How to deal with balls with no pace?

[nextbigbigthing1]

Help , please read.

Hello i am a high level players 2hb and forehand and righty

I am easily able to deal with balls when they are hit with pace at me and am able to flatten them out for winners, but when someone hits a loopy no pace ball that bounces high to my forehand i struggle, do i need to get a lower racquet drop and hit more topspin to get more pace? i should note that i can easily deal with a slice shot (slice has little pace) which bounces low as i can easily get up on the ball and topspin it away for a winner.
This is the one major thing holding me back and i geuss you could say it happens to me on my backhand as well as i have more continental grip so i can smash it but hard to put spin on it , i need to learn how to deal with the high bouncing ball to both bh and fh and do i need to put more topspin on it to put it away for winners , as you cant really flatten out a ball bouncing shoulder height +. I have very good fh and bh shots usuallly when ball has a bit of pace and around leg to upper chest height and i can flatten and hit topspin winners for both ,.

Thanks for any tips and advice,

 

[Giannis]

Your problem is that you are struggling to hit winners off uncomfortable balls like the ones you describe or that you are having difficulty to even hit them back decently? Either way, depending on your level, you can take a step forward and hit them on the rise or move a step back and let them drop to your strike zone.

 

[achokshi99]

If the ball is loopy with no pace you should be able to do a few things based around your strengths. Move forward to take it early off the bounce so it doesn't end up bouncing high. This can be helpful against defensive players because they use the low pace/high bounce to buy them time to get back in position and you basically cut off some of that time they want. Seems like you are ok with low to high FH swing so that could be one.

Another option is if your 2HBH is a weapon relative to your FH. If the ball is slow w/no pace as you say, maybe run around the FH and smack a hard 2HBH.

Lastly, another option is to learn how to hit an above shoulder FH. Fed, Djoker, etc all have great shots to watch and you can try practicing it. The above shoulder FH seems to be the "lights out" shot for most top players these days.

Help , please read.

Hello i am a high level players 2hb and forehand and righty

I am easily able to deal with balls when they are hit with pace at me and am able to flatten them out for winners, but when someone hits a loopy no pace ball that bounces high to my forehand i struggle, do i need to get a lower racquet drop and hit more topspin to get more pace? i should note that i can easily deal with a slice shot (slice has little pace) which bounces low as i can easily get up on the ball and topspin it away for a winner.
This is the one major thing holding me back and i geuss you could say it happens to me on my backhand as well as i have more continental grip so i can smash it but hard to put spin on it , i need to learn how to deal with the high bouncing ball to both bh and fh and do i need to put more topspin on it to put it away for winners , as you cant really flatten out a ball bouncing shoulder height +. I have very good fh and bh shots usuallly when ball has a bit of pace and around leg to upper chest height and i can flatten and hit topspin winners for both ,.

Thanks for any tips and advice,

 

[mikeler]

Try and take those balls around waist height when possible.

 

[ondray]

This is something I am currently working on too. Loopy balls that are deep and bounce high with less pace into my forehand side. I do it to people when I am on defensive and I realise how sucky it can be on the receiving end.

My current options that work ok for me:
1. Taking it on the rise at my comfort height with a reverse forehand looping it back deep with heavy topspin.

2. Flatter/topspin scissorkick forehand when I am feeling confident with my timing and the ball's rhythm.

3. Defensive chops hoping they land deep but they would usually throw another one at me and I would end up giving them short balls to pounce on.

4. Hitting the ball flat and on the rise with a straight takeback with a more eastern grip. It's low margin and skims the net.

5. Just trying to put more focus in my footwork and getting into a more favourable position to hit in on it's way down. Really hard to do deep in a match when your legs kinda turn into jelly. But I try, hoping the guy would get psyched out and start changing his tactics.

Those are what I would do in a competitive game. Thanks for sharing your solutions. Great to see different approaches on this matter.

 

[Xizel]

Lastly, another option is to learn how to hit an above shoulder FH. Fed, Djoker, etc all have great shots to watch and you can try practicing it. The above shoulder FH seems to be the "lights out" shot for most top players these days.

2. Flatter/topspin scissorkick forehand when I am feeling confident with my timing and the ball's rhythm.

There we go. Hop and smack the ball downward.

 

[Ramon]

Good topic. I ran into a similar problem. I agree that the best way to do it, if you're a a baseliner, is to learn how to hit the ball early with pace and make it a habit against those type of players.

I'm more of an all-court player, so for me, I usually deal with that by charging the net. I'm careful not to crowd the net because there's a good chance I'm going to hit an overhead on the next shot. If I get a volley, I'll hit an angled shot and make him run. Players who like to hit lobs are usually uncomfortable when they are forced to hit passing shots against a good net player, and if you make them run enough, their attitudes will change by the time the 2nd set comes around.

 

[ATP100]

Most of the time, it's footwork.

 

[Logan71]

Saw an excellent video where basically if you want to take the ball at shoulder level,all you need to do is drive it down to the court.
If you practice shadow swings without a racket and more of a straighter arm,also feel like you a covering the top of the ball with your palm.It gives you the idea that when you have a racket in your hand that the face then replaces the palm of the hand.
You don't need the topspin so no low to high motion which will start the ball going up before it comes down.
It's a higher preperation that will come at the ball more level with the racket travelling through to your opposite shoulder.As long as your racket face is tilted forward and you have covered the upper portion of the ball it will drive the ball down into the court.
The other thing is not to overhit the shot as the trajectory will be enough to have your opponent struggling to track it down.

 

[LeeD]

Practice self drop feeds with different spins from all areas of your court, both forehand and backhand.

 

[dennis10is]

If you say you are a high level player, you wouldn't be asking for help on how to hit what should be an easy ball for a high level player.

Also, if you are a high level player, your peers would be as good as you are so you could ask them. Why ask us? Most of us here are not high level players.

 

[Mick]

watch federer playing simon and see what tactics he used.
it's not easy for the high level player to play against a player who produces little pace because federer too has lost to simon.

 

[Xizel]

If you say you are a high level player, you wouldn't be asking for help on how to hit what should be an easy ball for a high level player.

I noticed the same. I'd expect a high level player to be having issues with strategy and tactics, not a certain stroke, which should be grooved and a done deal.

 

[danno123]

This may sound simplistic (and it is) but it's also true: The solution to your problem is practice.
How many times have you hit no-pace balls? How many times have you hit balls with pace? Which are you more comfortable hitting? Gee, I wonder why.

 

[SoBad]

As a high-level player, you should just avoid playing with low-level players that hit balls with no pace. Just stick with other high-level players who hit balls with pace.

 

[formula16]

I find that on my forehand, flattening it out is a good idea.

 

[nextbigbigthing1]

Saw an excellent video where basically if you want to take the ball at shoulder level,all you need to do is drive it down to the court.
If you practice shadow swings without a racket and more of a straighter arm,also feel like you a covering the top of the ball with your palm.It gives you the idea that when you have a racket in your hand that the face then replaces the palm of the hand.
You don't need the topspin so no low to high motion which will start the ball going up before it comes down.
It's a higher preperation that will come at the ball more level with the racket travelling through to your opposite shoulder.As long as your racket face is tilted forward and you have covered the upper portion of the ball it will drive the ball down into the court.
The other thing is not to overhit the shot as the trajectory will be enough to have your opponent struggling to track it down.

but i sometimes just slap it

 

[USERNAME]

Most of the time, it's footwork.

Bingo, nailed it on the head. Loopy ball makes guys think they don't gotta work as hard to pop it back. On high loopy balls you gotta turn and load and measure the ball, you can move up to it and take it in your strike zone on the rise, you can back up and let it drop into your strike zone, or you can hit a jumping (scissor kick) fh where you jump to get the ball in your strike zone. The scissor kick IMO is a shot that should never be hit regularly (unless your a top ATP player), it's good for high SHORT balls. I much prefer to step in and take it on the rise.

 

[TennisCJC]

if shoulder hi or above, I give myself a little more spacing between body and contact point. Then I hit slightly up and more thru the ball but still generate some topspin to pull it down. More spacing on hi ball is critical in my view. I don't buy into the hitting it downward unless you are hitting an underspin shot. If you are hitting it flat or with topspin the racket face is slight closed and the swing path is slightly up and thru.

If ball is below shoulder, I try to hit normal forehand but with a bit of leg lift to drive the ball as the incoming pace isn't enough to generate pace.

 

[CDestroyer]

As a high-level player, you should just avoid playing with low-level players that hit balls with no pace. Just stick with other high-level players who hit balls with pace.

Thats bad advice. You have to be able to beat those lame pushers to even be an intermediate level player. Avoiding them will just prolong you figuring out how to punish their weak shots.

 

[thug the bunny]

Hitting the sitter has got to be the most discussed topic on this forum, and I think it is more of a mental issue than a technique issue. And this is magnified when we get one sitter after another. Sure, we might get back 7 in a row with aggressive shots, but on that 8th one we spaz and dump it into the net, and that's the one that gets stored in the memory. I find that I hit sitters best when I keep my focus on the ball while being patient and don't pull the trigger too early and lunge at the ball. This is the mental part.

Watching the USO, I was a little relieved to see many deep sitters hit into the net by the pros.

 

[SoBad]

Thats bad advice. You have to be able to beat those lame pushers to even be an intermediate level player. Avoiding them will just prolong you figuring out how to punish their weak shots.

Thanks for your feedback - are you another high-level player who struggles dealing with no-pace balls?

 

[zapvor]

Thanks for your feedback - are you another high-level player who struggles dealing with no-pace balls?

lol are you?

 

[SoBad]

lol are you?

No, I am a recreational player who smacks that crap for perfect approach haha. Why are you after me, I was out of the country and busy and unwell when I got back in the middle of the USO. I would have loved to hang and hit with you if I could, seriously. USO 2012 season maybe?? Go great Nadal!!

 

[Frank Silbermann]

If you say you are a high level player, you wouldn't be asking for help on how to hit what should be an easy ball for a high level player.

Also, if you are a high level player, your peers would be as good as you are so you could ask them. Why ask us? Most of us here are not high level players.

Anyone who spins his serve is a high level player. Anyone who can put topspin on his backhand is a _very_ high level player. (By the standards of 1960, anyway.)

 

[zapvor]

No, I am a recreational player who smacks that crap for perfect approach haha. Why are you after me, I was out of the country and busy and unwell when I got back in the middle of the USO. I would have loved to hang and hit with you if I could, seriously. USO 2012 season maybe?? Go great Nadal!!

when you posting vids up man? you totally ignored me for like a month. you knew i was going to get in touch when open rolled around. thanks for being a doo doo head! hows tina doing

 

[SoBad]

when you posting vids up man? you totally ignored me for like a month. you knew i was going to get in touch when open rolled around. thanks for being a doo doo head! hows tina doing

I am not sure why this needs to be discussed on the forum. I was out of the country and things were happening I had to take care of and I was not checking email at all. I will be happy to hit when I am down in the district or you’re up in the city. I wish Vermillion was around – he would not let you brawl this up like this. He was a good honourable man. A great man.

 

[zapvor]

I am not sure why this needs to be discussed on the forum. I was out of the country and things were happening I had to take care of and I was not checking email at all. I will be happy to hit when I am down in the district or you’re up in the city. I wish Vermillion was around – he would not let you brawl this up like this. He was a good honourable man. A great man.

hahahha my bad. you just posted about why i am after you so i decided to let you have it. my bad. i will stop. where is vermil?????

 

[SoBad]

hahahha my bad. you just posted about why i am after you so i decided to let you have it. my bad. i will stop. where is vermil?????

I think he is upstate NY. My communication with him lapsed the same way. But I am going to make it up to him. Both of you need to be in the city more often. We could rotate or play Canadian doubles. OH!@!