It’s amazing how much video technology and internet access has transformed the way tennis coaches teach their students. I feel like a grandma saying that, but seriously — with today’s tech you can have an entire supplemental tennis lesson online and learn things like how to generate power with an overhead or how to beat players that get under your skin. This isn’t to say you can entirely skip court time. Obviously you’re not going to learn how to play properly without hitting a few balls yourself. But watching instructional videos is an excellent complement to your tennis lessons and should be taken advantage of as a “homework” opportunity. Here are just a few of the online sources MyTennisLessons suggests to get started with supplemental instruction.
What’s the website?
Active isn’t primarily a tennis website — it helps people find active events near them such as marathons, races or tournaments and leagues in a variety of sports. Although its library of tennis instructional videos is small, Active is a great place to start when looking for virtual instruction as the page links to several tennis video websites.
What kind of videos does it have?
Chip Brooks, director of IMG, Bollettieri Tennis Academy, stars in Active’s instructional videos geared toward beginners. Brooks breaks down the modern game, showing viewers how to hit fundamental strokes like the forehand, backhand and serve. He explains each stroke in three simple steps while junior players demonstrate the correct technique in the background. Active also has a few videos from TennisDrills.tv and PlaySportsTV, which both require a paid membership to access their instructional video library. On Active, you can also watch slow motion clips of some of the best strokes in professional tennis.
Sample video:
What’s the website?
Essential Tennis is run by Ian Westermann, who founded the site because he wanted to provide an online forum for free, expert tennis instruction. From hundreds of videos, to podcasts and blog posts, there’s a variety of mediums on Essential Tennis for tennis players looking for virtual instruction. Westermann was recently featured in a Forbes article about online tennis entrepreneurs, which also highlighted WebTennis and Fuzzy Yellow Balls, two other free tennis video websites you should check out.
What kind of videos does it have?
There’s really no limit to the topics Westermann covers in his videos. Have you ever wondered what kind of grip Roger Federer uses on a forehand? Westermann has close-up, slow motion footage of Federer’s grip with a detailed explanation of what he’s doing. Are you unsure about what style of tennis you should play? Westermann can give you advice on that, too. He’s open to communication with viewers, so don’t hesitate to write in and ask a question — maybe he’ll create a video for you!
Sample video:
What’s the website and what kind of videos does it have?
While tennis pro Tom Avery sells DVD packages of his instructional videos, his YouTube channel will give you access to several free clips including stroke instruction, drills, workouts, nutrition and even a section on Roger Federer.
Sample video:
What’s the website and what kind of videos does it have?=
This site is a database for tennis tips, drills and seminars from across the web. An advanced search will allow you to get as specific as searching for videos on inside out shots or podcasts in Spanish. You can view a few videos on the site to see how you like it, but a subscription is required for unlimited access, which includes the ability to comment on, rate and share videos.
