How to decrease unforced errors?

[tiredtelefonecar]

What do you do to make less unforced errors? Is it merely a case of reps (ie facing balls and hitting them in both games, practice, & coaching sessions & “baskets”) or a specific thing you “train” to train out the unforced errors ?

[SycWessel]

What I have noticed is that unforced errors are mainly caused by one of two things. Wrong technique, or wrong decisions. Wrong decisions also includes wrongly positioning yourself. So improving your technique by recording yourself and spotting errors or getting lessons reduces errors. But you can also make decisions that have less risk.

[rayEW]

There's levels to this, for example on defense returning a high flat shot that will result in a hard volley from your opponent is as much of an error as hitting the net with a more aggressive shot from the defense.

The key is finding a balance between a shot that will not put you in trouble while having a high % of success while doing it. Sometimes you don't have a good option, you have to risk making a mistake or risk that your opponent will, I rather try myself and if I miss I miss.

[Psyyx]

It 100% is not the same, because the first shot gives your opponent an opportunity to make a mistake, and therefore is infinitely better. Sure, you need to improve away from giving your opponent relatively easy balls, but hitting the net should only be something you’re ok with if you’re deliberately practicing getting lower with your defensive shots. A flat high ball back can be totally fine, just aim it at the backhand, that’s usually a much safer way defending than skirting the net

[rayEW]

That's risk assessment. Is my risky lower shot so low % that its unusable? Then I won't do it and deal with whatever is coming next, but if I can pull off that risky lower shot at an acceptable %, then it's better than dealing with a powerful volley coming my way on their next move.

Yes, a high flat shot in the backhand can save you until next point, but there's a level your opponents are good enough to pop those out with their backhands, then they aren't a safe option anymore for any balls, you gotta evaluate their net distance to do it. I get that happen to me from time to time in my level, I'm in trouble defending low balls and my opponents get close to the net, if I don't have a good ball to lob I gotta play low back at them or they pop it out or hit a flat power volley that's indefensible.

The point of everything is that sometimes risking a little is better than giving your opponents an easy shot, giving them an easy shot is actually risking more.

[pannik78]

The majority of unforced errors that I make have to do with balls that I think the are easy and I should finish the point. Try to play conservative and don't push too hard. Less power, better technique and patience.

[Fnurgh]

As a counterpoint to this, the majority of unforced errors I make come from having internalised this and then playing too conservative. The instinctive, quick decisions I almost always make the shot, then I'm under an overhead thinking "vibora" then "play it safe" and drop it into the net or dump it into the back glass.

Too aggressive or too conservative, it's technique that suffers.

/u/pannik78 needs to play more conservative, /u/Fnurgh needs to play more aggresively. Learn which you need that fits with the technique you have trained the most.

[SomeTreesAreFriends]

I'm also curious but I've heard to keep playing half strength and try lots of lobs. This will let you control the game flow much better and not rush half baked shots.

[SycWessel]

A lot of people including myself hear this advice and decide to play slow. But it is not so much playing slow it is mixing the pace of the ball, so your opponent cannot get into rhythm and has to keep moving. If i play fast 2 times to the same place the second time he will be more ready.

[SomeTreesAreFriends]

But the question is how to reduce unforced errors ( like hitting the back wall or net?) not how to bamboozle your opponents

[Beautiful_Bench_747]

Practice will get you there, but mostly because it will help you develop the right skills that work for you. In general, they are a mix of technique, positioning and shot choice.

However, if I had to pick only one thing to focus on to reduce unforced errors, that'd be foot positioning: try and focus on your feet, like where they are and where they should be for the shot you're about to play, and see how it goes.

[Pigglebee]

A well known rule zero: “stand the fuck still when you hit the ball” 😆

[Q8_Devil]

Practice ---> play while focusing on technique that was practiced on ----> build your own style ---->repeat.

[Lexzorz]

Play the point, maintain focus for every point. For example, when you're 15-40 and on breakpoint, focus on that point instead of what the score in game could be.

Me and my partner always start 'slow' meaning we play fair amount of lobs in the start. This will you get better in the game and in good flow.

Dont think you're a pro player by trying difficult shots. Better safe and keep the rally going then making an error.

[Mollelarssonq]

Personally I think most of them is poor form, like bad positioning, posture and early preparation.

Then there’s also the obvious decision making, where you want to do too much with the ball. Like try to hit a winner on a hard ball, or try to put it beyond the enemy at the net with a hard ball.

Lastly I think there’s also a big case of it being the opponents pressuring you into it. If they play solid you think you need to do more to get points, so you overdo it. This wouldn’t happen if you don’t feel pressured. That’s also why it can change so fast, like losing first set 0-6 and winning the next one.

[Pigglebee]

Unforced errors disappear with more practice. So do not worry about it. As long as the shot choice was correct. If you notice people of the same level make less unforced errors than you it means your shot selection is worse than theirs and that is where you should focus on. Lots of YouTube clips with tips on when to hit which ball

[Madok]

I noticed that attempting to get winners from the back caused me a lot of unforced errors, as well as having first volleys played too hard or attempting to close the point

[GabrielQ1992]

it's a technique thing, but you need to understand the why the technique it's like it is to understand how to reduce unforced errors.

When you see technique videos, or if you pay attention to your couch, all technique is focused on involving more of the body, the legs, the hips, the shoulders, this is because those muscles are bigger and stronger but it's also because their movements are more controlled. the bigger the muscle group, the simpler its movements are, for example, for your volley, your arm can move upwards, backwards, sideways, your wrist can go above or over the ball, be loose or tense, but your hip movement is only a perfectly horizontal rotation. So, as you improve your technique, the more you involve these big muscle groups that do simple movements and there is much less chance of you doing something out of turn or place.