A problem with a junkballer

[DX_Psycho]

Yup, my strokes aren't good enough to withstand every test. I can play a lot of counterpunchers/baseliners just by counterpunching/s&v but there is one guy who it is very difficult for me to beat.

he hits moonballs sometimes so i tend to not serve and volley because he lobs them over me.

he also hits an eastern backhand slice (which is more of a chop) that keeps the ball really low and gives it sidespin.

he also hits short balls all the time.

any tips?

i mess up my approach shots a lot or i hit crappy approaches because he hits really low short balls. anything else I can do besides improve my crappy approach shots?

 

[Amone]

Hmm... sounds like you either need to hit decisive winners, not usually the best game plan, or move him around. See what happens then. If he can move from side to side, drop and lob him. And just keep him running. People only get so fit. Eventually, he'll hit an error, or he won't get to a shot. Even if you mess up the first few games, by the time you've run him that much, he'll be tired.

 

[Tennis_Gnat]

Keep the balls deep. Try and make your shots so that it's hard for him to moonball. Get the moonball back down low by hitting through it. They'll get the picture soon enough that their moonballs will just be returned back hard. Rush into the net, if it's short enough. Or just come in and volley because most likely the moonball won't be that high. Move the person around. They're admiting defeat by moonballing you because that's the only way they can beat you. Trust me, I strongly dislike moonballers, too, but now I can beat them with consistency. Play your game. Have him play the ball you want him to play.

slice backhands: Make sure you bend your knees and get under them. Also, make sure you hit it deep enough that he can't use slice. Deep enough and high enough that he can't use slice so well. Heavy topspin works wonders. Plus, it'll get them far back to help prevent them from moonballing. However, if you don't use much top, hit it deep. Maybe float a slice. It's hard to slice off a slice (or higher above the wheelhouse) effectively unless he would hit a drop shot and you would move in. Float that slice, too so that it's a bit high for him to reach to hit a good slice.

Short balls. Stand about two feet inside the court. Make sure that you bend your knees and concentrate on getting under the approach shot and then giving it enough topspin to stay in the court. OR slice the approach. But slice it deep. And slice it to a corner. That works well, too.

One match, I was hitting her moonballs back like a normal ball. I was moving her around, she kept moonballing the response. I won that set 7-5. She stopped moonballing and I won the next set 6-3. They'll get the picture.

Oh, and don't you DARE moonball in response!!!! Moonball ONLY if YOU plan it! I know I'm yelling but this is essential.

 

[drakulie]

In your case, hit to the side where you are most comfortable returning his "junk".

Good luck!

 

[MasturB]

Sounds like my brother.

 

[Redflea]

Yup, my strokes aren't good enough to withstand every test. I can play a lot of counterpunchers/baseliners just by counterpunching/s&v but there is one guy who it is very difficult for me to beat.

he hits moonballs sometimes so i tend to not serve and volley because he lobs them over me.

I S&V but stop around the service line on a buddy who does this to me...I get a lot of easy overheads, worst case I can recover on a really good lob. He doesn't have a great return other than the lob so I can handle his shots if he does hit a groundie.

h

e also hits an eastern backhand slice (which is more of a chop) that keeps the ball really low and gives it sidespin.

Learn to slice him back, from both wings, feed him his own medicine. Big error...I see lots of yonger players trying to hit heavy topspin on a ball that is way too low to make it a high % shot.

he also hits short balls all the time.

Learn to read his tendencies...he likely gives away his short balls w/a modified backswing or footwork. Figure out his tell so you can anticipate and get to the ball quicker. If he isn't coming in to cover his short shots short/angle him back. If he is coming in, either put them in his face (body shots, jam him up) or maybe lob them back over him if he isn't a giant.

i mess up my approach shots a lot or i hit crappy approaches because he hits really low short balls. anything else I can do besides improve my crappy approach shots?

Wait for the right ball...don't approach on a ball you can't deal with properly. Hit him a variety of shots and see if any of them tend to result in the type of ball you feel more comfy approaching on and hit him more of those balls.

I think you can take this guy...you're smart to be thinking about a match strategy rather than just wondering how hard you have to hit the ball to win. He doesn't have any killer weapons, you just need to make a few adjustments and figure a few things out and you'll have him.

 

[power_play21]

i should charge for this kind of advice:

bring him to the net then pass him. tada.

you're welcome!

 

[Geezer Guy]

Especially against a junkballer, good footwork and preparation is very important. Get to the balls as early as possible, because you never know for sure what they'll do when they bounce. Hit your balls deep, and move your opponent around. Be patient, play percentage tennis.

 

[spadesss]

If the balls are short most of the time, this is the best time to practice your apporach shot. You lost matches now, but hopefully, gradually, you will learn and beat him down the road.

Learn to generate your own power topspin apporach shot with your forehand. This kills all the short balls. We won't kill it everytime for winners like pros but you will sure win matches with it.

 

[jackson vile]

This is where I would look to win off server and server return, open up the court as much as possbile, does he have more trouble with kick spin top spin or flat?

 

[Bagumbawalla]

A junkballer is the scourge of people with weakness in their game of any kind.

Against a junkballer, you have to create the pace. your form has to be good to create shots out of balls with nothing on them (except, possibly spin).

Use your experience against this player to evaluate the weak points of your game-- then work on those things until you become a confident, well-rounded player with solid strokes. If you can do that, there will be very few shots that will give you trouble.

If you want to improve, play fewer games for fun, and practice more on your basics. Possibly, consider lessons. Normally, the key to beating a player is not some secret shot or magic strategy (good strokes and good strategy work well against most players), the secret is simply improving your overall game.

B

 

[tennisplayer]

You need a very solid game to beat a junkballer who's fast on the court. Such a junkballer would fall in the category of a pusher, but they are craftier and harder to play. They lob, they slice, they hit short, they hit deep, and they hit angles - the only things they lack are pace and topspin (usually).

My tactics are:

Return moonballs with heavy pace, and lots of topspin. Hit it to their weak side, or deep so they can't do much with it.

If you get a short ball that sits up (above the net, usually), hit a heavily topspun approach shot or winner if possible, usually to the backhand side but it depends on the situation. On the BH, a very offensive slice is also possible.

For a short ball that is low on the forehand side, you need to hit a heavily topspun placement shot - usually deep and down the line - and go for the volley - but watch out for a lob - don't forget you are playing a crafty guy. Do not go for a winner on a low ball, unless you have a lot of open court to work with!

For a short, low ball on the BH side, if you have a BH that's as good as your forehand, you can use the same method as for the forehand. Usually, this is not the case... so you will need to slice and approach. Slice the ball down the line, and make it deep! Put some sidespin on it that will move the ball away from your opponent's forehand. You want to avoid going crosscourt unless you have such a huge open court that you know you will have your opponent in trouble - otherwise, if he's any good, you are toast!

Return serves and normal rally balls deep, with as much power and spin as you can do safely. Serves can even be blocked back deep with no pace, safely (if your opponent is not playing S&V). I favor heavy topspin, since it is much harder to hit a touch shot (crafty guys have great touch shots!) against a heavy ball.

Well, you see what it takes for me to beat these guys... never, never underestimate junkballers and pushers! They are good!!

 

[markcuasay]

Haha, i've seen many of these through my lifetime.
In order to beat this guy, the strategies is only a piece to the puzzle.
I know this has been said numerous times prior to my reply,
but fixing your overall game is key. Don't let him bring you down.
Have fun, even if you lose, you'll get there.

-unique6

 

[lars]

A junkballer is the scourge of people with weakness in their game of any kind.

Amen.

I played against my first 'junkballer' in a jv match in high school. Every lob this guy sent back to me was like an insult and I didn't take it very well. I was 'better' than this guy in every way but I almost lost the set as well as my cool.

Looking back I should have thanked this guy for exposing some serious weaknesses in my mental and fundamental game.

Folks have posted lots of good strategies, but the best in my mind is just to remember that tennis doesn't have a time clock, so be patient and let the junkballer make the mistakes rather than try to make him eat a blistering forehand and putting it in the net.

 

[AngeloDS]

Be patient, take your time and stay focused. It helps to also have reliable strokes =).

Try to be a feeder during practices or just practice feeding a ball. It helps a lot since you have to create the pace, the spin and the direction in one shot.

 

[Kaptain Karl]

You kids...! What you call "moonballing" today is just a high- ... not-so-driven groundstroke. (Oh well...)

drakulie, Redflea, Geezer, jackson vile, Bagumbawalla and tennisplayer have all given good tactical advice and tips. All I can add is ... play this guy as much as you can stand. Once you learn how/when to employ the above tactics, you will "look forward" to playing the next junkballer. Enjoy!

- KK