Private Tennis Lessons in Newcastle – Training Blueprint: Habits, Strategies & Winning Patterns

Improving your tennis game isn’t about chasing magic shots. It’s about building repeatable habits—footwork, racquet acceleration, tactical planning, and mental discipline—that hold up under pressure. Below is a training framework that blends practical drills with match-day strategies to incorporate or re-focus on for match day.

Footwork & Movement: 

• First 3 games of match Focus on leg intensity.

• Drop step on inside-out forehand to create space.

• Stay low: Finish with bent knees to help keep your base low and stable.

• More intensity: Move up and down the court with intensity (as well as side to side).

• On the run: Aim through the middle of the court to neutralize.

• Opponent side-to-side: Hit down the middle to reset the rally.

Plan Set Pattern Play in Rallies  in matches to reduce decision making: 

eq: 2 cross-court shots + 1 down-the-line finisher

Forehand & Racquet Acceleration

Key Swing Fundamentals

• Balance & Footwork
  Plant your feet later to stay balanced and avoid falling off the ball.

• Acceleration Through Contact
  Accelerate just before contact — don’t decelerate from fear of missing.

• Kinetic Chain
  Start the swing with your hips; let the hands follow naturally.

Adjusting to Ball Height & Depth

• Short Balls
  Use your legs to push into the ball and drive forward.

• Deep Balls
  Stay low and stable — focus on absorbing and redirecting the pace.

• Backswing Control
  Adjust your backswing to match the height of the ball.

• Contact Point
  Aim for a consistent strike zone between shoulders and hips.

Stance & Weight Transfer

• Weight Transfer
  Always move your weight in the direction of your target.

• High Balls
  Use a semi-open or open stance  allow's for more rotation to generate power.

Serve Habits

• Decide serve of first ball before each point.
  

• Ball toss: hand up perpendicular, back of hand to side fence for good extension, arm extended high.

• Back foot: placed casually, then push up explosively.

• Leg drive: jump up and slightly forward over the baseline

The Mental Game

• Mental Goals for Each Training

• Focus on constructing points, not going for winners too early. The best winner is one three feet inside the baseline and three feet from the sideline.

• Five-Ball Rule – On important points, discipline yourself to hit five rally balls before attempting a finishing shot.

Your Coach

Stephen O’Malley 
Tennis Australia Qualified Member
Level 2 ATPCA and GPTCA B (ATP Challenger Tour) Certified Coach
Semi-finalist – 2022 Men's Australian Singles Championships (35s)

Book your private lesson with Stephen O’Malley today at Hamilton’s Gregson Park courts. 

Tennis Express