SPTA GRIP & RIP 3.5+ INTERMEDIATE
Work Hard. Play Hard. Enjoy the process.
Grip & Rip is SPTA’s intermediate competitive training class for players who want to take their game beyond basic shot development and learn how to use their abilities more effectively in singles, doubles, leagues and tournament competition.
The class is designed primarily for 3.5+ players, while welcoming 3.0 players who are ready for the challenge of moving up.
At this level, players are making fuller swings, producing better contact and becoming more efficient with their movement. Naturally, the ball begins to carry more pace, spin, depth and action. We aren’t trying to hold that development back—and we aren’t asking players to swing recklessly, either.
We are looking for the middle ground that wins tennis matches:
Full swings. Reliable contact. Purposeful targets. Repeatable results. This will look different for every player.
One player may develop the ability to pressure opponents with pace. Another may discover that attacking the net and using angles is their greatest advantage. Someone else may develop a dependable serve that makes holding serve considerably easier. Another may frustrate opponents through consistency, placement, movement and intelligent shot selection.
Grip & Rip helps players discover those strengths, develop them and—most importantly—learn when to use them.
THE TWO-HOUR GRIP & RIP
1ST QUARTER — FIND YOUR RHYTHM
30 Minutes | Warm ups • Fundamentals • Movement • Consistency
We start with the foundation.
Contact and finish is the name of the game, and the heartbeat of every shot. First thing we do is get our head in the game and establish their rally rhythm. As you focus on the habits of an elite player, watching the ball and finishing your shots, we remain ever mindful of our spacing, balance, movement, and preparation. As consistency improves, the quality of the entire workout rises with it.
Using principles from the SPTA Inside-Out System, players learn to recognize whether a problem is coming from their Structure, Motion or Timing rather than simply reacting to every missed ball by changing multiple parts of their swing. Why did I make or miss a shot, what do I want to repeat as a player, and what do I want to adjust to make the shot better?
Example:
Can you maintain a full, comfortable swing while producing dependable depth and direction for several balls in succession?
The goal is not merely keeping the ball in play, it’s about producing a ball you can trust, over and over. This is what we refer to as your ‘Go To” shots.
2ND QUARTER — DEVELOP YOUR WEAPONS
30 Minutes | Shot Production • Control • Individual Strengths
Teach the individual! Now we begin asking more from that reliable foundation.
Players work with pace, spin, depth, height, direction, angles, attacking shorter balls, transition shots, volleys and serves. As skills improve, players begin identifying which combinations naturally fit their individual abilities and games they see themselves becoming good at.
This is also where concepts from our Area Code System can help connect ball production with location and purpose. Instead of simply thinking hit harder or hit safer, players begin connecting how they hit the ball, where they hit it to, and what results they are looking for from the shot, to how they play an entire match.
Example:
Two players receive the same short forehand. One may drive deep and force a defensive reply. Another may create an angle and move forward. Both can be excellent decisions when they fit the player and the situation.
We don’t manufacture identical players, we develop effective ones who enjoy doing things they do best. “Playing well” is the ultimate reward. Not winning or advancing to the next round, but whether you do or not, you can see the improvement in your game, and be proud of the work that you’ve put in.
3RD QUARTER — PLAY THE PLAYER
30 Minutes | Patterns • Strategy • Singles & Doubles
Now the opponent becomes part of the lesson.
Semi-cooperative drilling means players work through singles and doubles situations that require a consistent base of play, and recognition, decision-making and adjustments.
- Who controls the longer rallies?
- Who prefers pace?
- Who struggles when the speed changes?
- Who owns the net?
- Where is the open court?
- What happens after your serve?
A solid strategy uses your strengths, compliments your weaknesses, and lets you discover which ones are best for you.
This is where tennis becomes the ultimate chess game played at full speed.
Example:
Suppose you’re accustomed to hitting against pace, but today’s opponent gives you slower, higher balls. Your challenge isn’t simply to swing harder. You have to recognize what has changed, adjust your timing and positioning, and determine which of your strengths can take control of the matchup and when, learning how NOT TO fall into any traps that you opponent has cleverly laid out for you.
•Higher-level competition isn’t about finding one perfect way to hit the ball, it’s about understanding your game, their game and the relationship between the two.
4TH QUARTER — COMPETE
30 Minutes | Pressure • Decisions • Match Play
Every SPTA class finishes competitively, and our Grip & Rip is no different! Our players love to enjoy the game, and realize every day is different, and today could be your turn.
Depending on the day’s lesson, we may use points, games, tie-breakers, singles patterns, doubles situations, serve-and-return games, team challenges or other competitive scenarios.
So it’s now “Put up, or shut up!” 😁Can you continue to do what you’ve been working on when it counts?
There will be great shots. There will be mistakes. There will also be moments when something you’ve practiced suddenly works against a stronger opponent. Those moments are important to notice, remember and enjoy. THIS is the process.
Learning to compete at a higher level means becoming comfortable with the pace, consistency, and the process of expanding your game. To always see the big picture, and not miss the improvement.
Make the decision. Commit to it. See what happened. Adjust. Try again. That’s how practice becomes the experience, the way you deal with the game and to keep your Witt’s about you.
WHEN EVERYBODY GETS BETTER, EVERYBODY BENEFITS
Something exciting happens in Grip & Rip as the group improves.
Rallies become longer.
Balls become heavier.
Movement becomes quicker.
Decisions have to happen sooner.
The workout becomes tougher.
And everybody across the net starts routing for each other. When one person gets better, we all get better, and everyone has their day.
You don’t need aspirations of playing professional tennis to take pride in becoming a better player and learning how to compete harder.
Measure yourself against the player you see in the mirror every day, and see the improvement over the player you were not long ago.
If you’re moving better, striking the ball better, thinking more clearly, competing harder and understanding your own game more than you did before, you’re winning before anyone writes down the score.
Bring your racquet. Bring your effort. Bring your personality. We’ll help you build the game around it that is meant for you.
GRIP & RIP
Work hard. Play hard. Enjoy the process.
SPTA — Fun, Friends & Fitness Through Urban Tennis
This ain’t no country club.
