Tennis is the fourth most popular sport in the whole world, with a fan following of more than a billion people worldwide. Now every sport has different levels of followers. There are those that play either professionally or as amateurs. Then you have those that are die-hard fans and know each and everything about the game, and lastly there are those that love watching, but don't understand much, or aren't into minute details. For those of you who love watching tennis, or are even contemplating taking it up as a hobby or career, I am going to tell you all about the basic tennis shots, along with some tennis tips and tricks.
Types of Tennis Shots
Different players have different styles, obviously. And there can be numerous shots that do not fall appear in the pages of a coaching manual. Here, I will list and explain in brief, the basic shots in tennis that are the most commonly played, and should be known by every budding tennis player and fan alike.
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| Serve |
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The serve is the start of a point. The idea is to put the ball in play by serving it into the opponent's side of the court. The serve needs to fall in the diagonal part of the opposite side of the court in the square just after the net, which is called the service box. The ball is tossed up in the air and the aim is to strike it at the highest point possible with a fully-stretched arm. While doing so, either foot should not touch the baseline until the serve is completed. There are different types of serves, though the common ones are the flat powerful serve, and the slice serve. A serve is an important part of the game, and most often sets up the way the point is played. A serve that ends without the opponent even getting the racket to the ball is called an Ace. Some of the best servers in the game are/were Goran Ivanisevic, Richard Krajicek, Andy Roddick, Ivo Karlovic, John Isner, and the Williams sisters. |
| Forehand |
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This is the basic and most important shot in every player's game, and also one of the first shots that almost everyone learns to master. The racket is held with a locked and firm grip, and the shot is played on the correct side (right side for a right-handed player & left side for a left-handed player), by swinging the racket from behind to front, directing it towards where the ball needs to be hit. This shot has one continuous swing and the speed is determined by how far the player swings the racket from behind the ball. For the greatest effect, this shot should be played with the body weight towards the front. An effective forehand either produces a winner or is so good that the opponent produces a weak return which allows you to put the ball away and win the point. The players who execute this shot the best are Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. |
| Backhand |
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The backhand shot is simply the opposite of the forehand, though it's not as simple as that. It is played on the wrong side of the player by swinging the racket from behind towards where the ball needs to be directed. Other techniques that need to be used are similar to the forehand. Everyone, well almost, masters the forehand, but getting the backhand right is not so easy. And a player who has a powerful backhand along with the forehand, ends up having a much more lethal attacking game. Players who use(d) the backhand the best are Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova, and Roger Federer. |
| Double-handed Backhand |
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This is the same as the backhand shot mentioned above, the only difference being that instead of playing it with one hand, both hands are used. Now the reason can be any of the two - some players simply use it to generate more power, while others need to use it as their single-handed backhand is not such a powerful shot in their armor. Also, the situation can determine whether the single-handed or double-handed backhand needs to be used. For example, if you are moving forward to attack a weak return from your opponent, then killing the point with a double-handed backhand would be preferable. If the opponent's return is not very near, then with less time in hand, stretching and executing a single-handed backhand would be easier. Monica Seles was a treat to watch when she used to double-backhand to maximum effect against her opponents. |
| Top Spin |
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The top spin shot uses the basics of a forehand, with some tweaks for a different end result. Imagine you are executing the forehand shot itself, that's the basic posture. But the racket's starting point needs to be at least a foot below the height it will finally contact the ball. Usually, final contact is around mid-stomach height. At the point of contact, the back of the ball needs to be hit with the axis of the racket parallel to the ground. The ball should be hit anywhere between 4 - 5 inches above the net so that it has maximum effect after bouncing in the opponent's side of the court. The top spin allows the ball to bounce and go ahead even more, making it difficult for the opponent to either reach the ball or execute a decent return. It is also used to have a counter-effect if the opponent has played a slice shot. Again, if you want to see the best examples, watch Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal play this shot. |
| Slice |
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The slice shot is used when you want the ball to sail through low into the other half of the court. It is also normally done on a backhand shot. Using a firm grip, the racket needs to be taken from a high point and hit down towards the ball, something similar to a karate chop. This keeps the ball low when it bounces in the other half of the court. It is also termed as backspin or underspin, and will force to opponent to play a top spin or a shot which comes high and weak, back at you. Even though it risks making me look like a die-hard Federer fan, and I actually back Nadal, I will have to say that Federer executes the slice the best among all the players at present. |
| Drop Shot |
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A drop shot can be played like another version of the slice, or also can be simply a gentle touch over the net, in such a way that the opponent cannot reach or retrieve the ball. This shot is most effective when it is used as a surprise weapon when the opponent is back deep in his half, and is not in a position to run fast enough to retrieve the ball right at the net. It works best on a clay court where the bounce of the ball is lower than all other surface types. Besides Federer, Novak Djokovic is wonderful to watch when he plays this shot, most often than not, catching his opponents off-guard and stranded at the baseline. |
| Volley/Half Volley |
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In this shot, the ball is hit before it bounces on the ground. It is usually executed after the point has been set up with a deep shot that has the opponent right at the baseline. The wrist has to be very firm to play the volley, and the ball is just punched into the vacant area of the opponent's side of the court with an angled racket. Also, you need to be either right at the net or quite inside your baseline to get maximum advantage. Pete Sampras was best known for playing the volley to maximum effect. The half volley is just the same as the volley. The only difference being that the ball is just allowed to bounce and is hit immediately on the rise. The champ of the 80s, Boris Becker was a master at playing this shot, and he used to make it more dramatic with his dives and scrambling all over the court. |
| Lob |
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This is a shot played when your opponent has come forward right to the net. The ball needs to be hit with the racket angling between 0 to 45 degrees. It should sail over the opponent in such a way that he cannot jump to smash it, and it should bounce in his court, not allowing him enough time to run back and retrieve it. Using some topspin in the shot greatly increases its effectiveness. This is however the offensive lob. If you are in a defensive position during a point, your opponent being at the baseline, a lob can be used then too to break the opponent's rhythm, which will also increase the duration of the point and give you vital time to get back into a proper position for the point. Lleyton Hewitt and Andre Agassi used the lob to great effect in their careers. |
| Overhead Smash |
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The overhead smash can be played when you are either right at the net or some distance inside your baseline, and you receive a ball that is high. It can be taken either directly or on the bounce. The technique is quite like the serve, but many players love to jump up and execute the overhead smash. It is safest when played with either one or both feet on the ground, which allows for least margin of error. This shot should be aimed not to close to the net nor too close to the baseline of the opponent. Andy Roddick is someone who blasts his opponents out of the point the best using the overhead smash. |
These were the basic tennis shot names, which are most widely used in any game, be it amateur or professional. For a good overall game, executing these basic tennis shots are a bare minimum for any player. And for all those who simply love to watch the game, when your favorite player plays an excellent shot and wins a point, you will now know what that shot is called.
