🎾 Tennis Singles Strategy: Point Patterns and Net Play
Imagine you’re a chess player, but instead of pieces on a board, you’re moving your opponent around a tennis court. Every shot is a move. Every pattern is a plan. And when you come to the net? That’s checkmate.
🏗️ Building and Finishing Points
The Story of Every Point
Think of a tennis point like building a tower with blocks.
You can’t put the roof on first!
You need to:
- Build the base (move your opponent)
- Stack the blocks (create an opening)
- Place the roof (hit the winner)
What Does “Building” Mean?
Building means hitting shots that:
- Push your opponent to one side
- Make them run
- Create empty space on the court
Simple Example:
You hit to the RIGHT corner → Opponent runs RIGHT
You hit to the LEFT corner → Opponent runs LEFT (but tired!)
Empty space appears → You hit the WINNER there!
What Does “Finishing” Mean?
Finishing is the final shot that wins the point.
But here’s the secret: You can only finish when you’ve built first!
🎯 Think of it like cooking: You can’t eat the cake before you bake it. Build first, then finish!
🎯 Shot Direction Patterns
The Magic of Patterns
Instead of hitting randomly, pros use patterns — like secret recipes!
The Two Main Directions
graph TD A["Your Shot"] --> B["Cross-Court"] A --> C["Down-the-Line"] B --> D["Safer - Net is lower in middle"] C --> E["Riskier - But changes direction"]
Cross-Court: Your Best Friend
Why?
- The net is lower in the middle (3 feet vs 3.5 feet at sides)
- The court is longer diagonally
- More room for error = safer shot!
Example: You’re on the right side → Hit to their left side (cross-court)
Down-the-Line: The Surprise Attack
Why use it?
- Changes the direction of play
- Catches your opponent off-guard
- Opens up the court
But be careful! The net is higher at the sides. Hit with more height!
🔢 2-1 and 3-1 Patterns
The 2-1 Pattern: Two Then One!
This is like a magic trick. You do the same thing twice, then surprise!
Shot 1: Cross-court (to their backhand)
Shot 2: Cross-court (same place!)
Shot 3: Down-the-line (SURPRISE!)
Why does this work?
When you hit to the same spot twice, your opponent:
- Expects the third shot there too
- Starts leaning that way
- Gets caught when you change direction!
🧙♂️ Magic trick: Make them think you’ll go right, right, right… then go LEFT!
The 3-1 Pattern: Three Then One!
Same idea, but you’re even more patient!
Shot 1: Cross-court
Shot 2: Cross-court
Shot 3: Cross-court
Shot 4: DOWN-THE-LINE (Winner!)
When to use 3-1 vs 2-1?
| Pattern | Best For |
|---|---|
| 2-1 | Quick points, aggressive players |
| 3-1 | Patient play, tiring opponents |
Real Life Example
Imagine you’re playing tag:
- You fake going left
- You fake going left again
- They’re SURE you’ll go left…
- You go RIGHT and tag them!
That’s exactly what 2-1 and 3-1 patterns do in tennis!
🏃 Approach and Volley Pattern
What’s an Approach Shot?
An approach shot is the shot you hit WHILE running toward the net.
Think of it as a bridge between:
- The baseline (back of the court)
- The net (front of the court)
The Perfect Approach Recipe
graph TD A["Short Ball from Opponent"] --> B["Hit Approach Shot"] B --> C["Run to Net"] C --> D["Hit Volley"] D --> E["Win Point!"]
Where Should You Approach?
Golden Rule: Hit your approach shot DOWN-THE-LINE
Why?
- You’re closer to where your shot lands
- You cut off their passing shot angle
- You control more of the court
Example:
Ball comes to your forehand side
You hit approach down-the-line (to their backhand)
You run to net (on the same side)
They have less angle to pass you!
The Volley: Your Finishing Move
A volley is hitting the ball BEFORE it bounces.
At the net, you:
- Have less time to react
- But your opponent has less time too!
- You can hit sharp angles they can’t reach
🎾 Pro tip: Keep your volleys simple. Just punch the ball. No big swings!
⚡ Serve and Volley Strategy
The Most Aggressive Move in Tennis!
Serve and Volley means:
- You serve
- You immediately run to the net
- You volley their return
It’s like being a soccer goalkeeper who also scores goals!
When to Serve and Volley
graph TD A["Your Serve"] --> B{Good Serve?} B -->|Yes - Fast/Accurate| C["Rush to Net!"] B -->|No - Weak/Slow| D["Stay Back"] C --> E["Volley Winner"]
The Step-by-Step Plan
Step 1: Serve Big Hit a serve that pushes them back or wide.
Step 2: Split Step As they hit their return, do a little hop (split step). This helps you move in any direction.
Step 3: First Volley Your first volley is usually in the middle of the court. Just get it deep!
Step 4: Second Volley Now you’re closer to the net. Put it away!
Best Serves for Serve-and-Volley
| Serve Type | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Wide serve | Pulls them off court |
| Body serve | Jams them, weak return |
| Slice serve | Skids low, hard to lift |
⚡ Energy boost: Serve and volley is SCARY for opponents. They feel pressure even before returning!
🧠 Net Game Decision Making
The Big Question at the Net
When you’re at the net, you have to decide FAST:
“Do I volley? Where do I hit it? Do I let it go?”
The Decision Tree
graph TD A["Ball Coming at You"] --> B{Ball High or Low?} B -->|High| C["Attack! Hit down for winner"] B -->|Low| D["Be careful - Hit deep"] C --> E["Aim for open court"] D --> F["Reset the point"]
Where to Look at the Net
Watch your opponent’s racket!
- Racket going left → Ball will go left
- Racket going right → Ball will go right
- Racket going up → Ball will go over your head (lob!)
The Open Court Rule
Simple rule: Hit where they’re NOT.
Opponent on the left side → Hit to the right
Opponent on the right side → Hit to the left
Opponent in the middle → Hit behind them!
What About Lobs?
If they hit a lob (a high ball over your head):
- If you can reach it → Hit an overhead smash! 💥
- If you can’t reach it → Turn and chase it back
🧠 Smart thinking: At the net, you don’t need to hit hard. Just hit to the open space!
The Confidence Factor
Being at the net is scary at first. But remember:
YOU are putting PRESSURE on THEM!
They have to:
- Hit a perfect passing shot, OR
- Hit a perfect lob
That’s hard! Most of the time, they’ll miss.
🎯 Putting It All Together
The Complete Point Pattern
Here’s how pros combine everything:
1. Rally cross-court (build the point)
2. Use 2-1 or 3-1 pattern (create opening)
3. Get a short ball (opportunity!)
4. Hit approach shot (bridge to net)
5. Volley winner (finish the point!)
Your New Tennis Brain
Now you understand:
- ✅ Building before finishing
- ✅ Cross-court vs down-the-line
- ✅ 2-1 and 3-1 patterns
- ✅ Approach and volley
- ✅ Serve and volley
- ✅ Net decisions
The One Sentence Summary
Move them, surprise them, attack them, finish them!
💪 You’ve Got This!
Tennis isn’t just about hitting hard. It’s about thinking smart.
Every point is a puzzle. Now you know how to solve it!
🎾 Go play some patterns and win some points! 🎾