Supreme Court

A 25-year veteran of the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Jose Lambert has trained some greats—Andre Agassi and Monica Seles, among them. So the man knows an ace when he sees one. “You look at the eyes, hands, and feet,” says Lambert, when asked how to evaluate a tennis player’s prowess. “You check how well a player sees and reacts to the ball, moves to it, and then makes contact.” That tells you everything. Here, Lambert tells you how to raise your game by training those three skills.

Eyes
Two-on-one rallying, also referred to as Canadian doubles or cut-throat. Whatever you want to call it, playing two-on-one helps the solo player recognize and react to each ball faster than one-on-one rallying.

Hands
Abbreviate the back swing. One of the most common errors made by recreational players is an exaggerated motion in the first part of your swing (back swing). Bringing your racquet straight back saves energy and
minimizes errors in your contact.

Feet
The split step is your first reaction to your opponent’s shot, a slight hop onto the balls of your feet as you get ready to return the shot. Train your footwork by hopping in time with your opponent’s contact.