Tennis Training Theme #9 – Aggressive Baseline Style of Play

Objective

Learn how to dictate play with an aggressive baseline style of play.

1. Learn how to control the baseline. Work the point to hit most of your groundstrokes on or just inside the baseline. Learn how to take the ball early always looking to move forward. Work on your ability to hit the ball on the rise to maintain a strong court position. Learn how to use your position on the court to take time away from your opponent.
2. Work on your ability to generate pace and hit penetrating shots through the court. Learn also how to absorb and vary pace with spin as necessary.
3. Work on your ability to raise the height of your ball and hit with depth and topspin to push your opponent back and in turn, establish or reestablish a positional advantage on the court.
4. Work on your ability to close after opening the court to finish the point with a volley, swinging volley, mid-court groundstroke drive or overhead. Learn how to anticipate when your opponent is likely to hit a short ball or hit a ball up affording you the opportunity to move in to capitalize. Work on your ability to not allow your opponent time to recover after each exchange of shots.
5. Work on your footwork, court coverage and positioning to cover the baseline. Learn how to take the most direct, forward line to the ball. Learn how to run around your forehand to hit inside/out forehand drives with angle and/or depth and inside/in forehand drives for depth.
6. Work on your ability to hit targets with your serve to set up opportunities to finish the point with one more shot. Learn how to execute different serve first-strike patterns.
7. Work on your ability to hit targets with your serve return to set up opportunities to finish the point with one more shot. Learn how to execute different serve return first-strike patterns.
8. Work on your ability to hit all four key targets (two deep, corner and two short, angle targets) with your groundstrokes and volleys. Learn how to execute cross-court and down-the-line patterns hitting to these four targets to create openings and opportunities to successfully conclude the point. Focus on your ability to open the court with redirection and angles.
9. Work on your intensity and focus and your ability to sustain a relentless attack from the baseline with controlled aggression. Controlled aggression requires looking to maintain advantage by systematic, sustained pressure not by looking to end every point with a quick strike. Controlled aggression requires hitting with acceleration and length, hitting with heavy spin as necessary for margin, hitting to big primarily cross-court targets and hitting over the middle of the net. At the same time, it requires being bold and decisive and going for a shot to end the point when given the right opportunity.
10. Learn how to exude confidence and how to establish command with your on-court presence. Appear bold and decisive in your demeanor in alignment with your on-court aggressive baseline style of play. Learn how to bolster confidence with positive self-talk and body language. Learn how to control the tempo of a match to apply perceived pressure on your opponent by managing the pace of play. Be deliberate but tactical in how much time you take to start each point with your serve with the goal of dictating the flow of the match on your terms.