Timeless Principles
of Strategy

By Frank Brennan

Page 2

Imagination

In using strategy, you are only limited by your imagination and your control of various shots. Being an all court player means developing a complete tactical game: the more shots you develop, the more strategies to choose from.

Develop the ability to hit accurately down the line. This is the most basic shot for approaching the net, and also for hitting groundstroke winners when you get ahead in crosscourt rallies. A good lob allows you to exploit an opponent who crowds the net or has a weak overhead. A drop shot allows you to bring a back court player to the net where he is not comfortable. A reliable overhead is critical for both winning singles and winning doubles.

Early in your matches, you should try to identify which combinations of shots and court positions work to your advantage against a particular opponent. If you both stay in the backcourt, who usually wins the point? What if you come to the net when your opponent stays back? Or are the odds most in your favor when you bring your opponent in and then either try to pass or lob?

Figure this out early and then try to work your opponent into the position that is strongest for you and the weakest for him as often as possible. A successful all court player wins because he is able to attack, to defend, and to match his strengths and weaknesses against those of any opponent.

Concentration

Employing proper strategy requires concentration. To do this, you must control your emotions and learn to take your time.

Timing and pacing are two critical elements in playing winning tennis. Great players ease into matches, develop their shot rhythm gradually and identify the opponent's strengths and weaknesses.

Find the comfortable pace in your own matches. Learn to take your time between points. If you are behind, taking your time and playing slowly allows you to settle down, get your game working and cool off a hot opponent.

When you are ahead, maintaining your natural pace is equally as important. This will control your natural excitement at playing well and sensing victory. You will also capitalize on your opponent's anxiousness.

You can only play as fast as the slowest player. It might as well be you.

Doubles

The first to note about the game of doubles is that you and your partners are not two singles players, but a doubles team. You have a teammate relying on you so it's important to be consistent, stroke-wise and also emotionally.

Be communicative, supportive, and encouraging. The right attitude is even more important when your partner is not playing his best. Over time, a positive attitude is a huge key to the success of a team.

In the Backcourt

When you're in the back court in doubles, keep the ball in play and away from the net player opposite you. Hit deep cross courts. This will set up your partner to hit forcing volleys. It will also generate short balls that allow you to approach the net yourself. Your goal on the return of serve is to get every return into play, to return cross court to the server and to return low.

At the Net

In order to position yourself correctly to cover your alley and the middle of the court, you should move side to side with the ball. If the ball is hit wide into the alley, slide one step towards the sidelines.

On a ball hit closer to the middle, slide one step the other way. Your job is to stay in front of the ball, decreasing your opponent's angle and increasing your chance of intercepting his shot. Good doubles players attack the middle, move to the middle and protect the middle of the court.

At the net, your goal is to intercept as many balls as possible and volley them to the opening between your opponents in the middle of the court for winners. As you become confident at the net, you increase your range of movement - moving further toward the middle or even your partner's side to pick off weak returns.

As you play better and better doubles, you will want to get to the net as quickly as possible. This means coming in on cross court rallies and on the return of serve. Developing a solid reliable slice will help keep the ball low and lead to shoulder high volleys.

Most importantly, it means following your serve to the net. Learn to serve accurately to both sides of the service boxes and develop a deep, consistent first volley. As you approach the net, continue to move in after each shot.

As you come in, you must avoid hitting to the opposing net player. A hard, high ball will allow him to put the ball away.

One alternate strategy is to hit off pace shots that stay low. This will prevent the opponent from hitting down and making winning volleys. As you come in, keep the ball low and continue to move in after each shot. This will allow you to hit down and put the ball away.

If you don't have a volley into the open court, hit all your putaways at your closest opponent. If your partner is a good poacher, serve down the middle to both the duce and add courts, giving your partner a better angle to volley your opponent's returns.

If your opponents are both back, hit the first overhead down the middle and make sure you close back into the net and angle the second overhead off the court for the winner.

In doubles, it helps to think of the match as serving games and receiving games. The easiest way to win your serve is to be consistent with your first serve and get lots of help from your partner poaching at the net.

The easiest way to win the receiving game is to return consistently and again, get help from your partner poaching on your good returns. The keys are obvious - consistency and help.

Know Yourself

Finally realize that great players play within themselves. Resist the temptation to try low percentage shots that you are not capable of making consistently in practice. If you have weaknesses, work hard to eliminate them. Never be afraid to lose. Just make the effort to play the way you are capable of playing every time you go on the court.