You have probably reached a point of pain in your net game, something has triggered your curiosity about the secrets of coming forward to finish, or you have a solid drive to gain every advantage you can. You want to go to the net to get the most out of an aggressive game. People always use the word ‘secret,’ but it's only a secret if you don't know it. All secrets will be revealed, and everything in this book is born from feeling the pain, knowing the problems, and finding practical, doable solutions that are valid and relevant solutions.

I Know Your Pain!

You Might Be Thinking Like This:

When I come to the net, I get passed cleanly, watching the ball go by with no chance of getting it, and it tears at my soul.

I do reasonably well at the net, but sometimes, I make a mistake with my volley at critical moments.

I'm a regular at net, but I sometimes feel like there are some subtle aspects of net play that I am missing. I see other, more seasoned players doing better, and they are not telling me their secrets.

I want to try to serve and volley, but I need to figure out how; no coaches teach it, and I don't want to embarrass myself trying it in public. I keep hearing you can't serve and volley anymore.

I'm afraid of the net, and I only go there when the ball is so short that I have to go forward or lose the point. I feel like a fish out of water.

Process Of Improvement

This book will give you an overview of the entire process by which you can improve your net play incrementally. Please read it before returning to your favorite chapter where you want to begin your work.

Pitfalls

You will learn the many common pitfalls for aspiring net players and how to avoid them. Players often train to make mistakes, and some strange ideas seem sensible but make them more difficult. Avoid the pitfalls and train intelligently to reduce errors dramatically.

Mental Emotional

The mind and body are connected, so your mental and emotional states play a role in how well you are going to perform. The pain of losing quickly at the net, making a mistake, or succumbing to the pressure of being so close to the net can do funny things to people. This book has many strategies to overcome those issues.

Technical

I intend to teach only a few technical skills with this work; this book intends not to train to teach many technical skills, but there will be some references to where you can find that material. I stay away from teaching overly technical tennis because people get bogged down with overthinking how to do it instead of just doing it.

Mindset

You will first become a better net player in your mind, then adjust your habits until you make it a reality. Say out loud, "I am a net player," "I come to the net often." "You can't stop me from coming to the net." What happens when you say that out loud? You talk yourself into it. Of course, please don’t do it in public with people standing around. I am not wild about affirmations, per se, but we can talk ourselves into things. Affirmations only work if we do what we say we want to do.

Solutions

The solutions in this book blend all-time classic tennis wisdom culled over five decades and the latest in neuroscience research, which I try hard not to stretch too far into esoteric thoughts. When I read something in Neuroscience that affirms something that has already shown social proof, I am confident in sharing that with you. I also make my best attempt to make it accessible to lay people, so please do not criticize me for not being scientific enough. I validate my solutions on a tennis court in my game and with my students. Does everything work for everyone?