Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Now let me ask you a question… Have you ever played a match against an opponent who isn’t a power-monger and doesn’t really hit the ball hard, but his game still makes you feel rushed and off balance?

Well if so, your opponent hitting the ball on the rise, is probably one of the biggest reasons why you felt so uncomfortable.  And as the famous quote says,  “Success imitates Success.”

So if you want to make your  next opponent uncomfortable without having to put more on your stroke  and widen your margin for error at the same time, then I suggest you start doing it too.

Now, just in case you’re unfamiliar with the term “hitting the ball  on the rise”, it simply means that you strike the ball when it’s on it’s way upward from the court surface or as soon as the ball reaches it’s peak.

With both of these perspectives, the goal is the exact same. You’re doing whatever it takes to hit the ball before gravity starts to bring it down .  By catching the ball on the upswing, you’ll be snatching a ton of setup and recovery time away from your opponent as well as getting off a much cleaner shot.

Let me tell you, this is a great strategy to keep your opponent on the defensive end, especially if they’re slow and don’t have incredibly fast reflexes or footwork.  To them, it’ll feel like your shots are coming twice as fast and twice as hard  - which is sure to keep them off balance. They will definitely feel the effects of it, and that’s truth.

And what’s great is, you won’t have to swing any faster or exert any more power or energy for your opponent to feel it.  All you have to do is catch the ball sooner.

Now if you’ve been experiencing problems attempting to execute this strategy and you find yourself catching the ball when it’s already started on it’s descent,  it’s probably due to these two main reasons:

If you feel that you may be suffering from either of the two, the ball will end up dropping low and beneath your ideal strike zone. And you’ll have to hit the ball as it’s coming down. Then, what happens? Exactly, you’ll have to open the racket face (…to try and generate some extra lift).

Then, if you want any chance at getting any offensive firepower on your ball at all, you have to work 5 times HARDER to get off a last second prayer.  And you’re going to have to contort your body in an awkward position, just hoping make good contact.

And most of the times, your prayer will not be answered.  You’ll usually mishit or “shank” a lot more balls while trying to get in that position - especially if you’re dipping your shots in a deep-dish of heavy topspin.

Oh, but you will get your wish of some added air-time. Combined with the added force, late preparation, and the face of the racket already pointed to the sky, you’ll end up popping the ball high in the air. Your ball will take flight and fly clear over the fence. SOUND FAMILIAR?

And if all that wasn’t enough, you’ll also be giving your opponent the gift of added prep-time, which will allow him to produce a much more effective shot. Now, this is a vicious cycle and will continue to happen, unless you change something.

So, to prevent that from happening, you have to change your mental perspective.  You want to have an “Active Mindset.” Don’t relax and “wait.” Be aggressive and GO “TO” THE BALL - go get it!

Just by changing the core of your thinking or thought process, it’ll almost seem magical. You’ll automatically find yourself in much better position. You’ll get to the ball much sooner and find it much easier to take the ball at it’s peak while generating much better contact.

Not only that, but you’ll feel much more fluid when executing your shot, and you’ll be able to recover for the next one a heck of a lot sooner.

Oh, and notice… When you execute the active mindset properly, you’ll see that the face of your racket will be closed (…and not open and tilted up like before).

By having a closed racket face…

This will ultimately change what would’ve been a viscous cycle of “pop-ups” and “look outs” , “body jolts,”  “jagged court movement”, and weak returns into a beautiful one  comprised of effortless movement and easily executed shots and technique -

Now if you try the active mindset, and you’re still a little slow at first, don’t worry. It’s not going to come right away.  It’s going to take a little while to become consistent at it.

An excellent way for you to become proficient in the “rising” phenomenon is to PRACTICE it.   A great way to do that and cut the time for you to see results in half, is by hitting against a wall or backboard.

After the many repetitions of going after the ball with a active (…killer) instinct over and over… you’ll be able to ingrain everything it takes to make it work . All the movement, footwork, mindset, along with quickness and reflexes will start to sink deep into your muscles and your mind so you won’t have to think twice about it.

This will also help you with possible problem number #1, in that a backboard will give you tons of wacky, crazy  balls to hit. This is great because no ball that comes to you will be the same, just like you’d see in a real match. You’ll be forced to react on the fly without being able to cheat like you can do with a ball machine.

Now, while it may appear mundane and simplistic, it’s highly efficient. Hey, not everything has to be hard and strenuous to produce results for ya. Oh, and a bonus of practicing on your own is that you can stroll onto the court and surprise your hitting buddies with your new heightened game.

Give them an extra 6-0 in their stocking this year :).

Have a Merry Christmas filled with bagels, aces, and smiles!

-Brian

P.S. I’m actually in the recording studio for TMC Strategy Secrets 101 writing this on a quick lunch break. Things in here have been crazy, but we’re getting a lot done. I’ll try to get an update video on the latest sometime tomorrow (…in between last minute shopping for the family). Have a great one, and Merry Christmas!