Tennis Player Development Essay, Research Paper
There are many ways my performance in tennis increased after joining the tennis
class. The tennis class gave an insight on strategy, different strokes, serve,
and different types of game situations. All of these items are key factors in
winning a tennis game with great ease. The class didn’t just inform us of these
factors, but it made the students in force them. Practicing the factors made us
understand more about them and their important properties. There are many
differences between a game played in the beginning of the semester and a game
played in the end of the semester. There are faster, bigger, more potent shots
used in the game. The games are played more smoothly and have a quicker pace.
The reason the games run more smoothly is because many students finally
understood the strategy of the game. The strategy is an important factor in
tennis because it tells you how to put the ball away. My doubles game was
effected more than my singles game. We were taught to rush to the net during a
doubles match and volley the ball away. This aggressive method puts pressure on
the opponent to make unforced errors or allows you the opportunity to put away
the ball with great ease. In the singles game, the class taught us to hit the
ball deep. This is done so it is hard for an opponent to put away the ball.
Also, I learned the "Serve and Volley" method. I wait till a serve is
fast and then rush to the net and volley the ball to the corner. My opponent
would be all the way back near the service line so he/she would be unable to
return it. With basketball and football, strategy is not such an important part
of the game unlike tennis. Strategy can help you win important points and help
you win the game. Another component to win games is the consistency of the
strokes and to know which strokes can help you the most. We learned the forehand
the first day of school and became my most valuable weapon. The forehand is the
stroke I use to put away the ball or to hit the ball nice and deep where it is
difficult for my opponent to return the ball. Before this class I use to run
around my backhand. But now instead of running around my backhand I am able to
hit it back with some force. Still, my backhand can’t put away the ball, but I
am able to hit the ball deep. I am able to save some time and get ready to put
away the next ball. My volley has improved significantly because I am able to
use more angles when I hit the ball. This lets me win easy points during the
game with little or no effort. Like me, my opponents have improved their game,
so when I come to the net, they easily lob the ball over my head. This is when I
use the overhead I learned in the tennis class. With the overhead, I am able to
get high speed very easily and I am able to put away the ball. The serve is the
biggest difference in my game, because it has gotten more consistent.
Unfortunately my serve has dropped in speed for some reason, but I think that is
because of not enough practice. But since I am able to place the ball so well,
the speed of the ball does not matter. I have become so confident with my first
serve that sometimes I use my fast serve during my second serve. I have also
found that since I have acquired my new serve I have been winning matches
faster. In the last tournament, I won the game in half-hour time period. The
serve also makes me less exhausted during the game because I don’t have to run
for the ball. Another way I learned to conserve my energy is to play differently
during certain games. I have learned when your opponent hits the ball with lots
of power you should never put away the ball. Instead, you should keep rallying
with your opponent until he/she get tired. Sure, you will loose the first few
games, but later on in the match, your opponent will not have the energy to
chase any balls. People who use placement to win their games, there you have to
use power. If you hit the ball with a little force to their backhand, your
opponent will just try to hit the ball back somewhere in the court. Then you
have the entire court to hit the ball where you wish. This class has taught me
many valuable tools to win tennis games. But the best thing about this class is
that I had fun. I was able to make a few friends and at the same time learn
something new. I have recommended this class to many of my friends and hope to
take it with them next quarter. The tools we learned in this class will help me
whenever I play a tennis game in the future. I don’t think that there is any way
you can learn everything is just one quarter. This is a class that should be
taken again to fortify your basic knowledge about tennis.