Certified USTA High Performance Coach;
Certified Etcheberry Trainer;
Was a nationally ranked junior and No.1 player at Cornell University;
Competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
Studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite Junior coach)In this instructional tennis coaching video, Chris Lewit, a Certified USTA High-Performance Coach, outlines the teaching techniques and skill-improvement guidelines needed for mastering the transition game by attacking with an approach shot.
Coach Lewit breaks down his video into three parts for teaching players how to improve in the transition game: teaching, tactical and drills/exercises; it includes an examination about how and why the return shot is often the least-practiced shot in all of tennis, as well as providing a wealth of teaching tips on mastering this shot!
Footwork, Techniques & Court Positions
Coach Lewit opens the video talking about how footwork and technique, as well as covering the body position and stance one should use when hitting an approach shot. He also covers highly valuable information about transition and how to best explode forward after hitting the approach shot.
Transition and explosion are especially important because players need to utilize proper footwork and technique when hitting an approach shot and master a knowledge of how to transition to different positions on the court.
Coach Lewit then breaks into a detailed discussion about tactical positioning when hitting approach shots and transitioning on to three different zones on the court.
ZONE 1, Lewit explains, extends from the service line to the net. ZONE 2 is shown from the service line to just inside the baseline and ZONE 3 extends from the baseline and in the back court.
Coach Lewit discusses tactical strategy with the importance of knowing when to hit approach shots, when to come into the mid-court and when to come into the net. He also mentions an important strategy regarding pattern-of-play and points out several myths that people believe regarding hitting approach shots (such as, always hitting it to the same place, slice approach shots, hitting it to the middle, etc.).
Approach Shot Strategy & Drills/Exercises
Coach Lewit then leads a helpful lesson on how players think about the game of tennis and their strategy for hitting approach shots and being in transition – with a thought-provoking discussion on thinking about what your opponent might be thinking and how to use variety in the different shots that a player hits. He stresses the importance of pace and topspin, in addition to ball placement when hitting approach shots.
Next, Coach Lewit shares some of his favorite drills and exercises to attack approach shots and to master the transition game. He begins with hand feeding, which is good for focusing on footwork and technique, followed by racket-feeding drills and a variety of single-ball drills, two-ball drills and four-ball drills to help players improve on the transition game and teach them how to attack all three zones on the court.
This highly valuable instructional video is for players who are learning how to attack approach shots and to master the transition game. Coach Lewit highlights the importance of technique and footwork first, followed by the strategy behind the different types of approach shots a player can hit and ends with some terrific live-ball exercises to help a player perfect his or her approach to shot strategy and mastering the transition game.
83 minutes. 2023.