This is how Ben Shelton learned to shoot
The American, who will soon turn 22, emphasizes the importance his father had in his childhood, the person who pushed him to work on his service every day.
Of all the skills we could highlight about Ben Shelton, there is one that stands out above the rest. While the rest of the tennis players need several years –some, a whole lifetime– to make an impact with their serve, here the American has shown that he can have a massive serve since his first professional season. Supported by this shot is how he managed to break into the top 20 in just two calendars, emphasizing that there is no other more relevant shot in modern tennis than this one. But how did he do it? Was he born with a gift or are there hundreds of hours of hidden work? There's nothing better than listening to him to discover his great secret.
“My serve is effective because it's a combination of speed, precision, and surprise,” explains the Atlanta native in a recent interview in Tennis Magazine. “Being left-handed, obviously, gives me a different angle and spin than other players, a shot that my opponents don't face very often. My left-handed condition makes me an opponent with an extra level of difficulty, as the ball approaches them with different spins and angles they're not used to, which can make it hard for them to anticipate effectively,” Ben responds when asked about the danger of his serve. Now, when did he learn to hit 220km/h bombs with minimal effort?
“My serve has always been my greatest weapon, my father helped me a lot to work on this aspect since I was a child. Considering the number of free points that can be achieved with the serve, it has always been very important for me to practice and improve it every day. Of course, I continue to work on my serve daily, I want to optimize that contact point so that it helps me take my serve to the next level,” states the man who will turn 22 on October 9, reinforcing the idea of all the effort he has been investing in this shot since he was a child.
THE KEY FIGURE IN HIS LIFE
As important as the serve is, it's his father. This is the idea we can extract from the last paragraph, highlighting the importance his father had in building this path to the elite. Bryan Shelton, who was a top 60 player and champion of two ATP titles, is the best thing that could have happened to Ben, that umbrella that covers everything and ensures not to lose discipline or excitement. Because winning is good, for many it will be the most important, but going to the circuit is also about enjoying, learning, and having a good time. That's the philosophy Bryan instilled in his son from a young age, which has made him a budding star at just 21 years old.
“My father always supported me, but he didn't have to persuade me. Once I discovered my passion for the game, I was determined to play tennis much more seriously. Of course, we have disagreements sometimes, but they are always constructive. My father's experiences and knowledge are invaluable, and we both try to use them to benefit my game. Overall, I believe my father is the best person to understand where I am mentally, how to encourage me, and when to give me freedom,” states the American, who will be competing this week in Tokyo to defend what was his first title on the ATP circuit.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Así aprendió a sacar Ben Shelton