Watch to Learn: How to Improve From Your Couch

by Megan Fernandez

One of the coolest things about tennis (and pickleball) is that, unlike other popular sports, many fans also compete. No one watching the NFL playoffs right now will put on a helmet afterward for a league game, but many of us losing sleep to Australian Open matches will play tennis this week. It’s not delusional to think we can play like a pro. In little ways that matter, we can.

For all the empty entertainment calories we consume watching hours of Slam matches, fashion moments and viral ads—no apologies!—there’s also a lot of nutritional value on the screen, too. A tennis match looks repetitive to the untrained eye, but as a player yourself, you know there’s a lot going on every second. Here’s what to focus on to improve your own game.

The Warm-Up

Here’s a rec player warming up: Gossips for 15 minutes, does a few windmill swings with the racket and hits the first groundstroke at 100 percent.

Here’s a pro warming up: Pedals a stationary bike, does footwork drills in a hallway and rallies at 50 percent.

Full disclosure—the pros do a full on-court warm-up a few hours before a match. But even then, they actually warm up by jogging, stretching and hitting softly before going all-out. Warming up prevents injuries and hones your form. Plus, you can keep your cute warm-up fit on a little longer. Our current obsession is Varley’s high-rise “FreeSoft” legging in coffee bean with the Spanx AirEssentials Crewneck in Powder.

The Fundamentals

The foundational elements are the ones you stand to learn the most from—footwork, racket preparation, positioning, etc.

An image of Serena Williams playing doubles in 2022 is etched into my brain. I noticed how high she held her racket in ready position at the net. It was almost preposterous—her arms were fully extended, and her grip was at chin-level. But who was I to judge? I started accentuating my racket’s ready position and being mindful that I don’t get lazy and drop the head during a point.

The Backswing

Serena’s backswing was also something to emulate. She and Venus always had textbook racket prep, good and early. This is another fundamental area where club players have room to improve.

Don’t be fooled by the modern backswing. A lot of female pros delay their backswing until they are ready to hit the ball, especially on the backhand side—they incorporate the backswing into the stroke. That’s not recommended for club players. The timing is tricky. Some top players still take the racket back early, though. Coco Gauff is a good one to study, especially when she’s attacking a mid-court ball. 

The Footwork

The number-one way to improve fast  is to split-step. We all know we should split-step, but most of us don’t do it consistently. If you film yourself, you’ll see that you are a habitual flat-footed offender. I did. It was horrifying.

Try this: Watch the same player throughout a game or two, and don’t follow the ball. Say “split-step” every time he or she hops. Then start staying it under your breath when you play. 

Also, notice how their feet start bouncing right after a serve. You and I are watching where the serve lands or, at best, shuffling our feet. We aren’t skipping on hot coals like they are. If you can improve your footwork by even 10 percent, you’ll hit more quality balls.

The Knee-Bend

Another fundamental that we slack on is bending the knees. Some of this is understandable—we’re not 25! But we lose power and control when we don’t. I have a bad habit of jumping into a forehand, maybe because I’ve seen Gael Monfils do it for 15 years and it looks cool. But as club players, we need to keep our feet planted, bend the knees and transfer our body weight into the shot. Like the pros do.

The Target

The best players don’t aim for the lines. Notice where their balls land, especially the last shot of a point. You might be surprised by how few land even close to a line. Pros are patient and wait for an opening so they don’t have to go for a high-risk winner on the line.

Deep balls are an exception. Groundstrokes regularly land close to the baseline. Pay attention to depth versus width. The sideline is risky. The baseline is a smarter aggressive target.

The Attitude

Sure, players sulk and pout and yell after a miss. But usually they turn around immediately and get ready for the next point. Try to control your body language the same way. Negative body language sends a message to your opponent and drags you and your partner down. Practice forgiving and forgetting. 

During Naomi Osaka’s tight first-round win over Caroline Garcia, Garcia seemed to get lucky at a crucial moment in the third set and won a couple “cheapies,” as the Australians say, off of Osaka’s first serve. I imagined that Osaka had to feel so frustrated seeing a great serve turn into an advantage for her opponent at a critical juncture of the match. But I was wrong. Osaka told the media that she never felt like the match was getting away from her. She hadn’t processed those lucky shots as I might have. Pros focus on what they can control and move on to the next point quickly. Most of the time.

The Alley

In doubles, getting burned down the alley is the worst, right? Then we try to burn the opponent back and miss. So we camp out in the alley and watch our partner do all the work.

Doubles is won and lost in the middle. Notice where doubles players stand at the net. How close to the net and the centerline? Where are they when the point starts? When do they move to cover the alley, and where is the ball on the other side when this happens? How often does a player even aim for the alley? The takeaway: Stop guarding the alley with your life.

It’s worth remembering that pros position themselves at the net according to where their partner is going to serve. Most rec players don’t even choose a serve target, much less tell their partner where it’s going. Perhaps that’s something to try, also. 

The Hard Shot

New shots creep into the game as racket technology and athleticism evolve. The Western-grip forehand, the tweener and Alcaraz’s drop shots are examples. It’s fun to try those shots, and tennis should be fun. Just don’t expect them to work. 

The one exception is a swinging volley, which has replaced the conventional high volley. Hardly any female player punches at a high volley anymore. This is a legitimate shot for a club player to develop, and it’s useful because it takes time away from the opponent. But there’s a right way to hit it and a bunch of wrong ways. If you’re tempted, ask your pro to teach the technique and practice it in clinics.

Enjoy the Australian!