Your most successful style/ strategy for wins in tennis?

[Power Player]

The more I have drilled my footwork, the more prep time I have and the better my strokes have gotten. I played a flatter hitting guy last night where I was able to hit deep shots CC and DTL safely. They were bouncing about a foot or so in the baseline on average and I was getting confident enough to place the ball closer to the lines. I have played and hit with this guy many times, and this was the most lopsided play in my favor to date.

It felt like I finally had evolved from the high trajectory- pin them back with topspin - force short balls style that I had played before. I find that better players see that style so much that it does not phase them. It is more like the Rafa defensive style that can wear you down, especially if your opponent knows how to take them early. I have gone more to the Djoker style of attacking with lower trajectory and more precise placement. Obviously none of us are on that level of play, but at least this provides a good visual.

This was one guy, but the more I have adapted this style, the better I have been playing. I play guys from 4.0 to 5.0 since my clubs set me up with different players.

What works for you?

[r2473]

I use your old style

....and better players pound the hell out of me (just like you say).

[Power Player]

Are you back on the courts and healed up?

[r2473]

Ya, I'd say I'm back to normal.

While I was healing I ran a ton of miles. I can "moonball" for hours now

[Power Player]

Nice..defensive tennis. I know and appreciate this style

[LeeD]

I can lose badly with almost any style, but my least effective losing style is when I concentrate within, hit my shots loose and flowing, hit the first forcing shot, and flow around the court, rather than lumber around the courts.
Now this doesn't always have to be about winning, but rather, playing well or playing badly.

[PhrygianDominant]

Fun Thread, ok I'll bite.

I am enamoured and obsessed with power and attacking. However, I win more when I focus on placement and play from the baseline, within myself. I wanted to be an all courter and hit winners all the time, but I am built more like a baseliner. I do better when I am channeling Agassi, Nalbandian, and Ferrero(Tactical Baseline) than some of my other favorites such as Federer and Haas(baseline/allcourt...attacking baseline?) , Soderling (Powermonger), or Gonzalez and Blake (Hit that Forehand!....Again! Again!!!!).

[NLBwell]

When I actually was a good player, playing open level, my game consisted primarily of serving and not having the ball come back. On retrun of serve, I would be being aggressive on the serve return and hope I could win 4 out of 6 points at least once out of 6 return games.

Kind of an Ivo Karlovic plan.

[lodeen]

PP, that guy you played is good at the baseline handling medium paced balls, but when he is faced with heavy paced balls, his game will start to collapse. I played him a few times in matches and all I do is overpower him from the baseline with heavy topspin left and right.

But this style does not work for me against all players so I change my style according to my opponents. Although my fav is baseline bashing.

Btw, the Mad Doc & I went over to chat with that sexy legs woman after she was done with her league match. It helps to have a cute dog to break the ice! lol

[Power Player]

Originally Posted by lodeen

PP, that guy you played is good at the baseline handling medium paced balls, but when he is faced with heavy paced balls, his game will start to collapse. I played him a few times in matches and all I do is overpower him from the baseline with heavy topspin left and right.

But this style does not work for me against all players so I change my style according to my opponents. Although my fav is baseline bashing.

Btw, the Mad Doc & I went over to chat with that sexy legs woman after she was done with her league match. It helps to have a cute dog to break the ice! lol

nice! how did it go? she was freaking hot in that outfit

[bad_call]

^ and here i'm taking a little time off to let the elbow heal, hence stuck in the brew house.

[mikeler]

The thread question is:

Your most successful style/ strategy for wins in tennis?

I think the biggest thing I've learned over the years is not to be stubborn. People would say "If you play your game, it won't matter what the other guy does". Unfortunately, playing casual tennis you are not going to be grooved every single match. So start out with your "A" game and see what happens. If you have to hit some shorter balls, come to net more, float a few slices, throw up some moon balls then so be it. I'm not married to any 1 strategy except winning.

Most players prefer pace. It's amazing how you can drill balls at guys and it comes back even harder. Throw up a puffer and all of a sudden the other guy can look lost out there.

[ATP100]

Originally Posted by mikeler

The thread question is:

Your most successful style/ strategy for wins in tennis?

I think the biggest thing I've learned over the years is not to be stubborn. People would say "If you play your game, it won't matter what the other guy does". Unfortunately, playing casual tennis you are not going to be grooved every single match. So start out with your "A" game and see what happens. If you have to hit some shorter balls, come to net more, float a few slices, throw up some moon balls then so be it. I'm not married to any 1 strategy except winning.

Most players prefer pace. It's amazing how you can drill balls at guys and it comes back even harder. Throw up a puffer and all of a sudden the other guy can look lost out there.

This is the reason I teach start out with "B" game against strangers.
Let's see what we are up against.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by ATP100

This is the reason I teach start out with "B" game against strangers.
Let's see what we are up against.

I like the way you think!

[TheCheese]

Originally Posted by ATP100

This is the reason I teach start out with "B" game against strangers.
Let's see what we are up against.

Really interesting tactic. I like it.

[TimothyO]

Originally Posted by mikeler

The thread question is:

Your most successful style/ strategy for wins in tennis?

Most players prefer pace. It's amazing how you can drill balls at guys and it comes back even harder. Throw up a puffer and all of a sudden the other guy can look lost out there.

Well said!

At low and mid level trying to blast an opponent off the court on every shot mostly results in balls coming back and you donating pts with UE eventually.

I find the following works well:

Consistency: first goal...get the ball over the net deep cross court...do nothing else at low to mid level and against most impatient males who try to emulate Nadal you'll win

Variety: Show them different speeds, spins, and placement...don't let them develop any rythm...trying to blast every shot only makes them happy

Precise Placement: this is how you get a lot of high percentage winners at this level...keep the shot low below the net with no pace making your opponent run to return it...he'll usually flub it or cough up a floater while off balance on the run

Patient Pace: be patient and go for the big winners only on true opportunity balls in your strike zone and with your opponent out of position or off balance...otherwise you're incurring needless risk and serving as a ball machine for hitting practice...don't delude youself into thinking you're an ATP player! Do this with patience and you'll look a lot better than you really are thus demoralizing the opponent

In short, be a consistent pusher/retriever hitting deep cross court, serve up junk balls with great variety to generate UEs from opponent, and reserve your offensive big shots for high percentage situations to break your opponent's spirit while reducing your own UEs. Win ugly!

[djinni999]

the question, on a deeper level, is actually meaningless. the best style for winning is the style you can actually play. no one plays their style in order to lose.
that said, there is a hierarchy of playing styles. ranging from pushing to all-court. if you are, say, an all-courter you will win most easily playing this style, regardless of your opponent; provided that mentally and physically you are at a high enough performance level with respect to your capacity.
if you can only pull off counter-punching, then this will be the most effective style for winning, simply because you can't play a style that is above this in the hierarchy; similarly, why play the pusher game in this example? you will not win more easily or at all.
taking offensive initiative is great. it's what works best in tennis and many other sports. but if you are not good at it then it will be detrimental due to the risks, percentages, inconsistencies, etc.

what is more interesting and profound is the issue of how to play when confronted with adverse circumstances: poor form, lack of practice, match practice, particular shots that seem to have abandoned you, etc. coupled with the attributes of the opponent you are facing. then an all-courter may achieve bigger gains by reverting to, say, counter-punching. but this shift can only work in one direction - downwards; ie, it is highly unrealistic for a pusher to attempt serve and volley : ) , the poor fellow is hopeless, there is no lower style he can fall back on.

[Power Player]

You are right. Those slow balls expose poor footwork and balance. You can pound the ball and get away with bad footwork sometimes. I have played a guy who eats up pace with slice and no pace balls. Only recently have I been able to punish him enough for it to where he will stop no pacing.

[y11971alex]

Against other 3.5 players, I think S&V is the best tactic as most people (in my community) overhit severely (so that judgment is no issue) and a pass is not a concern at all. If you anticipate well the lob and get the first volley in then you're set. Unless, of course, you play another S&V player.

I particularly prize my lob for its dependability yards behind the baseline. I don't attempt a pass at a ball beyond the service line unless it's a wrong-foot pass.

[Ballinbob]

My strategy for winning is hitting heavy topspin cross court repeatedly. If my opponent decides to go DTL, I redirect it CC . If I get a short ball I'll hit DTL for a winner. basically, just play the percentages

I keep it simple haha. It's not a very exciting style of play but it works