Question about aggressive play

[speedtoburn]

A few days back, "Doc Hollidae" posted this thread which has a lot of really good tips in it.

With that being said, I wanted to get some input on one of his tips, specifically the one referenced below...

"Tentative Tennis Never Wins"
My new motto. Players who play tentative will never play to their full potential or skill level. Players who play tentatively, usually end up making more mistakes than if they were to play aggressive. These players often find themselves losing to opponents of lower skill levels. Often a reason why people lose to pushers, because they aren't confident enough in their abilities or game. Remember you play your style of tennis best, so stay aggressive and do what you do best. Pushing is for pushers. If you're not a pusher, then don't push. (Note: I have nothing against pushers, just making a point of playing your game and not your opponent's)

I really like this idea and that is how I prefer to try and play (aggressive); however, everyone on my Alta team lives by the mantra of not playing aggressively. They are always telling each other to not play aggressively, rather play consistent, slow & steady.

How do i reconcile the two?

My instinct is to play aggressively, yet I feel like they are handcuffing me with their mentality of just playing consistent & conservative. I had a match yesterday and I hit some ridiculous/laughable/embarrassing shots because I was so concerned about trying to be conservative.

 

[vndesu]

just stay relaxed but hit agressive.
you dont want to tense up..

 

[aznstyle]

im in the same situation as u r as i also wish to go for better shots and to also attack the net more. any posts helpful to u here is likely to help me too.

 

[seb85]

Most people confuse playing *risky* with playing *aggressively*.

You want to play aggressively on every point, every stroke ie attack every ball with your utmost concentration and effort. A safe shot should be one with maximum racket head speed but used to put spin on the ball, not hit a flat bomb.

Your team mates are right in a sense- depending upon your level, consistancy can be the most important weapon in your armory. So dont go for the lines- there are no extra points for hitting an outright winner. Also if you don't go for the lines and end up having to hit four or five shots side to side instead of the one winner, how tired do you think your opponent will be after just a few games? This will break them down, mentally and physically. Think of it like boxing- you cant go for the knockout in the first round, the other guy isn't opened up yet. When you've tired them out for a few games first, made them look silly and so forth, the game will be yours for the taking.

 

[Alafter]

A few days back, "Doc Hollidae" posted this thread which has a lot of really good tips in it.

With that being said, I wanted to get some input on one of his tips, specifically the one referenced below...



I really like this idea and that is how I prefer to try and play (aggressive); however, everyone on my Alta team lives by the mantra of not playing aggressively. They are always telling each other to not play aggressively, rather play consistent, slow & steady.

How do i reconcile the two?

My instinct is to play aggressively, yet I feel like they are handcuffing me with their mentality of just playing consistent & conservative. I had a match yesterday and I hit some ridiculous/laughable/embarrassing shots because I was so concerned about trying to be conservative.

How about hit normal (deep in corners, moderate pace) until they are thrown off, and then REALLY agressive only when an opportunity opens? That should reconcile everything

 

[Solat]

playing aggressively should be thought of as playing balls on their merit, if it requires defence...defend if it should be attacked then attack...but mainly its about court position, naturally aggressive players will take the ball early and not lose court position.

Players who are not aggressive will play most balls with a similar notion, regardless of position / goal, aggressive players should be looking not necessarily how to win the point but how to take control of the point and keep control.

 

[Supernatural_Serve]

Its all about control and consistency. Aggressive play without commensurate consistency and placement means you lose.

For most of us (4.0 and under) who like to play aggressive, that means knowing when to go aggressive, on the right ball, setting that scenario up with a shot or two.

Playing aggressive, doesn't always mean hitting aggressively, that's a key component, but not everything.

 

[babar]

All the advice above is very helpful, but don't forget that if you are like me (lives to play aggressively/risky), there will come a time when your results will show that risky tendancy. Most of us, will tone down our game then to build up our offense again with a mix of control to allow for you to be aggressive at the right time. It will take time. I am a 4.0 who play 2-3 times a week. Practice is hard to come by so you make your mistakes and learn your strokes as you play which adds time to your learning curve. So, don't get frustrated and stick to it! Good Luck speedtoburn!

 

[lethalfang]

You need to play aggressively to keep up the pressure, but don't try too many low-percentage shots that you don't own. Know your own ability.

 

[Bungalo Bill]

A few days back, "Doc Hollidae" posted this thread which has a lot of really good tips in it.

With that being said, I wanted to get some input on one of his tips, specifically the one referenced below...



I really like this idea and that is how I prefer to try and play (aggressive); however, everyone on my Alta team lives by the mantra of not playing aggressively. They are always telling each other to not play aggressively, rather play consistent, slow & steady.

How do i reconcile the two?

My instinct is to play aggressively, yet I feel like they are handcuffing me with their mentality of just playing consistent & conservative. I had a match yesterday and I hit some ridiculous/laughable/embarrassing shots because I was so concerned about trying to be conservative.

Yes this might be difficult for many people.

Aggressive play still does not replace smart play.

Smart play also replaces tentitive play or timid play.

Playing aggressive simply means that you recognize when you can hurt your opponent and you take the shot. If you miss it, it is not a mental error it was a physical error. Which is easier to correct.

 

[fuzz nation]

I'll echo Supernatural's advice.

At least in singles, you absolutely need to be patient enough to stay in the point until the opportunity comes where you can flip the aggressive switch and put your opponent in trouble with a less than miraculous shot. Pushers are often successful against players who tend to go "all in" once they've decided that the point has gone on long enough - no patience. If you serve and volley on some points in singles, you're using 100% aggression, but you can try and be unpredictable about when you use it.

As far as doubles goes, you're always employing at least a controlled level of aggression because you are always looking to take control of the net from your opponents. That can also require some patience though, because it's often smarter to hit a touch shot on their feet to force them to cough up a meatball instead of firing lower percentage bullets that can be easy for opponents to block back on you.

Remember that aggressive play doesn't have to mean taking lots of rock star cuts at the ball. It can simply mean that you are imposing your simple plan on your opponent before they execute their plan against you.

 

[Mahboob Khan]

You could even be aggressive in defensive situations. How? By imparting more topspin on deep balls with aggressive racket-head speed. There is nothing wrong with aggressiveness as long as you keep your shots within the confines of a single court if you are playing singles. One way to be aggressive and defensive at the same time will be to hit the ball with more topspin with more racket head speed. On easy floaters you can then flaten it out and go for winners and/or approach shots.

 

[WildVolley]

Mahboob Khan has nailed it. In the context of the modern game, aggressive doesn't simply mean aiming for lines, but mostly generating enough racquet speed to put topspin on the ball and bring it down into the court.

Federer and Nadal both use safe shots hit with large amounts of topspin that require aggressive strokes. In my mind, Nadal isn't a pusher because his safe rally ball is hit with enough force and topspin to create problems for his opponent.