Give me one piece of advice to help me win tonight.

[OrangePower]

Originally Posted by LuckyR

Only the OP knows for sure if he was going 100%, but one thing is for sure, in that match, his opponent's BH was more consistant than the OP's FH and was therefore a better shot.

True, no argument there...

Originally Posted by Surecatch

You're right. I'm still in the early stages of being able to execute point construction. Sometimes when things are going well I feel like I just have to "go for it." haha. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

... and that's probably the reason why

[LuckyR]

Originally Posted by Surecatch

I really did think about the "hit to the backhand" and 75% rule at the beginning, but I tend to abandon pre-match strategies and go with the flow. Although my earlier example mentioned pummeling forehands to his backhand, I did not really do that the whole match. The one thing I always try to do for the entire match though is hit deep and in play.

I completely believe you. But your example was instructive, nonetheless, because it underscores the point that "better" is commonly measured in pace and winners. At most levels it is actually measured in consistancy.

[LuckyR]

Originally Posted by OrangePower

True, no argument there...


... and that's probably the reason why

Yet another example why at the end of the day, tennis is a Mental game played with racquets, not a Racquet game that we think about.

[TheCheese]

You have to realize that it's a bad idea to hit hard (lower percentage) shots to an opponent if they have a consistent backhand and you're not moving them.

1. They don't have to move.
2. They are more consistent than you and you're going to make an error first.

The only time it's really worth going for a shot with a lot of pace is if you want to exploit how much time your opponent will have to react. So, if you're trying to hit it past them into a small area of open court, it would make sense. However, if they're in position for your shot anyway, you're better off exploiting depth, height, or angle unless you have an absolutely devastating amount of pace (which you most likely don't at 3.5).

So instead of pummeling his backhand next time, try a loopy ball up high to his backhand. It's a safe shot, so worse case scenario is that he hit back a moderate pace shot and the rally is still neutral. Best case scenario, he misses or gives you a short ball to put away. Or you could try hitting a medium pace shot to hit backhand, then hit him a slice, hit him a high ball, etc, until it screws him up and he misses.

Think of Federer vs Djokovic's backhand. It's super solid and he's not going to hit through him, so he mixes it up or tries to run around the backhand and take it up the line once he gets Djokovic out of position.

[Angle Queen]

Ok, I know I'm a bit late to the party. But I'll throw my 2-cents in, esp given the OP's debrief on how it went down.

Learned this one from a slightly older, much wiser 4.0-singles mentor: when you're tired or in doubt, hit cross-court, regardless of if it's a FH, BH or change-of-direction.

The reasons are many including the obvious ones of going over the lowest part of the net, giving yourself the longest "in" shot and keeping the stress less on all parts of your body/swing. But what it's meant the most to me is...that it erases any indecision. The older I get and the more I play, the more errors I seem to be making when I "change my mind" and can't get the footwork or racquetwork to catch up with my brain.

Anyhow, lotta good tips in this thread...and I'll be sure to visit it when I need a little boost. Good topic, OP.

[LuckyR]

Originally Posted by Angle Queen

Ok, I know I'm a bit late to the party. But I'll throw my 2-cents in, esp given the OP's debrief on how it went down.

Learned this one from a slightly older, much wiser 4.0-singles mentor: when you're tired or in doubt, hit cross-court, regardless of if it's a FH, BH or change-of-direction.

The reasons are many including the obvious ones of going over the lowest part of the net, giving yourself the longest "in" shot and keeping the stress less on all parts of your body/swing. But what it's meant the most to me is...that it erases any indecision. The older I get and the more I play, the more errors I seem to be making when I "change my mind" and can't get the footwork or racquetwork to catch up with my brain.

Anyhow, lotta good tips in this thread...and I'll be sure to visit it when I need a little boost. Good topic, OP.

What she said...