Adjust

[GeoffWilliams]

How does your opponent react to your best shot sequence? How is he trying to neutralize it? Does he first try to pass you when you approach dtl to his bh corner, and when that doesn't work, then use topspin lobs cc to your bh?

Do you use a tactic, knowing what will happen, and then disguise the next sequence? Show drop volley/shot, and then drive it deep after first using the drop and showing him that?

Show an opp. one thing first, and see if he adjusts. If he doesn't continue it if it's working. If he adjusts, fake that sequence, and do the thing he does not expect: stop short and anticipate his adjustment.

[GeoffWilliams]

Keep a looser and a tighter string job

If going long too much, change to the tighter frame. If going too short, change to the looser frame.

Some also use different frames to serve and return with.

Some use tighter frames at altitude.

Some use tighter frames against very good defenders, who will force you to raise your own shot tolerance!

Some use more powerful frames when serving/volleying, to add punch to their serve/volley game, where points don't generally last long anyway.

[GeoffWilliams]

The most common type of players

Recreational levels are mostly defenders/pushers.

Higher level players are mostly attacking ground strokers with great speedy defense.

The style neither sees very often is the all court attacking style. Low level players don't have good serves, so the attacking return is effective, down the line, as an approach shot. They will lob you when they discover their passing shots are being put away.

Many higher level players also don't have (comparatively) great serves either, they are just better at getting into a sideways coil on the run after you approach, and are better at passing. Most don't lob much at all against higher levels, as they know the lobs will be put away most of the time.

[GeoffWilliams]

Change your grips

If a server is beating you on your returns, adjust your grip. If going into the net, open up your grip a bit. If going long, close it off. Everybody talks about being relaxed on your serve. No one talks about relaxing your upper body/arms/grip on the return. Bend over, loosen up your upper body, arms, and grip, and as the server goes into his contact, "cock" your return towards your dom shoulder with your non dom. hand on the throat, and then let the cocked wrist release its full power into your return!

[GeoffWilliams]

Serving

If going long, toss forwards more. If going into the net, toss backwards more. Ask to your self: "hold longer" for more backwards toss or for kicks/twists. Ask: "toss forwards" for flat and fast slices. The body is like a partner, it does what you ask for, rather than what you demand.

Ask: "I'd like to hit an ace dtl.", and it's far more likely to do so sans asking.

[GeoffWilliams]

Low ball, high ball.

The mantra Nadal uses: "High ball, low ball.", for his jamming game. Learn from his success. Don't just dump medium height shots into their strike zones. High topspin and low slices, deep flat shots, and short slices, will bother anyone.

[GeoffWilliams]

Your return position

Change it. Don't stay in one place. Back way up, esp. if the server has a fast serve. Move way in, esp. if the server has a weak serve. Show all fh. Cheat to that side. Move way in and back up as the server goes up to serve. Move over 18" after the server goes up peripheral.

[GeoffWilliams]

The most common adjustments

Missing first serves? Hit fast slice seconds only.

Too many errors? Higher net clearance.

Too many missed returns? Step farther back. Nadal returns from 10' back.

Too nervous? Use bellows breathing to control breath and relax muscles.

[GeoffWilliams]

Visualization/creative thinking

See yourself coming back and winning. See yourself adjusting, moving sideways faster, coiling your shots better. See the hand shake and the distressed look on his face ahead of time when he loses to you.

[GeoffWilliams]

Returning a high kicker to your back hand side

Deuce side run around it. The arched back and previous pattern will tell you it's coming. Sidle over after the server goes peripheral. Ad side, hit a slice downwards on top of the ball, or close off your grip, and take the ball earlier before it gets up too high to handle. If it's beating you, these adjustments must be made quickly.

Serving, if the returner runs around the shot, start throwing in fake kicks, and then hit the slice to the fh.

[GeoffWilliams]

Add disguise to your game

The most common disguise tactic is to run around the fh, show inside out, and then go dtl.



Or on a short shot, to show you are going to attack the ball, fake it, and then hit a short drop shot. Or if you already did that, to show you are going to hit a drop shot, and then attack the ball.


Fake kick serves if they are running around the shot to their fh, and slice the serve to the fh wide. It's fed. fav serve: wide to the fh/deuce court.

[GeoffWilliams]

Your emotions

If nervous, bellows breathing. If angry, calm down. If upset due to psych jobs, accept the fact people will do anything to win, and you will not be a part of it. Winning without honor is losing karma. You will pay if you cheat/etc. one way or another.

[GeoffWilliams]

IF you are unsure of what to do

Usually happening when you are losing. Either they are better than you are, or you are playing badly. Not tournament ready. Not enough training/practice/match play. Uncertainty in the arena does not feel very good. But we all feel it. It's never certain who will lose. If you serve better and return better than your opponent, you will almost always win. Focus on the first strike of the ball, first things first. If missing the first serve, hit seconds. If missing the return, stand way back and look for the wide serve. If making too many mistakes, settle down and focus on: getting sideways faster, coiling your shots more, waiting for the ball to arrive. Be more careful with your game plan. Give yourself more time to hit your shots by backing off the baseline a bit. Don't take risks as much. (Have to take some to win!)

Stall a bit. Drop the ball on your foot on purpose, and it will roll off, giving you some time to go get it. Catch your toss a couple of times. Tie your shoes. Wipe your face with your towel. Guys who are winning hate this stalling. Hey, you get 20 seconds, regardless of servers pace. Young guys brought up on Agassi/etc., rushing the pace, hate this stalling. Don't react to any complaints at all. Just say, "I get 20 seconds."

[GeoffWilliams]

Play inside the base line against pushers

They live on hitting short slices and weak shots, moving you a bit. Play two feet inside the base line and attack any short ball dtl and come into the net. Take their moon balls out of the air and hit a swinging volley. Over close to the net at first, and then stop short around the service line, as they will always lob you after over closing. They then will try to do something they can't: hit deep shots, and if they succeed, back up as they come in a bit and reclose immediately. Show the cowardly pusher he cannot deal with your all court pressure against his normally effective short slices and weak shots.

[GeoffWilliams]

Use the warm up

Look for weaknesses. You don't owe him rhythm. High ball, moon balls to the bh and fh. (Lots of old school guys have weak shots on the high fh.) Low slices, short balls, heavy spin, no pace shots, flat shots mixed in. You've only got about 3 min. to find something! Same thing on the serve. Don't hit any returns, as this will take time away from the warm up and are not allowed anyway without asking him.