one of us and we'll be happy to help.

Thanks again for all your continued support.

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