Anticipation Is Usually Pointless

In today’s game, all sorts of technologies in rackets, strings, and balls have brought the speeds and rpms to completely new heights. As a result, players tend to anticipate, believing that they will be able to get to the ball quicker. However, anticipation in tennis is unnecessary most of the time. Looking at the pros, you rarely see players anticipate. If you pay close attention to the players you can observe that they make a move after the opponent has struck the ball. Nobody truly knows the outcome of a specific shot.

In addition, anticipation is a highly inefficient and ineffective way to play tennis because ultimately you will be relying on luck. Therefore, in today’s article, we will be discovering the correct and incorrect times to anticipate, as well as its true purpose.

Disguising Detectives

A big reason why you don't see anticipation very often at the high level or the elite level is that those types of players are masters of disguise. Even if you wanted to figure out what shot they're going to be hitting based on the backswing or the preparation, you really don't know what they're going to do.

They can mimic a certain stroke and then execute another stroke altogether. Do you think players really expect Alcaraz’s sneaky drop shot out of nowhere?

Anticipation at the recreational level is even a worse idea. Players at this level often have issues with their game. For example, they have technical deficiencies, footwork problems, and ball recognition issues.

Their intention might not match their execution ability, making anticipation highly unlikely to succeed. It would turn into a big guessing game, and I'd give your chances at 25% if you were to anticipate or predict the future of what's going to happen with the incoming ball from a recreational-level player.

The title of this article is "Anticipation Is Usually Pointless," which means there are times where anticipation is necessary.

These circumstances are obvious offensive situations and obvious defensive situations, along with a couple of other things that we're going to delve into in great detail.

Aggressive Dictatorship

Scenarios of offensive anticipation are going to be situations where you are dominating the rally. Your opponent is simply in a lot of trouble.

One sign that your opponent is in trouble is when they're reaching. As soon as you see this movement and your opponent is trying to get to the ball, stretching their arm out and showing signs of despair, it's a great time to anticipate.

Move up into the court because putting the ball away from closer to the net will be much easier.

This scenario can involve various movements. It might be a lateral movement where your opponent is stretching sideways. It could be a defensive movement where your opponent is catching the ball behind their body.

Alternatively, your opponent might be dragged forward and barely managing to reach the ball, scrambling to shovel it back into play. When you observe these movements, anticipate a defensive shot.

It's highly unlikely that your opponent will come up with something amazing from these scenarios. In 99% of cases, they'll give you an easy ball.

However, if you stand at the baseline and wait for the ball to drop down, it will be more challenging to put it away. Plus, you'll give your opponent time to get back to the middle of the court.

Protecting Yourself From Dying

Defensive anticipation is going to be a scenario where you are in trouble and you're going to anticipate problems in the rally. What you can do is basically two different things: you can go 50-50 or back up.

Let me give you an example. Let's say that you hit a really weak ball right down the middle of the court. Now your opponent has a super easy forehand, and you're standing right there behind the baseline. You have the choice of either going to the right or the left.

If you just stand there and your opponent hits the ball, you won't be able to get to it because it's going to be too powerful and too fast for you to reach.

What you can do is basically guess, go 50-50, and pick a side prior to your opponent making contact. This gives you a 50% chance of getting it right.

Another thing you can do, which can be combined with the 50-50 method, is that you back up when you observe a defensive scenario. Let's say you hit a ball that's super weak, and it's landing inside the service line. Now your opponent is coming up and they're going to be aggressive.

You can just stand here and go 50-50, but you can also back up and give yourself more time to react. From here, you might not need 50-50. Having more time to react allows you to play defense and get the ball back in play.

If you're up against someone very strong or dealing with an easy overhead, you might need to back up and go 50-50.

It's important to utilize defensive anticipation because often, when you're getting the ball back in play and making your opponent hit another shot, they will get frustrated. This can lead them to make mistakes.

Feeling Satisfied

A situation where you should definitely utilize anticipation is when you hit a good drop shot. Observing elite-level players or high-level players, you'll notice that after hitting a good drop shot, they immediately move into the court. This anticipatory movement is a key aspect.

So, why is this the case? Let's consider the scenario: you've hit a good drop shot. What can your opponent do?

The ball is close to the net on their side. They might opt for a counter drop shot. To defend against this, you want to be closer inside the court. They're unlikely to hit the ball hard and deep.

Thus, you can anticipate them returning a floater or attempting a counter drop shot. That's why, when you execute a well-placed drop shot, it's important to move into the court almost immediately after hitting your shot.

This type of anticipation is a common practice among high-level and elite players. You won't see someone hit a drop shot and then back up, as it exposes them to a potential counter drop shot.

However, keep in mind that you need to sense that it's indeed a good drop shot. Sometimes, it feels like you've executed it really well, while at other times, it might feel like a poor shot.

If you hit a horrible drop shot, moving up can put you in a vulnerable position. The key is to have a feel for the shot's quality. When you hit a drop shot that cleanly and softly comes off your racket, indicating a well-executed shot, it's the right time to sneak up to the net.

Trapped In Hand Cuffs

Something that occurs at all levels is when players hit a very soft passing shot. Let me give you an example: a player comes in, and now the defender hits a little chip that goes very low over the net and bounces very short, or they hit a short spinny ball that just barely clears the net and lands very short in the box.

Basically, what the net person has to do is bend down and play a low volley. High-level and elite players, in response, immediately rush the net. Why?

It's highly unlikely that the volleyer will hit the ball hard and deep. They might attempt a drop shot volley, a half drop shot volley, or even a half volley to send the ball a bit deeper.

However, due to the low trajectory and their proximity to the net, there's a significant chance that the ball will sit up a little.

Two scenarios can unfold: either the volleyer will execute a really good drop shot or the ball will pop up. In both cases, being closer to the net and moving up makes strategic sense.

So, the next time your opponent approaches the net and you respond with a chip shot right at their feet or a spinny shot to challenge them, immediately after hitting your shot, consider sneaking in.

Final Thoughts

One thing to keep in mind is that anticipation is never 100% accurate. So, the things that I just talked about—these obvious scenarios when you anticipate—you're not guaranteed that the things you think are going to happen will indeed happen. Even in these obvious scenarios, sometimes the opponent will still come up with a crazy shot.

The problem with anticipation is that you are essentially predicting the future, and it's only reliable in these obvious scenarios. While it's not 100% accurate, I do encourage you to utilize the anticipation methods that were discussed today. However, if it doesn’t go as planned, remember I am not the one liable!