How much learning strategy will help you depends on how far behind in your knowledge you are.
I guess everyone has a different definition of "strategy". For me, "strategy" is anything that isn't "technique".
I bought these courses to pick up here and there certain ideas that occasionally win me points. As you say, most of the points are won through consistency. Even then, consistency can be manipulated by having superior strategy.
Say I have both the moonball and the slice in my arsenal. And I figured out that this guy I'm playing loves to take giant swings when he sees the moonballs but unfortunately hits all of them long. My "strategy" would then be to moonball the whole match. This increases my opponent's inconsistency.
Seems pretty obvious? Maybe to someone experienced. But I'm pretty sure there are a lot of people out there who have never taken the time to think of something so simple on their own. Tennis Ninja and Singles Domination both teach the students to think and observe more and find the weakness to exploit.
Singles Playbook doesn't though, which is maybe why WILL didn't call it a "strategy" course. He pitches it as a course to learn "plays". Which in my own experience after going through the course, found as not so useful. But who knows, maybe some of his students tried out one of the "plays" and found that it comes so naturally and works so perfectly for him.
Edited / bolded your comment because Singles Playbook is an FYB product. Not Ian / Essential Tennis.
So I've refined the "play" concept a lot in the last year. Interested to hear what ya'll think about what I've come up with. There are three components -
1. Factors
2. The Pressure Stack
3. The Death Grip
"Factors" are both the things you're trying to hurt your opponent with and the things you have to manage or handle during a point. The six main Factors we've identified are -
1. Consistency
2. Power... both more power and less power (because taking power away can be very effective... think a pusher)
3. Strike Zone. Low, medium, and high.
4. Trajectory
5. Time
6. Hitting while moving, both horizontally and vertically
To restate, you use one or several of these to hurt your opponent. But you also have to be aware of your ability to handle them. Because you'll be better at some than others.
OK... so a play starts with the Pressure Stack. Think of the sequence of shots you hit during a play as a way to gradually ramp up the pressure on your opponent. You know what Factors you want to hurt your opponent with... each shot twists the knife a little bit more.
At a certain point you're going to get to the Death Grip. This is where you've applied so much pressure during the Pressure Stack that you should be in the driver's seat... you should win the point most of the time. In the Death Grip, you've probably got a short ball of some sort and your opponent is out of position.
Now...
Here's where many players run into trouble. During the Pressure Stack, which takes place around the baseline typically, you have more control over the Factors you have to manage. Take strike zone... you can control your strike zone to a large degree at the baseline. Most players like to hit around waist high.
But when you transition to the Death Grip that changes. Now you might be dealing with high balls. You might not be so good at those. So then you end up in the classic situation where you've got your opponent right where you want them but you let them off the hook. Think of all the Factors in this context. The trajectory of the ball is probably different, you have less time to operate because you're moving forward into the court, and you're probably moving while hitting.
So it's weird... during the Pressure Stack you have more control over HOW you hit the ball. You have more control over the Factors you have to manage... you can hit the ball at your favorite height, trajectory, etc. But during the Death Grip, even though you now have a clear advantage over your opponent, you've lost some control because you're essentially forced to hit the ball "a certain way," and you have much less control of the Factors you have to manage at that point.
Again, that leads to a ton of frustration for many recreational players.
So to go back to the whole plays / strategy discussion, I personally think the way you think about the game really matters. I suspect something as simple as the realization of why you struggle in the Death Grip phase is very valuable, because it gives you clarity and the confidence to make the right adjustments and improve.
It would be fun to have a thread to see what "plays" people at various levels believe they can execute well enough to win points.
One of my favorite "plays" is the topspin moonball, preferably over someone's BH, as an approach shot. For instance.
This is one of the most powerful shots you can hit at the recreational level. Works up to 5.0+ actually. I use it frequently. The "play" would include the sequence of shots (Pressure Stack) you hit to set up that opportunity and transition to the Death Grip.
Also, thanks for your earlier comments Cindy.
- W