Magic Number 3

So we are into week four of the new training programme and I have had two tough weeks of training. The focus has come off technique ever so slightly and we are beginning to introduce more tactical developments to my game.

Since my last blog, the first week was a tough one and I was feeling the effects of both tiredness from the work that I had been doing and frustration with over thinking of technique. As a result I had one day in that week that was particularly tough and it was more about working through it and putting the effort in than seeing a great deal of progress. Since then however, I have been extremely happy with the levels of progress that has taken place with my game. After the particularly difficult day, I was determined to ensure that the following day I was able to get on court and just make balls. I focused less on specific technique areas but made sure I was able to raise the level of intensity I had on court and was able to put a lot more balls back in court.

This last week has been even more positive as I have seen significant developments in my forehand. I am beginning to get a lot more confidence in the technical adjustments and feel like my forehand is developing into a real weapon now and I look to dominate points off that wing more than ever. My backhand is taking a little longer to adjust and I have been focusing my attention on my footwork to ensure I get into a better position, with my body behind the ball, through every shot. I have also been working on my serve and am seeing progress to a much more fluid shot. I have included a couple of short videos below that give you a little idea of what I have been doing.

As a result of the improvements technically we have been able to do a lot more point work and are beginning to work on a higher level of intensity through each point. We are also working on my court positioning depending on the shot I have hit and really looking to dominate and dictate each point off the ground.

Despite the freezing cold here in the UK, we continue to train hard each day this week outdoors in all weather conditions and for more regular updates and photos please follow me on twitter here: twitter.com/jacksaunders

We also had an interview with The Daily Echo on Friday and I will ensure I post the article as soon as it appears in the paper! Thanks for reading and here's to another week of progress! :)