Good approach shot/net strategy?

[buscemi]

Here's an approach shot/net strategy that I've been employing lately against some mediocre right handed players:

1. Hit a deep topspin forehand relatively close to the baseline and sideline on the deuce side but still with some margin for error.

2. Start stepping into the court in anticipation of a short reply. If I get one, take it early and knife a backhand slice shot relatively close to the service line and sideline on the ad side but still with some margin for error.

3. Come into net and cover the sideline in anticipation of a backhand down the line.

4. Volley somewhat deep into the open court for a winner.

Against the mediocre players I've faced, this is almost always a winning strategy. I like it for several reasons: Most players' forehands are better than their backhands, so I usually like to approach to the backhand side. Most players use a two handed backhand, which is tough to hit well off of my slice approach under the circumstances listed above. A backhand slice response is possible but probably won't be good enough to pass me. The 1-2 punch listed above means that the other player has a good deal of distance to cover to get to the approach shot, which makes it very tough to run around his backhand, especially as he is charging forward. Additionally, with the distance covered, it is tough for the other player to get to the approach shot with enough time and good positioning to hit his backhand crosscourt. Therefore, if I cover the sideline, it is hard to pass me. Finally, assuming I hit a somewhat deep volley into the open court, it is really hard for the other player to transition from scrambling forward and left to backwards and right.

I also sometimes do the above as a 1-2-3 punch: (1) Hit a floater to the ad side corner to try to goad the other player into running around his backhand to hit the forehand; (2) hit the deep topspin ball to the deuce corner; and then (3) knife the slice backhand towards the service line.

As I said, this strategy has worked pretty well against mediocre players. My question is whether posters thinking that it will work well against better players. I know that crosscourt passing shots are often frowned upon, but I am 6'5" and pretty quick, meaning that, if I get a short ball, I can hit the crosscourt slice and still get good coverage of the sideline. Also, I think that by slicing the approach shot to the service line, I cut down on some of the passing angles normally created by a crosscourt passing shot.

So, good strategy? Bad strategy? Somewhere in between? Please let me know your thoughts, and I will report back after I've played some better players.

 

[wihamilton]

Pat Rafter would approach to his opponent's backhand almost exclusively, regardless of whether that meant hitting DTL or CC. Often on the CC approach he'd hit a slice backhand. Worked pretty well for him, he won 2 US Opens and reached #1 in the world... ;-]

So yes, good strategy regardless of level.

 

[boramiNYC]

won't argue with rafter but if he was playing at this moment against the big 4 or any top players with solid bh he will more than not get passed. quality of bh has gone up quite a bit last ten twenty yrs.

 

[buscemi]

Yes, wihamilton, Rafter is a big inspiration for me. I hit a kick serve based on his, serve and volley a decent amount, and like to chip and charge to my opponent's backhand. boramiNYC, I'm not sure how these strategies would play in today's pro game, but I'm hoping that they fly against my amateur opponents.

 

[boramiNYC]

if you can slice and volley nearly as well as rafter I bet you'd have good chance against rec players. just saying if he was playing well now and giving such advice it would carry more weight.

 

[LeeD]

I don't need strategy against mediiocre players.
I do need strategy against 4.5's and up.

 

[buscemi]

I don't need strategy against mediiocre players.
I do need strategy against 4.5's and up.

Well, that's really my question. This strategy has been successful against a 3.5 and 4.0. But can it work against a 4.5? We'll see.

 

[LeeD]

Around strong 4.0, you will mostly get a deep CC shot after you hit deep and wide to their forehand side. Approach volley from short NML if you can, but you better stick the low approach volley deeper than NML and well near the backhand sideline of the opponent.
I hate standing near or inside the baseline if I hit a deep wide ball to an opponent's forehand because he's just going to hit a deep CC, and I'm too close to the baseline to cover a wide shot .
And if I really hit a nice wide deep ball to opponent's forehand, he might go for broke and go DTL deep right at my feet, since I'm standing in and ready to move forwards.
I'd rather strategize as I scout the opponent in the first few games.

 

[buscemi]

By the way, the point starting at :50 in the attached video (not me) is an example of what I'm talking about:

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

Now, I would have moved in more to hit the slice backhand approach shot earlier and (1) take away more of my opponent's time; and (2) make it easier to get into net.

But you get the general point from the video: With the deep topspin shot to the deuce corner and the short angled backhand slice to (around) the service line on the ad side, the opponent is left to scramble up and to his left and likely can't do much more with his backhand than hit a sitter that I can volley into the open court for a winner.

 

[anubis]

Here's an approach shot/net strategy that I've been employing lately against some mediocre right handed players:

1. Hit a deep topspin forehand relatively close to the baseline and sideline on the deuce side but still with some margin for error.

2. Start stepping into the court in anticipation of a short reply. If I get one, take it early and knife a backhand slice shot relatively close to the service line and sideline on the ad side but still with some margin for error.

3. Come into net and cover the sideline in anticipation of a backhand down the line.

4. Volley somewhat deep into the open court for a winner.


So, good strategy? Bad strategy? Somewhere in between? Please let me know your thoughts, and I will report back after I've played some better players.

OP: I think that you can simplify it even further than that:

Any time you're given a short ball, hit an approach shot and follow it up by rushing the net for the volley winner.

If they occasionally hit it over your head, so be it. But most of those shots won't go in. Sometimes they'll head hunt. But most of the time, they'll just get nervous and hit it into the net, or try for too much by going around you, and sailing wide.

You can sometimes rush the net if you believe that you've hit a shot that might give you a short ball, but there's also no shame in just waiting for your opponent to give you a short ball and then attack it. Once you do that, you're already way ahead of the game.

How many 3.0 and 3.5 players have you seen that immediately run back to the baseline after dealing with a short ball? And, how many of those players win the majority of their matches? The answers usually are: 1.) most of them; 2.) very few of them.

Good luck!