Tennis Tips

After watching a few tennis instructional videos on Youtube (2 minutes tennis), I have listed tips to improve my tennis skills.

Here is a GoPro Hero4 video of my recent service practice.

Tennis Serve Issues to work on:

1. Being still before starting the serve motion
   
2. Tossing the ball in front
3. More coiling, separating arms later 
4. Keeping the racquet arm horizontal (at shoulder level)
   
5. Engaging legs when tennis racquet passes overhead 
6. Being much looser (increases power)
   
7. After pronation, bringing the body to a stop using the left arm (to generate more power)
8. Make the head go up
   

And here's another GoPro Hero4 video of my ball machine training session.

 Forehand Drive Issues to work on:

1. Keep the head still, looking through the racquet's strings to see the incoming ball
   
2. Keep the right-hand shoulder high when taking the racquet back
   
3. Left-arm should be moving upwards (not downwards) during the forehand drive and synchronized with the hitting arm
   
4. Keeping both arms on the racquet (with more coil) before initiating the swing
5. Bending knees more during the forehand swing 
   
6. Split-step when the opponent hits the ball and moves to intercept the ball
   
7. Transfer weight from right foot to left foot  during the swing
   
8. Accelerate the racquet through the swing (not constant velocity) 
9. Keep the arm swing motion longer for additional power
   
10. Wherever the arm goes, the ball goes 
11. During contact, the right elbow should be straight
12. The wrist should be loose but can be used for extra spin
    
13. When the ball bounces, stroke preparation should be complete. Attack the ball - don't wait for it to get to you.
    
14. Do not move when hitting the ball. You cannot aim when moving. The body should be quiet.
    
15. On Fastballs, use shortened backswing (serve returns)
    
16. On Slow balls, use full backswing (more power)
    
17. Controlling the racquet face:
• Long drive, more open
• A short drive, more closed

 

Contact Point

• The contact ball is correct when one can see the ball through the strings of the racquet.
  

Strategy

• Singles
1. Get 1st serve in! Keep the first-serve percentage high
• Serve to opponent's backhand (usually, the weakest stroke)
  
2. Return a serve in the center (to keep the ball in play)
3. When rallying, hit the ball high over the net to keep the opponent away from the net
4. At the net, don't hit hard; instead, hit short and angle shots
5. When opponents come into the net, hit low in the center
6. Hit higher than your opponent. It's hard to hit high-bouncing balls (especially for backhand) and avoid net errors. 
   

1. Return serve back down the middle 
2. Close off the net when approaching to cut off more angle 
3. Aim cross-court passing shots near the side "t."
• Doubles 
• Baseliner hits to baseliner
• Net player hits to Net player 
  

Forehand

• Open vs Closed Stance
  
• Use neutral and closed-stance for low balls
  
• Use an open stance for high balls
• Forehand Technique
• Elbows up and high in starting position, ready to split-step (when the opponent hits the ball)
  
• Unit turn and keep elbows high with both hands on the racquet  (strings facing off to my right), chin on the right shoulder.
  
• Release left hand and sit down, with the racquet strings pointing down 
• Contact the ball (head is still and looking at the ball), the left hand is above the right hand
  
• Swing upwards and with chin on the left shoulder
• Catch the racquet with the left-hand
• Forehand Power 
• Use more shoulder coiling, using both hands on the racquet to pre-coil
  
• In Open Stance, press down with your legs to transfer power
• You should be done popping up, before hitting the ball
• The non-hitting hand should be rising, before hitting the ball
  

Serve

• Hit a Perfect Serve 
1. Ready Position
2. Palm down
3. Knock off the birthday hat
4. On Edge
5. Contact
6. Pronated
7. Finish
   
• Kick Serve 
• Toss the ball overhead (12 o'clock); it's a shorter throw than for a topspin or slice serve.
  
• Hit the ball before the racquet reaches full extension (unlike slice or topspin serve)
  
• Stay sideways during the entire serve
  
• On a proper kick serve, the ball should bounce right
• How to Serve 100mph
• Have a  very loose arm (very light grip)
  
• When the racquet crosses the head, the legs need to kick out
• Tuck in the left arm to stop the body (for increased power)
  

Return of Serve

•  Basics of Return of Serve
• The body must face the server (not just the head) and bisect the two corners where the ball could land. 
• As the server tosses the ball, I should pre-move forward and split-step
• Turn, avoiding a long backswing (shoulder turn is all the backswing you need)
• Hit the ball
  
• Step forward
  

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Relaxing at Avila Beach

For our 20th Wedding Anniversary, Inna reserved the Avila La Fonda Hotel, located on the beautiful Avila Beach, California, for the two-day weekend, from Friday, October 15 to Sunday, October 17. although we have stayed at Pismo Beach multiple times, we have never stayed at Avila Beach.

Friday, October 15, 2021

We started our drive to Avila Beach on Friday, October 15, at about 7:00pm, hoping to avoid all of the significant traffic. Our drive to Avila Beach (which should generally take 3 hours) took us about 3.5 hours.

After arriving at our Avila La Fonda Hotel, we checked into Room #207, and we were given two pies (for dessert) - a small apple pie and a miniature pecan pie. Along with hot tea, they were a lovely, welcoming surprise for our late arrival.

Saturday, October 16, 2021

I woke at 7:00am in the morning, quickly dressed, and drove to Pismo Beach for a morning surfing session. I parked at the Addie Street Surfing Parking Lot and walked to the beach overlook to observe the incoming waves more closely. The waves near the Pismo Pier were about 4-5 feet high, and I decided to use my Firewire Spitfire 6'6" surfboard. I applied some wax and dressed in my 4/3mm Promotion wetsuit. I was worried about the 56 Fahrenheit water, as it was late in the season, and I don't especially enjoy surfing in cold water.

After some time, I paddled out into the surf and joined the line-up. There were a few longboarders on Wavestorms and a few paddle surfers. The waves came flat and closed out quickly, so the surfing time was short. I couldn't catch the incoming waves at the right time. In about 30 minutes, the wave height and intensity diminished, and I switched to my 7' Wavestorm. Catching waves on the Wavestorm was much easier, but the waves were now relatively small. I surfed for another 30 minutes and then returned to the minivan. 

 

I drove back to our Avila La Fonda Hotel. Inna was already awake and dressed. She picked up the free croissants and Orange Juice from the lobby, but we were not really impressed with the croissants. We decided to eat breakfast somewhere else and walked to Avila Beach, where we stopped by Kraken Coffee. We joined the long line and eventually ordered the following(Inna wanted to try the breakfast burrito, but it was sold out):

• Boris: Mocha (with dark chocolate)
  
• Inna: Latte
• Share: Almond Croissant, Ham 'n' Cheese Croissant  

After breakfast, we decided to spend the day at Avila Beach. We picked up the free beach and chairs from our Avila La Honda Hotel and set up on the beach. I continued to read my Narnia 3 - The Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis on my Kindle while Inna read her Angles & Demons by Dan Brown. We were bothered by flies and eventually relocated to another spot with less seaweed to attract flies.

At around 2:00pm, we returned to our room and drove to Ventana Grill for lunch. Inna made reservations on OpenTable for 2:30pm. Our table was not yet ready when we arrived, so we sat outside, reading our books.

Eventually, we were seated indoors (no outdoor seating was available), and we ordered our favorites, including:

• Boris: Strawberry Limeade, Clam Chowder, Fish & Chips,
• Inna: Strawberry Limeade, Clam Chowder, Carne Asada Tacos

After breakfast, we returned to Pismo Beach and walked the beach for 4 miles.

We noticed many cars camped right on the beach.

We returned to Avila Beach in the evening and decided to eat dinner at the Blue Moon over Avila restaurant. Since outdoor seating was unavailable, we were seated indoors next to a live piano player, who played a medley of popular tunes, including Yesterday, etc.

 

We ordered the following items from the printed menu:

• Appetizer: Bubbling Brie with French baguette
  
• Boris: Allagash Beer, Glazed  Pomegranate Salmon
  
• Inna: Framboise, Fresh Wild Mushroom Ravioli
  
• Dessert: Macaroons

We really enjoyed our dinner, though the service was occasionally slow. I especially liked the Bubbling Brie and my Glazed Pomegranate Salmon.

Returning to our hotel, I continued reading Narnia 3 - The Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis but was so tired that I had difficulty staying awake. I kept falling asleep and decided to finally go to bed.

Sunday, October 17, 2021

I woke at 7:00am but was still exhausted and unprepared for another surfing session. I decided to skip today's surfing session.

After finally waking up at around 8:00am, I decided to shower and walk around Avila Beach in the early morning hours (while Inna was still sleeping). While I walked around, I noticed many dogs being taken for walks and a long line of coffee drinkers at the Kraken Coffee Company. In addition, two SUP boarders took their inflatable SUPs paddling near the Avila Pier.

When I returned at around 9:00am, Inna woke up, and we decided to eat the freshly baked croissants provided by Avila La Fonda Hotel and then head to Kraken Coffee for our breakfast. When we reached Kraken, we ordered our usual items:

• Boris: Mocha (with dark chocolate)
  
• Inna: Latte
• Share: Breakfast burrito, Almond Croissant

I enjoyed my dark chocolate Mocha but did not care much about the burrito. However, the Almond Croissant was outstanding!

We stayed at Kraken for a few hours as I continued to read my Narnia 3 - The Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis. Inna finally reached Alex, who had just returned to London from Scotland, where he had visited Edinburgh. We were anxious to hear the details of his trip there.

After breakfast, we checked out of our hotel and decided to hike the Bob Jones Trail, which is only a few minutes away from our hotel. We enjoyed the 4.5-mile roundtrip hike on a straightforward trail. We saw multiple dog walkers, bicyclists, and even skateboarders on this easy trail.

Before eating lunch, we decided to rest a bit at Pismo Beach. We drove to Pismo Beach and took our seats to sit on the sandy beach and enjoy the sound of the waves crashing on the beach.

 

At around 2:50pm, we returned to our Toyota Sienna and drove to the nearby Ventana Grill for our 3:00pm lunch reservation. After sitting down, we ordered the following items:

• Boris: Strawberry Limeade, Clam Chowder, Mahi-Mahi Sandwich
• Inna: Strawberry Limeade, Clam Chowder, Fish & Chips
• Dessert: Ventana Mud Pie

We really liked the Ventana Mud Pie ice cream.

 

After lunch, we resumed our drive home. Reaching San Jose took us about 3.5 hours (due to road construction and traffic).

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Anniversary Dinner at Flowers, Saratoga

For our 20th Wedding Anniversary, I made dinner reservations for 6:45pm at Flowers, Saratoga. We noticed Flowers nearby when we last dined at The Plumed Horse (for Alex's Bellarmine Graduation). It was an exquisite restaurant, and we wanted to try it.

We arrived on time and parked in the parking lot near Plumed Horse.

After checking in, the hostess sat us at an outdoor table, as expected. Inna and I were hoping for outdoor heaters, but the City of Saratoga banned them. Luckily, we brought our warm winter coats and were generous enough during dinner.

After looking at the online dinner menu, Inna and I ordered the following items to share:

• Boris: Blanco Franco Cocktail
  
• Inna: Kiss the Bubble Cocktail
  
• Shared: Greek Village Salad, Octopus Carpaccio, Mini Wagyu Slider Duo, Ahi Tuna Flatbread, Exotic Mushroom Ravioli
• Dessert: Limoncello Tart

Although the portions were relatively small, we enjoyed these bite-sized tapas. I really liked the Mini Wagyu Sliders and the Mushroom Ravioli.

 

 

The Limoncello Tart was also exquisite.

Although expensive, we liked the delicious tapas at Flowers and hope to return again.

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Tennis at AVAC

On October 5, 2021, I joined the Almaden Valley Athletic Club (AVAC) to resume tennis training. The monthly membership cost is $200/month for one adult. In addition, I had to pay a $175 membership joining fee.

In 2020, I was well on my way to improving my tennis skills, moving from a USTA 3.0 rating to 3.5. This training involved daily training on the Sunnyvale Tennis Center's ball machine and multiple tennis clinics with Rick Newman.

I set up a daily 07:00 - 08:00 ball machine session to re-acquaint myself with my tennis skills. During my first session on Tuesday, October 5, I played at 21:00 and missed many balls. My timing was way off.

The AVAC Tennis webcam is on to check the conditions of the tennis courts. 

On Monday, October 11, I have 30-minute lessons with Greg Holmes (AVAC Tennis Director) to help me develop my tennis development plan:

1. Introduce me to current 3.0 - 3.5 AVAC tennis players
2. Find out about ongoing tennis clinics (Saturday 08:30 - 10:00)
3. Find out about the NorCal USTA tennis team
   

Tennis development consists of three separate areas:

1. Physical conditioning
• Stretching (yoga)
• Muscle Development (push-ups)
• Aerobics (mountain biking, cycling)
  
2. Technical skills (improving strokes)
• Forehand
• Backhand
• Serve (kick, flat, slice) 
• Volley
  
3. Strategy (developing game intelligence)
• Hitting cross-court vs down-the-line
  

Serving Lesson Notes:

1. Ball toss location:
• Kick-serve: 11 o'clock
• Topspin: 1 o'clock
• Slice: 3 o'clock
2. Topspin or kick serves are more reliable for the second serve than the slice serve.
3. For the first serve, you need less spin and more power
4. Toss the ball higher and more in front for more power
5. After the service, the body should be moving forward – not left
6. If the ball lands outside the service box, the racquet is opening up too early
7. Try to keep the racquet closed until ball contact. The wrist needs to snap forward for more power
8. Use more of the shoulders to get power
9. The swing path follows wherever the ball is tossed.
• Toss the ball forward for more power
• Toss the ball left, and you will move left

Forehand Technique Notes:

1. Use a closed stance for more power
2. To hit the ball further, increase the extension of the swing
3. To hit accurately, minimize movement of the head & body (quite everything)
4. For a long drive, aim for the ball many feet above the net (vital for a topspin forehand)
5. To seek, the ball left to hit the ball on the right
6. To seek the ball right, hit the ball on the left

 I found an excellent video online explaining proper forehand principles on YouTube:

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Surf Paddling at Linda Mar

After surfing for many weeks at famous surfing spots in Laguna Beach: Thalia Street, Rockpile Beach, Newport Beach, San Clemente, and Trestles, I realized that my surf paddling could use improvement. 

I discovered Rob, a local surf trainer, teaches proper surf paddling techniques. He runs a website called surfingpaddling.com. He is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and offers online and private lessons.

I contacted Rob and discussed various training options, selecting the Level-1 Paddling Technique 4-session bundle.

4 sessions (~3 hrs each): Pool, Ocean 1, Pool/Lagoon, Ocean 2

Included:

• Level 1 Paddling Technique Lessons and Coaching
• Before/After Paddling Analysis
• LIFETIME Access to the Surfing Paddling Academy Level 1 Online Course. Begins after the last session.
• Guided Drill and Practice
• Breathing for Paddling
• Commentary and Practice Assignments for Continued Practice
• Two Ocean Application Sessions
• One additional Level 1 Technique Coaching Session

I purchased it on October 21, 2020. I look forward to improving my training in the upcoming sessions.
My first surf paddling session has been scheduled for Sunday, October 25, 2020, from 13:30 to 17:00 in Novato, CA.

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