Short Game Clinic (Recap)
About
- Cost: $30
- Student to Coach Ratio: 8:1
- Courts: 2
- Instructor: Christian D.
Goal
- Learn more about playing in the kitchen
Main Takeaways
- Understand when you're in control vs playing in defensive mode.
- A good rule of thumb to dink to your opponent's backhand.
- Approach every shot with the correct footwork.
Understand when you're in control vs playing in defensive mode.
This changes what shot options are available to you (e.g., whether to just push the ball over the net vs an offensive spin shot).
A good rule of thumb to dink to your opponent's backhand.
Especially at the levels below 4.0, it's a good rule of thumb to dink to your opponent's backhand because it usually forces them into a defensive position. There are always exceptions, but it's a good starting point.
Approach every shot with the correct footwork.
You are in control of when to hit the ball and can move to make sure you're in the right position. You should never "change it up" just because (or more likely, feeling lazy).
This was most apparent with my forehand dinks because I have more reach compared to my backhand which has a more consistent footwork pattern I follow every time.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, I really enjoyed this clinic! While I was fortunate to have a drilling partner who was around my level, the biggest thing to me was the fact that the format was primarily drilling with coach commentary as opposed to a lecture format which I've come to realize I don't care for much. (I'll have to write a dedicated post on this another time cause I think this is a big factor in whether clinics are valuable or not to people).
Would definitely do this again even if it's just for the opportunity to drill for a dedicated 90 min cause it's all about getting more consistent.