TennisOne Lessons

Pattern Play Tactics, Part 3:
The Sneak Attack

By Monty Basnyat
TennisONE Associate Editor

Take a close look at these three frames of Michael Chang, Mark Philippoussis and Andre Agassi. What do you see? Trouble, lack of balance, balls out of the strike zone, in short, defensive tennis. If you had your opponent in the same predicament as these pros, what would you do? All too often, the answer is, "wait for the short ball then pound it into the corner". While that strategy does work, you better expect a very long day on the courts. Because while you are waiting for the short ball, your opponent will somehow manage to worm his way back into the court and possibly even back into the point. So unless you have an unbelievable ability to put away every short ball, I suggest you take a tip from the pros and sneak up to the net.

Sneaking up or rushing the net is a common play the pros use in situations like this. By doing so, you rob your opponent of recovery and set up time and you create a better angle for yourself. After all, winning tennis is all about time and angle. In addition, this pattern can gain you the mental edge necessary to win. By taking your opponent out of the comfort zone. Your opponents will quickly learn that when in an extreme defensive positions, they had better come up with the goods, just floating the ball into the court will not work. Continuing to do this through out the course of a match, will break down opponents, constantly forcing them to go for big shots from obscure, emergency positions. Odds are, they will miss far more of these desperation shots then they make and you will come out ahead in the end.

Keep in mind that the sneak attack is different than the normal approach attack. The approach attack is executed behind a short ball, which means your opponent is already clued in you are moving toward the net. The sneak attack is executed from on or behind the baseline - a position you would normally not dare move to net from if not for extraordinary circumstances.

Here Pete is poised in anticipation of his attack

Look at the photo of Pete Sampras and take note of his preparation - beautiful racquet set up, open stance, good shoulder turn, eyes focused on the ball. "Great", you say, "but how does that help me with the sneak attack pattern?" To understand that, you must first understand Pete’s thought pattern. A good sneak attacker will plan the attack in advance. Like a billiard player, Pete is thinking one shot ahead, mentally lining up the balls so to speak. As Sampras is about to strike the ball he is already 50% sure he is going to attack. As soon as the ball leaves his racquet, he quickly assesses the situation.

With his opponent in trouble, Pete sneaks to net and finishes off the point below

The minute he realizes his opponent is on the defensive, he sneaks in anticipating the floater, which he can easily put away.

One more thing, on an approach the split step is performed just BEFORE your opponent strikes the ball. But on the sneak attack it’s better to hit the splits just AFTER contact. Since the ball will usually float back, splitting after your opponent strikes the ball gives you more balance as you move forward to make contact.

For the average club singles player who only comes to the net to shake hands after the match, I highly encourage you to learn and use the sneak attack pattern. Even if your opponent succeeds in pulling of a miraculous shot and wins the point, you’ve still gained an advantage because now your opponent has one more thing to think about. Every time he is on the run and reaching for the ball, he will no longer have the luxury of just floating a safe response. When in the slightest bit of trouble, don’t be surprised to find opponents’ going for shots out of their comfort zone.

So remember, to be a good sneak attacker like Sampras, think one shot in advance, sneak in, hit your splits just after your opponent strikes the ball, and rob him of his recovery and set up time. It’s simple, it’s effective  

Last Updated 9/1/98. To contact us, please email to: webmaster@tennisone.com

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