Tennis-How to Hit an Overhead

Transcripts

Frankie Dell:Hi, I am Frankie Dell. I am a professional tennis instructor. You are watching how to play at the net. Next, I will demonstrate, how to hit an overhead. So we have already talked about why we might need to hit an overhead, so let us just say we are at the net, our opponent has hit us a shot which we have volleyed back to them. So they are thinking alright that didnt work, so maybe I should lob it over his head. So the lob goes up, the first thing you should do when the lob goes up is to turn your body sideways and get your racquet back.

So turn, get your racquet back in what I call the trophy pose which we talked about in the serve which is here and this arm goes up. So the ball goes up, you turn, get into the trophy pose and be ready to move. Just because you have turned here doesn't mean the ball is going to come here. So you have to be ready to move to where the ball is. So I have turned, I am in the trophy pose, now I am ready to move and get myself in position to hit the shot.

Now I have decided that this is where I need to be and I am ready to hit the shot. Step in, step in, step in, it is the same motion as throwing a ball. Watch my arm throwing a ball, hitting an overhead, but you want to pretend you are throwing the ball up, throwing the ball up, not throwing the ball out across the net. We want to make contact with the ball up here, not here. That is your overhead.