Depending on your skill level, some tennis shots may be more difficult to hit than others. It is not necessarily this degree of difficulty or the type of shot that makes it low-percentage. It may be true that there is a lower probability of success when you try to hit a shot that you are not skilled at, however, in general a low-percentage shot has more to do with your shot selection in a given situation and where you choose to place it.
Change of Direction
According to Paul Wardlaw, head women's tennis coach at Brown University, changing the direction of an incoming, fast-paced, cross-court ball is a risky shot at all levels of play. You'll make fewer errors if you return the ball back to where it came from because the hitting surface of your racket is square to the ball and is facing cross-court when you make contact. Many times you end up hitting late when trying to change direction and hit the ball down the line, because the incoming ball is angling away from you, the angle of the racket's hitting surface is not square to the ball and the ball ends up shearing off the strings of the racket.
Cross-Court Approach
When hitting an approach shot, your opponent has the choice of returning your ball down the line or angling it cross court. To defend against the possible returns, you need to play the geometry of the court. This means you need to position yourself so that you are in the middle of your opponent's angle of possible returns; you need to bisect the angle. Hitting a cross-court approach shot when you are near the sideline of the court is a low-percentage shot. You will not have time to bisect your opponent's angle and you risk being passed. It is better to hit most approach shots straight ahead from where you are.
Drop Shot
The drop shot is an advanced, specialty shot that requires a lot of touch and feel. It is hit with backspin, barely clears the net and lands short in your opponent's court. When you execute the shot correctly, you can draw your opponent to the net and follow it up with a lob. This shot is most effective when you are well inside the court and your opponent is deep in the court. However, when played from behind the baseline, it is a low-percentage shot because it has to travel several feet with precision and accuracy. Not only is it difficult to hit, it also gives your opponent plenty of time to reach it and put it away for a winner.
Return of Serve
The serve is an important shot in tennis because it starts each and every point. Just as important is the return of serve. If you can't get your serve in the court or your return in play, you have no chance of winning the point. Returning the serve down the line is a low-percentage shot for two reasons. First, the net is higher on the sides; it is 36 inches in the middle and 42 inches at the sides. Secondly, there is a shorter distance down the sideline and more chance of hitting the ball beyond the baseline.
References
- "Pressure Tennis"; Paul Wardlaw; 2000
- Tennis Server; Percentage Tennis...the Odds are in Your Favor; Ron Waite
- "Tennis: A Professional Guide"; U.S. Professional Tennis Association; 1984
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