Private Lessons: Rhythm and Rally Speed

How do players win matches? Is the key to hit the ball harder, with the one or two shot rallies so prevalent
in today’s game? Or is the real key to success the consistency and aggression that flows from a series of well-placed shots?
I feel the latter is by far the more effective strategy for most players at most levels.

Rally speed is the speed you can generate executing your strokes while keeping the ball consistently in the court.

Consistency and placement depend on the ability of a player to establish rhythm and rally speed against a
variety of opponents. Unfortunately, this ability, which allows players to hit a series of well-placed shots, seems to be
disappearing from the game. In today’s game, people talk about rhythm mostly in terms of serving, but it is rarer to hear it
referring to rallying and point playing. Rhythm and the ability to maintain rally speed are being lost to high-tech, ultra
light, ultra powerful rackets that make keeping the ball in play virtually impossible. Players search for the racket that is
going to give them the most winners (power), when it’s consistency that will give them the most wins.

There is…