You think you’re just a little off.
The timing feels late.
The contact doesn’t feel clean.
Sometimes the ball crowds you and you don’t even know why.
And your first thought is:
“I just need to swing earlier.”
But that’s not what’s happening.
You’re not rushing.
You’re waiting.
You’re waiting to see the ball bounce.
Waiting to recognize what kind of ball it is.
Waiting to decide what to do.
And by the time you finally move…
The ball is already on top of you.
Why This Happens More Than You Think
This is something I see all the time with adult players when they arrive for a tennis week here in Spain.
It’s not panic.
It’s not even bad technique.
It’s inexperience with the ball.
You simply haven’t seen enough of them yet.
High balls.
High and soft.
Fast and heavy.
Short balls that sit up.
Deep balls that push you back.
Your eyes are still learning how to read what’s coming in.
And because of that… you hesitate.
You’re Not Late in Your Swing — You’re Late in Your Preparation
And here’s where the real problem starts.
In tennis, you don’t wait for the ball.
You move with it.
If the ball has already crossed the net and you haven’t started adjusting your position yet—you’re late.
Not in your swing.
In your preparation.
If the ball is getting too close to your body, it means one thing:
You’re not moving with the ball… you’re waiting on it.
I see this a lot on high, slower balls too.
A ball goes up, floats a bit, gives you time…
And instead of moving back with it early, you kind of watch it.
You wait.
Then suddenly it drops on top of you.
Now you’re jammed.
Now you’re late.
Now you’re making a rushed swing from beside you—which is actually behind you.
That’s not a comfortable place to hit from. And it’s not going to hold up in a rally.
The One Thing Most Adult Players Don’t Use (But Should)
This is why I spend so much time with adult players on the non-dominant hand.
Most players don’t realize their forehand contact point is already too far back…
Not because it looks nice.
Because it’s your tracking system.
It helps you read the incoming ball.
It helps you create space.
It helps you line the ball up in front of you.
When you extend that non-dominant hand—whether slightly out in front or just off to the side—you’re organizing your body around the ball.
You’re giving yourself room.
And that’s everything on a forehand.
All forehands are meant to be hit out in front.
That means your body is behind the ball.
So if the ball is getting too close to you, it means you never got into position early enough.
You didn’t recognize it early enough.
You didn’t move with it early enough.
You waited.
This Is Normal — And It Gets Easier
And listen… this is normal.
The court is big.
There’s a lot more space to cover than people expect—especially compared to padel or pickleball.
You have to learn how to move with the ball, not react to it late.
That only comes from seeing balls over and over again.
I always say this to my players:
You don’t need 10,000 hours.
But you do need to see—and hit—thousands of balls.
That’s how your eyes start to recognize patterns.
That’s how your body starts moving earlier without you thinking about it.
I see this at the improver level all the time.
And honestly, it still shows up at intermediate too.
But once it clicks, everything changes.
You stop feeling rushed.
You stop getting jammed.
You start finding the ball out in front—where it actually feels easy to hit.
And the best part?
You already have the tool to fix it.
It’s your non-dominant hand.
It’s right there.
You just have to start using it.
Because if you don’t…
You’re going to keep letting the ball get too close.
And that’s a tough way to play tennis.
If this feels familiar, you’re not alone.
This is exactly the kind of thing we work on during our small-group adult tennis weeks here in Spain—reading the ball earlier, creating space, and feeling more comfortable in rallies.
