ADVANCED: Tennis Serve – Tactics and Strategies
FIRST SERVE
At advanced levels, besides hitting a high percentage of first serves in, the player should be looking to add variety and consistency in placement (depth and side to side) and spin (slice, topspin, and flat).
The first serve at this level is a weapon. If executed properly, it can give the server an outright winner or put him in an offensive position from the start.
So planning the serve placement, power and spin are keys to gaining a good start at the point.
As far as placement, you should consider 4 main areas to aim your serve to: short-wide, deep-wide, into-the-body, and down-the-T (see graphic below).
We’ll discuss the serve from a right-handed player’s perspective…
First Serve from the Deuce side
- Short Wide
This can be a put-away serve if properly executed.
Technically, think about hitting it hard and apply lots of slice (brush the ball sideways). The slice spin will curve the ball to the server’s left pulling the returner way off the court.
If the ball travels fast and lands short it could be an ace. If not, the server should look out to cover the court which can be difficult considering that the returner has a good shot at a sharp cross-court angle.
So the server should step inside the baseline and look out for either a cross-court or down-the-line reply from his opponent.
This kind of serve is a little risky to use considering that the ball must be served over the high part of the net. There is less margin for error and more difficulty in covering the court if not done successfully. But on the bright side, it can take the returner by surprise resulting in an ace or making the returner get very close to the side fence to hit it back.
– Deep Wide
This is a slice serve that has more margin for error but it goes to your opponent’s forehand (if he is right-handed). It opens up the court and allows you to attack that opening or hit behind the player once the ball comes back. It’s one of my favorite serves because it puts my opponent on the run and I can control the point from there.
You do have to consider that serving deep-wide sets up the returner with his strong wing and you should expect a good return back. But if your serve is powerful enough, you should get a floater (slow high ball) coming back that you can run around, set up your strong side, and take control of the point from there.
– Into-the-Body
Use flat serves to hit the ball at the returner’s body. Also, aggressive topspin serves can do the job too. Another favorite of mine is the slice serve directed to the T which will make the ball curve toward the returner’s hips. This frequently results in a blocked return (maybe with the backhand) which of course you should attack.
It is a good idea to move up to the net following a successful into-the-body first serve. Since your opponent will block the return, being at the net allows you to take the ball in the air with a swing volley, a punch to the open court, or an attack to his weak side.
– Down-the-T
You can use an aggressive flat serve to hit down-the-T. Having the net lower at the center allows you to go for a flat serve easier than any other area in the service box.
The down-the-T serve can be effective because it attacks your opponent’s weak side (backhand) but it won’t give you any angles to work with considering that most of the time the return will come back down the middle and (if your opponent is savvy)… deep.
So, considering the previously mentioned placement tactics, I believe the deep wide and into-the-body as being the best options to use most of the time on your first serve. They not only put the player on defense, but they will give you easy shots that you can control the point with. It’s obvious that these recommendations are general guidelines that you should use to plan your serve but always adapt them to your opponent’s skills too.
First Serve from the Ad side
– Short Wide
Hard to execute considering the high net that must be cleared, but a good kick (topspin) serve should do the job.
It helps if you stand a little off of the center when serving. Served properly, the short-wide moves the opponent off the court and pushes him close to the side fence to return it.
It is also the right-handed player’s backhand side.
If you chose to try this serve, prepare to step inside the baseline right after the delivery to cover the angles that the returner has – down-the-line and sharp cross-court. By stepping inside the baseline you will be in a better position to cut your opponent’s angles of return and take advantage of the opening you have created on his side. Besides, by taking the ball early you give your opponent less time to cover the court.
– Deep Wide
A kick or topspin serve at that target can attack a right-handed player’s backhand. If made to kick high, the serve will force the returner to go for a high backhand which is not a strong shot to execute.
Again, step inside the baseline to take the next ball early and take advantage of the opening created or hit it behind the recovering returner. You will be in control of the point from there on.
– Into-the-Body
Hitting hard and flat toward the player can result in a blocked return which should be attacked right away.
Another way to hit the body is the aggressive slice serve which, aimed slightly to the left hip of the player, can jam his return.
– Down-the-T
It’s an option used to add variety to your first serve but it should not be used too often since it sets up the right-handed player’s forehand return.
Hit it flat or slice. It should not be too difficult to execute considering that you hit it over the lowest part of the net.
Here are some of the general tactics to consider when addressing the first serve:
– be unpredictable (vary your placement and spin);
– take some pace off of it sometimes especially if you miss too many – after all, the priority of the first serve is to go in as often as possible;
– hide your intentions – avoid tossing the ball too much to the right if you intend to hit a slice; if possible, you should have the toss closer to you to not make it visible to read by your opponent;
– trick your opponent – once in a while toss the ball to the right to make the other player think you will hit a slice but instead hit flat; keep the returner confused about your intentions;
– alternate the pace of your first serves – switch between hitting hard and slower; don’t always hit it hard even if it’s your lucky day :)
Eventually, your opponent will adjust to your pace if you keep it the same all the time;
– change your position from where you serve – move closer to the sidelines occasionally.
SECOND SERVE
It would be ideal not to have to hit second serves by getting the first ones in… but since we have to, let’s plan them properly:
Understand that your opponent will attempt to attack your second serve. Therefore, placement and spin are key.
As far as placement, depth is the number one priority – the closer to the service line the better. The second priority would be to the opponent’s weak side or into-the-body. Avoid the returner’s strong side most of the time since he will plan to attack you with it. Do hit towards the returner’s strong side sometimes to keep him honest and in place. When you do, I’d use the slice serve since it stays low and prevents the returner from attacking it aggressively.
So, to safely deliver second serves, hit them with topspin (or kick) into the body or to the weak side. Safely refers to hitting the serve in a manner that does not put you, the server, in a defensive situation from the start.
If you have a considerable lead (e.g. 40-0) you can surprise your opponent occasionally with a flat-aggressive serve even on the second one. Of course, since it is a risky serve, it should not be used in pressure situations (30-40, 30-15, etc.).
If your opponent moves more inside the baseline with the intention of taking your second serve early and attacking it, don’t feel intimidated. Often the server will go for too much power to “punish” the daring returner. But my advice is – “just get the serve in, deep and to the body”. Let the returner come up with the goods. If he does, good for him. But at least you will make him step up to the challenge (because, after all, taking the serve early is a challenge for him).
---------------------------
ADVANCED: Return of Serve – Tactics and Strategies
Returning the First Serve
At advanced levels, returning the first serve means facing the fastest stroke your opponent is capable of producing.
Your main tactic is to just get it back in, ideally deep into the opposite court. To do so, stand further behind the baseline if your opponent has a very fast serve.
Consider just blocking the serve and sending the ball deep.
One of the disadvantages of staying further back to return is that it opens up the court for the server. So don’t do it if the serve is not too fast. In this case, stand more on the baseline or just behind it and prepare to shorten the backswing and meet the ball out in front.
Treat the return of the first serve like a volley at the net: the ball comes at you very fast and all you want to do is block it, or punch it (of course, you understand that I mean the ball should be hit after the bounce and blocked due to its high velocity).
If you can control the direction of your return, hitting it deep and toward the middle of the court puts you in a great position to start the point. When placing the return deep, it gives you more time to prepare for the next shot and prevents the server from taking advantage of your weak reply.
Against wide serves, defend by returning cross-court and deep. To hit it deep, open the racquet face and slice it, that will give you more time to recover.
Returning the first serve against a serve-and-volley player
When serving and moving up to the net, the server takes some pace off the first serve so that he has more time to get in a closer position to the net. Knowing that you will have more time to step into the ball and attack it either cross-court or place it shortly, into the service court (or to approaching server’s feet).
You will have to hit the ball aggressively to counter-act the spin that is usually put on the serve by the approaching server. Don’t try to block the serve when the player charges the net. The spin will make it hard to control the ball – take it early and hit through it with confidence.
Returning the Second Serve
You must use your strong side to attack the second serve as often as possible. If you manage to run around your backhand (probably your less dependable stroke), hit the ball hard cross-court to open the court or right to the server’s weak side.
If the serve is wide, return it cross-court wide at a sharp angle. Going down-the-line is a risky shot considering the higher net, and shorter court and if the server gets his racquet on the ball he’ll put it away to the court you left open. So if you try to attack down-the-line, hope that it will be a put-away shot. Otherwise… trouble for you.
Another good tactic would be to chip and charge to the net (only if you like to play at the net or if you want to surprise your opponent with a different approach). Hit the return with a slice, down-the-line or down-the-middle then move up.
After a series of deep and aggressive returns, you can surprise your opponent with a drop-shot return… That can work very well considering that the server might expect you to attack his second serve and he’ll stay back to defend. With his weight on the back of the feet, he will have a hard time moving forward resulting in a drop-shot winner for you or a weak reply from him.
--------------------------
ADVANCED: Playing from the Baseline – Tactics and Strategies
We’ll discuss the baseline tactics for the following actions: attacking, defending, and rallying.
Attacking from the Baseline
An attacking opportunity occurs when your opponent sends the ball shorter into your court. That can be a short shot inside the service court or just beyond the service line. You should see it coming, and initiate an early attack. Don’t wait for a short ball to get low; attack it on the rise.
Put pressure on your opponent by using your strength (forehand if that is the case) to attack his weakness (maybe backhand). Run around your backhand and use your strong forehand as often as you can. Hit inside-out or inside-in forehands often to be aggressive. They are hard to read by your opponent since both options involve a much-abbreviated backswing.
Use the inside-out (a forehand from the left side out to your opponent’s backhand, cross-court) more often since that shot not only attacks your opponent’s weak side but puts you in a better position to cover the court for the return (see graphic 1 below).
Inside-in forehand (a forehand hit from the left side down-the-line to your opponent’s forehand) should be used as a surprise option just to keep the opponent guessing. You will have to run very fast to cover the open court that invites a cross-court return from your opponent (see graphic 2 below).
At the advanced level, where power is more controlled, moving quickly and using your strong side is a key component. Footwork, getting in the proper attacking position, and quickness are extremely necessary to be successful at this level.
Use aggressive, penetrating topspin shots to put the ball away if your opponent’s ball is short, high, or he gives you a little opening. Also, you can attack his weak side and move up to the net to finish it with a put-away volley.
If the short ball is low, use a slice, deep, and charge the net. The placement of the slice shot should be down-the-line or right at the player. That will give you more time to get in position at the net because it keeps the ball floating and bouncing low preventing your opponent from doing anything difficult in return.
Lastly… be creative with your attacks. Use different types of spin and placement. Disguise your intentions so that your opponents cannot read them – fake a cross-court shot and at the last moment bend your wrist and wait for the ball to contact late (shot goes down-the-line); or prepare with a big backswing like you intend to drive hard through the ball but at the last moment you slow down the swing and open the racquet face – drop shot.
Defending from the Baseline
Your opponent can attack you in different ways:
– Defending against the net rusher
When your opponent moves up to the net after you give him a shorter ball, he will often slice it in order to have more time to get in position. The ball stays low and gives you very little room to hit it aggressively back. Choose to hit it right back at the approaching player with a slice shot. If you hit it right at the net player, you can jam him and get a block-volley which you then can attack with a more penetrating shot.
Lobbing the approaching net player is going to be difficult if the incoming ball is a slice. So hit the ball either with a slice or, if it is a little higher, with an aggressive topspin right at the approaching player’s feet and then expect to attack the next shot.
– Defending against an aggressive shot to your open court
Hit it cross-court most of the time and high over the net. That will give you more time to recover and be in a better position to get to the next shot. (see court coverage/geometry)
If the player stays back after the attack, the aforementioned tactic can work well to get back in the game. But if he moves up to the net while he pulls you off the court (with the shot to the open court), then hitting the ball high over the net and cross-court might not be a good idea. In this case, you should try a passing shot down-the-line. Risky, considering that the net is higher and the court shorter but it can be done if the swing is properly timed. You can switch from defending to attacking if your shot is successful…
Another option would be lobbing the ball. Open the racquet as you run and lob the ball high and deep cross-court. That will give you some time to get in balance and defend against the next shot.
And last, you can take a chance and go for a low-percentage shot by trying to aggressively pass your opponent down-the-line. It has to be hard though, otherwise, if the attacker gets his racquet on the ball, he can put it away to the court you left open.
– Defending with your weak side
Slice the fast ball coming to your weak side. Send it deep cross-court if the player stays back. Lob it or hit it straight toward the player if he approaches the net. Just make him hit one more ball. Don’t go for an aggressive shot when your opponent attacks your weak side; just keep it in play until the opportunity arrives for a more dependable stroke. Patience, many times, pays off.
– If your opponent attacks down-the-middle/line and moves up to the net
He might do that to close your angles in case he wants to move up to the net. Hit the ball back short at his feet – topspin, or lob it over his backhand and deep.
As a general rule, try to pass opponents that come up to the net cross-court by hitting with good topspin low over the net. That can put you in a great position to hit the next shot for a winner because the low shot you just hit will make the player reach for it and pop it up over the net – ideal for your attack. Also, by trying to pass low and cross-court, you will be in a better position to cover the court just in case the other player gets good contact with the ball. ( see Court Coverage section)
Passing down-the-line is the recommended option by a lot of tennis books but from the way I see it, the net is higher, the court is shorter and the approaching player is already positioning to cover the down-the-line. That means you should hit a higher ball (to clear the higher net), more spin on it (to make it come down earlier due to the shorter court) and you will have a smaller margin of error considering that you will have to hit very close to the sideline. This makes the down-the-line pass a very stressful shot to execute and also puts you in a losing situation if the opposing player gets his racquet on the ball – he’ll win the point with a cross-court volley. (see Court Geometry)
By the way, don’t think you have to pass the approaching player all the time. Most of the time, it is enough to just hit it aggressively in his direction and low to his feet. That will set you up for the next shot which will be a slow incoming ball in the middle of your court.
Whenever you have the opportunity, throw a topspin lob. If you are in balance and have time to get under the ball, brush up on the ball and send it over the player’s head either cross-court or over his backhand. Hitting it cross-court gives the ball more court and time to land in. Sending it over the backhand will assure you that even if the player manages to return it, it will be a weak shot back into your court.
Rallying from the Baseline
This involves keeping the ball deep and varying the speed and spin to prevent your opponent from attacking.
Hit the ball high over the net (2-4 feet) and land well beyond the service line. Vary the type of spin you use on the ball. Alternate between slice and topspin to have the player get out of his comfort zone and eventually give you a short ball so that you can move into attacking mode.
Also, move the player about the court placing most of the balls to his weak side and openings.
The more variety in your strokes (spin, speed, placement) the more chances you have to control the points and put the opposing player on the defensive.
----------------------------
ADVANCED: Playing at the Net – Tactics and Strategies
There are many ways for you to come up to the net:
– behind a slice approach shot,
– aggressive topspin shot,
– drop shot,
– opponent in trouble (off balance or off the court).
The way you advance to the net is very important – it starts with a good approach shot.
1. Following the slice approach shot:
At any time during the baseline rally, if your opponent gives you a shorter ball (one that lands inside the service line or just beyond that and you step inside the baseline to hit it), you should take advantage and move up to the net. If the incoming short ball is a low one or net level, a good approach should be a slice shot down-the-line or down-the-middle. By doing this you will be just behind your ball and close your opponent’s angles of return (see graphic 1 below).
The slice approach will keep the ball down in your opponent’s court and make it hard for an aggressive reply. It also gives you more time to get to the net and into an optimal position to play. Time your split steps so that you are in balance as the ball comes back to you.
Once at the net, prepare to hit the first volley or half-volley deep to the open court or on your opponent’s weak side. Don’t go for a winner on the first volley; the ball coming at you will usually be low and/or hard.
Prepare to finish the point on the second or third volley when you will hopefully get a higher ball in return.
2. Hit an aggressive topspin shot:
That opportunity occurs when your opponent gives you a slower, higher ball that lands in the middle of the court.
Set yourself up with your forehand (strong side) and attack the ball hitting it either cross-court or to the other player’s weak side.
The result should be a fast ball that your opponent will only have time to block back. You will, then, attack it and put it away with a high volley to the open court.
3. Move up behind a drop shot:
A drop shot is a good way to surprise your opponent who is well behind the baseline or just a little off-balance right after he chases a wide ball.
As you send the ball short into the other court, you should move up behind the path of the ball and close the angles just in case your opponent gets to the ball before it bounces twice (see graphic 2 below).
The drop shot is a low percentage shot (fun to execute though) and the time to execute it should be carefully calculated. Place it down-the-line so that you are right behind it or angle it cross-court with a low net clearance away from the opponent.
4. Move up when the opponent is chasing a hard-to-reach ball:
When you have the chance to hit an aggressive angled shot cross-court making the player move beyond the sideline to reach it that is a good time to step way inside the baseline and attack the return. Sensing that your opponent will have just enough time to get his racquet on the ball and send it back floating, you should step closer toward the net and prepare to take the ball in the air. Hit it either with a swing volley or high punching one to the open court going for a winner.
At an advanced level, your eyes should be already trained to see the “floater” coming: racquet face opened, player’s movement timing being too late to hit a controlled shot, short backswing, etc.
Consider the first volley to be a set-up shot most of the time. Place it deeply, or even short, with lots of underspin to make your opponent hit it up or give you a weak reply. You should wait for the second or third volley to do damage on your opponent’s side by taking it high and hitting aggressively for a winner – open court, angled, or even drop shots.
At this level, the overheads not only are hit with confidence, but they are put-away shots most of the time. Power is key in making sure that the other player has close to no chance to get the ball back. Also, vary the spin you use on the overheads – slice can do wonders to move the ball off the court once it bounces.
So alternate between slice and flat, always hitting the overheads aggressively.
