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.