Mastering Tennis: Essential Guide to Strokes, Serves, and Techniques for Improved Gameplay

Tennis is a fun and excellent kind of exercise. To get the most out of your game, though, you must first learn and become proficient with the basic tennis strokes.

You may also use this article’s framework to choose which tennis shots and strokes you should focus on refining. In this manner, you may maximize your time on the tennis court whether you’re playing with a friend or a tennis coach.

Serves

Every point begins with a serve, which is made by players from either the ad court, where they position to the left of the middle mark, or the deuce court, where they stand to the right of the center line when confronting the tennis net at the baseline.

A player has two chances, on the first and second serves, to hit the ball into the service box across the court in either scenario. Types of Serves-

• Kick Serve

Players must generate a lot of topspin by striking up on the ball and bending their wrists to make contact in order to hit a kick serve. By doing this, you can be confident that the topspin will cause the ball to travel high above the tennis net and fall into the area of service.

The kick serve is a great choice since most players are able to hit this shot on the court nearly every time with some practice. For many players who can impart enough spin on the ball to cause it to “kick” off the surface when it falls in the service box, the kick serve is not just consistent but also a weapon.

• Flat Serve

A serve that is hit with little or no spin is called a flat serve. The ability to smash the ball quickly, or with a lot of pace, offers your opponent a short time to respond, which is the primary benefit of a flat serve. Flat serves are more difficult to smash into the service box because players give the ball less spin. Flat serves are more difficult to smash into the service box because players give the ball less spin. This stroke is therefore usually only made on a player’s opening serve.

• Slice Serve

In order to create a side spin that skids as it strikes the court and bounces in the direction of the spin, players hit a slice serve by hitting the outer edge of the ball, or the right side for right-handed players and the left side for left-handed players.

Slice serves can be very powerful, particularly if they are hit wide or into a player’s torso. In the deuce court, a hit that is wide forces the player to take a side of the court, creating space for a put away stroke.

A slice serve can “freeze” a player who is unsure which side you were going to smash it to or couldn’t get ready fast enough when it hits into the player’s torso. This can make it very difficult to hit a forehand or backhand comeback.

Types of shot

In tennis there are quite a handful of shot types. The player has to pick the specific one for specific situation in order to outplay the opponent. Some of the shots that are worth mentioning are explained below

• Pass Shot

When an opponent is at the net, players attempt to hit a pass shot, trying to go by them without letting the ball touch their body.

Many players may be forced to go for too much when it comes to passing shots since they put a lot of pressure on you to produce a fantastic shot. If you do well, though, you’ll exert equal pressure on your opponent and have the chance to demoralize them at the net.

• Overhead

In tennis, players will usually hit the overhead shot off of a lob. It’s common to notice that your opponent will hit a lob if you are pressing them toward the net. You’ll discover that a lot of lobs end up over your head when you’re at the net since they might be difficult to complete.

When you’re moving at the net, you’ll have the chance to hit an overhead, that’s simply a slightly altered version of your serve. You will use the horizontal grip when striking overheads, just like you would on a serve.

• Chip and charge

A unique return of serve called the “chip and charge” requires you to enter the court in order to return the ball. You slice the ball towards the other side of the court with a continental grip while advancing toward the net to position yourself for a volley.

When used effectively, the chip and charge can be a terrific way to position yourself to take control of the ball at the net and put immediate pressure on your opponent when they serve. The chip and charge can, however, also provide your opponent with an easy passing opportunity if done incorrectly.

• Approach shot

This is a wonderful transition from the baseline because, as the name suggests, you’ll play an approach shot while you approach the net.

Approach shots are frequently made when the other player puts the ball short in the court, giving you the opportunity to step in, move forward, and land the ball. You can hit them with your forehand or backhand. The advantage of the approach shot is that it exerts pressure on your opponent. When used properly, it gives you the opportunity to seize the initiative and finish the point at the net.

• Drop shot

When the other team is at the baseline, players can hit a more advanced shot called a drop shot. Drop shots are challenging to make because they frequently call for “touch,” or good ball control, and a sense of surprise. If the other team is in a rally with you and you discover them a touch off-balance after hitting one of their shots, this could result in a drop shot.

If you see this coming, you can choose to slice the ball back over the net as gently as you can, using as little force as you can to make sure it only eliminates the net and drops a few feet from it, giving your opponent no opportunity to rush forward and bring the ball back in action.

Takeaway

A tennis player can keep developing their skills if they have a better grasp of the many kinds of tennis strokes. To avoid elbow pain and other potential injuries, it’s crucial to make sure you execute these strokes with the proper body mechanics. Acquiring proficiency in various tennis strokes can be an additional measure towards being a competitive player.