So what do you do when you're playing someone who is TERRIBAD, but they are all of a sudden playing the match of their lives?
I'm talking about the guy who brings EVERYONE'S team down (doubles) who I last beat 6-0.
We beat them 6-2 today (should have been a bagel, but whatever). We play again and suddenly, he can't fucking miss. Typically, he will fuck up a return 90% of the time, but now he's getting them all in. He's hitting 2nd serve aces (not on me, of course, lol) and making all kinds of outrageous volleys.
They get us to a tiebreak @_@
We get down early but manage to bring it back.
It's 5-5. My final serve. Whoever wins this point will get a set point. I'm serving to Mr. Suddenly Can't Miss....and in my mind, I'm trying to come up with a strategy. He is standing WAY back (because I have a big 1st serve) and has been returning my serves very well....something he never does. So, I'm thinking....if he's gonna stand that far back, I'm gonna give him a no-pace serve.
It worked, lol (more people should try that on Nadal). We win the breaker 7-5 later.
*phew*
Also, I tried to do Federer's super early return. It was the first time I had ever attempted it....and I completely missed the ball on the first attempt. lol. I tried it again and I made it....but lost the point. It really isn't as effective in doubles. I'll try it again in a singles match.
That's the basic strategy, especially when you're a lefty like me : aim for the backhand side and wait for errors/short balls. The problem I have, and the match I played yesterday illustrates that quite well (lost 6-0 7-5 in my club's tournament), is that I'm waaay more comfortable on my backhand. For some reason my forehand is incredibly unsure, I have a lot more power but zero consistency and that's a problem I've been having for quite some time now. Sometimes I'm spraying errors (like in the first set), sometimes it goes in and it's better (second set, up a break at 5-4, then I started making too much faults again) but I'm never sure what it's gonna be and I can't apply even basic tactics for a decent amount of time because I'm just trying to keep the ball in play.
I decided to follow lessons this year to work on that because I have a hard time coming up with answers alone, and being so unsure on a shot that is so important in tennis prevents me from having a chance in quite a lot of matches.
I'm gonna try to post videos too, just need to think about bringing the right equipment with me when I play.
Yeah, post some videos. But I think everyone for the most part has a favorite wing. As long as you're solid on one side, you shouldn't fret too much.
Tennis GAF, looking for a good newbie tennis racquet recommendation, or just some tips while shopping for one. There are so many out there, and I'm getting confused. Thanks!
Meh, I've had the same racquet for almost 8 years now. It was the first one I had ever bought (either from Dick's or Finish Line) and it's fortunately been pretty reliable. I knew nothing about tennis at the time so I was lucky to get a racquet that clicked with me.
If you don't want to go in blind like I did, I'd suggest you find a place that lets you demo tennis racquets. And if that isn't possible, I'd suggest you just get a standard one (like the ones they have on display). I wouldn't start tinkering with specifics until you've got some experience with one. And since you're new, I'd suggest you get one with a head size that isn't any smaller than 100 square inches. My racquet (the first one I bought) is 102.
Again I was pretty good at the net but I missed a lot of point-ending shots for some reason. Like, there would be a rally where I'm chasing balls and defending from every corner of the court, and as soon as I get an easy shot, I would net it, lol It was hilarious....and sad.
