Tip of the Week: Hit the Ball Short Intentionally

September 23, 2020 | By Steve Annacone
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The game of tennis has evolved into a power struggle, with both players often trying to hit their shots through the opponent.

An underused strategy is to hit the ball up in front of your opponent so that they have to deal with a short, low ball while moving forward. This strategy is especially effective when players are standing double digit feet behind the baseline. Use the short and wide serve, the short and low return of serve, and even the short low groundstroke, or volley, to make your opponent feel like the court is even larger than it is.

Starting with a deep hard hit ball will also make the intentional short ball even more effective. A low, short slice is one of Roger Federer’s best shots and often catches his opponents on their back foot and struggling just to get their racquet on the ball.

Think about making contact early with a little shorter backswing, as well as flattening out the shot to maximize the effect of your intentional short shot.

 

 


Steve Annacone
Steve Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis, www.annaconetennis.com and MyHamptonsPro, www.myhamptonspro.com throughout the Hamptons, NY. In addition, Steve, Phil Lepisto, and Amanda Reller run the ACT (Advanced Competition Team) program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center (Tucson, AZ) for high level players ages 8-18. Please contact Steve at info@annaconetennis.com
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