Serena Williams Masterclass: 10 Tips to Help You Play Paddle Tennis Like A Pro
- Popular Tennis
- Sep 8, 2022
- 8 min read
Updated: Sep 12, 2022
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As obvious tennis fans, we were absolutely thrilled to see that Serena Williams offers a Masterclass on the sport. In her MasterClass, Serena covers everything from basic strokes and footwork to more advanced strategies for playing singles and doubles.
Through on-court demonstrations and in-depth analysis, Serena provides an inside look at how she dominates the game. You'll learn how to read your opponent's shots, create opportunities and stay one step ahead. She also shares her insights on how to approach competition and deal with nerves. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, the Serena MasterClass will help you take your game to the next level.
To become a good tennis player, you have to have a tremendous amount of focus. When you're on the court, you can't let anything else distract you. You have to be fully present in the moment and ready to seize any opportunity that comes your way. Second, you have to have a lot of desire. You have to want it more than anything. And finally, you have to be committed. This isn't something you can half-heartedly pursue; you have to be all-in if you want to achieve your goals. But, Serena says, (and we agree) these same principles can be applied to anything in life if you want to be great at it. Whether it's your career, your relationships, or your hobbies, if you want to excel, you need to approach it with focus, desire, and commitment. And that's something that happens when you play tennis that is a valuable lesson both on and off the court.
In this segment of the the tennis Masterclass, students get to experience the drills Serena’s father ran for her as a kid—drills she still runs every day and has helped her become one of the best players in the world. Consistent groundstrokes are key when working to become a good paddle player and Serena echoes the same sentiment in this segment. "My backhand is a really good asset for me. When I play tennis, it's one of my favorite shots to hit. I love seeing a crisp winner off of it, and I love hitting it. I think when I was younger, I used to always hit backhand, so I just love it when I connect the ball at the right spot and at the right point. It's more unexpected on the backhand than on the forehand, because everyone's forehand is usually a little stronger and a little bigger, and I like it, because it's the unexpected," she explains.
In this segment of the tennis masterclass, Serena gives more tips and techniques on open stance, improving your backhand, troubleshooting and, importantly, footwork, which is where she recommends to start.
A good way to work on your footwork is to watch some boxing, she says (yes, boxing!). If you look at boxers, they all have wonderful footwork. They're moving fast. They move in and out, and it's very similar to what you want to do and what you want to be in tennis. I'm really inspired by a lot of people-- one of them being Muhammad Ali. I never really watched him. I was far too young, but I watched a film of him. And I was able to learn his story, and I loved his footwork. And I thought, "Well, if I could incorporate that footwork on the tennis court, how good would I be? He never stopped moving his feet. So that really inspired me," she says.
Next, Serena discusses how important it is to play aggressively, but at the same time be able to mix in some unexpected dropshots and slices. One key to becoming a great defensive player, she says, is to anticipate your opponent's shots. If you're good at anticipating, you don't even have to be super fast, because you'll already know where they're going to hit the ball next. However, Serena doesn't rely on only anticipating her opponent's shots - she also has a great deal of speed and power which she uses to her advantage. There are some really good defensive players out there, such as Agnieszka Radwanska and Caroline Wozniacki, but Serena's unique combination of speed, power, and anticipation makes her one of the best all-around players. Serena goes on to provide further advice on how to control center court, expecting the unexpected, how to return a serve and the best ways to size up your opponent.
In the next segment of the Serena Williams Masterclass, Serena discusses the importance of mental toughness in the sport. "My dad always said tennis is 70% mental. And I really believe that, because I won most of my matches, probably all of my grand slams, because of upstairs, not anything else," she says. Williams goes on to explain that the ability to control one's thoughts and emotions is essential to success in tennis. "It's how you play on a court, how you're able to take the crowd, how are you able to take your opponent, how are you able to handle different calls or different things. So it is a lot of things that go into tennis, but most of all, how are you able to game your opponent's head and make them think that they're not going to win today?" By breaking down the mental aspects of the sport, Serena Williams provides valuable insight into the game of tennis.
The keys, she says visualization, coming back from a setback, and she details how to push through, stay focused and quickly solve problems on the court. She also gives us insight into who her role models are and who she looks up to to help improve her mental game.
One of the many tips Serena shares is to make use of the net. "I'm definitely not a player that is at the net often, so-- but I do have a good record in doubles, and I do come to the net I make it count," she says. Williams advises that coming to the net can be a great way to take your opponent by surprise. "Sometimes if you see your opponent on the run, or they hit a high ball, you can come take a swing volley." When positioning yourself at the net, she recommends aiming for halfway between the service line and the net. "You don't want to be too much closer than that, because your opponent can lob over you. And you don't want to be too much behind that point, because your opponent can angle on you." By following Serena's advice, you can take your game to the next level.
She goes on to illustrate the points on the court where she plays, when she moves and when she doesn't, the best way to volley and use an overhead shot. This segment alone is worth the MasterClass!
For the average person, playing tennis is a fun way to get some exercise while spending time outdoors. But for professional athletes like Serena Williams, tennis is a full-time job. In order to be successful, Serena trains hard and takes her fitness seriously. Here she reveals her tips for staying in top shape, her pro drills, and how to keep it fun while putting in the hard work. "When I was a kid, we trained a lot. We practiced hours and hours and hours. And obviously when you get older, you don't practice as much, but you're building a really strong foundation when you're younger so you can have a solid foundation that doesn't shake when you get old. In the beginning of the season, I train very hard. I almost break my body down. That way, when I start, I'm ready for anything and I'm ready for it to last for about eight to nine months in the season. Somewhere in the middle of the season, I have another intense training session," she says.
Mastering your technique is paramount if you want to play like a pro, but it’s not the only thing that Serena focuses on. She also puts in the hard work required to stay in top physical shape. “In the beginning of the season, I train very hard," she says. "I almost break my body down." By pushing herself to her limits early on in the season, Serena is able to build up her stamina and strength so that she can last through the entire eight- or nine-month tennis season. Of course, even professional athletes need some down time. To keep things fun and interesting, Serena varies her training routine and drills so that she doesn’t get bored or burn out.
Match day for Serena is obviously intense. She details her schedule in the class saying "On game day for a day match, if I play at 11 o'clock, I usually wake up around 7 o'clock. I hit two hours before I play or 2 and 1/2 hours before I play, depending on how I feel. And then right after that, I get ready for my match. I mentally think about my match. I try to stay in a calm, peaceful place. And then I get my ankles taped, and then I go play my match."
Serena goes on through this segment to provide her students with practical tips from her real-life game preparation including what she eats on game day and how she keeps her focus before and during the match.
"My greatest joy in playing tennis is those first few seconds when I walk out on the court of every match, and I see the stadium filled with people that watch myself and my opponent play," Serena says.
She credits her father for her success in making her one of the top players in the world. From an early age, she says he:
Set some some unbelievable groundwork.
Did different things than what was typical at the time.
He was innovative in his technique and training.
He watched a tremendous amount of film in different sports to make sure that Serena and Venus would be the best they could be.
He wanted both of his children to have a whole different outlook on tennis.
"We just did different things, and I did different things to make my game different and make my game stand out," she says. She goes on to talk deeper about her upbringing in the tennis world, with the help of her father, and then provides practical tips from writing down goals to how she deals with publicity and how she remains inspired by others.
Finally, Serena ends the tennis Masterclass with one of the most valuable lessons of all for tennis players: Mastering the serve. While the topics and insight provided in this segment are valuable for paddle players, we're afraid not even the best of us will be able to replicate Serena's 128mph serve in our underhand style! Nevertheless, here's what she says, at the start, "I think the serve is probably one of the hardest shots in tennis, because with the ground stroke, you can use your opponent's pace, or you can get set up, but with the serve, you have to create your own pace."
When she's serving, she says she feels like she has the power to control the whole game. The server, she says, gets to decide how hard to hit the ball, and where to place it. It's important to be strategic, because if you don't get the serve right, your opponent is going to have an advantage. But when you do nail the serve, you put yourself in a great position to win the point. The serve is such an important part of tennis, and it's a shot that requires a lot of practice and precision. But when it all comes together, there's nothing quite like hitting a perfect serve.
If you're looking to take your game to the next level, Serena's Masterclass is a great place to start. In her class, she covers everything from basic strokes and footwork to more advanced strategies for playing singles and doubles. You'll learn how to read your opponent's shots, create opportunities and stay one step ahead. Plus, she shares insights on how to approach competition and deal with nerves. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, the Serena MasterClass will help you take your game to the next level.
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