In the fast-paced game of tennis, players constantly find themselves navigating through different gears of strokes: offense, neutral, and defense. A player’s ability to choose the right shot and make smart ball by ball decisions is crucial for their success on court. In this article, we’ll explore the significance of the neutral advantage in tennis,…
The Return of Serve
At high levels of the game the return is without a doubt the hardest individual shot to get back in the court. You have no control on the location of the ball, its trajectory, the spin applied or the speed of the delivery. Some servers are going to make your life difficult no matter what, but there are some things that you control to keep them adjusting to you. In this article i’m going to go over some things you can do to influence the servers location of serve, some strategies for the return and how to adjust your positioning to take away specific locations and types of serves from great servers, and to generally have a plan to adjust or adapt in your return games to give your opponents the most trouble and make it difficult for them to hold. For this article my primary focus will be the 1st serve return.
Practice Matches
Players shouldn’t be concerned with wins and losses on the practice match court. They should be focused on running plays, trying new tactics, working technique, sharpening your weapons, and developing parts of their games that aren’t 100% ready for live matches. Start looking at your practice matches as opportunities to hone your skills rather than focusing on winning and your tennis will improve. Being able to practice executing these things in a setting that doesn’t officially count allows players to become more confident in areas of their game that they otherwise may avoid in a sanctioned match.
How to choose a tennis coach
Choosing a coach is a VERY important decision. The right coach can accelerate your learning and the wrong one can derail your game and set you back financially. Here are some things you should look for when choosing a coach and red flags you should avoid. ✅ Has a solid reputation. Ask around. Get a…
The Gameplan: Doubles
There are many different strategies and tactics that teams can use to win doubles matches. In this article, I am going to break your doubles gameplay down into 4 parts, suggest some strategies you can use to mix it up and influence your opponents and give you some match play and mental tips that will…
The Tennis Gamesmanship Guide
Players at all levels of the game bend the rules to gain an advantage or rattle their opponents with the aim of throwing them off their game. Sometimes they do it with sinister intent and sometimes not, but knowing these tricks in advance will prepare you to deal with gamesmanship and keep you focused on…
Second Serve Location: Body Jam
2nd serve Win % is one of the major indicators of success in a tennis match. In recent times we have been seeing second serve average speeds from players like Nick Kyrgios and Dani Medvedev that are close to matching their first serve averages. Using this as a mix-up strategy to keep their opponents off…
Match Winning Mentality
In this article, I’m hoping to help players who are struggling with their mental game. This was something that I struggled with as an early junior player where I would regularly lose to players I thought I should have beaten, or where my playing level would be far below the level that I practised at….
Staggered Doubles
No doubles team can cover the entire court. This is an enduring fact of this format of tennis. There will always be gaps to hit to on the other side of the net and there will always be gaps on your side of the net. You need to exploit your opponent’s gaps, and cover your…
G.O.A.T 2 handed Backhands: 3 elite set up commonalities
There are many ways to hit a 2 handed backhand, and there have been many great 2 handers both currently on tour and in years past. While their grip, stances, contact and follow through may differ slightly, (and that’s what makes them different and unique) there are certain fundamental commonalities between them that you can…
Flexible Returning
Being flexible in your return position is a huge key to helping you visually change your opponents landscape, influence the server and help you to time your return better. Here are some options if you are struggling with your return game.
Tennis Talk 