tennis - park style

[luvforty]

we live in a TV culture. people play like they see on TV... 20 years ago every park player SV, today every1 stay at baseline, while game has really not changed much (although much progress has been made at the pros).

what are the tennis strategies/styles/shot combinations that are effective in the parks, but not in the pros?

I will start with 2:

1. moonball to the bh and charge the net
2. side spin / short dinks to the service box corners and charge the net.

what else?

notice that this is for park tennis only.... big serve + big fh doesn't count here.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by luvforty

notice that this is for park tennis only.... big serve + big fh doesn't count here.

speak for yourself

[LeeD]

1. opponent's usually lob
2. you have no time to cover net and get into position, susceptible to low chips and lobs.
3. no ONE strategy works against every player.

[psv255]

As much as some like to argue otherwise, I think pushing is a strategy, and probably the single most effective strategy in the "parks." It works 90% of the time, every time...

As for shot combinations, I'd say that anything that breaks up rhythm (change of pace & spins) is pretty common and often effective.

I would disagree that one cannot find a player with a big serve or forehand, given the lack of organization by playing ability in a park setting.

[sureshs]

I prefer tennis gangnam style

[SystemicAnomaly]

Originally Posted by sureshs

I prefer tennis gangnam style

Particularly, the footwork:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcLNteez3c4&t=2m30s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0&t=1m19s

[luvforty]

funny you post these...

although i had that 'style' in mind when i came up with the thread, i am not a fan of this guy..... seems to be just a knock of MC Hammer.

Hammer is the real deal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otCpCn0l4Wo

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by SystemicAnomaly

Particularly, the footwork:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcLNteez3c4&t=2m30s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0&t=1m19s

I see mostly open stance, but neutral stance a few times. And often a knee bend.

[SystemicAnomaly]

Originally Posted by sureshs

I see mostly open stance, but neutral stance a few times. And often a knee bend.

Excellent observation. At the point where I started the 2nd clip we also see the gangnam "ready postion" and the reverse forehand finish (at 1:22).

[luvforty]

what i meant was - stuff used by pros don't count, such as big serve + big fh.

in other words, this thread is dedicated to the stuff that park players come up to win, but stuff you do not see in pro games.

[slowfox]

Throwing junk at your opponent is an effective strategy at the park levels. Also having a decent serve (not necessarily big) i.e. consistent, no double-faulting.

Everyone wants to play pretty, but let's face it... at the parks it's ugly.

[TennisCJC]

If you mean 3.0 and below by "parks", the best strategy is to get the ball in court 3 or 4 times in a row. Consistency is way more important than strategy.

I would work on developing a basic topspin FH, because if you can do this you can begin to hit the ball harder and still maintain consistency. Once you have this shot, hit it CC until you get a short ball and then hit it DTL.

[3fees]

Spin and flat depends on the incoming ball.

[10isfreak]

Originally Posted by luvforty

Notice that this is for park tennis only.... big serve + big fh doesn't count here.

Well, it depends on what sort of player you play against. It might surprise you, but there are amateurs who can consistently hit big shots, even the ball they face is above their shoulders...

My friend used to have fun hitting short, spinny balls. Then, once I adapted to attack these shorter balls and got better at the net, it was no longer a winning strategy. He begun to moonball nearly every ball... after much struggle, I also adapted to the moonballs and it, again, no longer was an efficient strategy.

All you have to do is work out the strokes, face the situations and evolve as a player to counter them. I knew it was possible to deal with these, I knew I had to work and I did... it paid off. Now, he changed and plays to keep me off the court. The style evolves, but the fun is always there.

[luvforty]

ok beautiful.... but reading comprehension.... looking for park specific stuff here.

not saying big serve/big fh doesnt exist in parks.

[Alchemy-Z]

@ 3.0

In doubles...playing 2 back and just keeping the point alive till the other team misses.

Super high lobs hoping they flub the overhead

hitting to the back hand side as your only target

[Govnor]

Assuming you have better overall control that your opponent, running them from side to side at every opportunity is pretty much guaranteed to be a match winner.

[Mongolmike]

Squeezing the court on your opponent... calling all line shots "out" works at the park, but not in the pros. Now that I think about it, it works in USTA too.

[TomT]

Originally Posted by luvforty

we live in a TV culture. people play like they see on TV... 20 years ago every park player SV, today every1 stay at baseline, while game has really not changed much (although much progress has been made at the pros).

what are the tennis strategies/styles/shot combinations that are effective in the parks, but not in the pros?

I will start with 2:

1. moonball to the bh and charge the net
2. side spin / short dinks to the service box corners and charge the net.

what else?

notice that this is for park tennis only.... big serve + big fh doesn't count here.

Well, I'm a pure(ly) park player, or PPP, and a bona fide 3.0 . Never took one lesson ... ever. Yes, I know that's hard to believe for those of you who have seen my videos.

Anyway, to the point, my favorite shot combo against similarly challenged PPPs (although some have actually had lessons, they almost never practice) is to hit a deep looping topspin shot that bounces about head high followed by a deep looping flat or undercut shot that sort of dies after it hits the court. Messes them up every time I do this, but I have to take care to not overuse it lest they develop the ability to deal with it more effectively than they do.

Let's see, what else? Well I do a lot of your #2, while varying the length of the shot. That is, undercut sidespinny shots that barely clear the net and land somewhere beyond the service line near to the sideline. Those are fave go to shots in almost any situation. Hit a lot of short ones to the service box corners also.

And of course the drop volley, which is actually just a shanked volley. Mainly because it's pretty much the only kind of volley that I can hit. Very difficult for the opponent to anticipate because I'm actually trying to make solid contact with the ball.

[TennisCJC]

Originally Posted by TomT

Well, I'm a pure(ly) park player, or PPP, and a bona fide 3.0 . Never took one lesson ... ever. Yes, I know that's hard to believe for those of you who have seen my videos.

Anyway, to the point, my favorite shot combo against similarly challenged PPPs (although some have actually had lessons, they almost never practice) is to hit a deep looping topspin shot that bounces about head high followed by a deep looping flat or undercut shot that sort of dies after it hits the court. Messes them up every time I do this, but I have to take care to not overuse it lest they develop the ability to deal with it more effectively than they do.

Let's see, what else? Well I do a lot of your #2, while varying the length of the shot. That is, undercut sidespinny shots that barely clear the net and land somewhere beyond the service line near to the sideline. Those are fave go to shots in almost any situation. Hit a lot of short ones to the service box corners also.

And of course the drop volley, which is actually just a shanked volley. Mainly because it's pretty much the only kind of volley that I can hit. Very difficult for the opponent to anticipate because I'm actually trying to make solid contact with the ball.

I have seen video of you and you are a tennis player. You have enough skills to work the ball around with placement and different spins.

I think this thread can be reduced to this.

This is not addressed to you TomT because you can play. To others at the park: if you cannot play, the concept of hitting tricky junk at the parks is an illusion. You cannot play so rather than deceive yourself, you should learn to play. Take a lesson and learn to hit at least a basic topspin FH drive and at least a basic BH slice. Learn to put a little slice or dare a little topspin on your serve. Build a wee bit of consistency where you can do this successfully 80% of the time when not under pressure, then we can talk strategy. If you can not play, you sole strategy should be to poke it back to the weaker side and hope they miss.