Kwong Young, USPTA Tennis Professional, Iron Oaks
Kathie Marshall
For racquet sports enthusiasts who are looking to up their game, there are ways to become more competitive and it involves practice. Recently, my husband Tom Marshall and I visited Sun Lakes, a Robson Community in the Phoenix area where he competed in the annual Jason Morton Tennis Tournament. This tournament attracts nationally ranked players throughout the country. As a spectator and tennis player, it was interesting to watch the teams put pressure on their opponents to gain a competitive advantage. While at the tournament I had the opportunity to chat with the club pro, Kwong Young, who gave me permission to reprint his most recent tennis tips article that highlights the importance of being an all-court player. He emphasized the need to practice the variety of shots that refine your game.
Here at the Ranch, we are lucky to have a variety of free and pro-led clinics to improve your game. The new free drop–ball clinics are available to practice the shots you need to become that all-court player. Below, is Kwong’s Tip of the Month:
Tip of the Month by Kwong Young
Are you a baseliner when playing doubles and do not transition toward the net/inside service box when opportunities present?
If you are that type of player who stays in the backcourt, then are you at least doing your DSW shots? DSW are Deep, Short, or Wide shots, and when doing so, you force your opponents to adjust and move more, rather than just rallying balls back crosscourt where they can easily return the shots. Remember, it’s best to move your opponents around—forward and back and side to side, thereby exposing certain weaknesses they may have. This will give you an opportunity to finish and win the point. For example, baseliners are players who are most comfortable hitting groundstrokes and lobs and seldom come up to the net to attack. Their volley skills tend to be weak due to not getting enough practice and confidence playing the net. On the other hand, players who play and control the net aggressively will get in trouble if they are not putting balls away when opportunities strike. Certainly, there is no joyful moment when they see that all–mighty lob over their head which leaves them feeling helpless and outplayed!
To be well–rounded, work on your transition game of moving forward and as well staying back to play smarter to defend. When I first started playing, like most inexperienced players, I was a baseliner and was comfortable there, but against better and more skillful opponents, they noticed where I was camping out and used the DSW shots. Consequently, they had the upper hand and had control over where they wanted to place me. It was then I realized that if I wanted to win matches and become a stronger player, I needed to practice those all-important shots to become an all-court player—no weaknesses wherever I was.