Monday, July 23, 2007

Approach Shot Strategy

Back to the subject of approach shots.

We left off last time with the question "What's the most reliable way to get people to hit you floaters down the center of your court?"

Let's take the last part first, because it's absolutely simple: to draw a shot down the center of your court, center your feeder shot. It's simple geometry. Hit your approach shot down the line or down the center. Even in doubles, where you usually have to hit crosscourt, don't hit at a sharper angle than necessary to get around the opposing net player.

For, your feeder shot's Angle of Return is always greater than the feeder's angle. So don't hit angled approach shots. Don't. Don't. Don't.

Now for the floater part. How do you suck a floater out of your opponent?

Get him or her moving backward. No, I didn't say "Knock the cover off the ball." I didn't say "Hit a screamer that he or she can barely get their racket on." I said only to get him or her moving backward.

This means that if your opponent is hitting from a closed stance, you want them hitting off the back foot. If they're hitting from an open stance, you accomplish the same thing by getting them leaning backward and contacting the ball at a point farther back than usual.

"Heh-heh!" she says, rubbing her palms together in wicked glee. "At this point the battle plan starts to get interesting. Heh-heh!"

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