There are several basic strategies that are use in all tennis play. Each of these strategies must build on the next one. The ability to move from one strategy to the next is based on ones own skill level.
1 Keep the ball in play. Simple as this is, it is often overlooked by even more advanced players. The person who can keep sending the ball back over the net and in the court is a tough player to beat. Its been said that, the person who can return the ball one more time than their opponent will never lose. This is true but there is something more to it, which brings us to the next level of singles strategy.
2 Keep the ball deep. Hitting the balls deep into your opponents backcourt will keep them from taking advantage of you. Deep shots create fewer angles for your opponent to hit, making it more difficult to hit winners or exploit your weaknesses. Hitting deep also forces your opponent to hit harder or higher to stay out of trouble. Trouble in this case is hitting balls into the net, out of play or a short ball that can be exploited.
3 Hit with power. After consistency and depth can be controlled, then the use of power may take place. Hitting the ball harder gives your opponent less time to react. It increases the chance for an error or a short ball from whom youre playing.
4 Hit with placement. Again if we build on consistency (keep the ball in play), depth (keep the ball deep), and power, then we can move to placement. Putting the ball into the corners to move your opponent around again increases the chance of opponent errors. To be able to place the ball in the court where you want to is a very satisfying level of play and difficult to do. Even the advanced level player has difficulty hitting consistently deep with power into the corners.
Well there you have four tennis strategies in tennis for all levels of play. They all sound so simple and easy to do but to put them all together point after point take very hard work. Remember that these strategies are built upon each other. So there you have the basic building blocks of successful tennis play.
Doug Hofer, USPTA September 2, 2005
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