Hoping to be a better tennis player? It’s not in the card for everyone. In fact, only a small percentage of those who play tennis will ever advance to the professional level. If you think your game is absolutely amazing, though, what determines whether you’ll actually be able to move forward? There are a few key attributes that set the best tennis players apart from weekend warriors. 

Speed and Agility

If you cannot get in position fast enough to hit the ball every single time, it doesn’t matter how good your technique is. Many players will suggest they simply had a bad shot when they just couldn’t get in position fast enough. Experts measure it through a simple 20 yard dash. If you can’t hit twenty yards in 3.3 seconds, you’re below average. Hit it by the time you get to 3.3 seconds, and you’re just average. If you’re faster than that, though, you may have the speed and agility it takes to move forward. 

Power

To be great at tennis, you have to explode with every single shot. If you can’t create power from the moment you swing the racket, you will end up compromising every match you have. Experts measure this by seeing how high you can reach versus how high you can jump. Simply stand beside a wall, and see how high you can reach. Mark that spot, then jump to see how much further you go. Average men have a difference of 21 inches while average women have a difference of 12 inches. 

Flexibility

A lack of flexibility increases your chance for a much shorter career. Flexibility means something serious to tennis athletes – the ability to get as many balls as possible from tough spots. While you’ll likely need a professional to truly assess your flexibility, seeing how far you can reach may give you a sense of what you can do. Average women can reach about two inches past their toes while average men can usually reach about an inch past their toes. 

Even if you don’t have the ability to be a tennis great, the chances are good that you could still be good on the court with a bit of extra training in these areas.