Certified USTA High Performance Coach;
Certified Etcheberry Trainer;
Was a nationally ranked junior and No.1 player at Cornell University;
Competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
Studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite Junior coach)In this detailed tennis instructional coaching video, Chris Lewit, the highly acclaimed USTA High-Performance Coach, unlocks the secrets to successful and consistent returns.
Coach Lewit breaks down his video into three parts for how to learn how to rip the return when playing – whether it be in getting extra practice repetitions or in a live-play competitive match.
Breaking down the video into three easily digestible parts, Coach Lewit covers: Teaching, Tactical and Exercises – including information on why the return is the least-practiced shot in all of tennis and how mastering it will provide you with a huge advantage over much of the competition your players will face!
Returns: Footwork & Technique
To begin this video, Coach Lewit discusses the importance of footwork and technique when returning a serve. He talks about different grips you can have with the racket and different stances that players can have when hitting a return. He talks about the differences in utilizing an open stance, a closed stance and a diagonal transfer when hitting the return.
Coach Lewit then emphasizes several points on the importance of not being flat-footed on a return and how to use the split step.
Mastering each of these stances and grips is critical because a player needs to have proper footwork and technique when hitting a return. Coach Lewit covers a variety of techniques that can be used, but emphasizes how each player has to find what works best for them.
Tactical Positioning & Return Drills
Next, Coach Lewit discusses the importance of tactical positioning when returning the serve. He showcases a variety of different strategies one can use depending on where you choose to return the serve from. He highlights several returning options for positioning – a neutral position, an aggressive position and a deep returning position – as well as the different types of return a player would hit from each position.
This part of the video helps your players to improve positioning when returning a serve and gets them to think about the strategy on the court for the different shots you should hit when returning.
Coach Lewit also talks about the importance of analytics and how a player can track their positioning on the court and their success rates on first and second serve returns, which helps to dictate their positioning and the return game.
Sharing some of his favorite drills and exercises to master the drop shot, Coach Lewit starts with hand feeding, which can be done as a warmup or an initial drill as one is still learning technique for how to hit the return.
The next progression he covers is called, ‘racket feeding’ where a player can focus on technique and strategy when hitting returns. Coach Lewit also covers live-ball serving drills to work the return and emphasize the safety of serving and returning and limiting a player to no more than 50 serves at a time.
Coach Lewit also shows the live-ball exercises that players can use to help their return game.
This is an excellent video for players who are learning how to ‘rip the return!’ Coach Lewit talks about the importance of technique and footwork first and then the strategy behind the different types of returns a player can hit and ends the video with some live ball exercises to help a player perfect their return game.
85 minutes. 2023.
TND-06097B: with Chris Lewit,
Certified USTA High Performance Coach;
Certified Etcheberry Trainer;
Was a nationally ranked junior and No.1 player at Cornell University;
Competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
Studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite Junior coach)In this instructional tennis video by USTA high-performance coach Chris Lewit, you will get a first-hand look at hitting great volleys.
To teach the art of hitting and maintaining exceptional volleys, Coach Lewit breaks down his teaching process for volleys while emphasizing proper technique in practice or during a competitive match into three parts: Footwork, Handwork and Drills/Exercises.
Volley Footwork
Coach Lewit begins the instructional session examining footwork and necessary steps players need to take during volleys. He initially talks about sprinting and rising when hitting approach shots to come into the net during volley and stresses the importance of the split-step prior to striking the ball.
Going over the different footwork that one can use to hit the volley, Coach Lewit then covers the footwork you need to utilize during a volley that is dependent on two different factors – the match situation and the skill level of the player who is hitting the ball.
The footwork portion of the video is a critically important section, as it is the single most-important aspect that players need to master to improve their ability to maintain a competitive, superior volley technique.
Racquet Grip During Volleys
Coach Lewit then moves into another important section when discussing the ability to improve a player’s ability to volley at a high level – the appropriate way to hold the racket during a volley. He favors the Continental Grip and more or an open-racket face to create more of a slice volley.
Being heavily trained and influenced by the Spanish-style of tennis, Coach Lewit explains how and why this is their preferred method for hitting a volley. He proceeds to teach the essentials for hitting a low volley by maintaining a stable base and a high volley which is reliant on cutting through the ball and utilizing more of a downward motion.
This section of the video is especially important because players need to be taught how to hit the volley while utilizing proper handwork and timing.
Coach Lewit then stresses the importance of maintaining contact point and follow through, while making sure that a player extends through their shot and maintains a firm wrist while hitting the ball before planting the lead foot into the ground.
Volley Drills & Exercises
To finish the on-court teaching lesson, Coach Lewit shares some of his favorite drills and exercises to help players improve and master the volley. He begins with hand feeding which can be done as a warmup or an initial drill to perform while a player is still learning volleying technique or for how to hit a drop shot.
The next progression is racket feeding and then lastly, Coach Lewit shows drill work that utilizes a partner during a live-ball drill. He then highlights several of his favorite live-ball drills which players of all skill-level and ability can perform.
This video is for players who are learning the techniques for hitting volleys, as well as for those who want to improve their volleys or for players who are looking to improve their footwork and technique during volleys.
Coach Lewit demonstrates his tremendous expertise and experience and does a great job breaking down the different parts of the volley, the footwork to use during volleys, volley handwork and how and when to use the volley to your advantage.
98 minutes. 2023.
TND-06097C: with Chris Lewit,
Certified USTA High Performance Coach;
Certified Etcheberry Trainer;
Was a nationally ranked junior and No.1 player at Cornell University;
Competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
Studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite Junior coach)In this highly valuable instructional tennis coach video, Chris Lewit, a Certified USTA High-Performance Coach, gives you all the secrets and successful teaching techniques for hitting drop shots.
Coach Lewit breaks down his video into three parts for how to learn, hit, improve and use the drop shot in a live-action competitive match – breaking down breaks the video into three parts: teaching, tactical and drills/exercises.
Hitting Drop Shots: Racquet Grip, Swing Angle & Spin
To begin the lesson, Coach Lewit opens with a discussion on using and hitting drop shots, beginning with the important teaching points for how to hold the racket and the proper grip to use (Continental) to hit the drop shot.
Coach Lewit goes through the different types of balls a player might hit the drop shot with and the swing path his or her racket should take when hitting these different types of shots – including discussions on swing angle, and how to best use the racket face for hitting high balls and low balls.
Coach Lewit also talks about different spins you can put on the ball and the importance of ‘disguising’ a drop shot when attempting to use it during a match, which is especially important because players need to be taught HOW to hit drop shots before attempting them against an opponent.
Building upon a solid foundation of how to hold the racket and how to swing to hit a drop shot are critically important fundamentals that players must learn.
Drop Shot: Footwork & Drills/Exercises
Next, Coach Lewit leads a detailed examination of the footwork required and necessary to hit drop shots – going over all the different types of footwork that one can use to hit drop shots, as well as an outline of the and an array different types of drop shots that players can use depending upon where they are on the court. Coach Lewit examines hitting different drop shots a player can use as he or she moves forward, moves backward and while on the run. There are a variety of different shots that players can hit depending on the situation and their personal level of skill.
This is an important component of the video as it provides the knowledge necessary to help a player with his or her drop-shot development because of the footwork that is necessary for hitting the drop shot and all the different steps required to successfully hit a drop shot.
Lastly, Coach Lewit shares his favorite drills and exercises to help players’ master the drop shot. He starts with hand feeding which can be done as a warmup or an initial drill as one is still learning technique for how to hit the drop shot.
The next progression of exercises are done with racket feeding and then lastly, some important partner work done in a live-ball drill setting.
Coach Lewit also discusses patterns of play for how and when to use the drop shot. These strategies are important for high-level players who are looking to improve their abilities during competitive matches. He also briefly discusses hitting drop-shot serves and drop-shot returns.
This video is for players who are learning how to hit the dropshot, who want to use the drop shot more often in their matches and for players who want to learn when to hit the dropshot and in what situations.
Coach Lewit showcases his vast level of expertise and experience in this instructional video and his teachings can really help players advance their game to the next level!
87 minutes. 2023.
TND-06097D: with Chris Lewit,
Certified USTA High Performance Coach;
Certified Etcheberry Trainer;
Was a nationally ranked junior and No.1 player at Cornell University;
Competed on USTA and ITF professional circuit;
Studied under Lluis Bruguera (former Spanish Davis Cup coach), Pato Alvarez (former top 10 player and Spanish coach) and Gilad Bloom (former Israeli ATP player and elite Junior coach)In this instructional tennis coaching video, Chris Lewit, a Certified USTA High-Performance Coach, outlines the teaching techniques and skill-improvement guidelines needed for mastering the transition game by attacking with an approach shot.
Coach Lewit breaks down his video into three parts for teaching players how to improve in the transition game: teaching, tactical and drills/exercises; it includes an examination about how and why the return shot is often the least-practiced shot in all of tennis, as well as providing a wealth of teaching tips on mastering this shot!
Footwork, Techniques & Court Positions
Coach Lewit opens the video talking about how footwork and technique, as well as covering the body position and stance one should use when hitting an approach shot. He also covers highly valuable information about transition and how to best explode forward after hitting the approach shot.
Transition and explosion are especially important because players need to utilize proper footwork and technique when hitting an approach shot and master a knowledge of how to transition to different positions on the court.
Coach Lewit then breaks into a detailed discussion about tactical positioning when hitting approach shots and transitioning on to three different zones on the court.
ZONE 1, Lewit explains, extends from the service line to the net. ZONE 2 is shown from the service line to just inside the baseline and ZONE 3 extends from the baseline and in the back court.
Coach Lewit discusses tactical strategy with the importance of knowing when to hit approach shots, when to come into the mid-court and when to come into the net. He also mentions an important strategy regarding pattern-of-play and points out several myths that people believe regarding hitting approach shots (such as, always hitting it to the same place, slice approach shots, hitting it to the middle, etc.).
Approach Shot Strategy & Drills/Exercises
Coach Lewit then leads a helpful lesson on how players think about the game of tennis and their strategy for hitting approach shots and being in transition – with a thought-provoking discussion on thinking about what your opponent might be thinking and how to use variety in the different shots that a player hits. He stresses the importance of pace and topspin, in addition to ball placement when hitting approach shots.
Next, Coach Lewit shares some of his favorite drills and exercises to attack approach shots and to master the transition game. He begins with hand feeding, which is good for focusing on footwork and technique, followed by racket-feeding drills and a variety of single-ball drills, two-ball drills and four-ball drills to help players improve on the transition game and teach them how to attack all three zones on the court.
This highly valuable instructional video is for players who are learning how to attack approach shots and to master the transition game. Coach Lewit highlights the importance of technique and footwork first, followed by the strategy behind the different types of approach shots a player can hit and ends with some terrific live-ball exercises to help a player perfect his or her approach to shot strategy and mastering the transition game.
83 minutes. 2023.