Every player has been in a situation where they’re not playing well and, as a result, they lose confidence. Lacking confidence, they play even worse, and so on. Shrinking the court is a simple strategic adjustment you can make that will cut down on the number of unforced errors you’re making while still letting you “play your game.”
This strategy requires you to “shrink” the boundaries (lines) of the tennis court by several feet. In other words, pretend the court is smaller than it actually is. Continue to play within the framework of your game — play your style — but do so with these new, more conservative, boundaries.
Shrinking the court is far superior to simply trying to “keep the ball in,” because the latter strategy typically results in pushing the ball down the middle of the court. Most players aren’t going to derive much confidence from this strategy even though they eliminate some unforced errors.
Thanks to Frank Salazar, the 2008 United States Olympic Committee Coach of the Year, for teaching me this technique!
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OK, so I think the idea has some merit, but I can see some difficulties. We have to go back to why people make unforced errors to begin with. One reason may be that they hit really hard and don't care where the ball lands. Another reason may be they aim for the lines. I'm guessing the problem is ball control. If an error-prone player were told to aim at a cone, they might hit all over the place, unable to precisely control the shot. Shrinking the court would be one way to attack the problem.
The problem (I imagine) with shrinking the court is those lines are imaginary. The baseline and sidelines? I see those, and I know if I hit in or out. If I shrink the court, I have no lines to refer to, so I have no idea if I am constraining myself to a smaller court.
One way around this is to add cones and have the other guy call “out” when the ball falls outside the shrunken court. After a few games or tiebreaks like this, a player may learn where the “shrunken” court is located and keep their shots inside that region. I suppose another way is to have the player who is hitting into the shrunken court to call out whenever they hit outside the shrunken court but inside the physical court. This will require some quick judgment but is better than nothing.
its just like safety lines
Good point Will… Actually this strategy is advisable even for beginners because basically unforced errors are coming for less control… When you have control you can attack on the lines but mostly we have an error in our hits… In some games the error is our favor, and the balls are in close to the lines, but in some others is against us, meaning that the balls are 10 cm out or hit the net on top of it…Usually when I see that everything goes out I just follow this policy and try to think that the field is smaller and the net higher
In this way I just get some more confidence and keeping the ball more in the game I can adjust my hits and timing… Sure, I didn't know that this is a strategy 
PS- next time when I will go for training I will use some marks to “shrink” the field for more accuracy
If you get used to hit 50 cm in the field in the training I think is enough to do it better in the game
I think its because most people can see with their “minds” eyes where you can see where the lines should be.
Re; Shrinking the court and other videos. Simple and very effective.
I wouldn't mind supporting FUZZYYELLOWBALLS with a purchase now and then but I find the price of Premium too expensive in these tough financial times.
I agree. I was a member of premium but it is very very expensive, I quit.
And there are not enough new movies.
Why dont you think about kids who love tennis and dont have a lot of money.
Why no annual memberschip for half the price?
Why do you want to become a miljonaire in 4 months Will?
What about the love for tennis?
This approach is very valuable to keep in mind, especially the concept (new to me, I admit) of adjusting the “court lines” based on how the shots seem to be falling.
I sometimes think of the “tombstones” players should have for matches they have lost. Most would be inscribed with “He Went For Too Much Too Soon. R.I.P.” Many players get inebriated with the experience of hitting a corner, hitting a line, and go for that delightful experience again and again, with bad results. Sometimes they will get so excited they'll try to nail a corner on a first serve return, a very low percentage play.
The benefit to temporarily shrinking the court is that it keeps you in points longer so 1) your opponent can err, and/or 2) you can be treated to a short ball from which you can hit a better shot at a better angle for a better result. One added benefit to a “shrunken court” is that on a short ball (say closer to the service line than the baseline, you can still aim your advantageous angle shot in the same direction but at the shrunken lines and end up with a clean winner.
What if your problem is pounding the net and not hitting it out? That seems to be my issue more often, and shrinking the court would only make it worse.
Brian, the court shrinking solution is for players with a technically correct stroke who are aiming too close to lines and corners and sending the ball long. Most coaches from the start will tolerate long hitters (correction to the torso turn and spin mechanics will bring the ball in bounds) but will act immediately to correct players who hit into the net, for which there is no “minor” adjustment. What it means, usually, is that the stroke is incorrect and has to be changed. See slow mo, hi def videos of Djokovic's baseline shots for torso turn, hitting in front, windshield wiper, snap finish progression on this site. If you hit like that, then strokes will not go into the net and will not go long (although late swings can send them wide).
you need to be more considerate of a person's time. FYB has more instructional videos for free than any other site i've seen. they even have progressional videos that i don't see often. These people are coaches that get paid for their time and have decided to post helpful information for tennis loving people like ourselves absolutely for free! most of the information they give away you would pay expotentially more if you decided to get a coach. any information they want to charge for they can.
if you want free information then go viral and search youtube or something, there's plenty out there, good and bad.
thanks Will for all your efforts, I really appreciate the time and energy you put in to help the tennis community =)
Always great comments!
Congratulations on inspiring tennis players.
Keep up with the great work.
I have really enjoyed all your recommendations. Thank you for making better tennis players out of all of us.
margaret
come on my friend! first rule of tennis, you gotta beat the net before you can beat the guy on the other side!!
come on my friend! first rule of tennis, you gotta beat the net before you can beat the guy on the other side!!
Tenks admin you power blog
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