Hello and Happy Easter to all!
Here is an article written by John Alexander. Enjoy!
In tennis,winning depends not only on how well you perform but also on how well you tailor your tactics and overall approach to your opponent. Here are some of the basic questions you should be asking:
1. What shots is he capable of hitting? The idea is to look for faults in stroke production. This is where we will find his weakness. Some of the common faults are:
a. Failure to change grips for the backhand shot, thereby making an offensive backhand more difficult to produce.
b. Late backswing, making the shot rushed, resulting in loss of accuracy and power.
c. Failure to get down to the ball-which makes the sighting of the ball guesswork and restricts following through the flight of the ball
2. What sort of shape is he in? Naturally, all tournament players are very fit, but because of their age or their own natural shape they can have some physical limitations. We can say, therefore, that a player's physical makeup and condition can govern to some degree not only his style of play but also his vulnerable shots.
3. What is his mental approach? For instance, some players can lose a match in the first few games because of their inability to pull themselves together when they are behind. On the other hand, there are players who often give away the first set if it isn't going too well, trying to lull you into a false sense of security, then deliver 100% early in the next set, hoping to upset your rhythm and gain an early break. Some players who have poor strokes yet do exceptionally well rely heavily on such tactics, and one must be aware of the dangers of such players when confronted with them.
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