US TENNIS July 1996 How to Slam-Dunk Your Overhead By Pete Sampras, Playing Editor with Alexander McNab Photography by Dom Furore

I've never had my vertical leap measured, but on a basketball court, though I'm only 6 feet 1, I can slam-dunk any kind of ball except a basketball. When I hit a big serve and see the return floating, or when my opponent hits a short lob, I just take off, jump as high as I can, and boom! The jump overhead is my signature shot. It's a crowd pleaser. In some ways, it's almost a message to the opponent as well: I'm going to kick a little butt here. I don't know if it intimidates the other guy, but when things are going well, you just let go and have some fun. The leaping overhead is an instinctive shot for me. All I can tell you about it is that I'm usually moving forward, so my body weight is forward, as I lift off. Then I really snap the racquet down as I hit. Most overheads are easy shots for us pros: The swing is short, we aren't on the run, and it's just a matter of timing -- knowing when to swing -- and hand-eye coordination. It's almost an embarrassing shot for a pro to miss because it's so easy. Sure, it happens every now and again, but it's like a professional golfer missing a 2-foot putt -- you hardly ever see that happen. Yet club players miss overheads all the time. They don't get into good position and they let the ball drop too far. For players at all levels, the overhead can be a choke shot. If you miss one, when another lob comes, you think, "Uh-oh, I missed one already, and I'm going to choke on this one, too." Everybody's done it at least once. When I miss an overhead, usually I'm looking at my opponent, trying to figure out which way he is going to go, and if he does a little shake and bake, I'll take my eye off the ball and hit it into the net or hit it wide. Other times I bring my head down too quickly or I go for too much. Regardless of your skill level, there are several basics you need to execute on every over-head, as I demonstrate on these Pages. Push off strongly If you have good footwork and get under the ball, the over-head is pretty easy most of the time. You cannot be flat-footed and just wait for the ball. You need to get in position, and you need to be in balance. Once you see the lob, use your left foot (if you are right-handed) to really push off hard (near right). That push-off is key: If you get a good jump with that first step, you'll get under the ball in plenty of time. Then back up with crossover steps (far right). If you use shuffle steps instead, you may not get your lower body properly turned sideways, you may lose your balance and you won't cover as much ground as quickly. When it's a deep lob, you have to keep moving, and the best way to do that is with crossover steps. Prepare simply There's very little motion involved in preparing your racquet to smash the ball. Just turn your upper body sideways (right) and raise your racquet behind your head (facing page) as you begin tracking the ball. It's a very quick motion. Club players mess up their timing by trying to "serve" the overhead. I may drop my racquet head a little for rhythm as I start moving back, but I don't take a full serve-type swing. Once you see the lob, just rotate your upper body, get the racquet up and then concentrate on trying to get your feet into position. Snap aggressively You have to keep your eye on the ball through impact. It's something we pros all take for granted. We have been doing it for so long on every stroke that it gets ingrained through repetition. Extend up to the ball as you hit it (left). Don't let it drop too low. You want to make contact at the highest possible point, so you have the best angle down into the court. (Even though in this photo it may not be obvious that I'm watching the ball, in fact I am seeing it through contact.) The wrist snap on the overhead is similar to that on the serve, except that you snap the racquet head down even more (above). If you dare close enough to the net, try to slam-dunk the overhead so the ball bounces over the fence, giving your opponent no chance of getting it back. If the lob is really high, if it's a windy day or if the sun is in my eyes, I'll let the lob bounce. (But I'll never let a lob bounce on a grass court, where the bounces are too unpredictable.) It's a split-second decision. When I let it bounce, it gives my opponent time to get back in the court. You just have to find a feel to figure out the best thing to do. The overhead is a fun shot. It really is. When you're spiking it down -- that's the kind of shot you like to have.