Should you hit harder or not as hard when taking the ball on the rise?

[Golden Retriever]

When you take the ball on the rise, should you go for more to get more power or go for less to get more control?

[madevil_zero]

i would usually hit harder if the ball is coming slow, but if its fast, i use spin for safety

[DADYO]

I'm no tennis coach but...

I'd say the same rule for halfvolleys is valid for taking balls on the rise, so I'd so control. But it depends on how "on the rise" you mean,the earlier you hit it, the more control you should seek.

[Phil]

You don't HAVE to hit harder. The fact that you're hitting early and generating some serious angles is the entire point of doing this. Hitting the ball HARDER than you would normally just introduces a degree of risk that just isn't necessary to take. That's not to say "lay off" those balls, but don't go insane, either. Players who don't or can't hit the ball on the rise need the power more than players who do, because once you take away the extreme angles and the early approach, that's pretty much your main weapon (along with depth).

[Midlife crisis]

When you take the ball on the rise, should you go for more to get more power or go for less to get more control?

For me, it depends on what you mean by "on the rise". If you're talking about a ball that bounces mid-court and you're hitting it offensively and between belly-button and shoulder high, a flat hard shot is probably the easiest to time and least likely to miss.

If you're talking about a shot that is really just barely not a half volley, I usually try to swing with an exaggerated topspin stroke, because the upward motion of the ball decreases the relative upward speed of the racquet. Because this shot is usually hit at knee height or so, a bit of topspin is needed for margin of error.

If you're talking about deeper, higher bouncing shots to the baseline where you hit it four or five feet after it bounces, these are the hardest for me to time, and I usually go for a pretty safe shot since it's unlikely I'll be able to hit forcefully enough and consistently enough on this shot to make it worthwhile. Because the timing is hard on this shot, I usually try and use an upward stroke that roughly matches the ball's upward speed, to ensure the best chance of solid contact. This results in a pretty flat ball, but I will try and play it deep and well placed and wait for an opportunity on the next shot.

[mucat]

I agree with Phil. I love to hit the ball on the rise. The key is not harder, it is depth. Also, with ball higher than the net, there is no need to put extra spin into the ball, just hit as flat as you are comfortable with.

[Sweden]

I also agree with Phil!

[kevhen]

Yeah, when hitting early, it's more about going for angles, than hitting really hard but you can do both and get easy winners. I sometimes find it hard to hit hard when hitting on the rise because you have to really watch the ball in and not take such a huge swing that might be hard to time and control and hit in the center of the strings. So I go for placement more myself when moving in and taking the ball early.

[Golden Retriever]

Sorry wrong thread. Please see my new thread.