Strategies For Your Tennis Game

Using effective strategies will yield you to play winning tennis.

Although you should practice as much as possible to develop a consistent strong serve, a solid forehand and back-hand, and competent strokes, remember though that the player who wins is the one who can’t think on his or her feet.

To think quickly you need to acquire some basic understanding of strategies. Some of my points will probably seem self-evident, but it's surprising how few players really pay attention to them - if they did, they'd play better tennis.

Analyze your own game.

You probably know at least one player (you may be one yourself) who invariably tries to smash his or her first serve down the opponent's throat, only to have the ball end up in the net or our of bounds.

For this type of player is hard to admit his or her lack of technical skills for controlling the ball therefore double faults are inevitable in the match. Beside he or she then try to resolve this problem by relying to hit just easy second serves that the opponent rip. This is a classical example of someone who doesn't analyze his or her own game and get frustrated.

Another player serves well but just stands there at the baseline watching to see whether his or her serve was good. This hesitant moment will make this player too late to move toward the net to hit opponent's short or high return balls.

Sometimes some aspects of your game will remain weak even though you practice to correct it. If you are a weekend tennis player, for example, you probably lack the speed of someone who plays more regularly.

One effective strategy is to try placing your shots so that your opponent will have to return them to the center of the court. Then place your shots to keep your opponent running all over the place until he or she is so worn out that has no more speed than you do.

We've all seen older players beat younger ones by using just this strategy. That's playing smart tennis.

Know your own strengths as well as your weaknesses. Most average player has strong forehands and weaker backhands. If that's your case, you naturally want to play so that the other player hits to your forehand most of the time.

One way to do this is to hit to your opponent's backhand and since this stroke crosses the body, the most natural direction for the ball to go is straight to your forehand.

Or, set a trap for your opponent by moving over a little to your left, leaving your forehand court open. Chances are you'll get the ball back exactly where you want.

Analyze your opponent.

Every opponent has a different personality, so you have to vary your strategy for each one. Some players try 100 per cent on every point, while others will pace themselves for the crucial points later in the match.

If your opponent is a pusher, try to wear him or her out.

If your opponent is a pacer, make double sure you're conserving your own strength as well.

Some players play well when they're leading but fold if you get ahead and keep the pressure on. Others have a "never say die" attitude, and you must be careful not to relax your lead.

Most players feel more comfortable receiving slower shots. However, your opponent may be one of those exceptional players who prefer to play against a hard-hit ball, using the force of their opponent's shots to increase their own pace.

Try to slow down your game or use more spin against such a player. It is often said that you should try to keep the other player away from the net. However, some players like to rush the net behind a well-planned approach shot but are uncomfortable with unexpected drop shots. Some players move well laterally but can't move backward or forward.

This strategy can help you to force your opponent to play the style of game that is most to your liking. It is wise to adjust your game for your opponent but make sure you don't let the opponent dictate the style of play. Let your strengths combined with your opponent's weaknesses win for you.

Play Percentage Tennis.

Eighty-five percent of tennis points are not won they are, in fact, lost as a result on an error. There are some keys to avoiding errors:

Keep the ball in play.

This is the most obvious but also the most important tactic in tennis. You need to be consistent if you want to achieve good results in matches.

Avoid unforced errors.

There are two types of errors:

1. Forced
2. Unforced

Forced errors are the ones made by a player due to a forcing shot of the opponent. They are considered "good errors". An example of a forced error could be a mistake returning a good first serve.

On the other hand, unforced errors are those made by a player when in control of the ball. They are considered "bad errors". An example of this type of error is when you a mistake is made returning a short or weak second serve.

Use the court space effectively.

You need to be able to use the court space as effectively as possible in order to win points. This involves some of the following strategies:

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