If you’ve been playing tennis for a while and feel stuck between beginner and intermediate, chances are it’s not effort you’re lacking — it’s clarity.
Most adult improvers aren’t short on motivation. They’re short on timely corrections.
At this stage, progress doesn’t come from learning more things.
It comes from fixing a few recurring habits that quietly hold players back.
Below are three of the most common mistakes we see with adult improver players — and how we correct them on court.
The Forehand Collapse
This one shows up everywhere.
The forehand starts well… and then breaks down at the finish.
The elbow collapses early.
The swing cuts across the chest.
The ball drops into the net or floats short.
What’s happening is fear — usually subconscious.
Instead of swinging through the ball, players pull back mid-stroke. The swing shortens. Confidence disappears.
The fix is simple, but it takes commitment:
- Swing low to high
- Finish up and over the opposite shoulder
- Let the racket travel fully through the shot
At the improver stage, depth and net clearance matter more than anything else. You don’t get those without a complete swing.
Contact should always be out in front, not beside the body.
Using your non-dominant hand to track the ball helps prevent that early collapse.
This isn’t about modern tennis or flashy technique.
It’s about building a forehand that holds up under pressure.
Living in No-Man’s Land
Court positioning trips up more adult players than almost anything else.
A common pattern:
- Player moves inside the baseline to hit a ball
- Forgets to recover back
- Gets stuck in the middle of the court
- Panics when the next ball comes back
That middle area — no-man’s land — is where balls bounce awkwardly. You have no time and no space.
If you hit a groundstroke inside the court, you must recover back behind the baseline unless you’re clearly moving forward to the net.
Groundstrokes are shots you hit after the ball bounces.
If you’re swinging at balls out of the air from the baseline, something has already gone wrong.
And if the ball is short enough to move forward?
Commit fully. Go to the net. Don’t hover.
Recovery is part of every shot. Miss it, and the next ball becomes a problem.
One-Handed Backhand Too Early
The one-handed backhand is a beautiful shot — but for many adult improvers, it creates more issues than progress.
It requires:
- Precise timing
- Strong coordination
- Excellent balance
- A different grip and contact point
At this stage, most players don’t yet have the stability to support it consistently.
A two-handed backhand offers:
- Better balance
- More control
- Easier depth
- Less strain under pressure
This isn’t about what looks good.
It’s about moving through the ball instead of getting pushed backwards by it.
You can always revisit a one-hander later.
Right now, reliability matters more.
One Last Reminder for Adult Players
Don’t overdo it.
We see adults burn out quickly when they try to fix everything at once — especially on tennis holidays or during intensive weeks.
Rest matters.
Spacing matters.
Letting changes settle matters.
Tennis is a long game, and adults improve best when corrections are layered calmly and reinforced with repetition.
New players bring great energy to the sport — and that’s a good thing.
But skipping foundational habits only delays progress.
Build the base. Trust the process.
Tennis should get simpler, not harder, as you improve.
Whether players join us in Mallorca or Andalucía, the goal is always the same: give adult improvers the space and structure needed for these corrections to finally stick.
With love from Mallorca~
