So many players practice their groundstrokes and volleys but what about practicing the transition game? For years the term "no man's land" has been used to get people to stop hanging out in the area of the court between the baseline and the service line.

Sure you don't want to stay in "no man's land" very long (you should be moving through this area to the net), but you do want to get comfortable playing balls in this area.

Becoming proficient in this part of the court by hitting solid approach shots can make players so much better.

As a coach, I prefer to have players spend a lot of time in the transition area learning to become comfortable and confident.

Approach shots, swinging volleys, regular volleys, half volleys... all these shots can be practiced on a regular basis in the transition area of the court.

I strongly encourage that one should spend 30-45 minutes in this part of the court hitting all kinds of shots and using all types of footwork patterns before going back to the baseline for groundstrokes.

Hope you find today's newsletter useful and applicable to you. Let me know about your thoughts and comments by clicking the 'reply" button.

Talk to you soon.

Best regards, Joel

Founder, www.improve-your-tennis.com