There is a very obvious thing that tennis players can do to improve their match performance that is frequently neglected. Serves should be practiced even when it is very windy. Paradoxically, many players refuse to practice their serve on blustery days despite the fact that matches are played under those conditions. It’s a huge mistake.
Even when it is very windy, it is still a good idea to aim for targets. However, the orange cones that I prefer to use for that purpose aren’t great on blustery days. For that reason, I also carry a set of flat vinyl dots in my ball hopper. The lower profile is less susceptible to windswept relocation.
In fact, here is a recent picture of my alternate service targets in action on a very windy day.
This may seem like an unusual location for service targets. Alternatively, it completely explains my recent erratic service placement. The reality is that occasionally it gets so windy in Texas that even the low profile dot targets don’t remain in place. The natural fallback position is to serve to imaginary targets in your head. It is what is required for match play anyway.
It is NEVER too windy to practice serves.
I previously wrote about using vinyl dots in “That Hits the Spot” which highlights how they are effective for cooperative rally practice.
