Do you love tennis? Would you like to up your game now?

Tennis fans and tennis players are revved up this time of year. Wimbledon has just ended and the US Open is about seven weeks away.

Weekend tennis players tend to make the same type of mistakes over and over again. Many tennis matches are won and lost due to mental and physical mistakes.

To learn more about the common mistakes and some of the remedies, I interviewed Rick Macci. Macci, who runs a tennis facility in Boca Raton, Florida, is considered one of the best tennis coaches in the country. He has trained many of the best juniors and many of the best professional tennis players.

Rick is known for his collection of inspirational quotes and motivational sayings. Macci, who has been teaching for over thirty years, felt that these were some common problems for adult gamers. Young people present different types of problems.

1. Many players need to shorten their backswing. A compact swing can reduce errors.

2. Many players use the eastern grip on the serve. Macci feels that they need to use the continental grip.

3. Players tend not to use their legs enough in their shots. They play mainly with their arms. Macci suggests that players bend their knees as if they were about to sit on a chair, then push down and drive.

4. Players can get too excited on a volley and tend to backswing too big on their volley. Stay calm at net and use a short, compact movement.

5. Weekend warriors cut their follow-up short because they are afraid of

to get the ball. They slow down and stop the racket. Take a full, flowing swing.

6. On the overhead shot, players can get excited and overly nervous and may overswing on this shot. Macci encourages players to be aware of balance, control and placement when making this shot.

7. Macci believes that players should use the slice backhand more often. This shot is reliable and accurate and can be a real weapon in matches.

8. To get ready to hit a tennis ball, Macci reminds people to use a split step before the moment your opponent hits the ball.

9. Many players do not throw the ball high enough on their serve. Macci reminds players that the serve motion is a lot like throwing a javelin. You want to hit the ball up and out. You need a high pitch to get it right.

10. Players stand in the same place when receiving a second serve. Go up three or four steps on the second serve of many players.

11. When playing doubles, forget about alleys. Focus on the center of the court.