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Playing against a different kind of player.

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anubhav1984 View Drop Down
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    Posted: 03/15/2011 at 2:23pm
Hi Folks,

I need some suggestions on playing against a very strange kind of player. Though i have been playing against this player for quite some time now, the problem is, that i am rarely able to defeat him. Though i am technically more sound than him, i guess it is somewhere in my strategy of game that is loose to him.

I will try to describe his game below:-
1. Very spinny services. Mostly high toss, generally very very fast down the backhand. Lots of variations.
2. Rare but very powerful topspin. Mostly waits for the right ball for the kill and then goes for it with all the power. Rarely blockable.
3. I have very strong serves too but his returns are very difficult to hit top spin against. He somehow mixes sidespin in his return of serves. I need to know if there is something that i can do to avoid his sidespin returns.
4. Very strong in flicks and full of surprises.

The problem is that i am not able to open against his serve returns almost 60 percent of the time. Whenever i am able to hit topspin against his serve return it is weak and he is able to lob it back. He returns my serve using side spin most of the times. Now the problem is that i do not understand how to hit topspin against this sidespin return.

Any ideas and suggestions are most welcome. Sorry for not being in a position to upload a video at the moment.

Butterfly Viscaria FL
FH - Undecided
BH - Undecided
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roundrobin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote roundrobin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/15/2011 at 2:55pm
1. Very spinny services. Mostly high toss, generally very very fast down the backhand. Lots of variations.

To receive high-toss serves with good variations require you to be able to either roll the serve back against side-topspin or push the ball back against side-underspin in extremely short amount of time.  It is highly technical and needs to be practiced to perfection.  The only way to do so effectively is to have a multi-ball partner serve to you with varied spin.


2. Rare but very powerful topspin. Mostly waits for the right ball for the kill and then goes for it with all the power. Rarely blockable.

Your opponent can execute point-ending loopkills whenever opportunities present themselves.  This indicates his level is perhaps higher than you are willing to admit.  Your goal is prevent him to unleashing such shots by jamming to his elbow consistently, and by moving him around to extend his arm to reach the ball.  If he can't perform a full-swing on the move then he can't topspin as hard.


3. I have very strong serves too but his returns are very difficult to hit top spin against. He somehow mixes sidespin in his return of serves. I need to know if there is something that i can do to avoid his sidespin returns.

Push the first return back carefully if you are not comfortable opening it with topspin.  Aim for elbow, deep corners, short over the net, etc.


4. Very strong in flicks and full of surprises.
The problem is that i am not able to open against his serve returns almost 60 percent of the time. Whenever i am able to hit topspin against his serve return it is weak and he is able to lob it back. He returns my serve using side spin most of the times. Now the problem is that i do not understand how to hit topspin against this sidespin return.


Here you have two problems to solve:  He's returning your serves to where you can't perform a proper topspin, and you can't deal with his sidespin returns properly even if you tried to open.
Start by serving directly to an area where you can expect a reasonable return, such as deep backhand from your backhand corner, where the serve is most likely returned back to your middle.  Be ready for this return to the middle.  ANTICIPATE that this return is coming back to the middle.  Do not serve with traditional pendulum forehand sidespin.  Simply serve heavy underspin, no sidespin at all.  The return will not have any sidespin so you can loop it normally with your forehand.  You can also serve reverse-pendulum or tomahawk style deep to his backhand, so the return will be loaded with the sidespin that can easily be looped with forehand.




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anubhav1984 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote anubhav1984 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/15/2011 at 3:03pm
Roundrobin:- Thanks a lot with those really useful suggestions! I will ensure that i try and play him on his elbow. This is one thing that i had not tried before.
The problem with my serving short to him is that i am not able to impart enough backspin on short serves to make it difficult for him to do a rolling sidespin on it. He somehow manages to roll them back with ease.
On long underspin serves, he does mistakes but not very often. Sometimes when i serve a flat no spin long serve he misreads it and gives me a sitter which i kill to my pleasure. However, whenever i serve with sidespin mixed he returns them with very heavy backspin which is kind of impossible for me to hit against. Even the best of the players in my club had difficulty in lifting topspin against his deep pushes.
The problem is that if you try to open with a slow loop he hits a very powerful flat and finishes the point. So that is also not an option. Continuing in a rally of pushes with him is really a big mind block for me.
Your suggestion of playing him on his elbow is something that has really got me thinking as to why i did not think of this before.
Thanks a lot mate! Great advice there!
 
Butterfly Viscaria FL
FH - Undecided
BH - Undecided
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