What is percentage tennis?

[Golden Retriever]

Seems like there is no definite definition of percentage tennis. Some say S&V is percentage tennis, some say pushing is percentage tennis. Does anybody know what exactly is percentage tennis pls?

[TwistServe]

Does golden retriever refer to a pusher?

[Golden Retriever]

A middle age baseliner.

[TwistServe]

What would you call a young aged baseliner?

Btw i think percentage tennis is Lleyton Hewitt style.

[Golden Retriever]

Green retriever?

[ProStaffTour90]

It's where you don't take many risks!

So if you have the choice to go for a containing cross-court (70% chance of success!) or a clean winner down the line (30% chance of success)

or

a huge serve to the far corner (20% success rate!) or you just want to get it deep and in (80% success rate!)

Chosing the shot with the highest percentage most of the time would regard you as a percentage player!!!

[Dranguyengon]

Also, playing percentage tennis is always better but only 90% of the time.

Like if u had the chance to hit a clean winner with lots of pace and topspin, then u could but it might only go in 20% of the time. But you could go for the crosscourt shot and make it in 90% of the time.

You should learn to play percentage tennis in order to beat most people. But to be the best, you have to play percentage tennis 90% of the time. The other 10%, you go for winners.

[Bungalo Bill]

Playing percentage tennis does not mean tennis styles of play (i.e. serve and volleyer, baseliner,etc.). It means within a given style your awareness of where you are on the court, the type of ball your recieving, and your shot selection will allow you to keep the ball in play, with the right amount of pressure.

There are many areas that go into playing the percentages.

1. Where you are on the court.

If your hitting the ball from a deep position behind the baseline, trying to go for a winner is not a high percnetgae play. You do not have the position to improve your chances to hit one. Why? Because maybe the open court is down-the-line. If you are deep behind the baseline, your opponent has a chance to get to it and hit it back crosscourt which places you on the run.

2. The type of ball your recieving - If your recieving a hard hit ball, you want to block it back or tone down the speed of your swing to keep it in the court. If you try and hit it harder you decrease your chances of keeping the ball in play. Also, this applies to spins and grips.

3. The amount of swing

If your near the service line and you are about to hit a ball, you have a higher percent chance to keep a ball in play with a measured swing then a full swing. You can still apply the same pop but your timing increases with the measured basckswing.

4. The type of ball you will hit back

Sometimes you increase your chances to keep the ball in play with different spins. Topspin lob vs. underspin lob, topspin gorundstroke vs. underspin groundstroke.

5. Where you are aiming.

Sometimes it is easier to keep the ball in play by hitting cross court, sometimes down-the-line.

Playing the percentages again is not style of play. It is where, how, what, and when you hit the ball to give you a higher percentage of chance to keep it in play. The net is a simple way to tell if your playing the percentages on groundstrokes. Since hitting down-the-line the net is higher and the court is shorter would you have a higher percentage chance to keep the ball in the court with a full swing going crosscourt or down-the-line?

[AndyC]

Bill's pretty much covered it.. the only other points I would add are

1) Know your strengths.. i.e. what type of shot u can pull of consistently. At club level especially there are lots of shots that the lesser players won't be able to play e.g. trying to hit every ball within 3 feet of the baseline. The higher percentage play is to make a shot u're comfortable with.. chances are u're playing someone your standard and they won't have the whole repertoire of shots to hurt u with either.

2) Know when to go for the low percentage play. This applies to situations when u're not going to be able to get back for the next shot e.g. when your opponent has hit a great shot with pace and acute angle and is moving into the net.. no point hitting it back cross court.. the right play then is to just go for the shot down the line. U won't make it often but if u play a shot back crosscourt they are going to put it away anyway.

[Cypo]

Point 2 - Lob ? (or in real life - thow up a ball as high as you can which will land in the back court and hopefully over your opponents backhand shoulder :-))

[kevhen]

Percentage tennis to me is beating your opponent as efficiently as possible or playing a better opponent as tough as possible to give yourself a shot at winning. Percentage tennis is hitting the right shot at the right time. If I play someone who is inconsistent I will just hit the ball back to the center of the court until they make an error. If I play someone who is slow with great groundstrokes, I will hit hard and to the corners or will throw in dropshots. Percentage tennis is about winning points the easiest way possible depending on your strengths and weaknesses and your opponent's strengths and weaknesses. If your forehand is better than your opponent's forehand then you get into a forehand crosscourt rally. If your opponent struggles with pace, you hit the ball hard, etc. unless you struggle getting balls in when you hit with pace. So it's about knowing yourself and knowing (or figuring out) your opponent