Timeless Principles
of Strategy
By Frank Brennan
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Click Photo. What are the advantages of all court tennis?
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Tennis players tend to over-exaggerate the importance of
how they hit the ball, and overlook the importance of how they play the game.
Proper strokes and good footwork are important ingredients in winning tennis matches,
but using sound strategy and tactics makes the task infinitely easier.
One of the most potent weapons any player can develop is a
sound understanding of winning strategy in singles and doubles. It is absolutely essential
if you truly wish to become the best tennis player you can be.
The All Court Game
What does it take to become an effective, consistent, all court
strategic player? To win from the back court like Andre Agassi; to win attacking the net like
Pete Sampras, and to have the flexibility to do both like Roger Fededer?
The most basic principle in winning tennis is consistency, getting the ball over the net and into the court one more time than your opponent. Learn to hit with depth, good net clearance and to eliminate unforced errors.
If you don't make the error, that only leaves one other person,
and that's your opponent. Never underestimate his ability to make an error.
A second fundamental principle is to learn to play an opponent's
weakness. Put very simply: if you hit a majority of your shots to your opponent's weak backhand,
especially on big points, you'll probably win the match.
Geometry of the Court
Besides hitting to an obvious weakness, there are other reasons hitting to certain areas of the court.
The most basic principle: learn to hit cross court with consistency and accuracy. In general, hitting cross-court is to your advantage for three reasons.
Number one, your shot crosses the net at the lowest part. The net in the center is 6 inches lower than it is on the sidelines. That's a tremendous advantage.
Number two; the court is much longer on the diagonal than straight down the line. A down the line shot that is out by 4 feet would be in if you hit that same shot cross court.
Number three; your recovery to the center of your opponent's possible returns is also much shorter. Hitting high, deep cross court shots will give you the best chance to recover when your opponent forces you wide. On the other hand, a down-the-line shot leaves a considerably longer distance to the center of your opponent's return.
When you play in the backcourt, you should try to stay on the
centerline, bisecting your opponent's two widest returns. In essence, you learn to see the
tennis court as a triangle rather than a rectangle. In the backcourt, this means you should
be on the opposite half of the court, diagonally across from your opponent.
The second major point about court position is this: in the backcourt,
it is to your advantage to play as close to the baseline as possible because you will have less
court to cover.
The graphic shows the additional distance a player must cover when
he moves off the baseline 8 to 10 feet. Notice how moving back increases your opponent's angles,
while moving up reduces them. In addition, playing on the baseline gives your opponent less time
to recover between shots.
The graphic shows the additional distance a player must cover when he
moves off the baseline 8 to 10 feet. Notice how moving back increases your opponent's angles,
while moving up reduces them. In addition, playing on the baseline gives your opponent less time
to recover between shots.
The third advantage in playing close to the baseline is that the ball
doesn't slow down as much so you are able to hit the ball harder and make more aggressive shots with
less effort by taking the ball on the rise. Finally, from this aggressive backcourt position,
it is a much shorter distance to the net, which facilitates your ability to attack.
Moving to the Net
When you move to the net, the triangle principle is the same. You should also stay on the centerline, bisecting your opponent's two widest returns. At the net, this will place you on the same side of the court as your opponent.
The proper position is midway between the net and the service line. If you are
tall, have a great overhead, and are quick, you can move up one step. If you are not so tall
or quick and your overhead is a rumor, you may want to move back one step.
If, after several games, your opponent hasn't lobbed you successfully,
you can assume that he can't or won't, and move in appropriately. Remember, the center theory is
always an operation. So maintain your position in the center of your opponent's best returns.
This means you should generally hit your approach shots and approach volleys down
the line and hit cross-court to put the ball away. Take the ball as early and as high as possible.
This allows you to hit down and also hit sharper angles for winners. It also takes away your opponent's
ability to hit at your feet and force you into difficult low volleys. When you come to the net, turn up
the aggression. Daring is rewarded at the net.
