1. Take your chances. Novak Djokovic has a lot of the ingredients that make some players superstars. He’s athletic; he can play offensively; he knows how to take the ball early; he’s not afraid to end points at the net; he’s a good competitor; and he can hurt you with both his forehand and his backhand. In other words, he’s a pretty darn good tennis player. Along with Andy Murray and Richard Gasquet, Djokovic is on his way to the upper echelon of the game.

The thing I think Djokovic has done especially well in the last 12 to 18 months is hone his offensive mind-set. He’s gotten much better at recognizing and taking advantage of his opportunities to be aggressive. For Djokovic, that typically means blasting his big, fl at backhand down the line. He also uses his huge forehand to open up the court so he either can get to the net and finish the point with a volley or set up a short ball that he can put away with his next ground stroke.

Seeing and seizing your chances to take charge are skills that you can use to improve your game as well. To learn when you should attack off the ground, try this drill: Start by rallying from the backcourt. Whenever you get at least one foot inside the baseline, you must hit an offensive shot—either go for a winner or hit a shot you can follow to net. You may miss a lot of balls at first, but you’ll soon start to be aware of your position on the court and learn to select the right shot at the right time to take advantage of your edge. Play one game to 11 points.

2. Neutralize with slice. Although Djokovic is a tall, aggressive player, he’s athletic and defends well. He’s particularly skilled at using a one-handed backhand slice—he also has a two-handed drive—as a neutralizing shot when he’s pulled wide. This means that when his opponent hits a tough shot, he counters it by floating the ball back deep, forcing his opponent to hit one or two more shots. Many players with two-handed back-hands, especially at the club level, try to hit with both hands when they’re on the run. That’s difficult. At the rec level, having a solid defensive slice can pay big dividends.

To improve this skill, even if you don’t have a one-handed backhand, try this exercise: Rally cross-court, forehand to forehand. When one player gets a short ball, he has to hit it aggressively down the line to his opponent’s backhand. The defender has to try to use the deep slice to get back into the point with the goal of regaining the offensive as soon as possible. The person on the attack must wait for the slice reply before moving forward so he can work on his offense if the slice is short. (To do this drill in a lefty-righty pairing, the player hit-ting backhands has to attack down the line when he gets a short ball.) Play one game to 11.

Article by Paul Annacone, Photo by Julian Finney – Tennis.com

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM6RUfeGLIE]

The great thing about Novak Djokovic’s game is how complete it is. He can do pretty much anything. And while his forehand is a punishing stroke, his backhand might be the more solid of the two shots. Djokovic can hit the ball cross-court or open up the court with a shot down the line. It’s a big part of his constantly improving game.

1. This is a classic preparatory position for a two-handed backhand. Djokovic is looking over his dominant shoulder to track the ball and has excellent balance and posture. His hands are slightly higher than his waist, with the racquet head above his wrists and pointed back and up at 2 o’clock. He’s behind the baseline, but Djokovic is giving himself ample opportunity to step into the shot.

2. Djokovic takes his racquet back by employing a full shoulder turn. It’s a fairly straight backswing with the racquet head up. It appears as though Djokovic is making a loop, but the position of his frame is a result of his full upper-body rotation. At this point, Djokovic plants his left foot and loads all his weight on it. He’s ready to start his forward swing.

3. Djokovic’s hands get more involved in the stroke as he raises them and increases his shoulder turn. He’s beginning to transfer his weight by stepping forward with his right foot, which is parallel to the baseline. (Ideally his foot would be at a 45-degree angle with the baseline to allow him to open up faster.) The thing to appreciate is the position of Djokovic’s hips. They’re fully rotated and coiled, and as the sequence continues he does a great job of releasing them into the shot.

4. As he gets ready to unleash on the ball, Djokovic points the butt cap of his racquet toward the other side of the net. He’s starting to drop his racquet head, but he’ll only get under the ball enough to give it a little bit of topspin. Djokovic is also pushing off the toes of his back foot and starting to open up his hips.

5. Djokovic makes contact in front of his body and at waist level. Notice how his hands are moving away from his torso and working together; neither is dominating the other. His legs are straightening to lift his body up into the shot, and his hips and shoulders are opening up. Djokovic’s shoulders are more uneven than usual, but that could be a slight improvisation to compensate for the ball’s height and position.

6. There’s so much momentum created by his racquet acceleration, trunk rotation, and the weight shift in his legs that Djokovic is off the court when he follows through. Even though he’s in full swing, his head and body remain composed. Djokovic’s arms extend through the hitting zone as his hips open up. His belly button, which was pointing to the side in his backswing, now faces the net.

7. Both of Djokovic’s elbows are pointing away from his body as he follows through. All his weight is now on his front foot, and his left leg is starting to come around to aid in his recovery. Djokovic has kept his head down throughout the stroke; only now is he tracking his shot. Judging the ball’s flight path and his opponent’s reaction will give Djokovic a better idea of where to position himself for his next shot.

8. The ball has left the frame, but Djokovic is still completing his long follow-through. This is a great lesson for rec players—finish the swing first, then recover. Djokovic’s left leg is swinging out so he can plant it and move back toward the center of the court. He’s low to the ground, with his balance still perfect. That will help him explode to wherever the next ball goes.

Article by Harold Soloman and Andy Brandi, Photos by David Kenas – Tennis.com