More About the Game
Let's learn more about the game of tennis. While some sports
rely more on mental or physical skill, tennis is a mixture of both.
You need to be able to strategize quickly on court, have tough mental game,
and have the skills to pull the right shots off. Of course first you need to
know what the shots are and when you use them. The table below gives a summary
of the three main locations on the court and basic shots at each location.
Types of Tennis Shots
| Baseline Shots |
Service Line Shots |
Net Shots |
| forehand |
slice |
volley |
| backhand |
approach shot |
overhead |
The Forehand
Typically, the baseline forehand is a player's strongest shot. I am actually stronger on my backhand, which I often use to surprise opponents who are used to
backhands being the weaker shot. Here is a slow motion gif of a forehand. Don't worry if it looks intimidating. You're looking at Victoria Azarenka, one of the top
women's tennis players in the world!
Keys to a Good Forehand
- backswing
- Start high. When the opponent makes contact with the ball swing your racquet with both hands to about shoulder height
- contact point
- swing down and make contact with the ball when the racquet is just in front of your hips
- follow through
- brush upwards as you swing through the ball and follow through over your left shoulder with your elbow pointing up (opposite if you are left-handed)