SERVING IN SINGLES

Serve and Stay Back: Many players stay behind the baseline after they serve and depend upon their opponent’s errors to win points. Players with powerful groundstrokes will hit the ball deep and crosscourt until their superior strokes prevail. Players without powerful strokes but are very quick and agile often-just get everything back and rely on frustrating their opponents. Other players just rely on strategy (spin, change of pace, moon balls, unreturnable serves or luring their opponents into hitting their weakest shots).

A highly successful strategy is to wait for your opponent to hit a short or weak shot andthen attack. Here are three good ways to attack a short ball (one that lands near the service line). The most popular is to hit it over the lowest part of the net(the center strap) with enough

Topspin to keep it in the court. It works best when you have an angle and you are standing still. Your goal is to hit a winner and end the point.If you have to hit the short ball on the run, it is safer to hit it flat, straight ahead, and deep.

Your goal is to follow it to the net and put away the volley. This shot is called an approach shot and is best taken on the rise. It has a short backswing and a short follow through. You should move in with the racquet back, holding your volley grip.

The third shot is the dropshot. It should be used sparingly, never on the big points, It works best as a surprise and when your opponent is far behind the baseline.