During a tennis match, players use many kinds of shots for both offensive and defensive purposes. Basic shots, like the serve, backhand and forehand, occur on nearly every point, although variations of these shots keep your opponent guessing. Incorporating as many tennis shots as possible into your game can help you catch your opponent off-guard, which can lead to you scoring more points during the match. You can group the shots into five categories.
Serve
A serve starts every point and players take turns serving throughout the match. Most players now use an overhead serve, where they throw the ball into the air and hit it with the arm fully extended above the head. Beginners often use the serve as a means of starting the point, while more advanced players attempt to get an ace, which means to score a point from the serve.
Backhand
The backhand occurs when you strike the ball from the non-dominant side of your body. In doing so, you bring your racquet across your body, making it more difficult to complete than a forehand. You can backhand the ball with either one or two hands, depending on your comfort level with the shot. You generally use two hands to generate more power, while using one hand for fitness-based shots like the slice.
Forehand
When you make a shot from the dominant side of your body, you call it a forehand. This remains easier to complete than a backhand because it mimics the motion of hitting the ball with your palm in a natural fashion. Most players attempt to use their forehand whenever possible because they have better control of it than their backhand. Most players use a one-handed grip for their forehands, but some female players still use a two-handed grip to generate additional power during their shots.
Volley
Volleys occur when you hit the ball back to your opponent's side of the net without it touching the ground. This usually occurs with balls near the net, since you would not want to volley a ball if it has a chance of going out of bounds, which would award you a point. The half-volley occurs when the ball has just barely touched the ground and also usually occurs near the net.
Surprise Shots
Players use both the lob and drop shot to catch an opponent off guard or buy some time to get back into position. On a lob shot, you shoot the ball into the air over an opponent's head, hoping that he has to run back to it quickly and makes a poor return. You use drop shots when your opponent plays deep, as he must run quickly toward the net and could make an error in the process.
References
- "Tennis For Dummies"; Patrick McEnroe; 1998
- "Tennis Strokes and Tactics: Improve Your Game"; John Littleford, et al.; 2009
- "Tennis Skills: The Player's Guide"; Tom Sadzeck; 2001
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