It may sound funny but few players know the two most common mistakes in tennis. What are they?

The first is to hit past the baseline and the second is to hit into the net. For topspin groundstrokes, there’s a simple correction if you hit the ball into the net. Just swing more from low to high, creating more arc to get the ball over the net and deeper into the opponent’s court.

And, if you happen to hit the ball past the baseline, the correction is also uncomplicated. Simply close the racquet angle with the non-racquet hand, and you’ll add more topspin, which will cause the ball to dip shorter into the court.

Now, obviously, you can also just lower the arc to make the ball land shorter in the court, but it’s a very powerful exercise to see what merely closing the racquet angle can accomplish.




Joe Dinoffer has had an extensive "world class" career in the tennis industry, and has conducted clinics and exhibitions in over 50 countries. Joe also is also the owner of oncourtoffcourt.com and president of Oncourt Offcourt, Ltd., a company exclusively serving the needs of tennis, fitness, and physical education coaches with innovative training aids and educational tools. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Monika, and their daughter, Kalindi.