Jorge Capestany - TennisDrills TV

Playing All the Angles

Many times coaches and players are confused about just what constitutes an angle. I have been guilty of asking my students to hit more angles, but not really taking the time to properly define angles for them.

I have found it useful to give the various angles a numbering system so that the coach and the student can be on the same page.

As a player it is important to develop target areas that will help you execute the right type and amount of angle.

This video discusses the concept of four distinct levels of angles.

Many times a player is told to hit “more” angles but this can mean a lot of different things.

By defining the angles in levels of 0-3, the player can better understand what is expected.

• Level 0 = No angle, this is a down-the-line shot.
• Level 1 = Cross-court angle. Ball crosses the baseline before it crosses the sideline.
• Level 2 = Ball crosses sideline before it crosses the baseline.
• Level 3 = Ball crosses the sideline before it crosses the service line.

Many players today could benefit by adding more angle to their shot rather than simply defaulting to a more powerful shot that may not move your opponent off the court very much. Watching the pro players live is a great way to see just how much they work the ball with angles off the side of the court. Rafa Nadal has a great ability to work people way off the court because he has added the ability to create various angles to his groundstroke regime.

Jorge Capestany - TennisDrills TV

Jorge is the Founder of www.tennisdrills.tv - a video based website that shows more than 700 videos of tennis drills and tips. Jorge is one of only nine people world-wide that is a Master Professional with both the USPTA and PTR. Jorge is a 6-time Michigan Pro of the Year a 2-time Midwest Pro of the Year. Jorge has coached hundreds of ranked juniors including 3 national champions.