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How to Play a Softballer?

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By Mike Whittington, TennisONE Contributing Editor

Question

I have better success when I play against hard hitters, but when someone plays "soft", my game deteriorates. Most of the regulars I play know this and do it intentionally. To make matters worse the balls fall short also, and I usually hit these into the net, or long, or a floater that is a put-away volley for the opponent. HELP!

Answer

Many people have better success when playing against "hard" hitters than they do against "soft" hitters. The main reason is that you are just returning the power that a hard hitter is giving you. When playing players that don't hit with power, you probably try to generate too much power, this changes your normal swing.

You have to decide to play your game and your style without over hitting or becoming too aggressive. However, you don't want to try to "soften" up your strokes so much that you are playing your opponent's game.

Besides overhitting, poor footwork is another major cause of poor play against a softer hitter. The slow pace of the ball lulls people to sleep. They don't move to the ball as well. They don't take those short, little positioning steps as they set up to hit, which are crucial for a solid stroke.

Another major factor is the mental game. How many times have you thought, "How can I lose to this guy? He doesn't even really hit the ball!" Forget that type of thinking. If you could hit "soft" shots and beat Sampras, wouldn't you do it? Your opponent is presenting you with a new strategic challenge, and you have to figure out a solution. Stay focused and play your game.

I would encourage you to practice against as many "soft" hitters as you can. Personally, as a collegiate player, I went through the same pains. I played great against a highly ranked, aggressive serve-and-volley player and fell apart when playing the consistent baseliner that no one had heard of. So you're not alone in having your difficulties with this type of player. But you've probably already learned to adjust against opponents with different types of spin, pace, and placement. You can overcome the "soft" hitter too.

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