Tennis is obviously a physically demanding game and fitness levels are of great importance to be successful at competition level. However, in addition to that side of the game another great part of winning a match is strategy.
Strategy can include many factors to overcome your opponent and one of the highest strategies is shot selection. You must select what shots are your best and work on your competitor to let you use them to win points.
Below is a list of some of the top winning shots in tennis, not all of them may suit your own particular game but find out which ones are most suited to you and build a strategy around your armoury.
The Serve
A shot that you have no choice in perfecting because you have to play it whether you like it or not. A good serve can be a devastating winning shot as played as an ace, your opponent has no chance of returning the ball and therefore cannot bring their selection of shots into the game.
You should devote time and effort in perfecting your serve so that you can be fast and accurate plus be able to move the ball to the right or left. When serving at an opponent pick his weak spot and place your serve there, he will have to change his position or play a weaker shot.
The Forehand
Possibly the first shot a player learns but when perfected can be deadly. The forehand shot can be played in a rally with a single handed grip and is made by swinging the racket across the body on the same side in which the racket is help.
By using a double handed grip far more power can be generated although the position of the body is vital to execute the perfect double handed forehand. A player should also practise for the best grip that suits them, popular forehand grips include; the Western, the Eastern and the Continental.
The Backhand
Another really popular and widely used shot, often played when returning a serve. It is made by swinging the racket away from the body on the opposite side of the body from the hand that is controlling the swing. As in the forehand it can be played with one or two hands.
But a sliced backhand can be a very useful shot in attacking an opponent serve or approach shot. If disguised this is often a winner.
The Volley
The volley is a difficult shot to control as it needs a high degree of ball to eye coordination and selection of power used.
The idea is to return the ball quickly before the opponent can adjust, often players will charge to the net and then volley the ball quickly back at the opponent for a winner. The class players of yesteryear were adept at serve and volley play and if performed correctly they were almost impossible to beat.
If you perfect these three shots they will not only give you the tools to command a good rallying game but also the ammunition to win points.
Getting to “grips” with the essential tennis strokes is likely to improve your game.
If you are looking to take things to the next level, why not consider private tennis coaching from our team of professionals. For more information, get in touch today!
