Lesson # 0009743: Hunting the Wobbly Flamingo

In the previous lesson we discussed the strange wildlife one can see on a tennis court.  Most specifically we talked about the species known to all tennis aficionados as, the Wobbly Flamingo.  

The "flamingo" appears whenever a tennis player balances on one leg while tipping over to hit a tennis shot.  

The Wobbly Flamingo can inhabit all levels of tennis, but the sightings become more and more rare the higher the level of tennis.  This is because the better tennis players stalk the Wobbly Flamingo.  They seek to feed on its less powerful shots.  Wisely, these skillful hunters hide in the thickets of No Man's Land whenever they force their opponents on a long run.  These hunters are always looking to venture forward anytime they see a hint of the Wobbly Flamingo.  

Of course the better tennis player also knows how to pull the Wobbly Flamingo out of hiding by hitting firm shots to the corners and sidelines, forcing the Wobbly Flamingo to appear as soon as your opponent's balance becomes compromised. 

Less-skilled Wobbly Flamingo hunters will get their opponent on the run, force them into a Flamingo posture, and then allow the Wobbly Flamingo's feeble effort to bounce somewhere around the service line.  Of course this allows the strange bird to collect his or her self and prepare for the next shot, making it that much more difficult to finish the point.  

So when hunting the Wobbly Flamingo, remember to keep firing your split steps.  The split steps will keep you ready so that when the opportunity to move in on a Mid-Court Ball comes, you'll have your feet underneath you and you'll be ready to take the ball out of the air with a punch (or swinging) volley.  

Learn how to recognize your opportunities, position yourself forward of the baseline in No Man's Land, and then take your shot.  At first it might be hard to consistently stalk the Wobbly Flamingo, but the more you look for it across the net, and the more willing you are to take a risk coming forward, the sooner you'll be carving up the Wobbly Flamingo's wobbly groundstrokes with some tasty volley winners.  

Lesson #0009742: Beware the Wobbly Flamingo!!!

Let's talk about "Baby Steps."   

When coming to net everyone wants to make sure that he/she is balanced and ready to make sharp movements to the ball.  By taking "baby steps" you avoid over-reaching and losing your balance.  This is a good thing. 

However, even if you are balanced (and in a good position at net) if your opponent is also balanced and in a good position, your advantage is minimal or non-existent.  

So this is a two-fold issue.  If you are the net player you want to hit a shot that puts your opponent off balance, but if you're the baseline player you want to make sure you can get to the ball and stay balanced. 

My advice to both: Beware the Wobbly Flamingo!!!  

The Wobbly Flamingo is a common wildlife sighting at all tennis clubs, but rarely is the Wobbly Flamingo a graceful animal.  Instead of not-lazy footwork the Wobbly Flamingo (or Tea Pot) tips over to the side and lifts one leg off the ground.  He/she then hopes and prays and stretches their racquet for the wayward ball.

This is not an ideal tennis shot.   

As to be expected, there are many Flamingo spottings at the net and baseline, however, the vast majority of all Wobbly Flamingo sightings take place in No Man's Land.  

To avoid the Wobbly Flamingo work on keeping a wider base (or stance), especially when at net.  The Flamingo (or Tea Pot) may allow you to stretch and make one shot, but the real problem comes up when you are trying to hit the next shot. 


Because the Wobbly Flamingo Footwork makes you unbalanced, recovering for the next shot is more difficult.


There are a lot of different footwork drills to help limit the Wobbly Flamingo populations but perhaps one of the easiest activities is a simple game of shadow tennis.   Like a boxer reacting to movements of his shadow, try playing and moving on the tennis court without a ball.  Move to the spots that you think you'll need to cover.  Work on the steps.  Repeat.  Repeat again.  Practice moving everywhere.  Memorize the court.  And then do it again.  Again again. But avoid lingering in No Man's Land for too long!  That's the home of Wobbly Flamingos and all sorts of other strange wild life.

Lesson #000013774: Moving Up from 3.0 to 3.5

A 3.0 player is "a fairly consistent tennis player when faced with medium-paced shots, but is still not comfortable with ALL strokes ... lacks direction, depth, and/or power on most shots but is perfectly capable of the occassional Hit-or-Miss miracle shot ... most common formation in doubles is one-up and one-back ... still working on transitional play."  

Of course all tennis players are working on transitional play because most tennis players lack either depth, direction, or power to their shots.  So if you're a 3.0 player you're probably wondering: Where's the plateau?  How much better do I have to get at X, Y, Z in order to be a true 3.5?  Do I need more X, more Y, or more Z?  What if I can't do X?  Why can't I do Y like a tennis pro?  And what if I hate, I mean really hate Z?  (The variable, not the Tennis Director)  Well...it's complicated.  But in an effort to provide concise advice (in the aphoristic tradition) let's start with: 


#1  Get comfortable with the mid-court ball.  

Dare to hit away from the center of the court, and if you hit it well, be ready *and willing* to volley the next shot.

#2  Plug-up leaky strokes.  

If X sprays two unforced errors every other game, then practice X.  If there is only one stroke costing you points, then it is a simple fix.

#3  Increase your radius at net.  

Make a conscious effort to widen your stance, bend your knees, and blanket an entire area.  Become a bigger Net Monster.  Transform yourself into a larger impediment to your ground-stroking opponent.  Your volleys don't necessarily need to be crisper or more precise, but your wall, the area you can cover, must expand.

Dedicate some time to these things in your practices and/or matches and soon enough you'll be on the next plateau wondering how to get to 4.0.