Scott Nichols – On The Other Hand Newsletter – Vol 17

Last newsletter of 2013, my thoughts of what to provide as we

get ready to start a new tennis season, whether you are a

junior, adult or senior tennis player; whether you are a

recreational player, high school varsity player, USTA rated

player or ranked.  “What options do you have for your game?”

Each tennis player who is above the novice/beginner level

has a ‘way of playing,’ that is their own style.  This is your level

of comfort during competition, whether playing singles

or doubles.

The higher the level of player, ‘the more options,’ the player has

to choose from.  Basic styles of play for beginner – advanced

players would be; ‘staying back at the baseline, playing at the net,

lobbing many rally balls, hitting hard/soft, using certain spins and

disguise shots.

As I teach, coach and watch players, only a small percentage really

use the patience and strategy of ‘blending’ options of play styles

to their games.  It is very important at all levels to not only understand

your opponent’s game and weaknesses, but to be aware of your own.

If you are a ‘baseliner’ that enjoys staying back and rallies with your

opponent, what happens if this style does not create success?  Do you

continue it?  Most good ground strokes may create weak returns by

your opponent and this creates you to approach the net, now you can

hit a volley.  Good ground strokes create a chance to volley, another style

from ‘just rallying.’  The opposite is true as well, a player that ‘attacks’ everything

and comes to net when serving, returning serve and during baseline rallies

also may not have success against a certain opponent.  What does one do?

Does player attack faster, hit approach shots harder?  One style could be

to stay back at the baseline and ‘work the point’ a little bit before the strategy

of approaching the net becomes a need.  One needs more patience to do

this, but why not try this style.

These are two styles that are most used, personally, they can be interchanged

very easily if your goal in competitive play is to successfully win more points

than your opponent.  Other thoughts to this are different speeds of your shots;

soft, medium and hard, as well as, different spins on your shots; top spin, under

spin, chip, lob etc.  Other thoughts of ‘styles of play” can be playing with a ‘pre-planning’ of a point in your mind, an idea of what you want the point to look like before you play can be helpful.  If a player can visualize what they want to do, it can happen just as they ‘see it.’

The best players at all levels understand that the more ‘tools’ in the toolbox

provides a higher % of success, because the player with more options, will

finally find a style of play, a certain shot etc. that may be difficult for your

opponent.  Isn’t this what we want as tennis player’s, to try our best and

compete with the opponent’s and their challenging games ahead of us?

We are not wanting to ‘just win’ matches 6-0, 6-0 without any real effort

on our part, how much fun is that?

Remember this as we go into 2014, ‘we do not hope and pray for winning,’

we hope and pray that we prepare correctly, give 100% effort and do the

best we can with what abilities we have; most of the time, success is a result

of this attitude.  Good luck and Happy holidays.