Many of us are forced to take time off of tennis for a variety of reasons. Sickness, work, injury, kids and winter are all factors in our everyday lives that can keep us off the court for months or even years.
I wish playing tennis was like riding a bike. After three years of not riding on a bike, I can hop back on a bike and ride just fine. Unfortunately, after three months off of tennis, my game seems to need some serious fine tuning.
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Once you return to the court, you might find that your strokes feel pretty good, but your timing is still slightly off and your reaction time is too slow, forcing more errors than usual.
Reaction time, touch, timing and instinct are all things that will be lacking when you return to the court. Here are four tips that can help you get your game back.
Playing the Basics
Try to keep the points simple and smart by sticking to the basics of tennis in your first few matches after a long hiatus from the game.
If you stick to the basics, you'll hit more balls in the court. When you're still rusty, it's a bad idea to aim for the lines or try your once tried-and-true special shots. Remember, if you're struggling to hit the regular shots in the court, going for the fancy shots will only lead to lost points.
There's no need to go for those drop volleys or to try and rip the winner from six feet behind the baseline when you're not playing well. Play the percentages and force your opponent to beat you, don't beat yourself.
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