Above All Be Stingy

First of all, let me start off by saying that I don't advocate gambling. I believe that, in many ways, gambling can be compared to hitting drop shots: if it works out, you want to come back for more; if it doesn't, you come back for more thinking that you'll do better next time (i.e., discounting the percentages and attributing your loss to fluke or bad luck). However, one lesson that CAN be learned from gambling, is how to be stingy. 

Often times, when I play against a developing youngster, it seems that they aim to make the highlight real of some sports channel. I must confess, that many times, I too am impressed with certain shots that they choose to hit. What is important to remember, however, is that in tennis you don't get graded by looks, but by matches won/lost. Furthermore, these matches are really comprised of individual points. So while the player gets the euphoria that comes from hitting a clean, flat-out winner that paints the lines (for example), someone with more experience grinds out point after point after point and, pretty soon, these points turn into games, games into sets and sets into matches. So, like Texas Hold 'Em, the player can win a medium-sized pot once in a while while the other player wins hand after hand of smaller pots which, in the end, push the opponents to "gamble" rather than play percentages. 

To be a better player, it helps to be more stingy; to ratchet back the level of testosterone that you inject in the game and focus more on winning more big points rather than winning fewer points in a big way. A point is a point; this is not figure-skating. The same value is attributed to an ace as to an unforced errors. Therefore, let you're opponents have the highlight real; you can go ahead and focus on taking home the paycheck. 

Learn From History

To paraphrase the philosopher Santayana, those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it with all its mistakes, its agonies, its false turns. It is amazing to see sometimes, however, the multitude of players who fail to learn from their past matches (or matches played in the past by other players). One of the best training tools is the video-camera. Unfortunately, a lot of parents seem to tape their kids' matches for scrap-booking purpose rather than using is as a teaching aid. In terms of learning, you can learn a lot more by watching yourself play and hit the ball than staring blankly at some chart containing raw numbers. 

Are you really going to learn from a matrix showing unforced errors?! Think about it. Do those number tell you WHERE the ball was when you missed it? Will the chart tell you HOW the opponent's shot came (fast, high, spin, angle)? Will the chart tell you WHEN you made the error (important point or regular play)? Will the chart tell you the LENGTH of the point before you missed it (maybe there's nothing wrong with the stroke or the play but you were simply exhausted)? The answer is NO. However, you will be in a better position to dissect your match by watching a tape of it. You can fast forward or rewind to your heart's content and analyze all the aspects of the match. How you missed; how you hit a winner; what was going through your mind; what you were trying to accomplish; your opponent's likes/dislikes; favorable patterns or plays; problem areas; etc. 

A good way to study your matches is by placing a videocamera on top of the fence (center) so that you can view the whole court. When watching it, place a small piece of scotch tape on the TV screen right around the service line "T". Try to follow the ball in comparison to this tape (i.e. the middle of the court). How many times did you hit it away from the middle? How many times did you go for winners when the previous ball was in the middle of the court? How many times did you fail to go for an offensive shot when you had the open court? Where is you opponent standing in comparison to your shots? Try to refine or synthesize some patterns (both positives and negatives) and seek to improve upon them in practice. You will notice that if you have something to compare your shots to, certain "plays" or patterns will be readily apparent. You will be in a better position to anticipate them in the future if you learn from the past. 

Learning to Play at the Net

In military theory it is said that whoever controls the air controls the surface. In terms of tennis, this make sense because by being closer to the net than your opponent you are capable of intercepting shots more easily, you are able to produce more angles, you provide less time for your opponent to react and do not have to come up with elaborate strokes. 

Let's take the first concept: intercepting shots. Assume that your opponent represents the top of a triangle and the shots that he's capable of producing represent the two sides. The further back you stay, the more court you have to cover. As you move in, however, the opponent's angle stays the same but the distance that you cover shrinks. The only variable that you have to consider is that the further in you move, the FASTER you have to move.

The second concept is also easy to understand: the closer to the net you are, the more of your opponent's court you are capable of exploiting. For example, from "on top" of the net you can hit the a foot from the net as well as a foot from the baseline. The further back you go, the "less court" you have to hit (it's pretty tough to hit a 100mph drop-shot). 

The third concept is also easily understood: by moving in, you take time away from your opponent in which to react. He can hit a shot, but if you move in aggressively to intercept it, you give him less time to recover and react. Your job at the net is, in many ways, to act like a pin-ball machine - to redirect your opponent's shot into an area that he cannot cover. You do not have to over-think the volley; you have to outwork the ball. Don't wait for it to come to you; GO TO IT. This is, unfortunately, the most difficult concept for players to execute because, unlike, ground-strokes, volleys require active participation with your feet. You can't (and SHOULDN'T) wait for the ball to come to you. The bonus is that by working a lot on your net game, you will also be aggressive with your baseline game. 

Lastly, don't be afraid of getting passed. It's a bit difficult to get accustomed to seeing the ball go by you when you're at the net (simply because it doesn't happen that often when you're at the baseline), but you will learn to handle it. Remember, mastering the net game is mastering the percentages. The percentages are simply in your favor even if your opponent passes you 20-30 times. The fact is, he will also make more errors and you will also hit more winners. But you have to develop a "taste for blood" early on so that you can pounce on that volley like a lion on a gazelle. 

Playing Against Southpaws

Lefties are tough to play against simply because you have less opportunities to play against them in practice (so you tend to run into them in tournaments). In addition, the mental block really starts out when you're little and they tend to have the geometric advantage on you because their cross-court forehand goes into your backhand (which may, initially, be the player's weakest shot). Of course, your forehand can go to their backhand but not if you spend a lot of time playing to beat righties (i.e., focusing on inside-outs). So here are some tips for playing against lefties that you might find useful.

A. When returning on the deuce side, stand just a tad closer to the middle of the court to take away their slice serve down the T. Remember that a well struck lefty slice will curve away from you so you have to be just a little closer to the ball. Also, it may sound a bit counter-intuitive but I would recommend returning (with the backhand) towards the ad side of the court. Normally, this opens up the lefty-forehand, but remember that you are moving towards the middle yourself so they don't have that much of an advantage. Aiming cross-court (inside-out backhand) from the deuce side is somewhat risky because your face of the racket is angled outwards and there is chance that the ball will ricochet wide off your string bed. If in doubt, pound the middle of the court. 

B. When returning on the Ad-side, position your left foot (and, consequently, your left shoulder) further out in front than normal. That is, you should be at a slight angle in order to intercept the slider. If you wait with your feet/shoulders parallel to the baseline, the slice serve will move away from you. You want the ball to come into the strike zone. Unlike returning from the deuce side, in this instance I recommend sticking the return cross-court. This way, you don't have to change the angle of the ball (i.e., you're basically returning the ball towards the location from where the serve is struck) and your opponent will be forced to either hit a forehand down-the-line (relatively risky) or right back to you. As mentioned before, I am really not in favor of giving the opponent cheap points. And although going down the line (towards the lefty backhand) with the return seems to be the obvious choice, this is somewhat of a risky play due to the geometry and physics (i.e., angle of refraction; vectors) but also because you're probably not all that used to returning down the line against righties (where they burn you with the cross-court forehand). As stated above, again, pound the middle when in doubt and neutralize the lefty advantage. 

C. When it comes to being in an actual rally with a lefty, try to utilize the cross-court slice with the backhand in order to neutralize the lefty forehand. Most of the time, they will prefer to hit it right back cross-court rather than opening up down the line (where they set up your forehand). So, if you're ready for the return to the backhand, you can set up the down-the-line backhand (or inside-in forehand) and hit an aggressive shot to their backhand. In this regard, I recommend stepping inside of the baseline as a follow up in order to cut off the reply with another forceful shot. 

Chip-N-Charge

An oft-forgotten strategy is the chip-and charge play. Currently, when players do decide to come in on the opponent's serve, they tend to do so by thumping the return and sprinting in (and even these plays are few and far between). The chip-and-charge way is one of the cleverest ways to put pressure on the opponent when she is already serving under pressure. Unlike a "belt-and-bolt" (i.e., where you crush the return and then sprint in), the chip and charge, if executed correctly takes time away from your opponent since you are executing the stroke WHILE moving in. In addition, instead of risking that the opponent sticks her racket out to block your massive forehand return, against a chip she actually has to (1) move, (2) get down low, and (3) generate her own pace in order to pass you. All the while, you're rushing in and closing down the angles where she can go. 

To execute a good chip and charge play, it helps to be proficient at the slice. In this regard, it is important to understand that the chip (or the slice) is NOT A SWINGING stroke. That is, you don't try to swing at the ball as if you're cutting down a bamboo tree. You want to split forward, generate only a little pace with your shoulders (utilizing mostly the pace coming from the opponent), make contact out in front by leaning against the ball, and continue to follow the ball in a natural fashion. Practice this while your playing partner is working on her serves. Or, if you're working with a coach, practice this by having the coach serve to you and then feed a dipping volley. Remember, this is a shot that will pay huge dividends in pressure situation and you don't have to be a classic serve-and-volleyer to execute it correctly. It's the element of surprise that will win you the point. As long as you hit the ball deep (2-3 feet from the baseline) you will be in a great position to win - whether by putting the next volley away or by drawing outright errors from the opponent. Even if the opponent gets lucky and squeezes a passing shot by you, in her mind, she will always think that you're going to repeat the play and, as a result, put more pressure on herself next time around (and maybe you'll get a double fault). 

Initially, try to work on this play against weaker opponents in order to get the feel for how the ball should be struck and how you should follow the ball in. Then, against a better opponent, find a pressure situation where you can take advantage of her second serve and charge in "like the Russians to Berlin" (i.e.  FULLY COMMITTED to the cause; "d**n the torpedoes").