This year will be my second year playing tennis for my high school and I am aiming for the first singles slot(last year I was second singles). While my game has improved drastically, I am probably only a 4.0 at this point. First of all, I am contemplating whether to continue and try and moonball(the ball gets over 10 feet over the net with heavy topspin but with little pace) or go for my fast paced forehand which gets about 1.5-3 feet over the net and a decent amount of topspin. Thing is though, my moonball is much more consistent than my other forehand. Let's say that my moonball shot gets in 97% of the time, then my other forehand might go in only 90-91% of the time. I guess it comes down to, at the 4.0 level, should I grind it out with moonballs or try and force some winners/errors with my other forehand?
Need some tips for high school tennis please
- Thread starter Thomas59
- Start date
You get better at what you do the most.
Do you want to get better, like playing college level tennis? If so, hit the normal forehand most of the time, and use the moon topspin for opponent's who can't handle it.
If you care about winning NOW, just use the moonball, make it the best it can be, and stay at the 4.0 level foreever.
Do you want to get better, like playing college level tennis? If so, hit the normal forehand most of the time, and use the moon topspin for opponent's who can't handle it.
If you care about winning NOW, just use the moonball, make it the best it can be, and stay at the 4.0 level foreever.
@ LeeD Yeah I guess you are right, I had a feeling that the moonball would not allow me to get much better. I might as well make the moonball a secondary tool and have the legit forehand as my primary forehand. But the part where you say "stay at the 4.0 forever" makes it seem like no 5.0s and above use the moonball, is this true?
They surely use it, but not as a primary style of play, but to throw opponent off or to disrupt the rhytm of play etc... anyways, only occasionaly or in tactical sense.
Topspin Shot
Legend
In practice, learn how to improve your normal forehand. There is a reason pros' rally balls are not moonballs. In a competitive (read: not practice) match, do whatever will win you the match.
5263
G.O.A.T.
What about making some lesser adjustments?
What about looking to hit 6-10' over the net from anywhere behind the baseline, then
What about looking to hit about 2-3' over the net when you step inside the baseline into the attacking area?
And have you seen the "Practice for Smarter Targets" thread?
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fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
As you get stronger, your topspin forehand that carries some pace will likely become more of a go-to shot. Small adjustments with that stroke can make a little extra spin and margin for error or a little more pace and penetration when it's flattened out. Then you can push opponents into hitting their next shot with less time to recover.
The moonball can throw a change of pace at opponents and deny them some of the rhythm they might prefer in a baseline rally. That high deep looper can be a decent alternative to a slice in this respect and also work well for neutralizing opponents when you're scrambling. It typically has a little extra hang time, right? That gives you time to get back into position.
The problem you may see with stronger opponents is their ability to jump on top of that moonball and hit it on the rise instead of having to back off and wait for it to top out. That's when this shot becomes much more of a liability - it gives the other guy control of the action too often.
If you're not too familiar with attacking the net just yet, you should consider developing that skill set, too. When you can follow a short ball to the net and create immediate pressure for your opponents, that can make the difference in lots of matches, especially when the other guy is happy to get everything back from deep in his end. I've been coaching high school tennis for several years and whenever I see a match between players of similar strength at the baseline, the one with the stronger ability to press the net has a distinct advantage.
LuckyR
Legend
If your goal is to be #1 on your team, then play in the way that will beat the current #1 player the best. If you don't care about HS tennis and just want to maximize your tennis potential, that is a different story... but that's not what you said.
mightyrick
Legend
I agree with others. Don't just do topspin moonballs. That will work at second singles, but not first singles. Depending on how good your high-school program is, first singles can have more than a couple of strong 4.5s. They will all destroy a monolithic topspin moonball game.
You will need to probably improve your serve, improve your return, and be comfortable with flattening out the ball a bit.
Is your HS coach the only source of instruction you have currently? Most of the top HS players I've seen in my area all have private coaches.
Chas Tennis
G.O.A.T.
Your forehand stroke technique? High speed video.
High level strokes have characteristics that can clearly be observed in high speed videos.
High speed videos of your tennis strokes can act as a feedback for your stroke technique that can then be compared to the high level strokes.
Don't waste your time and possibly mislead yourself using a 30 fps camera such a a smartphone, although frames showing certain parts of the stroke, when caught, can be very informative.
That being said, how do you presently know what you are doing on the forehand stroke? The high level forehands use stretch shortening cycles to develop pace and impact the ball with a slightly closed racket face. This can be seen in videos. How does your forehand compare? (for example, I have a tendency to take my arm back much lower than the high level forehands. My racket head height may not reach my shoulder. High level forehands take the racket head to above their head height.)
If you practice your own concept for any stroke I believe that it is likely to get better and more reliable. For example, you can serve 10-20% higher speed with more in by practicing - using almost any technique. But if you are practicing an ineffective technique that is likely to become a dead end street.....?
High speed video is excellent for understanding the high level techniques and knowing what you are doing. What is your forehand technique?
Low cost basic high speed video camera capable of a fast shutter speed-
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=484212&highlight=black+friday+sale
High level strokes have characteristics that can clearly be observed in high speed videos.
High speed videos of your tennis strokes can act as a feedback for your stroke technique that can then be compared to the high level strokes.
Don't waste your time and possibly mislead yourself using a 30 fps camera such a a smartphone, although frames showing certain parts of the stroke, when caught, can be very informative.
That being said, how do you presently know what you are doing on the forehand stroke? The high level forehands use stretch shortening cycles to develop pace and impact the ball with a slightly closed racket face. This can be seen in videos. How does your forehand compare? (for example, I have a tendency to take my arm back much lower than the high level forehands. My racket head height may not reach my shoulder. High level forehands take the racket head to above their head height.)
If you practice your own concept for any stroke I believe that it is likely to get better and more reliable. For example, you can serve 10-20% higher speed with more in by practicing - using almost any technique. But if you are practicing an ineffective technique that is likely to become a dead end street.....?
High speed video is excellent for understanding the high level techniques and knowing what you are doing. What is your forehand technique?
Low cost basic high speed video camera capable of a fast shutter speed-
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=484212&highlight=black+friday+sale
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Topspin Shot
Legend
How about play the right shot always?
ClintimusPrime
Rookie
This quite possibly makes the top spot for dumbest posts this month.
Always going for aggressive shots and/or winners is a very low percentage game. If you want to be #1 and win matches, then smart tennis is what you will need to play.
Matthew Bance
Rookie
keep it deep
okay maybe i need to qualify what i said and what i meant
I meant like murray do not play passively
play like nole or roger who go quite aggressive when they have to
otherwise when you come up against better players and just try to be "consistent" they will hit right through you
Topspin Shot
Legend
And when you try to be aggressive against better players, you will rack up unforced errors and lose anyway. How about play the way that wins you the most matches, whether that be aggressive or conservative?
BTurkoglu
New User
When forced out of your comfort zone, play your moonball. When you get a shorter ball that's in your strike zone.....tag it. Practice the same way you play. In the matches, only concern yourself about the point. Your goal is to improve....win or lose.....that is all that matters. As you improve, the wins will take care of themselves. Evaluate your matches afterwards. Ask yourself why you lost? For me, it was one of 2 ways. I either played the wrong tactics or I didn't have the weapon(s) to exploit the opponent's weaknesses. The first one is an easy learn. The second takes practice developing those weapons.
goran_ace
Hall of Fame
If you feel that the only way you can compete against good players is to play super aggressive tennis then they've already won. You wouldn't use that game plan against an inferior player knowing that you'd be giving away too many points on errors, so why would you think it would work against better players?
You can't commit yourself to just playing aggressively or just playing conservatively all the time because in reality you are going to have to be able to do both. Better players make better decisions. You gotta know when to play the safer shots and when you can go for it, when to stick with your bread and butter or when to mix it up. You'll develop that tennis IQ with coaching and experience in competition. If you want to immediately ramp up your game then it's gotta be about hustle.
Tennis is a sport after all. Fitness, athleticsim, and hard work are the great equalizers. If you want to put yourself in a position to compete against the better players work your butt off on defense from the first point of the match until the last one. Play a complete match; no late second set fade. Show your opponent that you will try to get to every ball and that he gets nothing for free. If he's going to beat you he's going to have to hit more than one good shot.
You can't commit yourself to just playing aggressively or just playing conservatively all the time because in reality you are going to have to be able to do both. Better players make better decisions. You gotta know when to play the safer shots and when you can go for it, when to stick with your bread and butter or when to mix it up. You'll develop that tennis IQ with coaching and experience in competition. If you want to immediately ramp up your game then it's gotta be about hustle.
Tennis is a sport after all. Fitness, athleticsim, and hard work are the great equalizers. If you want to put yourself in a position to compete against the better players work your butt off on defense from the first point of the match until the last one. Play a complete match; no late second set fade. Show your opponent that you will try to get to every ball and that he gets nothing for free. If he's going to beat you he's going to have to hit more than one good shot.
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