If you’re looking for some pro-tips to help you brush up on your tennis skills, who could be a better source of knowledge than Andy Murray’s former coach?
Mark Petchey helped to coach Murray into the world’s top 50 from a ranking of 351st in the world and now he’s turning his hand to helping us mortals learn to be better tennis players.
Petchey has designed a tennis programme for people of all levels to improve their skills in the sun with Neilson Holidays. Here are his top tips for achieving professional quality in your game.
Serving
1. Stand on the baseline
2. Practise throwing the ball with your front shoulder turned a little into the court
3. Throw your racket hand “up and over”, keeping a straight line with the through-motion of your arm
4. The ball toss is key: practise consistency by throwing the ball up through a basketball hoop
Returning a serve
1. Stand on the balls of your feet, with your legs set apart for a wide base: don’t rock back on your heels
2. Keep your head forward, and low to give you a good eye-line over the net
3. Keep your eye on your opponent’s racket strings when they serve
Forehand
1. Make sure you get your racket back in time to control the shot
2. Practise your grip by picking the racket up near the bottom of the handle, giving it a small shake and a small quarter-turn to add an extra chance of spin
