Defensive Tennis Strokes and Court Positioning Articles | Tennis

By: Darren Williger

In executing the chop stroke do so with a locked wrist with the racquet face passing either inside or outside and down the ball in a quick, chopping motion at an angle between 45 to 90 degrees along the ball’s line of flight. This stroke gives imparts a clockwise spin and curve on the ball.

In doing the slice shot, the racquet’s contact to the ball should be less than 45 degrees, either inside or outside the ball depending which direction you want to send it to. This is accomplished with a quick flick of the wrist or a flat racket hit; the wrist action makes the bounce low near the ground while a slap action makes it a go off to either the left or the right which would make your opponent hustle to reach the ball.

Footwork and body position for these shots are not as important since they are executed with a short swing and more wrist play; shifting the body weight on these shots is not as important.

Both the chop and slice strokes are defensive shots designed to break up a driving game to give you more time to get in an offensive position. These shots are very difficult to drive and works best if your opponent is at the baseline. Use these shots in moderation to drop short, soft shots that reach just beyond the net or at the feet of your opponent.

Another equally important defensive shot is the drop shot. It is executed with a wrist twist and a sharply-angled chop stroke with the racquet face passing outside of the ball and under it.

Add these defensive strokes to your game and learn how to use them so you can disrupt your opponent's rhythm of play to stay on top of the match.

Another defensive stroke is the half volley which requires the coordination of timing, eyesight and your racquet hand compared to other shots. It is executed with a short swing and locked wrist with the racquet face held at a slight angle to meet the ball as it bounces off the ground. Track the ball with your free hand and eyes so that you can hit it perfectly when it reaches the optimum hitting zone.

A tennis court is 39 feet long from the baseline market to net and 27 feet wide for singles play and 36 feet wide for doubles play. A player should only be at two places on his side of the court as he waits for the ball in order to cover as much area as possible: 3 feet behind the baseline near the middle of the court or 6 to 8 feet from the net inside the service court. The first position is the normal position for baseline players while the second is the net position. Always return to either of these two positions as quickly as possible after making a shot from anywhere else on the court.

From the baseline to about 10 feet from the net is called no-man's-land; although you have to make shots from this area any time during the course of a game, make it a point to go back to the baseline position as soon as possible so as not to get caught off guard with a deep or a passing shot. If you are unable to return to the baseline, go all the way in and establish a net position for a better defensive/offensive position.

Maintaining either of the two positions enables you to track the ball before it hits the ground; run while the ball is in the air not when it bounces after hitting the ground – by then it is too late! This way you are in better position to prepare for your shot, make your shot and make the follow through.

Learn to anticipate where your opponent will hit the ball on the return and at all times. Standing near the baseline allows you to do this especially if you have a difficult time anticipating your opponent’s return as you only have to run forward or instead of backwards if you were standing in the service court area.

Always maintain a position that allows you to cover the largest possible area of the court. It can save you a lot of points and possibly win the game!