How to Improve Your Tennis Strategy

It takes consistent stroke and serve practice to improve your tennis skills, but it is also important to continually develop strategy to use against your opponents. There is no canned strategy that is magic for every player. Instead, each player develops a personal style, which shows through in everything from the forehand form to game philosophy.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Give your strategy a chance, but remember to be flexible. Willingness to change strategies during a match is key, especially when your current plays aren't working. On those days when you're struggling with a ground stroke or your opponent is hitting amazing passing shots when you're at the net, don't be afraid to mix it up to improve your game.
2. Customize your strategy to the conditions of the match. Weather can have an extreme impact on a tennis match, so be aware of your surroundings. For example, on windy days, avoid high, floating strokes and lobs that are difficult to control in the breeze.
3. Evaluate the fitness level and well-being of your opponent. Heat, fatigue and lack of physical conditioning can cause players to tire quickly. If you feel you have a physical edge on your opponent, play conservatively and extend points. If not, look to be aggressive and end points quickly.
4. Cool down a hot opponent. Everyone who has played competitive tennis for some time knows what it's like to play someone who's "in the zone" and can't seem to miss. Try to slow things down, taking more time between points and hitting slower shots to break your opponent's rhythm.
5. Attack an opponent who is struggling with his game. Make him hit difficult strokes whenever possible, realizing that as he continues to miss, it will mentally affect him. If you are dealing with an erratic opponent, be consistent, forcing him to hit as many shots as possible during every point.
6. Don't underestimate the mental demands of tennis. While it's important to improve technique, it's even more important to judge ball velocity, calculate the degree of topspin you'll need and time your shots properly to defeat your opponent. Skill means very little when disengaged from a careful thought process.

Tips & Warnings

• Go into every match with a specific strategy in mind. If you start the game thinking you'll "feel your way through," you could find yourself deep down in the first set before you come up with a plan. Know what you want to do from the start.
• Look through tennis magazines and websites for tips. Tennis pros and coaches often write columns or blog about strategy and tactics.