TennisOne Lessons

Shot Selection in the Neutral Mode
Part 1: Backhand

By Nigel O'Rourke
Written by Jim McLennan, Senior TennisONE Editor
Photographs by Steve Margheim

Listen to John McEnroe comment on matches, and again and again you'll hear him come back to the critical issue of shot selection. When analyzing why a player lost a point, more often than not Mac will say something like, "He just went for too much on that backhand," or "he should have taken something off that first serve." The point I'm leading to is that while improving your stroke mechanics is important, you have to put those mechanics (that's why they are called "mechanics") together with intelligent shot selection to complete your game.

So in this lesson we'll look at both mechanics and shot selection when you're in a neutral rally at the baseline. Our pro, Nigel O'Rourke, is neither on offense nor defense, but in the neutral mode, trying to create an opening, but in no way looking to end the point on this shot.

The stock market analogy of risk and reward offers an interesting glimpse into shot selection and ball placement. With stocks, I will accept a reasonable risk if there is the chance for a substantial reward. Certainly I would not invest in a risky proposition if there were no potential for significant returns. The corollary is also true. If I select a risk-free investment (if in fact there is such a thing) then I must expect smaller returns. On the court, when my opponent is out of position, I am in a position where taking a reasonable risk--hitting a penetrating shot in the corner--has a substantial reward--a winner. But if I am positioned deep in the court so that my opponent would be easily able to retrieve this same shot, then there is no reward for taking any risk and I should opt for a safer shot. How to handle this neutral situation is what this lesson is about.

Baseline Backhand

In the neutral mode on the baseline, you want to hit the ball squarely, move your opponent, and hopefully try to create an opening with a sequence of shots rather than just an outright winner. This is a patient strategy where you're careful to avoid errors and at the same time hitting out enough to avoid being attacked. So the topspin drive is a good choice in this situation, not a full-blooded winner, but rather a strong drive that keeps your opponent from an offensive position.

In the first photo below, you can see our pro, Nigel O'Rourke, is preparing early, his weight is back, his elbows and knees both lightly flexed,and the racquet head is up at the top of the loop. As you work through the TennisONE library you will find constant references to the benefits of the looping swing with this type of backswing. One of the many advantages is the disguise that accrues from this high start. From this position, Nigel could just as easily drop down heavily against the ball from this position to create the underspin drive, or loop lower and swing up for topspin, both shots from the same start. Additionally, were he just a few steps closer inside the baseline, this same high start could produce a nifty drop shot.



But back to the backhand drive. In the second photo, Nigel begins to drop the racquet as he coils his shoulders and starts to shift my weight forward. Elbows and knees are still flexed, and both hands are still on the racquet.

 

In the first photo below, you see the "butt cap" of Nigel's racquet at the bottom of the swing pointing exactly at the ball. This gives him great leverage to pull the racquet through the ball. The finish shows the classic splitting of the hands. His racquet has moved up through the ball, and his concentration and balance are classic. He has driven the ball cleanly and will now be ready to look for a weak reply so he can move from the neutral to an offensive mode.

Go to Page 2