So I’ve been struggling with my tennis game for a while, you know? Always felt stuck at the same level no matter how much I practiced. Then I heard about these Watanabe tennis coaches through a friend, so I decided to give their methods a shot.
Starting With Basics Again
First thing the coaches did was break everything down like I was a total beginner. They videoed my swings with an app and showed me all my bad habits:
- My feet were too flat instead of bouncing
- I kept hitting late on backhands
- Serving motion was all arm and no body twist
Kinda embarrassing but needed to hear it!
Weird Drills That Actually Worked
Instead of regular practice, they made me do crazy stuff like:
- Hitting balls while balancing on one leg
- Running to touch the net between shots
- Using a balloon to practice serve toss height
Felt ridiculous at first but wow, after two weeks I noticed I wasn’t tripping over my own feet anymore.
Their Mental Trick That Changed Everything
The biggest game-changer was their “five breaths” rule. Before every serve or return, I gotta take five slow breaths while staring at the seams of the ball. Sounds simple but holy crap – it stopped me from rushing and helped me actually see where the ball was going. Started placing shots way better instead of just whacking randomly.
What I’m Still Working On
After two months:
- My double-faults dropped by maybe 60%
- Can finally return fast serves without flinching
- Still suck at overhead smashes though (coaches say I jump too early)
Biggest lesson? Improving ain’t about more hours – it’s about doing the right dumb little drills consistently. Still got ways to go but damn, wish I’d tried their methods years ago.
