TennisOne Lessons
Singles Made Simple Greg Moran I have a student (we’ll call him Roy) whose sole tennis goal is develop every conceivable shot in the game—as well as invent a few of his own. Roy practices hitting with topspin, slice, and sidespin from all areas of the court. He sees every inch of the service line and works on placing his serve to all parts. He tries to develop varying paces and attempts to create angles that would leave even the most gifted mathematician scratching his head. Forever in search of a new shot that will catapult him to the next level, Roy has developed an impressive arsenal of shots. The only problem is that when he plays a match, he can’t decide which to hit and at what angle and pace. He has too much going on inside his head and regularly loses to players he should beat. Well, I’ve got to tell you that, for most of us, tennis is just not that complicated. Perhaps it’s a function of growing older but, as the years go by I’ve become more and more a subscriber to the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach to tennis and, for that matter, life. In fact, tennis legend Vic Braden says that “the better you play, the more simplistic you become in your approach."
A match between two players of equal ability is more often than not, a contest of patience. The more patient player, executing high-percentage shots, will usually walk off the court the winner. The next time you take the court, focus on these four simple, high percentage singles strategies:
Strategy # 1: Keep the Ball Deep Your top priority in singles is to keep the ball deep in the court. This gives you more time to react to your opponent’s shots while at the same time keeping him away from the net. Depth is a function of height. If you want to hit the ball deeper in the court, aim higher over the net. Many players fall into the trap of hitting those low, screaming line drives, which clear the net only by inches. While these shots look impressive, they usually land short in the court. Keep this in mind: To hit a ball six inches over the net and have it carry to the opposite baseline, you need to hit that ball approximately 200 mph. Good luck! Instead, develop three different trajectories with which to hit your groundstrokes. First is a "rally height," for when you are in a baseline exchange where no one has the advantage. Next is a "defensive height,” for when you are in trouble on the court. Finally is an "offensive height," for when you are attacking a short ball or hitting a passing shot. Here is a basic guideline for the three types of groundstrokes:
Strategy #2: Hit the majority of your groundstrokes crosscourt
The second simple singles strategy is to hit your groundstrokes crosscourt. Why? It gives you the greatest margin for error, making it the safest shot you can hit. A ball hit crosscourt travels over the lowest part of the net. In addition, the court is longer on the diagonal than it is in a straight line, so you have more court to hit into. Finally, chances are you’ll be returning a ball that comes to you crosscourt. It is easier to return the ball on the same angle it comes to you than to change its direction. By keeping the ball consistently crosscourt and deep, you can wait for your opponent to make one of three mistakes—an impatient error which gives you the point, a down-the-line shot which then allows you to run him by hitting crosscourt, or a short ball that you can attack. Strategy #3: Hit your approach shots down the line There’s a saying among tennis players that a point doesn’t truly begin until someone hits a short ball. This is true because a short ball allows you to move up and take control of the point. That brings us to singles strategy No. 3: Hit your approach shots down the line. Why? First, because you’ll get the ball back faster to your opponent (giving him less time to react), since the ball is traveling on a straight line as opposed to the longer, crosscourt distance.
When attacking the net, you want to position yourself on the same side of the court as the ball. By approaching down the line, you simply move forward. If you approach crosscourt, not only do you have to move forward, you must also move across the court to get to the proper position. Approach down the line and you can get to the net faster—and time is of the essence when you attack the net. Finally, from a psychological standpoint, by approaching down the line, you’ll always be in your opponent's line of vision as he moves to hit his passing shot, placing more pressure on him. If you approach crosscourt, he’ll be looking at a wide-open court in front of him, at least until you are able to get across the court and into the proper position. The depth of your approach shot is as important as its placement. Try to put your approach shots within four feet of the baseline. This will push your opponent further off balance and make it tougher for him to hit an effective passing shot. Strategy #4: When in trouble, lob Strategy # 4 says that when you get in trouble, put it up. Two of the most important skills a solid tennis player possesses are the ability to recognize when he is in trouble, and the composure simply to get the ball back in play
The nature of tennis is to try to keep your opponent off balance. He wants to do the same to you. As a result, as hard as we may try, or as well as we may move our feet, we are going to be off balance a fair amount of the time. That’s tennis. Many players, when put under pressure, try for the crowd pleasing winner, which more often than not, results in an error. Better players recognize this. When caught off-balance, rather than give their opponent a free point by trying a low-percentage shot, they'll simply hit the ball back high and deep. They are, in a sense, starting the point over. It’s like they are saying to their opponent, "I don't like this one. Take it back and give me another." Do your best to get into position to hit an offensive shot every time the ball crosses the net. But remember, when you go to hit the ball, if you feel off balance in any way, patiently hit the ball back high and deep, and wait for the next shot. Your composure will help reduce your errors considerably. And, as we know, the player who makes the fewest errors is always the most successful. So keep the ball deep, rally crosscourt, approach down the line, and when in trouble, lob. Put these rules into practice, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a smarter, more winning, singles player. Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Greg Moran's article by emailing us here at TennisOne.
Tennis Beyond Big Shots presents a bold back-to-the-future approach. A new game that moves away from power and big shots yet is more lethal to opponents than any booming serve. Greg Moran shows players of all ages and abilities that, with simple and small changes, you can not only maximize your tennis wins and play longer, but also have much more fun doing it. Click link to purchase Greg Moran's book, Tennis Beyond Big Shots. |
