Guest Author - Eric T. Coursey

It doesn't matter what level of tennis that you play, your biggest obstacle is the tennis net. I like to call the net, the tennis nemesis because it is the number one reason why games are lost. There are more points conceded by hitting the ball into the net than there are balls hit wide and long combined. There are even more points lost by hitting into the tennis net than there are from your opponent hitting winners combined with your own other missed shots. It is staggering how many games are lost because of the net and yet we never seem to learn, "You can't win if you don't hit the ball over the net".

Once you begin playing competitive tennis you want keep your shots lower over the net. You will want to bring your shot down so that it is only clearing the net by a couple of feet. Take note: You should be bringing your shot down to this level, not raising it up, meaning that before this, your shot should be clearing the net by more than a couple of feet. When you are learning and practicing, keep the ball high. I don't mean that you should be hitting lob shots all of the time but you should give yourself plenty of room for error by hitting high over the net. It is better to hit the ball long than it is to hit the ball into the net, by doing this you are achieving two things: First you are forcing your opponent deep and second your opponent may hit a ball that is going long opposed to just giving them the point by hitting the ball into the net. You need to remember that the court is long and you have plenty of room to hit over the net while keeping the ball in play. Most people consistently hit the ball too short, which is bad tactically and will end up costing you points with unforced errors into the net.

There is one game that I like to play that helps me to keep the ball above the net. In practice I play a normal game with one modification, every time that I hit the net with a shot my opponent doesn't just get the point but I also lose a point. When you first begin playing this game you will be very cautious in making sure that the ball is getting over the net, but in time it will become second nature and you can begin to concentrate on other strategies as well as shot placement. This simple game is a sure way to reduce your unforced errors and will help raise your level of play.

Short shots are a key component in tennis but more often than not, you should be hitting the ball deep. When the net is no longer your tennis nemesis you can begin to concentrate on beating your opponent.