The Most Important Shots In Tennis

Tennis is an evolving sport. Just look at the professional matches. A few decades ago, all players would do was serve or return and follow the ball to the net. Contrarily, our eyes are now experiencing endless and grueling baseline exchanges. It is quite hard to keep up with all of the newest trends and tips. One day you think that the serve is the most important shot to possess, while the next thing you know, there is this secret play that “works” all of the time.

It is important to know if the ideas out there are truly trustworthy or not. Hence, in this article, we will explain what the most important strokes are on tour and what you should focus on when practicing.

ATP Tour

Let's dive into the ATP tour and discuss the significance of certain shots in professional men's tennis. It is really all about the serve and the forehand.

While there are a few exceptions like Benoit Paire, who favors his backhand, the majority of male players build their game around a powerful serve and forehand. These two shots are crucial for success at the elite level.

Even if a player's backhand is not at a top 500 level, having a formidable serve and forehand can still lead to a successful career. Players like Jack Sock and Steve Johnson, despite their weaker backhands, possess exceptional serves and forehands that allow them to compensate for this weakness.

Regarding Benoit Paire, his forehand may not look aesthetically pleasing, but it is a topspin shot with considerable spin.  

Despite its unorthodox appearance, it has proven to be an effective weapon, as seen when he defeated Novak Djokovic in Miami. It highlights the importance of technique and functionality over beauty in a shot.

Disappearing Volleys

Additionally, exceptional athleticism plays a role in covering the backhand side with the forehand. Many players, including Steve Johnson and Jack Sock, excel at running around their backhands to hit forehands.  

Even those with strong backhands, such as Rafael Nadal, frequently utilize this tactic.

Unfortunately, the evolution of the game on the ATP tour has seen a decline in the serve and volley style of play. While some players, like Maxime Cressy and Nick Kyrgios, still employ this strategy occasionally, it is no longer as prevalent.

The importance of volleys has simply diminished, and players can succeed without being exceptional volleyers. A strong baseline game and a powerful serve have become the key factors.

WTA Tour

When it comes to the WTA tour it's all about the baseline game. It's not so much about the volleys. On the WTA tour, the serve is not that important. You can get to the elite level of the WTA tour with a relatively slow serve.

Players with shoulder issues and limitations, along with pancake serves, are not uncommon. Madison Brengle, for example, does not have a high-level serve. But because the WTA tour emphasizes strong baseline play, weaknesses on the serve can be compensated.

Interestingly, on the WTA tour, many players prefer the backhand over the forehand. Specialty shots have become less important due to limited variety in the game. Slices, drop shots, lobs, and playing with sidespin are not as prevalent as before.

However, the drop shot has made a resurgence among newer players like Carlos Alcaraz. On the ATP tour, the drop shot remains an important specialty shot. In contrast, the WTA tour has seen a disappearance of variety, making specialty shots less significant.

When players with unique shots like Barty or Monica Niculescu appear, opponents often struggle to adapt to their unconventional style of play.

Singles At The Rec Level

If you came to train with me, I would focus on building fundamentals from the baseline. The forehand and backhand hit from various court positions would be our main focus, accounting for at least 75% of our training time. The remaining 20% would be dedicated to practicing the serve and return of serve.

You might wonder why we don't prioritize the serve and return more, considering their importance. The reason is that serving can become monotonous, and excessive serving can lead to shoulder fatigue and potential injury. To keep serve practice exciting, we incorporate targets, radar guns, and playing out points.

Destroying Your Shoulder

In terms of serving, it is recommended to hit around 50 to 75 serves per session, totaling about 20% of the practice time. Going beyond 150 to 200 serves in one session can strain the shoulder and pose risks.

Specialty shots such as volleys, slices, squash shots, drop shots, and lobs have their significance, but should not overshadow the building blocks of the game. While these specialty shots can be important, dedicating too much time to them can hinder the development of your primary skills.

Building a strong foundation with the serve, forehand, and backhand should be the priority, accounting for 95% of your practice time. The remaining 5% can be allocated to specialty shots.

Doubles Weekend Warriors

Now, let's talk about doubles. It's important to note that doubles play is quite different from singles. In the United States, the majority of recreational players actually participate in doubles rather than singles.

This differs from Europe, where matches typically include six singles and three doubles, ensuring players get some singles play. Here, there are dedicated doubles leagues, leading to more doubles players than singles players.

The reason for this difference can be attributed to the financial aspect. Doubles players generally have more opportunities to earn money compared to singles players.

However, personally, I prefer singles as I believe it showcases the better version of tennis. The individuality of singles, being out there on your own and figuring out ways to win, is something I find appealing.

Changing Your Practices

Let's dive into practicing for doubles if you're more of a doubles specialist. Surprisingly, you can practice in a similar way to singles. Many people believe that in doubles, you must play at the net, chip and charge, and come in off your serves.

However, that's not entirely true. Elite doubles teams on both the WTA and ATP tours often play from the baseline, and this is not uncommon. You can be successful as a doubles specialist playing from the baseline rather than being forced to come to the net.

Of course, volleying is still important in doubles. Putting the ball away at the net is easier than from the baseline. However, if you struggle at the net or don't enjoy volleying, you don't have to spend excessive time improving your volley.

You can still be a good doubles player by staying more at the baseline. As a doubles specialist, you should expose yourself to scenarios that happen more frequently in doubles, such as being at the net and practicing overheads and volleys.

While playing from the baseline can be an effective approach, it's important to note that the best way to play doubles is like the Bryan brothers, who are considered the best doubles team in history. They were serve and volleyers, chip and chargers, poachers, and closers.

Practicing at the net and improving your volley is beneficial in doubles. The net is incredibly important in doubles, and the Bryan Brothers' double-specific drills often had both players at the net.

Final Thoughts

It is key to remember that it is still important to strengthen every part of your game. While some players might not have good volleys or a weak groundstroke, they have learned to hit these shots correctly. To add, focus on constructing your practices around fundamentals from the baseline. Having the intention to only work on a certain thing will make you feel bored, and perhaps, also be a waste of time.

Lastly, while I mentioned what the critical shots are at different levels of the game, you can still succeed with your own strengths. Therefore, I will personally stick to my established all court game. I’ve had great results with it.