Live Match Play

Nick Wheatley

Over the course of this series, we've developed a full understanding of your game, (Click Here) including your favorite shots, your top shot, and sequences that could enable you to set up your top shot with another pre-selected shot. (Click Here.)

Also, we identified your preferred cross-court pattern based on this overall understanding. (Click Here.) We also covered a number of training exercises that would allow you to hone these skills and sequences, so that you would be better able to rely on using them in live matches. (Click Here.)

So, let's now look at live matches, specifically when rallies start to develop. We've already covered the various start of point scenarios and how you can find a small edge when serving and returning, so it's time to think about how to handle the rallies once they develop beyond the initial 2 shots.

Strengths

The foundation of your strategy should be based on using your strengths, and trying to use the specific work you have carried out on the practice court. Are you able to recognize every opportunity to hit that top shot when it presents itself, and then make calculated decisions about whether to do it or opt for another option?

Of course, you won't choose to do it all the time, but the awareness is crucial. Also, with your understanding of the two crosscourt patterns, and where your strengths lie, are you able to develop rallies in a way that will develop the play towards your preferred pattern? Then once in that preferred pattern, it's time to try and press home your advantage.

For example, let's say your preferred pattern is the left side pattern, because you love controlling points with your inside in and inside out forehands. Let's say your inside in forehand is your top shot—your money shot.

You find yourself trading crosscourt forehands with a fellow right hander. You should be looking for any slightly weaker ball in order to take a forehand down the line, which will hopefully switch the play to the left side pattern.

You may then need to hit a backhand crosscourt or two, before you can run around and start bringing those inside forehands into play, but your mind should always be aware of the strategy, understanding which pattern you're in, looking to change from your weaker to stronger pattern, and looking to ram home the advantage when you have your stronger pattern in play.

Opponent's Game Style

The other big issue is how you adapt to your opponent's gamestyle and strengths. It's all well and good being crystal clear around how you want to develop the rallies, but your opponent's skills may undermine your plans, and force you to rethink.

For example, suppose you're playing a left-hander. Suddenly, the left side pattern may not hold the same advantages. You may be faced with a big leftie forehand coming into your backhand side, making it difficult to get around the ball to bring your inside forehand shots into play.

Now the right side pattern may be more fruitful, as you can then match up your crosscourt forehand with your opponent's backhand. In this case, backhands down the line are the way to switch the pattern, again looking for shorter or weaker balls to make the switch on.

Another example is playing an opponent may be highly skilled with a certain type of shot. Perhaps a right-hander with a brilliant forehand crosscourt on the run. This would lead you to use your insidein more sparingly, in favor of the insideout.

Or playing a right-handed opponent who has an excellent down the line backhand, who is hurting you taking the ball early. In this case, you should go easy on the inside out forehands and look to favor more inside ins. In this case you also need to be a little more selective when trying to change the crosscourt pattern. In this case try that when you have a bit more time and can pressure the opponent more.

Limiting Your Opponent

There may also simply be occasions where your thinking has to switch away from trying to bring your own strengths into play, and more towards limiting your opponent's ability to use their strengths. This is also something that you can bring into the training court, and I love challenging my players to reverse think their strategy in this way.

An example could be to limit their opponents' opportunity to play their top shot to as little as possible. If someone charts the exchanges you can find what percentage of shots your the opponent attempted his top shot.

Rafa Nadal's opponents often trying to adapt to limit his ability to command the points with his leftie inside forehands. Can they keep the ball on his backhand in the right side pattern? Do they need to create that space by attacking the forehand side? Could selective net play be the only way to stop Nadal dominating with his strengths?

Being ready to adapt and problem-solve is a key skill that will develop from experience of playing many different opponents, and it's an enjoyable part of the game trying to work out strategies for different game-styles, and very satisfying when you do it well and get a win as a result!