Taking the Varied Approach
by: Mark Winship @ In Touch Tennis

The most aggressive position you can be in on a tennis court is at the net. From here you have angles to hit to and you are cutting down the time your opponent has to play their shot as well as the amount of space they have to hit into. All of these advantages are yours providing that you hit a quality approach shot. So what's that then?

Well, as a general rule you should look to hit your approach shot deep and to the corners in order to discomfort your opponent and force them into a defensive position. There are many different and equally effective ways to achieve this. A blend of these different options will keep your opponent guessing and prevent them from getting into a rhythm with their lobs and passing shots.

The question you have to ask yourself when your opponent is preparing for their shot is 'Can they hurt me with this ball?' The answer to this question will depend upon how deep and how wide you have forced them and also on their strengths and weaknesses. Look for clues such as an open racket face which usually means they are going to slice the ball (slice shots tend to float and are easier to volley). If you decide that the answer is NO then you have the green light to approach the net and look for a volley.

Ok let's go back a step. The question you have to ask yourself when you are preparing for your own shot is 'How can I hit this ball so as to make it difficult for them to hurt me with their reply?' Try these options...

The drive approach shot

This involves using your normal groundstroke (perhaps with a shorter backswing to account for your position further up the court) to put pressure on your opponent by placing the ball deep with pace into the corners of the court. Your objective here is to force your opponent out of their 'comfort zone'.

The slice approach shot

The advantage of using slice on the approach shot is that it skids the ball low and forces your opponent to hit the ball upwards in order to pass you. A ball above net height is much easier to volley. If you are looking to come in off a low ball then aim your slice approach shot deep. If you have a ball above net height then there is nothing more effective than a slice approach that fades away to an angle and forces your opponent to scramble forwards and dig the ball up to your waiting volley.

The angled approach shot

Hitting to a short angle with some topspin to take the ball into the tramlines can be hugely effective as an approach shot. It forces your opponent to hustle forwards and scrape the ball up, presenting you with an easy volley to put away. Do make sure that if you are hitting an angled approach shot you follow the ball as you move into the net and position yourself slightly off-centre (biased to the side you have hit the ball). This is because the angle you have created opens up more of a space for them to pass you down the line and you must be able to cover this. If they do attempt to pass you with an angle back across the court then you will still be able to cut off this shot with a few steps diagonally forwards towards the net (See diagram below).

The 'Ghost' approach shot

This is probably the most underused type of approach shot. It involves hitting a high looping groundstroke that pushes your opponent off the court. When your opponent is not looking and is fully committed to their shot (which will probably be a high looper in return) you sneak into the net and take advantage of this high floating shot with your crunching put-away volley. This is a highly effective tactic and is best used as a surprise thrown into a groundstroke rally.

These are all examples of ways in which you can discomfort your opponent and to make sure that they can not hurt you when you approach the net. Each option will be more or less effective against different opponents and on different court surfaces but a bit of variety in your net-attack game will make sure that your opponent does not have the same target to hit whenever you approach the net.