Continuing our discussion from the last post regarding as to why we want to move up to net either behind serve and volley, chip and charge return of serve, approach shots, approach volleys, etc., I want to discuss the real strategy behind “court position”.

In many of my responses to your comments regarding this topic, my main focus has been to try to convince you that it’s not always about the quality of the approach, the quality of the volley, or the quality of the overhead.

It’s about quantity, not quality…

The biggest challenge I have in teaching tennis strategy is getting players (especially juniors) to NOT measure the effectiveness of their net approaching attempts by each and every point.

I see it way too often (and I know we saw an example of this by Federer in this year’s 2008 French final), and that is a player coming into net and then deciding after getting passed a couple of times that this net approach thing isn’t working, so let’s forget it.

And the big mistake we make is to evaluate that strategy after only a couple of times of coming into net.

Here’s my philosophy on approaching the net, and I’ve got to give all of the credit to my former coach Tom Stow, and that is, not only is it a helluva lot more fun, but you don’t have to hit perfect approach shots, volleys, etc. each and every time to be successful.

What you do have to do is to realize that you’re going to get passed from time to time, but in the end, there really is a limited number of passing shot winners available to your opponent in any given match.

Your opponent’s available passing shots are a finite number, not an unlimited well of wealth…

And if you can’t handle getting passed, then you need to get over that and understand that this really is simply a numbers game. 

Don’t measure / evaluate success point by point, but instead, be faithful to the big picture which is measured by the entire match.

I figure that whomever I play has a certain number of passing shots available in their “bag” on that day, and my job is simply to empty that bag asap.

And I’ll be honest with you, there are some days when it takes me to have to get to something like 4 all in the 3rd before that “bag” gets emptied.  On those days you just have to believe that you’ll eventually get there and just hold on for the ride.

And other days it seems my opponent’s passing shot bag is emptied really early in the match.  And the residual of that is lots of unforced errors from them in their attempt to not give me approachable shots / opportunities.

And of course, some days it also just doesn’t work out.  You lose a match now and then…

Which gets me to another one of my favorite says, “If you lose this point, where do you want to be on the court”?

I always want to up at net and forcing my opponent to hit a perfect passing shot.  And when they do I never feel that they’ve now added another passing shot for that day to their bag.  I know how hard it is to hit one clean passing shot, let alone a bunch of them over the course of a match.

OK, so blah, blah, blah, what’s the point here?

It’s not a negative to approach the net and get passed…

And if you get either get passed and then stay back for fear of getting passed again OR you get to what you perceive as an important point and also stay back, then you’re missing the point.

And to get back to what Mr. Stow continued to tell me, ending up at net is just a helluva lot more fun. 

The different movements, the different shots, watching your opponent’s passing attempt fail, and just the overall dynamic of applying relentless never ending pressure on your opponent with court position (not necessarily perfect stroke production) is just plain more fun that staying back on the baseline gripped with fear…

Brent

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One of the most available but under used shots is what I call the “approach shot volley”.

I’ve got a video clip from the 2007 Wimbledon final between Federer and Nadal where Fed has the opportunity to play this shot but doesn’t.

I know, there could be a million reasons why he doesn’t, and not only do I think he’s making life tougher on himself by not using this shot, but I think we all should be aware of how often this opportunity presnets itself in our matches and to start taking advantage of it.

In addition to this video, I want you to also send me an email and let me know specifically what is your #1 challenge in the mental side of your tennis game.

Is there a certain mental skill situation in your game that is a problem to overcome, whatever, just be specific and let me know.  And no worries, your email will be kept confidential…!

Send your response to brent@webtennis.net.  Thanks…

http://blog.webtennis.net/2008/06/24/the-approach-volley.aspx

Hope you enjoyed this video.  Feel free to post a comment. 

And don’t forget to send me an email over to brent@webtennis.net and let me know your #1 mental challenge with your tennis game.

Thanks…

Brent

www.webtennis.net/Tennis-Lessons.htm

I watched our #1 player in the world, Roger Federer, get demolished once again by Nadal at the finals of the French yesterday, and was just amazed that Roger wouldn’t at least try to find a different way to lose…

It’s almost as if he is so stubbornly proud that if he can’t beat Nadal playing Nadal’s style on the red clay, then screw it, he’s not interested in at least trying a different strategy than just staying back on the baseline and trading goundies back and forth.

He’s telling us that he’s nothing more than a “one shot wonder”…

I’m not saying that a healthy dose of serve and volley, chip and charge, and playing a different “court position” strategy would make any difference in the outcome, even the score, but at least try it for more than a couple of points now and then.

What’s there to lose?  Nothing…  Come on.  1,3, and 0?

I’d rather see Roger lose worse than those scores by at trying to force Nadal out of his comfort zone and making him do something, anything different.

And we’re all guilty of this stuff. 

I’m right up there at the top.  I’m all serve and volley (actually, no longer 100% of the time on my 2nd serve these days, but close to it), trying to force my oponent to hit passing shots by me all match long.

But if either I’m not “approaching” (serve, return of serve, approach shots, etc.) well that day or I’ve got an opponent who is really, really playing well, I can get stupidly stubborn and refuse to even consider staying back on the baseline for a couple of games and at least try to find a different way to lose the match.

And I know, we shouldn’t be thinking about actually losing, but the point here is this, let’s try to at least show our opponent something, anything different for at least 2 games, ten minutes, whatever, just to see if that is enough to change their comfort level…

Why is this so hard for us to do?

By changing tactics are we admitting to our opponent that we’re getting our butts beat and now our opponent feels even better?

I don’t know about you, but when I’m soundly going through somebody and they start to do something different whether it’s during the point or between points (aha, between points!), I begin to consider how well I’m playing because there is a change going on over on the other side of the net, and that “awareness” can sometimes be enough to change things.

And changing things doesn’t have to be where we immediately reverse from losing to winning.

Changing things could simply mean that you’re now playing even with your opponent and you’re not necessarily dominating the match at that point, but you’re even, and you never know, that dominating play from before by your opponent is an extremely fragile balance.

The only way to be able to have any confidence of making a change during a match is to practice it.

That’s right.  You’ve got to dedicate some regular practice time either by drilling or in a practice match where you try something different from what is your normal style.

And in the long run, you’ll develop a greater confidence when you play your matches knowing that you’ve got a Plan B you can bring out if you need it.  Even if it’s just for a game or two.  10-15 minutes.  Whatever.

And I’ll bet that extra confidence pays off with you performing your Plan A game to a higher level day in and day out…

Brent

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