I hear many players complain about windy conditions when playing a
tennis match. What players seem to forget is that their opponent is
playing in the same conditions. Only one player can win the match. So
what are the secrets to making the wind your friend?
1) Your serve can be affected greatly by the wind.
One tip I like to give players is to keep your toss lower when
serving in windy conditions. Keeping the toss lower doesn't allow the
wind to alter the ball's trajectory. Stay away from the Steffi Graf
toss. Your toss may land in the bleachers with a good gust of wind.
2) Learn how to hit a drop shot.
With the wind blowing in your face, a good slice drop shot turns
into a great slice drop shot. Make sure you are inside the baseline when
attempting this shot. Your margin of error is greater. Also, it helps
that your opponent is off the court or behind the baseline. The key to
any good drop shot is how close you can land the ball to net. The wind
will assist in knocking the ball down and force your opponent to run
farther to retrieve the shot. If your opponent does happen to get the
ball in play, often times they are running so hard forward that it is
easy to lob or pass them with a firm shot.
3) Get better on your feet.
Wind can wreak havoc on your stroke production. Make sure you are
always on your toes and making minor adjustments to hit the ball clean.
Too many players plant their feet too soon and end up stretching for
shots and making errors. I tell my players to "double" their footwork in
windy conditions.
4) Hit with more topspin.
When the wind is behind you, it can be easy to float balls long.
Use increased topspin or "roll" the ball to keep the ball in play. The
wind will often times carry the ball deep into the court€¦..coupled with
topspin, the ball becomes a "heavy" ball causing players to spray balls
and make more mistakes.
5) Turn lemons into lemonade.
Just having a positive mind set can make all the difference. Tell
yourself that you are the best player in windy conditions. If you go
into a match telling yourself that you don't enjoy the conditions, you
probably won't. But if you go into the match knowing that your opponent
may not like the conditions and that you do, you might have the slight
edge to win in the end!
Happy Hitting....