Strategic Objective of an Approach Shot

My volleys and overhead aren't all that great, but I am very successful when I come to the net, and I do so quite often.

How can that be? I am convinced that it's because I have an excellent approach shot. Because of it, at net, I seldom have to deal with difficult incoming shots.

This particular case, the case of the approach shot, is an good example of how important it is to identify and pursue THE strategic objective in a situation.

Many players can't state their objective with an approach shot, but if you get them to talk about it, this is what you'll hear. They want to hit a forcing shot that is deep and stays low to make their opponent hit up. Basically what they want is a weak return from their opponent.

That's their real objective then. And it isn't the strategic objective. You must hit a really aggressive shot to force a weak return from your opponent. Is that what you should be doing with an approach shot? No. Save the heavy-duty aggression for later, when you're on top of the net.

Your greatest risk in rushing the net is your first volley. You hit it on the way in, while you're still running through no man's land, near the service line. From there your perspectives are poor. You are too far from the net to go for a winner. Worse, back there, you can easily be forced to hit up on a low shot that lands at the service line. Not good.

During a net rush, before you hit that first volley, you have only about a 50-50 chance of winning the point. But if you get your first volley back deep (within four or five feet of the baseline) you have a 75-80% chance of winning the point.

Clearly then, the first volley is crucial.

For your first volley you don't need a weak shot that your opponent barely made. You just need a first volley that you can hit from waist height or above, ideally a floater. You also need a first volley you can reach - not one straight down the far sideline or at a wicked angle crosscourt that wrongfoots you. In other words, you need a ball coming down the center of your court.

That's it - a floater within your reach. That's all. THE strategic objective of an approach shot is to draw a floater within your reach.

It doesn't have to be a titanic shot that nearly forces an error. It's just gotta draw a high shot within your reach. In fact, the best approach shots are often SUBTLY forcing shots.

Now the question is, what's the most reliable way to get people to hit you floaters down the center of your court?

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