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TennisOne Lessons 
Playing the Short Ball Doug King One of the most fundamental strategies in the game of singles is to hit deep and force your opponent to hit short. The assumption is that once you get your opponent to hit short you have essentially gained the advantage. This might lead some to the conclusion that the short ball is an automatic put away, a “gimme” as they say in golf. In reality, the short ball can be a challenging shot to handle and if you don’t do the right thing with it, the consequences can be disastrous. Let’s look at the “whys” and “hows” of the short ball. Why the Short Ball is Critical When you come to the forecourt you are moving into what we refer to as “offensive territory.” This is because you are closer to the net and can hit more outright winning shots due to the increased angles available and the reaction time that you rob from your opponents. This does not mean, however, that just because you move into this area of the court you are going on the offensive. What it does mean is that if you have hit an offensive shot and you have your opponent on the defensive then the forecourt is the best place to be positioned to optimize your opportunities for winning the point. On the other hand, if your opponent is not under pressure then the net is not a very good place to be. In fact, if your opponent has an easy shot, the net can be the worst place on the court to be. Where you are on the court does not determine whether you are on offense or defense - that is created more by the shot that you hit and the position it places your opponent in. Having the correct court position based upon the situation is the way maximize your opportunities, whether that is to put the ball away or keep the ball in play. This is what is meant by “being in position.” The forecourt is the “do or die” territory of the court. You should not expect to “rally” in the forecourt; points are either won or lost quickly from this position. Therefore, it is imperative that you sustain pressure on your opponent every time you come to the net. This does not mean you have to hit a winner on every short ball but you do have to make every effort to hit a “forcing” shot. A forcing shot does not let your opponent set up comfortably and give him many options for an offensive reply. You want to keep your opponent off balance and the ball out of his “strike zone.” If you hit a forcing shot off your opponent’s short ball, you will probably be rewarded with a volley or lob that you can easily put away for a winner. On the other hand, if you hit a shot that is not forcing, you risk being passed or lobbed over, and if you don’t like the shot you've hit, retreating back to the baseline is often not an option. You simply have to stay at the net and face the music. From a positioning perspective, the short ball is a definite opportunity but it is also a liability if you do not execute the shot properly.
The Scramble and Dig Before I go further, I must distinguish between a short ball set up by your good shot (In this case, you are dictating play and expect to close in on the net.) and a short ball purposely struck by your opponent to get you into an uncomfortable position (in the second case where a short angle or drop shot is played, your opponent is dictating play to force an error or set up an easy pass). Roger Federer often uses this strategy against Andy Roddick with his sharply knifed backhand slice. He feels that playing the short ball is a weaker part of Roddick’s game and he uses this tactic to expose it. Arthur Ashe used this strategy to beat Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon in their final in ’75. And Fabrice Santoro uses it against everybody all of the time. Getting to these balls is a matter of training. You must learn to eliminate any thinking or deliberation about going for the ball and simply react. If you can do this you will surprise yourself at how many of these short balls you get to. Once you start to believe you can get to these shots, you will move to the ball with even more confidence, conviction, and control. In men’s college tennis, for example, the let serve is live and so the players must train themselves to react to this occurrence. As a spectator I am always surprised at seeing them run after the let cord as I assume the ball is out of play. In the same way you must never assume a ball is not going to go over, or go in, or is unreturnable. What you do with that short dig off of the scramble depends on the situation. If you are pulled way out of court and have no play on the next ball, you may have to go for something big, an all or nothing play - a whipping angle return or a low percentage drive up the line. These balls that are very low and quite close to the net must be played with significant topspin to have the speed to pass the opponent on the baseline and still stay inside the court. If your opponent is either up at the net or way behind the baseline, you can also play with touch angles to ease the ball out of his reach. If you are more in the center of the court, you can play in the center (over the lower part of the net) and try to make a play on the next ball. Lendl used to take this short dig shot off of a McEnroe drop volley and drill it back at McEnroe’s body. His intent was to not only win the point but more importantly to make McEnroe think twice about using the drop volley again (one of his favorite shots). In any case, on the short scramble and dig you must be able to hit and control the ball on the run with the racquet prepared early (see what Jim Mclennan has to say about racquet preparation). The Short Sitter Typically we refer to any ball that lands inside the service line as a short ball. Aside from the scramble and dig there are other types of short balls that require different approaches and techniques. On the other side of the spectrum from the scramble and dig is the short sitter. The short “sitter” is a shot you have plenty of time to get to, set up for, and play with power -- a shot you should attack aggressively with the intent of putting the ball away for an outright winner. The key to success on a short sitter is to get to the ball quickly and play it before it drops below level of the net. If you have your opponent pulled off the court, try to play the ball into the open court as early as possible. This may mean taking the ball on the run as a volley if the ball is “floating” or hanging in the air - a low lob type of shot. If your opponent is in the middle of the court, or has time to get back into position, then get up to the ball quickly, take your time by pausing a moment before hitting and try to hold or freeze your opponent. This is done by preparing in a sideways position to the net and then holding that position until the last possible moment before hitting to a specific side.
Don’t approach this ball worrying about whether to hit cross-court or down the line - this hesitation will distract you from good preparation. Instead get turned so that you can play the ball down the line and hold that position until the final moment. You can always play crosscourt from this position and this will tend to freeze your opponent as he will be forced to wait to see where you are going to hit. If he commits to one side too early you can simply play the ball to the open court for the winner. As simple as it may sound, this play still requires good preparation, disguise, and patience to execute effectively. If you get the short sitter and you are in the center of the court you have the option of going to either side. Another strategy is to concentrate on your opponent’s weaker side, unless he is obviously overplaying that side. From this position, you can also hit hard down the center of the court. This will produce a winner more often than you think as your opponent is usually breaking to one side or the other and even if he is holding the center, he will often hit a weak ball right back to you since he does not have an angle to work with on the return. After the shot, be sure to recover quickly for the reply. Remember, even when you are hitting with the intent of putting the ball away, always expect your opponent to get the ball back. Drop the Sitter Another option that you can use on the short sitter shot is the drop shot. If you can get up to the short ball in plenty of time and your opponent is in a good defensive position far behind the baseline, the drop shot can catch your opponent by surprise and result in a winner. Mixing in this option can keep your opponent off balance and force him play closer to the baseline, a position he may not be as comfortable in. And by drawing him closer to the baseline, you make it easier to pass him with more powerful shots to the corners. If you see that your opponent may reach the drop shot be ready to move in and volley the ball if he pops it up or be ready to scramble for a soft angled reply. In either case you should be able to find plenty of open court for a return winner.
The Short Low Ball Playing a short, low ball (something between a short sitter and a dig shot) requires patience and timing. This is a ball that lands short and stays low to the ground, below the level of the net. In most cases, it should not shot be played for an out right winner because it is difficult to drive the short, low ball with enough pace to get it past your opponent and still keep it on the court. The low, short ball is often a “set up” shot that is designed to give you the best chance to hit a winning volley or overhead on the next shot, so play the shot with that intent. It is important to play the ball in a manner that pressures your so that you have an opportunity to be in position to react to and take advantage of the return. Sometimes you can hit the ball too hard and give your opponent an obvious and open lane to hit into. It is analogous to a punter in football who over kicks the coverage. He may kick the ball so far that the receiver has time to catch the ball in the open field and can build up speed to more easily avoid the tacklers. In the same way you must time your approach so that you allow yourself time to get into a good volleying position at the moment that the opponent is making the return. Play the ball with good depth and proper placement (almost always down the line) and pace so that you allow yourself to establish an advantageous position at the net. This will make it more difficult for your opponent to know which shot to play as he must now guess where you are going to move. This will also give you a chance to gather your balance and position so that you can read and react to your opponent. Remember, harder and faster is not always better on the short, low ball. Use Slice for Control and Proper Timing
Slice, or underspin is often a very effective technique to utilize in order to accomplish proper control and timing on the low, short ball. The spin will take some speed off of the ball and will keep your return very low and out of your opponent’s strike zone. The underspin will allow you to manage the speed of your shot which is critical in allowing you the opportunity to get into good position for the volley. An underspin stroke is also easier to execute on the move as it requires less windup, time, and effort than a topspin drive. You can more easily “flow” through this shot and achieve more body control as you approach the net. The underspin stroke on the short ball is actually very similar in technique to the volley. It is a short, controlled stroke action that relies more on weight transfer than racquet speed for power. The underspin stroke also makes it easier to take a short ball on the rise. Because the stroke is shorter in preparation (like a volley), it is easier to time your shot when you play the ball very early on the rise. This is often referred to as a “chip shot” and can be a very effective in the ‘Chip and Charge” sequence. Be careful not too swing with too much speed or downward angle otherwise your “chip” will turn into a wild “chop” that will lose pace and pop up into easy sitter for your opponent. Recognizing the Short Ball One of the keys to playing the short ball effectively is recognizing the shot early. This allows you to get to the ball before it drops below the level of the net and also allows you to get further into the court to make contact. Getting further into the court makes the stroke easier to hit and gives you more opportunities to play an offensive shot. Getting the ball at the top of the bounce or above the level of the net is often the key to creating a winning play on the short ball.
Early recognition and a quick start are the keys in taking the ball early. Recognizing the short ball is something that requires practice. It is more of a mind set and has to do with anticipation and sensing the offensive pressure that you exert against your opponent. McEnroe was brilliant at anticipating the short ball. He was always looking for opportunities to come in and anytime he sensed a short ball coming he would move forward so that he could take the ball as early as possible. By taking the ball early he could use a minimum amount of power and still put pressure on his opponent and create winning opportunities at the net. It is also important to learn how to recognize your opponent’s tendencies in order to properly anticipate the short ball. Notice what shots your opponent tends to play short and move forward a step or two when you see those situations develop. This will give you extra step on the short ball and that can spell the difference between an easy winner at the net or a desperate situation. Develop Your Full Court Game To develop your technique on the short ball incorporate drills that emphasize handling the short ball. Rally with a partner and make the rule that you must come to the net on every ball that lands inside the service line. This will help you develop better anticipation of the short ball and give you a chance to practice your technique, as well as your volley and overhead skills -- skills you will need in the forecourt. This drill will also help you to become familiar with the decisions, techniques, and timing necessary to execute offensive sequences in the forecourt. Developing your forecourt game will bring you closer to becoming a full court player.
Doubles and the Return of Serve Doubles presents a very good opportunity to work on the short ball technique because the emphasis is on getting to the net off of the return of serve. The serve is by definition a short ball (since the serve must be hit in the service box) and therefore the return of serve can be approached in an offensive way. In fact, in doubles play, a second serve may be the best opportunity to attack as you can hit this shot from well inside the baseline and take advantage of your opponent’s power by using a well timed, abbreviated stroke. In doubles the return of serve can be an excellent opportunity to attack the net, even more so than the serve. First of all the receiver is guaranteed of a short ball (since the serve must be hit in the service box – our definition of a “short” ball). Secondly, unlike the serve, the receiver can position himself well inside the baseline for contact. Third the receiver can take advantage of the pace of the ball already provided by the serve and therefore does not need to use as big a swing to play the ball back with power. whereas the on the serve you have to make your approach from behind the baseline and you have to generate all of the power on the shot. To do this use an abbreviated stroke and simply time your weight shift so that you meet the ball solidly on the rise and then continue to follow the ball to the net.
Summation Today’s tennis is characterized by extended, topspin rallies from the baseline. There is an emphasis on loading up and pounding the ball with vigorous, high speed swings. Players tend to spend a majority of their time developing these skills but the result is that they often neglect developing the approach game and the handling of the short ball. Remember these keys to success on the short ball:
Remember the short ball is not a given; it is an opportunity but like most opportunities you must have the skills to take advantage of them. Developing skill and confidence in your forecourt game will help you make better decisions in all aspects of your play. You will be more inclined to play the right shot in the right area of the court and eventually become a “full court player.” Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Doug King's article by emailing us here at TennisOne.
Doug is one of the country's foremost tennis teaching innovators. Founder of Acceleration Tennis, a revolutionary teaching system, King is leading the way in reinterpreting the traditional tennis model. Doug King is currently Director of Tennis at Meadowood Napa Valley ( www.meadowood.com ), a Relaix Chateau Resort in St. Helena , CA . For more information on Acceleration Tennis please email Doug King at dking@meadowood.com. |
Doug King studied with legendary tennis coach Tom Stow and was a
former California State Men's Singles Champion
and the former number one men's player of Northern California.