Seven Tips to Hitting a Precise Forehand Volley
Hitting a volley in tennis may seem quite easy when you see the professionals do it. Those players have hit millions of balls, putting in numerous amounts of hours of their time. The volley is one of many shots in the game of tennis that’s classified as a player’s weakness. The number one reason for this weakness is that they are scared of the ball. The reason they fear the ball is a result of not knowing the proper steps on how to properly hit a volley. Just like any other shot in tennis, the volley takes a great deal of time to learn. As a coach, I teach the same seven step method to my players no matter what age they are or how much experience they have. The following are seven tips on how to hit a precise forehand volley.
1. Footwork: When it comes to hitting a volley, your footwork is a vital component to execution. First of all, you must have your legs at about shoulders width apart. Next, you must remember to be on your toes, which in tennis terms is referred to as the “balls of your feet.” Don’t forget to bend your knees as well. The reason for this as opposed to standing flat-footed and up straight is your awareness and reflexes are much more sharp. Volleying is a very quick process, so the more alert you are the better chance you have to hit a well-struck volley.
2. Racquet Positioning: As it comes time to strike the ball, it’s important to remember how and where to hit it in order for the shot to be effective. First off, a player must have the racquet held out in front of them. Whether you are a righty or lefty will determine which hand goes where. Read the rest of this entry »
4 Hockey Stretching Exercises To Perform Regularly
As you get going with your hockey training, it’s important that you pay attention to some of the important hockey stretching exercises that you should be doing. By performing stretching regularly you will help to reduce the amount of post-workout muscle soreness you experience while also ensuring that you can work through a full range of motion in all the weight training for hockey exercises you perform as well.
Stretching really only takes five to ten minutes at the end of each workout or on-ice session, but will make a big difference on your progress overall.
Let’s take a quick look at four good hockey stretching exercises that you should be including regularly.
Quad Stretching
The first stretch is the simple quad stretch, which will help to loosen up the legs which often become quite tight after hours of skating.
To perform this one simply bend one leg upwards and grab a hold of the ankle underneath the bum while pulling backward ever so gentle. Read the rest of this entry »