The game of tennis has been around for over a hundred years and the development of tactics and strategies has evolved during this time to a sophisticated cat and mouse set of ploys and deceptions.
When you first start the game it is just a case of learning the shots and strokes, following this is the development of techniques and adding additional finishes to your stroke play. For instance serving with a heavy slice or returning with a backhand with top spin.
For a considerable time the tactic of Serve and Volley was almost impossible to defeat for the best practitioners but even this has evolved.
Listed is a few tactics that opponents may use against you:
Attack The Net At Every Opportunity
A basic law to overpower your opponent is to attack the net at every opportunity, simply wait for the first short ball and move on in.
Tennis is a game of opportunities, you need to close out a point and not let your opponent keep playing. To control the net puts immediate pressure on your opponent and restricts their selection of shot.
The best shot to come in behind is a deep shot that keep your opponent pinned behind the baseline. If you can develop your game to take the short ball and hit an approach shot and volley and come in you will find you anticipate always moving forward rather than naturally moving back. Your opponent will feel this pressure and this will affect his concentration and rhythm of swing and he will produce errors.
Play The Percentages
More points are lost than won in a match due to errors, by reducing these errors then your percentages of winning more points goes up. To reduce errors you must simplify your strategy, keep the ball deep and safe and stay ready in anticipation for short balls.
When forced by a tough shot hit a ball that has the highest percentage of staying in the court and keeping you alive in the point. When behind find a way to stay in the point by getting the ball back over the net and deep.
Trying for a winner to get you out of trouble is not a percentage play, it is a gamble and not a good one. If you are winning keep the same game plan, keep on doing exactly the same thing.
Select The Right Shot
Pressure has a way of making any player play a SAFE ball, it throws the player off his shot selection and control. This is called Choking knowing what to do but not doing it because you have lost the courage to hit the right shot.
Stay consistent and play percentages, select the right shot and put the pressure back on your opponent.
When In Trouble Get The Ball Up
A recent tactic by the powerful players is to stay deep on the baseline and blast their opponent out of the game.
The best way to buy time and to get back into the point is to get the ball high to enable you to change the momentum. By elevating your shot you naturally increase the top spin and unless your opponent is at the net he may have to hit up and over the net which is the most difficult volley.
These tactics will help you to overcome your opponent and give you the tools to win a match.
