Keys to out think your opponent on the tennis court

November 3, 2015

Playing tennis is a great way to get exercise and improve your physical strength. It's also a good way to have fun and enjoy the outdoors. If you're trying to improve your tennis game, it's important to improve your physical ability but also important to think about the game in terms of strategy. Here are some tips to help you out think your opponent on the tennis court.

Keys to out think your opponent on the tennis court

1. Minimize your errors

Winning a tennis match isn't always about getting the perfect shots. Sometimes, just reducing the amount of errors you perform is just as effective in helping you win. If you make fewer mistakes than your opponent, you will usually win the match.

2. Focus on ball placement

Don't worry about how hard you are hitting the ball. Instead, worry about where you are sending the ball. If you hit a light shot that lands in the court just outside your opponent's reach, that is usually much more effective than slamming a shot that they can easily get to.

3. Play up your strengths

With every new opponent comes new challenges. You won't know what your tennis opponents are good at and what their weaknesses are until you're familiar with their playing style. Until then, focus on playing up your own strengths. Do what you do best until your opponent forces you to try other tactics.

4. Watch for their weaknesses

If possible, try to watch your opponent during practice or warm-ups to get a clue as to what their weaknesses are. Some players will have stronger ground strokes on one side than the other, in which case you can play to the opponent's weaker side. If they seem slow or a little clumsy, you can lob slow balls from one side of the court to the other to get them tired out by running back and forth. If an opponent is very fast on the court, hit behind them to make them change direction over and over again.

5. Play the score

Tennis great Andre Agassi is a big proponent of playing for the score, not for the point. Basically, this means thinking about the game as a whole instead of a single point. You can stop worrying about your opponent having a lead over you and start relaxing, which means you are considering the tennis match as a series of points instead of putting pressure on yourself to win every point.

This can also work in your favour if you have a big lead because you won't get cocky and let your game get a little sloppy. When Agassi would have a big lead, he would start playing better and better by hitting more aggressive shots and taking more risks. This approach will help you to correctly judge the situation over time and play to ensure success.

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