The Five Fundamentals: Position on the Ball: Part 1

Watch Djokovic move back on a floating return, then explode forward for a swinging volley.

Did you ever wonder how the pros make this game look so easy?  To the pros the opponent’s side looks huge and they almost always get the ball in.  Then you get on the court and the other side looks like a postage stamp. 

There are two explanations for this cruel illusion.  First, the average player doesn’t recognize where the ball is going the way the pros do.  Second, the great players always know where their optimum contact point is going to be—anywhere on the court. 

The pros recognize how the ball is traveling, where they need to be, and then move efficiently into position to make the shot.  It’s true whether they hit the ball in the air, on the rise, at it’s peak, or on the way down. 

This constellation of skills explains why a good player doesn’t lose his level when playing a lesser player.  Good players get into position and find their ideal contact point time after time.  They do this because they maximize their use of the time available, because they know exactly the position they are striving for, and…