I'm always on the lookout for ways to improve my tennis game that are not only fun to use and easy to understand, but are absolutely free. And here's the latest one I've found – the United States Professional Tennis Association's Tennis Tips app for the iPhone and iPad.
I just downloaded this today so I've barely had time to work my way through it but I can already tell, there is lots and lots of good stuff here. Since it's coming from the USPTA, the world's largest and oldest association of tennis-teaching professionals, the incredible content should be no surprise.
The tips cover anything and everything related to tennis – fitness, drills, specific shots, singles, doubles, tactics, strategy. Here's a screen shot showing a quick sample of the tennis tips you can choose from:
Not only are there plenty of tips, but many of them include short videos demonstrating drills or shots, making the instruction that much easier to understand. Just to give you an idea, here's a screen shot from the “snake drill” video, a drill designed to improve your approach shot and finishing volley skills:
The videos are narrated by USPTA pros so you get the idea of what you're supposed to be doing very quickly.
I can see myself cruising around all of the tips in this app while waiting around to play a match. Or actually while I'm waiting to do anything (doctor's office, restaurant, driver's license renewal). And I hope you're noticing the early morning time on those screen shots above – I'm ALWAYS thinking about tennis.
Consider this my early Christmas gift to you – the USPTA Tennis Tips app, totally free courtesy of Tennis Fixation (and the USPTA, of course). You can find it by searching for “tennis tips” in the App Store.
© Kim Selzman 2011 All Rights Reserved
Great app to have on your iPhone.