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Do You Have Soft Hands?

Dave Kensler – Peter Burwash International (PBI)

It is an expression tennis players have heard for years in some shape or form: “You need to have soft hands around the net” or a certain tour player has “soft hands.” We also hear it used in other sports too. A basketball player has “soft hands around the rim” or a football wide receiver has “soft hands” on difficult catches.

For tennis, what though does “soft hands” mean? How is it defined? Is it the same as “great touch?” Can you develop “soft hands” or is it simply a God-given gift?

With this article I will address these issues in addition to suggesting some drills you can do to practice / add “soft hands” to your tennis game.

Why Don’t People Have Soft Hands?

In my opinion, the number one reason players do not have soft hands is because they grip the racquet handle too tightly all the time. During my life I have played many different sports and I have yet to encounter one, including tennis, which can be done well by being physically tense! We may be mentally intense but, when playing any sport, it is important to be physically relaxed. (See my previous article on TennisOne on how the last three fingers of the hitting hand is the key to adding firmness or relaxation.)

Click photo: As he moves towards the net Andy Roddick continually relaxes his hitting hand in anticipation of the next shot.

The video with Andy Roddick is perhaps the best example of how you can begin to develop “soft hands,” and that is to simply learn how to relax your hitting hand during the point! Pay particularly close attention to his right-hand as the point progresses. Roddick continually creates “firmness”(Not a “death grip”) and then “releases the firmness” before and after the shots he hits.

This also addresses the issue of whether we have enough time to “squeeze and release” our hitting hand during the point. Keep in mind, we are seeing the video in slow motion, yet even in real time and especially with the speed of the ball at the tour level, Roddick still has time to adjust the tension of his hand.

This “adjusting” if you will is made necessary due tofact that Roddick does not know what his next shot will be – a high volley, an overhead, a low angled volley? Roddick has to be ready for anything.

I remember when I played basketball and the coach told our team, “Remember guys, when you are on the floor during a game for the overwhelming majority of the time the basketball will not be in your hands so what are doing the rest of the time?”

Well, for tennis players, the overwhelming majority of the time during a match we are NOT hitting the ball and even when we do it is only for a nano-second! So what in particular, are you doing the rest of the time with your hitting hand?

Again, looking at the Roddick video, what helps him relax his hitting hand? He uses his non-hitting hand to support the racquet! There is no way he could continually “squeeze and relax” if he was only holding the racquet with his hitting hand.

Do You Need Soft Hands to Play Good Tennis?

Click photo: Kim Clijsters demonstrates a very “aggressive hitting hand” with a forehand swinging volley and then a “soft hitting hand” with a backhand drop volley. Notice her racquet hand between the two shots; it probably comes 80% off the handle! This is also a drill you can work on – hit one aggressive volley with contact above the net band and then one touch shot with contact below the net band.

Probably not as much if you are strictly a baseline singles player, except perhaps for the occasional drop shot. Yet most people play doubles either exclusively or part of the time.

Recently, when I attended the BNP Paribas Open and watched a number of doubles matches, I noticed how the type of shots attempted changed dramatically when all four of the players were inside the service line compared to the shots which led to that moment, i.e. A big serve, aggressive return and maybe a heavy groundstroke or two.

Once inside the service line most shots (unless the ball was a “sitter”) became all about “touch,” lots of underspin, acute angles and so forth. I imagine most 4.0+ players watching felt if they could have dropped onto the court at that point in time, they could have “hit with the big boys.”

The point being, at the tour level, the hands of the players change from shots hit on the baseline compared to those struck inside the service line. So if you want to play better doubles, you need soft hands.

Click photo: Following his serve into the net, John McEnroe demonstrates how to turn a defensive shot (a low volley with contact below the white net band) into a winning point by hitting a drop volley. Despite the fact he is moving quickly forward when he hits the drop volley, his racquet hand / head barely moves at all.

Developing Soft Hands And Better Touch

I find most tennis players do not practice what sometimes are called “dinky shots!” I'm not talking about just drop shots. Players should also practice half-volleys and the angled volleys or just trying to caress the ball over the net and drop it at the feet of an opponent.

Here are two simple drills to practice soft hands:

Distance Games – Work on what I call your “distance games” – meaning two people at the baseline are roughly 80 feet from each other; if one stays at the baseline and the other is at the service line then they are 60 feet apart; if both are at the service line then they are only 40 feet apart and so on. So how good is your 60-foot game? Your 40-foot game?

In doubles, your first shot hit after the serve and return (Assuming you are coming to the net) is often around the service line. This can be a half-volley, low volley, high volley, or even an overhead. Or, if the ball bounces in front of you, it might necessitate a soft underspin shot at the feet of your opponent. In other words, practice your shots around the service line. So called no-man's land is not something to be feared, to play better tennis, it must be embraced. You must learn how to use it to your advantage.

Click photo: Pete Sampras executes a perfect serve, a firm first volley, and a deft second drop volley. The key is the difference in the racquet path between the two volleys. The first volley is longer, for the drop volley the racquet head barely moves at all.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people take a “baseline swing” at the ball (an 80-foot shot) when they are standing at the service line (you only have 60-feet of court left!) and wonder why the ball goes long!

Play Below the Net – Work on shots where the contact is below the white net band! One reason people do not have soft hands around the net is because they only practice shots where the contact is above the net band i.e., high or at least waist to shoulder high volleys, overhead smashes, and the like.

A drill I will do with doubles players is have all four of them start at the service line; then I introduce a below the white net band ball and they play out the point. Usually it begins with too much over-hitting and balls “popping up.” Within a couple of minutes, however, the concept of “out finessing the other team” takes over with the focus on keeping the ball low and at the feet of the opponents. There is less effort to win the point initially and instead, the focus is on hitting shots which eventually lead to a “put away” ball.

“Soft hands” are a great addition to your tennis game! Yes they are important and yes you can develop them! Apply what I have shared in this article and soon people may be complimenting you on your “soft hands” and “great touch” around the net!

Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Dave Kensler's article by emailing us here at TennisOne.

Dave Kensler has 28-years of teaching experience with Peter Burwash International (PBI), the highly successful international tennis management company. PBI directs tennis programs at exclusive hotels, resorts, and clubs in North America, Europe, Caribbean, Asia, Middle East, Pacific, Central America, Mexico, and the Indian Ocean. Over 3 million people have received instruction from PBI Professionals during the 35-year history of the company. All PBI Tennis Professionals play with PRINCE racquets and wear PRINCE shoes. For information on PBI tennis destinations and employment opportunities please go to www.pbitennis.com.