3 Solid Singles Strategies
1) Keep the ball in play (i.e., consistency)
At club level, the more consistent player will win. If your consistency drops, at any point in the match, immediately do the following:
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Relax. You're probably tight. Breath. Refocus. Visualize what you can do different. Always keep your attention on your side of the court; there's nothing you have control over on the other side of the net
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Start hitting cross court shots.
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The net is 6" lower in the middle than at the sideline. That's a higher percentage shot.
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Hitting cross court gives you more court space to hit the ball in. Think hypotenuse.
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Reducing the mental load of having to worry about "correct" shot selection will reduce stress.
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Give yourself high net clearance (preferably using topspin).
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This creates good ball depth, keeping your opponent away from the net.
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It also makes your ball bounce uncomfortably high for an opponent camped out at the baseline.
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It also gives you more reaction time.
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Want to Know What Consistency Looks Like?
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These kids don't tense up.
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They don't try to overhit.
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They stay calm and hit with plenty of margin.
The main thing I wanted to point out about this video clip is the shot selection. I think every shot (save the half-volley) was employed during this point. And each shot was calculated and strategic.
Try pausing the video after each stroke, look at the opponent's position and before unpausing it, decide how you would return.
4 Combinations of Groundstrokess
Slow & Safe — Blah. Setting yourself up for failure with this one.
Fast & aggressive — Only on perfect or dire times.
Fast & safe — Consistent shot to be used all the time!
Slow & aggressive — These are best reserved for passing shots.
Just Watch These Swiss Pros Battle It Out!
These are professionals. Please, try this at home. (Both are well-know for their precise and powerful backhand winners.)
Highlights: Fed and Djoker, Paribas 2015 Final
Both of these players are well-know for their fitness and strategy.
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Watch the the score ebb and flow throughout the match.
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Watch their aggressive shot selections. (You don't need to be this aggressive to win.)
2) KEEP THE BALL DEEP
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Aim beyond the service line. — Ideally, you want the ball to bounce around the middle of no-man's land so the ball is high and still rising as it crosses the baseline (where players are used to standing). You will lose control of the point if you allow your opponent to approach the net, while pushing you away from it.
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Lob — If you find yourself in trouble (pushed off the court, or late getting to the ball) lob yourself out of trouble! Defensive lobbing buys you time to recover a reasonable court position.
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Many beginning-level opponents will either tense up when they see a delicious-looking overhead served up to them and anxiously hit it into the net, or softly return to the open court, allowing you to play one more ball, as they don't have the skill yet to drastically change the pace. Your objective is to completely neutralize the point by lobbing as close to the baseline as possible.
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Additionally, each time you neutralize your opponent's attack, you frustrate your opponent more and more. As the point continues, they are more likely to psychologically combust, resulting in an unforced error.
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Hit the Ball Deep!
Why?
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By keeping you opponent at or behind the baseline, you control (dictate) the point.
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Your opponent has less of a chance to hurt you when they're pinned back, giving you more reaction time.
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You limit their chance to attack with an approach shot. A ball that bounces at the service line will fall right into your opponent's strike zone. Not a challenge.
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Keep them in a defensive position. Don't let them groove by varying the following three things:
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Speed — The #1 factor that impacts your ball speed is racket acceleration through the ball.
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No need to drill the ball. Think control, not winner. Just hit confidently with a full swing.
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Spin — Compensate for spins.
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E.g., When hitting a shot to your opponent with backspin, you'll need to open your racket face a little more.
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E.g., When returning a shot with backspin—same idea—aim your shot a little deeper than you would normally.
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Height — This is the easiest, and least risky, one to adjust.
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Aim for the middle of no-man's land. (9' inside the baseline.)
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If you are not getting the depth you need, try hitting the ball with a little more clearance over the net.
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What are TACTICS vs STRATEGY?
Tactics are not necessarily the same thing as strategy.
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Tactics are things you do in response to how your opponent is playing.
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Strategy is a game plan you make before going into a match. (Usually, playing to your strengths. E.g., Serve Volley)
You don't know what tactic you are going to use before a match, unless you know how your opponent plays, so we are going to talk about three tactics against three different types of opponents:
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"Pushers"
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Hard Hitters
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Forehand dominants ("Popeye/Olive Oyl")
3) Observe & Exploit Your Opponent's Weakness
This is the fun part. Like any successful general (Sun Zu), you must know your opponent if you are to beat him/her. If you do not know their weakness, find it!
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Work their backhand. Most club-level players secretly prefer their forehand to their backhand. If you see an opponent consistently running around a backhand shot to hit with their forehand, it's a red flag. Exploit! Push them far to their forehand, then take a step in and then rubber-band them back to the other side of the baseline with a backhand. (Remember not to hit it so hard that it becomes inconsistent; the whole point is to let them make the mistake. More than likely, they'll slice a ball back that floats high over the net, where you will be waiting to easily put away.
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Test all their shots. If they struggle with overheads, lob them all day (especially to their backhand). If they struggle with inside-out forehands, bait them into hitting crosscourt by camping out down the line.
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Watch for tells. At a beginning level, players are not very good at masking or hiding their shots. Typically, they'll use the same windup (baseball analogy) before every stroke. Find their tell (poker analogy) and you'll be able to start moving before the ball even leaves their racket.
If you are ready to learn more singles strategy, beyond these basics, I highly recommend this webpage.
How To Beat a "Pusher"
Things you need to do yourself:
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Respect your opponent. They can and will get into your brain if you let them.
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Stay back and be patient. Don't get sucked into trying to finish points too early. Wait for your shot to avoid unforced errors.
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They are typically fit, and you need to be too. Be prepared to do a lot of footwork, adjustment steps.
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Recover and be prepared to attack the next ball if the opportunity presents itself. (E.g., ball in your strike zone that you don't have to run for, or a bouncing ball short of the service line.)
Things you can do to "Pushers":
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Move them around the court to get them off balance.
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If they're "moonballing" you, "moonball" it back then charge the net. They are typically anaylzing you to find your less confident strokes. You had better be good at overheads.
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Take the ball on the rise to take time away from them.
Shot Selection: Stroke-by-Stroke
General tips:
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Serve and hit to your opponent's weaker side.
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If your opponent hits cross-court, pushing you to the outside of the court, it's risky to change the direction of the ball and go down the line. Instead, return crosscourt.
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When standing at the center of the court, hit to whichever side is more advantageous.
Don't Be Reactionary. Know/Play Your Strengths
That's it. Don't just show up and hit balls mindlessly:
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Know your strengths and weaknesses.
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Play to your strengths.
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Note your opponent's s/w.
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Make an evil plan to disrupt them.
Fun Mental Exercise: Shot Selection
Watch these two pros play a single point. The narrator will stop the video before each shot to let you know which shot options are the best:
General tips:
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Hit with margin for error inside the court. No need to paint the lines.
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Hit deep.
Force Errors by Keeping your Opponent Off Balance
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Hit different HEIGHTS over the net.
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Hit different SPEEDS.
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Hit with different SPINS.
Who Needs "Shot Diversity" When You Can Pound Your Opponents into the Ground?
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You don't necessarily need shot diversity. While an theoretically effective strategy, beginning players often don't have the consistency to keep it up.
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Instead, find your opponent's weakness and continue going back to it again and again, until your opponent makes a significant adjustment.
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Then you adjust too.