The Cornerstone of Tennis Success: Fundamentals

In the complex, fast-paced world of competitive tennis, the temptation to focus on highlight shots and complex strategies can sometimes lead players to overlook the bedrock of their game: the fundamentals. However, mastering these basic elements is what truly makes a tennis player hard to beat. Here’s why honing these skills should never take a backseat in your training regimen.

The Power of Controlled Fundamentals

1. Controlled First Serve Direction

• The first serve sets the tone for the point. Being able to control its direction allows a player to strategically open up the court or pin an opponent back, effectively setting up the point in their favor. Even a 60% pace first serve is typically faster and less risky than going for a big forehand from a compromise position. Learn to control the first serve to keep pressure on the returner.

2. Deep Cross Courts

• Consistently hitting deep cross-court allow you to hit a better quality of ball over the lowest part of the net and longest part of the court. It also allows you to have to recover the least for the next ball. Baseline patterns are built on deep crosscourt.

3. Approaching Short Balls

• Capitalizing on short balls and approaching with confidence can drastically change the dynamics of a rally. It shifts the pressure onto the opponent, forcing them to make a difficult passing attempt or lob since you are taking away the deep middle targets on the court.

4. First and Finishing Volley Targets

• A well-placed volley is a fine art. Knowing where to place your volleys—whether it’s the first touch or a finishing shot—can be the difference between winning and losing a point at the net. Knowing your targets makes it much easier to execute and presents you as a problem up at the net influencing your opponents to hitting riskier balls in an attempt to avoid you getting a touch on it.

5. Overhead Movement and Racket Preparation

• Effective overheads are not just about power but also about positioning and preparation. Players need to master the movement back and the timely preparation of the racket to smash effectively.

6. Lateral Movement Patterns

• Tennis is a game of movement. Efficient lateral movement allows players to maintain balance and power through strokes, making it crucial for both offense and defense. 70% of singles tennis is lateral movement so practice effective movement patterns is critical to using them in matches when you dont want to be thinking about your feet!

7. Offense, Neutral, and Defense Plays

• Being versatile and capable of playing offense, neutral, and defense effectively on both the forehand and backhand sides adds layers to a player’s game and allows you to stay in points longer, minimize risk and capitalize on your opponents defence. You absolutely must practice working out of all 3 facets.

8. Second Serve Depth and Location

• A reliable second serve that can be placed deep and in challenging locations for the opponent ensures that even a pressure serve can at worst make it difficult for your opponent to attack and gain advantage from the start of the point and at best become an underrated asset. “Your only as good as your second serve” – John Newcombe

9. Making First Serve Returns to Big Targets

• The ability to consistently return the first serve to significant areas of the court just keeps the pressure on the server to have to earn every point. The most missed shot in the game is the return of serve so knowing your targets and being well drill in getting a heap of returns in play builds that pressure to a breaking point.

10. Changing Direction on Short Balls

• Being able to regularly and successfully change directions on short balls builds another layer to your offence. These opportunities become more prevalent when the quality of your cross courts balls are high!

The Link Between Fundamentals and Match Success

The better a player is at these fundamentals, the more challenging they are to play against. These skills form the backbone of any game and provide the stability from which creativity and flair can emerge. When players are confident in these areas, they can play more relaxed, more strategic games, and push their opponents into making errors. Being strong on the fundamental’s allows you to build leads in games and sets and that in turn gives you more freedom for riskier strategies and strokes when the score is in your favor.

Conclusion

Focusing on fundamentals might seem rudimentary, but its impact on your game is immense. These elements not only sharpen your existing skills but also ensure that you’re always improving what matters most. By consistently working on these fundamental aspects, you reinforce your foundation, making your game solid and your decision making clear. Remember, in tennis,strength of your fundamentals often determines the height of your success.