Putting Away Sitter/Floater and Short Ball?

[myservenow]

What are some swing keys/tips on putting away the sitter near the net? The same question for the short ball to either backhand or forehand. I am talking about the situation where I am in great position to hit a return shot with pace and placement that should end up a clean winner.

The sitter almost always ends up in the net for me. The short ball (that I am in good position to kill) usually ends up in the net, but is just as likely to go long.

I am wanting tips on how to respond to these shots with pace -- the forceful put-away. I am certainly not a pro, but I would love to put-away these shots much like the pros who demolish the sitter/floater or short ball. Any tips?

 

[Blake0]

You have a couple ways to put away floaters that are around the service line;

You can crush the ball flat to a corner, you can topspin drive it into a corner, you can spin it more and hit a short angle shot.

I'd say to crush it flat when the sitter is around shoulder height or maybe a bit lower (has to be above the net ofcourse, so if you're like 4' then..yeah..but i'm guessing you're not ). I wouldn't recommend doing this on big points in matches, very easy to tighten up and hit an unforced error especially if you don't practice this shot. Just start right under the ball or right behind it and just drive through as a leveled stroke.

Topspin drive it into a corner is a safer way to hit agressively, and if placed well it should be a winner (unless opponent reads or guesses correctly), and you can always vary the amount of spin you put to hit it more flatter or with more spin depending on the situation. The easiest way to hit this shot is to start a little bit under the ball and hit through the ball. More you hit through the flatter it will be and the more you go low-to-high the more spin you'll get.

Short angle put away's are used in some occasions (when opponent is off position, if you want to put your opponent off position, or just to mix things up) but expect a returnif not placed well enough or doesn't have enough pace..or if your opponent is fast. Easiest way to hit this is to start atleast a foot underneath the ball and just brush up and aim it at a service box corner with ittle hitting through.

All these shots require practice ofcourse, especially the short angle because you need to get used to the feel and how much spin you need.

 

[plasma]

if you are missing that shot try a different shot. People fail to prgress from trying to hit too hard in general, and also on specific shots. Work on something else.
Maybe your mechanics suck, to me they certainly do.
Maybe you need to learn another forehand and the proper height, trajectory and hip and foot pivot, maybe there are more mechanics than I could explain, don't try to crush it,
put your ego aside and hit an approach.

 

[BU-Tennis]

The thing I forget to do whenever I see a floater is that even thought the ball is not coming at me fast, i still need to slow down, plant the feet, and get a good shoulder turn. Too many times my buddies and I run through these shots, just like people do with volleys.

The best thing to do is to have someone feed easy sitters to you while you are close to the net to give you plenty of time to setup. when you can hit these in, then take a few steps back. And keep doing this until you can recognize the sitter and move in and hit a winner or at least a setup shot from behind the baseline.

Some good tips are too just hit a normal shot. Also, realize that you don't have to put too much on these, you've already done the work by getting this shot so a slower ball, even a slice, is all you need to hit a winner. In fact, i prefer to slice these balls as it is a more reliable shot, and the ball stays low, and i can move it around the court without my opponent knowing what i'm going to do: i can angle it, hit a drop shot, slice it deep down the line or crosscourt.

 

[SourStraws]

You want the ball to clear the net by 18-24 inches so you have some MFE (Margin for error). Spin is critical...For an actual put away shot I'd say drive it but I'd say you're really trying to go for the approach and set yourself up for the volley.

Approaching I'd say either: Loop, drive, or slice approach

It's important not to give your opponent the same ball every time so variety is critical.

Also, depending on where your opponent is it's important to vary your shot placement.

For pace...I'd say use a closed stance and use your core for the racquet speed instead of just your arms to get both pace and spin...Open stances are not useful since you're not being pulled out and you're looking to move forward in case your opponent gets the ball back.

S.S.

 

[Nonentity]

in practice, make sure you are always hitting with the same power at the same location. So when you get to one of these in a match, you automatically put it away. If you hit with different power and to different areas of the court, you will be less consistent.

So, develop a solid, reliable shot, because nothing sucks more than missing an easy put away ball. Not only do you lose a point you have worked to earn, but your opponent gets a point he didn't deserve. And remember you dont have to crush the ball, because if you can place the ball wide, and are consistent, you can always finish the point on the next shot, even if your opponent manages to get a racket on it.

so practice a cross court FH shot, cross court BH shot, always going for the same area of the court with same pace, same spin, same everything until you get at least over 90% consistency. Make sure you practice it with different depths and different areas of the court.

 

[Kedar]

If the other player is standing too far back, dropshot him.