Winning Singles Patterns

Here are a series of singles pattern you need to practice and execute during competitive play to get that winning edge over your opponents.

1. Serve out wide (applicable to both the deuce and ad sides of the court). Hit your 2nd shot (3rd shot in the point sequence) down-the-line for a winner.
2. What? Your opponent miraculously got your down-the-line shot back in play. No problem, close and follow up with an angled volley winner to the open court.
3. Serve at the body to effectively jam your opponent. Jump on the weak return (not literally) and hit an angled cross court or down-the-line winner to the open court.
4. Serve down the middle and follow your serve into the net (serve and volley). Volley your next shot to the same side of the court (behind your opponent) effectively wrong footing your opponent for a winner.
5. Hit cross court and deep until you get a short ball. Redirect the short ball down-the-line to the open court for a winner.
6. Hit cross court and deep until you get a short ball from your opponent. Particularly if the short ball is hit to the outside third of the court, attack the short ball with a severely angled cross-court winner.
7. Step or run around your backhand in response to a ball hit to the left side of the court and hit an inside-out, cross court forehand winner to the opposite corner of the court.
8. Hit for depth and consistency until you get a short ball. Reply with a down-the-line approach shot and finish the point with a cross-court, angled volley winner.
9. Hit a high and loopy (preferably heavy) ball deep to the weak corner of your opponent (particularly effective to the backhand corner of a player with a one-handed backhand). Move in and take the next ball (3rd ball in the sequence) out of the air for a volley winner to the opposite side of the court.
10. Hit a down-the-line drop shot with slice (underspin and sidespin) to draw your opponent to the net. Finish the point with a lob winner to the opposite corner of the court.