In the early 1990s, I attended my first Professional Tennis Record (PTR) training session in Lacey, Washington. The instructor presented me with an excellent slice approach shot. He consistently hit shots deep down the court that stayed so low they were nearly impossible to recover. He gave me the opportunity to demonstrate the shot and it was difficult for me to get the shot clear to clear the net consistently. Especially, if someone dropped a shot very close to the net with almost no rhythm on the ball.
To produce an effective base forehand, I start with my weight on my back foot and then gently transfer my weight to the front just before I make contact with the ball. If you were to use this technique near the net, you would have trouble getting the ball to clear the net, because it seems to come up too slowly. The technique my PTR instructor taught me solved the problem. However, I had to make an adjustment; I decided to use topspin instead of slice for my approach shot. The instructor taught me to put my weight on my back foot (my dominant foot, because it’s on the same side as my dominant hand); but instead of smoothly transferring my weight to my front foot, he taught me to jump off my back foot, kick off my front foot, and hit the tennis ball while airborne. The slide and jump motion would be similar to a lazy man’s show jumping technique.
Over the years, I have successfully hit balls that have landed as close as 3 to 5 feet from the net. When you use this approach shot, it gives you supreme confidence in your ability to score points. You’ll be able to hit fast-paced approach shots that give your opponent little time to recover. Always take your approach shots along the line so you can effectively bisect the angle of your opponent’s passing shots.
To practice this approach technique, you should stand in your normal forehand stance and lift your non-dominant foot (the foot on the same side as your non-dominant hand) approximately 12 inches in the air. Find a spot on the court about five feet in front of where you are standing. This will be your landing spot. Jump from your current location to the landing spot. Your non-dominant foot should land squarely on the spot with your body weight still moving forward. If you jump and land in basically the same spot, then the shot would have been taken incorrectly and you’ll hit the ball over bounds, causing it to land out of bounds. Actual contact with the ball must be made while you are airborne and moving towards the net. The more distance you cover, like a track long jumper, the more successful the shot will be.
My approach shot has given me a license to kill. A license to kill tennis balls, that is. After sitting in an office all day, I don’t want to be kind to tennis balls, even the ones that land near the net. If you follow this technique, your approach shot will be beyond reproach. Most of your opponents will think twice before dropping the ball when playing with you. This precaution will not only be for your own good, but also for the good of the poor tennis ball.