How to be consistent in tennis
Tips on improving your consistency and winning more tennis matches
One of the lessons we can all learn from Novak Djokovic is how consistency wins you tennis matches. The HEAD ambassador, who has claimed more Grand Slams than any other man in history, is often described as the greatest of all time. That might just be because he's the most consistent of all time. Again and again, he just keeps on getting the ball back into the court.
What does it mean to be consistent in tennis?
Consistency is about getting more balls back into play and making your opponent hit another shot. Some errors are going to be unavoidable, as no one's perfect, but you're giving your opponent as little as possible. If they want to win a point, they will have to hit a winner past you or force a mistake and that puts the pressure on them. As Djokovic keeps on demonstrating, consistency is a powerful weapon on the tennis court.
How can I improve the consistency in my groundstrokes?
Build your muscle memory
The most effective way of building consistency in your game is to practise as often as you can. There's a reason that Djokovic and HEAD's other athletes spend so much time on the practice court: repetition creates muscle memory. Hitting lots of shots will get you in a rhythm or groove. When you play your next match, your brain and body will be working as one, and you'll be able to use your consistency to defeat your opponent.
Count your shots
For a fun game that builds consistency, see how many consecutive shots you can play with your practice partner, counting out loud as you hit the ball. Remember that you're both trying to extend the rally rather than hit a winner or force a mistake.
Always use the same technique
If you're using slightly different technique on every shot, you won't be able to improve your consistency. It's important that you try to hit your shot in the exact same way every time, with the same stance, grip, swing and so on. If there are any kinks or mechanical issues in your game, you might find you will benefit from investing in lessons with a coach, who will help you to correct your technique and make it more repeatable.
Be as smooth as you can
The smoother your technique, the greater your consistency. Often when players try to hit the ball hard, they tend to tense up, which changes how they grip the handle of the racquet as well as how they make contact with the ball, with a different angle and a jerkier movement. As they're not using the same technique, they will lose consistency. This is perhaps easier said than done, but if you can stay more relaxed, and play smoother tennis, you will find that you still hit the ball hard, but with much higher consistency.
Get fit
Improving your fitness will boost your consistency in two ways. You will reach more balls and have the time and the space to hit the shot you want. The other benefit is that a stronger, fitter body usually means you will have a clearer, calmer head, helping you to make better decisions. As you won't feel so rushed, you will also have a moment longer to choose where you hit your next shot. You won't try to end the point quickly by playing high-risk shots, such as a drop-shot or an attempted winner down the line, which might not be the wisest choice.
Give yourself more margin for error
Going down the line is a riskier choice because you're trying to hit the ball over the highest part of the net. If you go cross-court, you will be hitting the ball over the middle of the net, which is the lowest part. You will also increase your chances of getting the ball back in play as the court is longer on the diagonal. And when playing an aggressive shot, don't aim for the line as you're likely to miss more than you make it. Instead, aim for a metre or so inside the line; there's much more chance that you will keep the ball in the court. And don't feel as though you must always hit the ball faster and faster. The smarter choice is often to keep hitting the ball at the same speed as that’s going to increase your consistency.
Play with more topspin
If you’re using more topspin, you'll find that you can still hit the ball hard but that you can control that power. You will have greater clearance over the net and the ball will tend to dip inside the baseline, rather than flying long.
Be patient and disciplined
Impatience is the enemy of consistency. Perhaps you're so keen to finish the point with a winner that you play an aggressive shot too early in the rally and make a mistake. If you can be more patient and wait for a better opportunity later in the rally, you will become a more consistent player. Stay focused on getting the ball back into play, continuing the rally and putting the pressure back on your opponent. You might find that it takes some time to retrain your mind, to go from always looking to hit a winner to being the more consistent player on court. Being consistent on the practice court is one thing, but it's harder in matches when you're feeling under pressure. So, if you can regularly play matches while trying to be consistent, you will get into the habit of thinking and playing that way.
Increase your focus
Top players often have little rituals that they do between points to keep their focus. Adjusting their strings, for instance. Perhaps there's something you could do to ensure that you stay focused on court, which is only going to super-charge your consistency.
How can I improve the consistency in my serve?
The serve is the one shot in tennis where you are fully in control. That means you've got the chance to build your consistency. It's even more important with your serve that you’re doing the same thing again and again, that your service motion doesn't change from serve to serve. Ask yourself whether your serve is repeatable. If not, how can you fix it? And then practise your serve as often as you can. When there's no one around to hit with, you can still work on your serve - take some balls out on court and get serving.
A consistent serve comes from having a consistent ball toss. Stay relaxed. And toss the ball with your fingertips, rather than the palm of your hand, as that will increase control and ensure that your ball toss is very repeatable. Remember that if your ball toss isn't exactly where you want it to be, it's OK to catch it and try again.
Make consistency your new goal
Be more like Novak Djokovic. Keep this thought at the top of your mind: the more consistent player is usually the one who wins.
