Tennis: The 8 shots to master
All sports are built on foundations that are relatively simple and skills that are essentially quite basic. The ability to learn, perform and hone these skills will allow a player to reach certain levels of proficiency and will eventually separate the players who will become professionals from those players who will just be amateurs or play for fun. In tennis there are essentially 8 types of shots to master.
In tennis, the main goal is the ability to make your tennis racket do what you want it to do. With this in between, there is a selection of shots that every player must learn to ensure a complete game and the ability to compete on all surfaces.
The shots are serve, forehand, backhand, volley, half volley, smash, drop shot, and lob. Having the right weight and type of tennis racket to help you hit these shots is paramount, but learning the fundamentals of each shot first is much more important.
The Serve:
The serve is perhaps the most difficult of all shots to master, but once you get it right, it can be a very important part of your game. The serve is all about achieving accuracy and speed, but also the ability to disguise steering and turning intent. The best players can achieve deflection and spin through extensive practice and experience.
The forehand:
This is the first shot most players will learn, as it tends to be the most natural and therefore the most powerful and effective of all tennis shots. The racket grip can be used to change the direction and ferocity of the forehand. Historically, the forehand has always been a one-handed strike, but the modern game has seen many top players adopt a two-handed version that creates more power and more control.
The reverse:
The backhand is one step higher in difficulty than the forehand. It is a shot that is played primarily with two hands as it allows the player a higher level of control, making it a less comfortable position to play the ball. However, the two-handed shot does reduce the amount of range a player has, but some of the top-ranked players in the world, such as Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, are experts at the shot.
The volley and the half volley:
The volley is often a decisive, point-winning shot because of the power a player can put into it and also because the volley is very often played as an offensive shot close to the net. It is a shot that is played before the ball bounces so that players can make the most of the pace of the ball before it is slowed down by contact with the playing surface. The half volley is a more difficult shot and is played right after the bounce, giving less control and accuracy and again much harder to master.
The balloon:
The high shot is played primarily from a position towards the back of the court, near the baseline. It’s a shot that can take your opponent out of the game completely, as he has to run back in an attempt to save the point, and if it can be executed accurately, it’s a very effective part of a player’s arsenal.
The crush:
As the name of this shot suggests, it is a powerful and aggressive shot designed to give the opponent very little chance of returning the ball. It is often played as the result of a failed lob attempt and is very often a point winner.
Drop shot:
This is a delicate and subtle skill that takes a lot of practice and skill to master. The drop shot is played to go just over the net, giving the opponent very little time to react and cover the distance to the net in an attempt to save the point.
All these shots together can make a very complete and competent tennis player. Although a great tennis racket will always help, the ability to become a great player means being able to become an expert at each and every one of these strokes through years of commitment, practice, and dedication.