Tip of the Week: Hit the Ball to the Middle of One Half of the Court

Hitting the ball to a big target area is a great strategy. Many of the pros are using this idea on the return of serve and during a rally by hitting the ball right down the middle. This takes the angles away from the opponent and allows them to make more shots.

Refining this idea by trying to make your target the middle of one half of the court, can help improve your chances of making the shot and also get your opponent on the run. Aim your shot halfway between the sideline and the middle of the court. If you have identified that the player’s weaker shot is the backhand, try to do this on their backhand side. Do the opposite if their forehand is weaker. 

The same can be done when volleying. Hit the volley short and halfway between the sideline and the middle. Remember that if you hit the volley crosscourt, the angle of the shot will still make the ball head towards the sideline and pull your opponent off of the court. This is also true on your groundstrokes, especially when hitting shorter angles and even when it lands in the middle of one half of the court.

Not all of your shots are going to go exactly where you are aiming, but if you miss a few feet in either direction, the shot will still be in and can help you win the point. Hitting the ball to the middle of one half of the court gives you a good margin for error, gets the opponent moving, and causes more forced errors by getting them on the run. This should help you make more shots and give you a great chance to win the match.

Steve Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis, www.annaconetennis.com and MyHamptonsPro, www.myhamptonspro.com throughout the Hamptons, NY. Steve, Phil Lepisto, and Gill Gross run the ACT (Advanced Competition Team) program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center (Tucson, AZ) for high level players ages 8-18. Please contact Steve at sannacone@tucsonjcc.org or 865-300-7323