
Introduction to Practicing Realistic Singles Patterns of Play Scenarios
Once you have mastered the core placement drills, you are then ready to progress to the patterns of play scenarios.
This involves re-creating the following point winning scenarios that have been carefully charted from actual ATP and WTA matches.
This involves re-creating the following point winning scenarios that have been carefully charted from actual ATP and WTA matches.
The following scenarios that include serves and returns of serves are split into the following categories;
- When both players are playing from the baseline
- When play involves you approaching the net during a rally
- Counter measures when your opponent approaches the net during a rally
- When you choose to serve, and volley
- Counter measures when your opponent serves and volleys
Tennis is a game of errors which fall into fall into four categories;
- Your unforced errors
- Your forced errors
- Your opponent’s unforced errors
- Your opponent’s forced errors
How many of these can you control? In truth you can control all of them to a certain extent.
- By forcing your opponent into more errors there is a good chance that more unforced errors may start to appear due to either a dip in confidence or by them trying too hard.
- By enforcing your will through using your favoured attacking patterns of play will result in fewer unforced errors because you are playing with reliable shot placements.
- By being able to counter your opponent’s attacking patterns of play will result in fewer forced errors.
Therefore, you need to develop both your favoured patterns of play and your backup patterns of play because a wily opponent will start to read your favoured patterns and may be able to counter them. So, a group of backup patterns need to be used as a surprise mechanism, but only now and again... to keep your opponent off balance and certainly not to be used on key points.