Learned a lot playing in a league for the first time

[wy2sl0]

Funny how if you play the same couple people always, you never really find your strengths and weaknesses because you have both adjusted your game to neutralize each?

So I joined an indoor clay league and have played a couple matches now (div 3-4).
So what I notice first off is that I have a huge problem when people are slicing really deep with the ball 3-4 inches off the ground and they approach. How do I possibly hit that consistently? The bounce is never perfect. I am thinking on trying to simply guide the ball down the line instead of taking a full swing, maybe that will help (mostly against high 3.5's and 4's).
The other is that I am used to being able to use my movement as an advantage, and clay kind of neutralizes that because I can't start and stop really fast. I used to be able to get my feet set always and that is difficult to do now. Any suggestions? I definitely can't swing as hard because I rely on my lower body to generate pace (I am only 140lbs) and my feet slip when I push off.
Good news is that my opponents are having a hard time dealing with my deep topspin shots to the backhand corner which I never really noticed because my friend is 6'6" and I am 5'8".
More than anything the surface that we play on is not really clay like European, it is the concrete clay stuff (har tru?) and I find the court medium fast and the ball bounces really low. All of the approach shots my opponents hit stay low where as I hit with more margin and they sit up. How have you guys adjusted your game to play in that case?

 

[Dartagnan64]

I play a lot on har tru clay, although my leagues are on hard courts.

To deal with slice you need to slice yourself. My wife and her brother hit very flat shots that skid low on clay so I've developed a good slice back hand to go with my 2HBH. I just slice that back to their back hand corner. If they are approaching I'll slice down the line.

The top spin to the bachkhand side works well on clay as it pops the ball up high, especially in warmer temperatures. Winter Har Tru never seems to bounce very high for me sadly. But thats a staple of clay play IMO. Keep pounding the backhand corner with a spin end eventually the opponent will give you something to get crosscourt for a winner. Always expect to play an extra shot on clay though.

Mobility on clay really comes down to learning to slide out your shots. I had a lot of trouble with that initially but with time it kind of comes naturally. Your body has to trust the surface will give and you have to learn to time a swing while sliding into it. When you get it, it dramatically speeds up your recoveries. Also short strides help on clay. Always try to keep your feet under you unless you are sliding out.

And wear the right shoes. Herringbone pattern is best for clay as it expresses clay particles as it flexes. Makes it easier to be stable when you swing.

Natural surfaces like clay and grass were how tennis was originally intended to be played. Embrace the funny bounces, slippery stances and dirty white socks.

 

[dgold44]

Yes playing will improve you faster than just hitting

 

[wy2sl0]

I am playing my second league match tonight (I am in the lowest division since I just joined the club). I need to run the tables and win against all 9 other competitors to be moved up - well have the best record of the division. Thanks for the advice.

 

[mightyrick]

Funny how if you play the same couple people always, you never really find your strengths and weaknesses because you have both adjusted your game to neutralize each?

So I joined an indoor clay league and have played a couple matches now (div 3-4).
So what I notice first off is that I have a huge problem when people are slicing really deep with the ball 3-4 inches off the ground and they approach. How do I possibly hit that consistently? The bounce is never perfect. I am thinking on trying to simply guide the ball down the line instead of taking a full swing, maybe that will help (mostly against high 3.5's and 4's).
The other is that I am used to being able to use my movement as an advantage, and clay kind of neutralizes that because I can't start and stop really fast. I used to be able to get my feet set always and that is difficult to do now. Any suggestions? I definitely can't swing as hard because I rely on my lower body to generate pace (I am only 140lbs) and my feet slip when I push off.
Good news is that my opponents are having a hard time dealing with my deep topspin shots to the backhand corner which I never really noticed because my friend is 6'6" and I am 5'8".
More than anything the surface that we play on is not really clay like European, it is the concrete clay stuff (har tru?) and I find the court medium fast and the ball bounces really low. All of the approach shots my opponents hit stay low where as I hit with more margin and they sit up. How have you guys adjusted your game to play in that case?

@wy2sl0 , do you have a two-handed backhand? If so, you can drive those balls back crosscourt. I definitely would not try to change the direction of the ball. You are just asking for trouble. But a two-handed backhand is great for being able to pick up these balls and send them back safely and with some decent pace and spin.

As others have suggested, you could elect to slice those balls back... but you'd better be very good at it. Slicing back a good approach shot is almost always a losing proposition because it gives your opponent a ton of time and he can easily come to net to put your slice away.

 

[wy2sl0]

Two hander yup. I played a couple days ago and won 8-3 however it was against a slightly lesser opponent. Didn't come to net at all and his serve was easier to neutralize. I play a higher level opponent next week in which I will try to hit to the backhand (crosscourt) and make them create their own pace below the net if I can.

The slice is tough yeah because of the bounces and how hard it checks left or right because of the uneven surface.

 

[fuzz nation]

Your good movement will work to your advantage BIG-time once you get more accustomed to managing yourself on that Har-Tru. That surface slows the ball down considerably after the bounce and that makes it easier to run down more balls (at least in my opinion) compared with hard courts. The catch is that you need to resist anticipating the direction of your opponent's next shot. If you're drifting one way or the other, it's much harder to change direction like we can on a hard court. Stay still and take a deliberate split-step, then run the ball down - you have more time than you think on that stuff.

I always need to remember to be much more patient when I switch to this surface in the summer. Since incoming balls slow down so much, it's a lot easier for me to spray them and make more errors compared with the more predictable hard court bounce where I can typically redirect a ball with more pace. On Har-Tru, I have to be ready to rally much longer and to swing more for spin than try to drive the ball through the court. If I don't bring my lunchbox, I'm going to beat myself in a hurry.