Degree in Sports Science

Course: Tennis

Lesson-5: Tennis Tactics for Beginners

Professor: Ph.D. José Antonio Aparicio Asenjo

Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación Física y del Deporte

Departamento de Deportes

Lesson-5 Tennis Tactics for Beginners

Definition of Tactics:• The origin of this word comes from the military field, it is related to the

wars and the army. • Definition: tactics is the art of winning the “war”, following the rules. To

achieve this we analyze the environment (court, weather conditions, etc.), our own sources and the opponent’s; we also try to proceed in the more effective way to defeat the opponent.

• Weakness and strengths:– Technical aspects. Those which are really relevant and affect performance.– Physical condition aspects.– Psychological aspects. Personality, self-motivation capacity, temperament,

anxiety control, suffering capacity, ability to control emotions (stop them or cause them) (emotional intelligence).

Other definitions:• Art of teaching how to organize things• Art of preparing, moving and using the troops on the battlefield• Skillfully used system to obtain a successful outcome• Set of resources used to win a war• Differences between strategy and tactics:

– Strategy means to create a global plan or game outline (offensive game). But, tactics means putting the plan into practice during the game (approaching the net and choosing the stroke)

Lesson-5 Tennis Tactics for Beginners

Game Phases:• Attack: Player A puts pressure on player B• Defense: Player A is under pressure by player B• Baseline rally: Both players stay at the baseline (backcourt)• Serve and return: This is a special situation which is quite

significant as it determines the way the point is going to continue

Lesson-5 Tennis Tactics for Beginners

• Attack Characteristics:– Objective: to put pressure, to win the point or force the opponent’s

error– You take the initiative– You play inside the court– You can start from both a service or a baseline stroke– You look for a long and powerful ball to make the opponent to step

back– You must keep a security margin to avoid unneeded errors– Due to the geometry of the court, when you play parallel, you cover

the net better– The idea is to approach the net so the opponent has tighter angle to

beat us and, at the same time, we have wider angle to play the ball

Lesson-5 Tennis Tactics for Beginners

• Defense Characteristics:– Objective: To try to win the point or at least recover a balanced situation– You can start from a return stroke or a baseline rally– You must keep a security margin to avoid unneeded errors– You have to pay attention to react fast and, if possible, be ahead opponent’s

intention– It is usually played outside the court – You have to control height, depth and direction of the ball to make things

difficult for the opponent. The most important thing: Don’t panic in the first approach movement of the opponent, and do not let the ball out (the opponent is approaching the net and in general is not close yet)

– If we put the ball in play, and keep it low (below net’s height) the opponent will have to rise the ball and it will be more difficult for him to win the point

– For the next shot, the opponent will be nearer the net and we could give a passing shot (crossed or parallel) or a lob shot

Lesson-5 Tennis Tactics for Beginners

• Baseline rally characteristics:– Objective: Not only to keep the balance, but also avoid the opponent’s

attack and provide situations that allow our attack– In first place, it is very important to keep the ball in play– You must play with intention (playing to each side and reaching the

backcourt) to unbalance the opponent and create spaces– You need to respect the relationship between the area from where we

hit the ball and the net’s height. This gives the opponent less angles and forces him to return short balls

– You must keep a security margin to avoid unneeded errors– Baseline rally must not be a passive phase of the game where you wait

for the opponent to make a mistake, on the contrary you must develop an aggressive attitude to take advantage and use any chance to attack

Lesson-5 Tennis Tactics for Beginners

• Service characteristics:– With the service we have the initiative, which we have to keep in

order to put pressure on the opponent– You should have consistency and achieve a high percentage of first

serves– You must direct them towards the free or weak side of the opponent

and play deeply (close to the service line)– Try to obtain a service with a high bounce in order to complicate the

return shot– Power and consistency have to be combined– There are two options: serve and approach the net, or serve and stay

in the backcourt near the baseline

Lesson-5 Tennis Tactics for Beginners

• Serve return characteristics:– In first place, the returner must try to return the ball over the net back

in play, and to have a high percentage of returns served in the opponents court

– As far as possible, the returner must try to neutralize the initiative (advantage) of the server, avoiding to give high and comfortable balls to the opponent. Returner must be patient and wait for a second chance

– Returner must direct the serve return towards the free or weak side of the opponent

– If the service is weak, the returner should immediately take that opportunity and play a more offensive or forcing return

Lesson-5 Tennis Tactics for Beginners

Serve and Return Characteristics:• Serve-and-volley:

– If the server goes to the net, he/she must approach as close as possible to it, and make a split step to control the balance and make the first volley with depth while still approaching the net. In this case, the returner must try to neutralize the opponent attack and start a baseline rally game, recovering the centre of the court and directing balls towards both sides or low center area making it difficult for the opponent to volley comfortably

• Serve and stay at the backcourt: – If the server stays at the backcourt, he/she must try to prepare his/her

strongest shot (usually forehand shot) to continue attacking and having the initiative. In this case, returner must try to return the ball with depth and towards the sides, in order to neutralize the server’s initiative and to start the baseline rally game. If the service is weak, the returner can hit a more aggressive return

Lesson-5 Tennis Tactics for Beginners

Serve and Return Geometry

Lesson-5 Tennis Tactics for Beginners

Optimum and avoidable hitting areas

Lesson-5 Tennis Tactics for Beginners