Question: I hit the ball fairly well but often am unsure of whether to ‘attack’ or ‘defend’ while playing a point. What’s a basic strategy to make this choice simple?
Ninety percent of players spend their time on court trying to improve their technique, and particularly so when their serve or backhand breaks down under pressure or they commit a lot of errors. Often the “cure” suggested by their pro is more stroke lessons to either improve the suspect stroke or cut down on errors. The next 9% or so figure out what the strengths of their game are: strong serve, volley, forehand weapon, speed around court, and try to play their strength(s) as much as possible against their opponent’s weakness. In case you have been doing the maths, the last 1% have actually figured out how to play/adjust against their opponent’s game.
Regardless of your strengths, your basic game starts with a clear understanding of when to ‘attack’ or ‘defend’ since ultimately success in tennis goes to the player who hits the ball over the net and into the court the last time! The so-called ‘pusher’ understands this very well and wins when his/her opponent overplays the ball — and their errors and frustration increase exponentially .
Many years ago, Billie Jean King wrote about a simple ‘traffic light strategy’ of dividing the court into green (safe), yellow (caution) and red (danger) zones. The strategy was based on a player’s ability to get close enough to the net to safely hit down on the ball.
Here’s a simple figure I prepared some time ago to illustrate the basic principle:
It’s fairly obvious that a taller player has an obvious advantage by being able to see ‘over the net’ from deeper in the court. It also follows why the pusher wins if you are trying to constantly attack from the baseline — the odds are stacked against you!
You’ll have noticed that in the modern game, the top players use more topspin to drive the ball up and over the net when closer to the baseline to overcome the disadvantage of being deeper in the court.
To be certain you understand the principle here’s a side view:
Hence, the simplest game plan of all then, is to figure out where your red, yellow, and green zones are and play accordingly.
When you are in the red zone, defend and keep the ball in play; in the yellow zone, hit approach shots to take control of the net by moving into your green zone. When in the green zone with a ball bouncing higher than the net, attack!
This game plan also goes by another name — percentage tennis! It may not be spectacular as ‘first strike tennis’, but success has a nice warm feel to it!
And even if you are trying to play ‘first strike tennis’, there are many times — and particularly on big points, when ‘first strike tennis’ is NOT your best option! Just watch how Roger and Rafa play the big points in tie breakers or when down set point or behind on serve.
Become THE ‘smarter player’. It’s always nice to come off with a win regardless of how poorly/well you hit the ball. In fact Brad Gilbert wrote a book about playing smart when you are outgunned. He called it –“Winning Ugly”.
Rob Muir, USPTA
MTC Tennis Whisperer
Contact Rob Muir
Badge 11May: ALL Badge Matches CancelledMay 11, 2024
MLTC Newsletter – 6 May 2024May 6, 2024
Badge Report: Round 3
/in Badge /by RobMixed results for our Badge Teams last round. Our Thursday Ladies, Saturday Ladies 2 Team and our Mens 6 Team all had big wins. Mens 2 and Mens 7 Teams had close wins.
Saturday Badge this week sees our Mens 1 team playing at 250pm v Voyager. This should be a grudge match against the North Manly Team.
Saturday Badge Results
Ladies Badge
Ladies 1 Lost 3-5 at home to ESTC. A close result with one very good lady winning 4 sets for Easts.
Janelle/Nicola 2 sets. Julia/ Emily 1 set
Ladies 2 Won 6-2 away at Sydney Uni. Krista/Olivia certainly love the grass to win 4 sets again as per round 1. This Included a 6-0 6-0 result against former colleague Morganne Grange and partner. Sharna/Elaine won 2 sets to complete an easy victory.
Mens Badge
Mens 1 Lost 4-4 on games away at Kooroora. Cameron / Boyd won 3 sets. Todd /Harry 1 set. A close result with Cameron Greens Dad starring for Kooroora to take 3 sets and complete a win on games. Warren Greens team beat our men in last seasons final.
Mens 2 Won 5-3 at home v Killara. After 2 close losses the men turned it around this time to have a good win. Dan/Mike won 3 sets. Murillo/Adam 2 sets.
Mens 3 Bye
Mens 4 Lost 3-5 away at Marrickville . Father and son Craig and Jarryd Stevens ( no relation to Cat) won 3 sets to lead the way. They played smart tennis and returned the serve on the full as the grass is so bad at Marrickville. Unfortunately that is not the case but should be allowed at Marrickville!
Mens 5 Lost 3-5 away at Cammeray. Another close result for this team. Joao/ Carl teamed up for the first time to win 2 sets. Scott/Ben 1 set.
Mens 6 Won 7-1 at home v Sydney University. Tennis brains defeated university brains easily. Chris/Denis 4 sets. Hugo/Guy played together for the first time to win 3 sets.
Mens 7 Won 4-4 on games v Wests at home. Roger/Stu 3 sets. David/ Hamish 1 set. This team is performing well each week.
Mens 8 Lost 1-7 away at Marrickville. It was a tough struggle on the grass. Ray Dalgairns/ Bob Amaral took one set.
Thursday Ladies Badge
Won 7-1 at home. Lindy/Michelle won 4 sets Narelle/Jane won 3 sets and lost a tiebreaker. The ladies are now on top of the ladder! Best wishes to Narelle who is having a small operation this week.
Court Bookings
Please be aware of Club Times for members to play. Outside of those times you need to book a court and pay the Manly Tennis Centre at the Pro Shop prior to play. The Club Times are displayed on the notice board, pro shop and on our website.
BADGE CONTINUES THIS SATURDAY.
Good luck to all teams this weekend
Denis Crowley
Manly Lawn Tennis Club Captain.
Badge Score Board: Round 3
/in Badge /by RobBadge Results
Rd 3
23-Jun
Thanks to Ron for compiling the results!
U.S. Open will go on, but no fans are allowed
/in COVID, News /by RobThe U.S. Open tennis tournament will take place as scheduled, but it will not include fans, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday.
The event, which has been a big revenue driver for the state, will take place Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens.
The United States Tennis Association issued a statement saying it’s excited New York approved its plan to hold the tournament on time.
“We recognize the tremendous responsibility of hosting one of the first global sporting events in these challenging times, and we will do so in the safest manner possible, mitigating all potential risks. We now can give fans around the world the chance to watch tennis’ top athletes compete for a US Open title, and we can showcase tennis as the ideal social distancing sport,” Mike Dowse, USTA CEO, said in a statement.
Cuomo outlined some of the safety measures that will be necessary to hold an event of this caliber.
“The USTA will take extraordinary precautions to protect players and staff, including robust testing, additional cleaning, extra locker room space and dedicated housing and transportation,” Cuomo said in his daily news conference.
However, not everyone is happy with the decision to hold the iconic tournament. Top players including Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have publicly expressed their concerns.
With New York being the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S., temporary hospitals were set up at the Flushing facility.
“Most of the players I have talked with were quite negative on whether they would go there,” Djokovic said in an interview with Serbia’s state broadcaster RTS on Tuesday.
Djokovic said the restrictions in place would be “extreme” and “not sustainable.”
Nick Kyrgios called it “selfish” to hold the U.S. Open.
“I’ll get my hazmat suit ready for when I travel from Australia and then have to quarantine for 2 weeks on my return,” he tweeted Monday.
The U.S. Open tennis tournament brings in $400 million in revenue annually, which accounts for 80% of the USTA’s yearly total. More than 700,000 fans attended the tournament last year from all over the world. The event generates business to the area’s hotels, restaurants and the greater local economy.
Source: CNBC
ProTip: When Should I Attack or Defend?
/in Ask the Pro, Whisperer /by RobQuestion: I hit the ball fairly well but often am unsure of whether to ‘attack’ or ‘defend’ while playing a point. What’s a basic strategy to make this choice simple?
Ninety percent of players spend their time on court trying to improve their technique, and particularly so when their serve or backhand breaks down under pressure or they commit a lot of errors. Often the “cure” suggested by their pro is more stroke lessons to either improve the suspect stroke or cut down on errors. The next 9% or so figure out what the strengths of their game are: strong serve, volley, forehand weapon, speed around court, and try to play their strength(s) as much as possible against their opponent’s weakness. In case you have been doing the maths, the last 1% have actually figured out how to play/adjust against their opponent’s game.
Regardless of your strengths, your basic game starts with a clear understanding of when to ‘attack’ or ‘defend’ since ultimately success in tennis goes to the player who hits the ball over the net and into the court the last time! The so-called ‘pusher’ understands this very well and wins when his/her opponent overplays the ball — and their errors and frustration increase exponentially .
Many years ago, Billie Jean King wrote about a simple ‘traffic light strategy’ of dividing the court into green (safe), yellow (caution) and red (danger) zones. The strategy was based on a player’s ability to get close enough to the net to safely hit down on the ball.
Here’s a simple figure I prepared some time ago to illustrate the basic principle:
It’s fairly obvious that a taller player has an obvious advantage by being able to see ‘over the net’ from deeper in the court. It also follows why the pusher wins if you are trying to constantly attack from the baseline — the odds are stacked against you!
You’ll have noticed that in the modern game, the top players use more topspin to drive the ball up and over the net when closer to the baseline to overcome the disadvantage of being deeper in the court.
To be certain you understand the principle here’s a side view:
Hence, the simplest game plan of all then, is to figure out where your red, yellow, and green zones are and play accordingly.
When you are in the red zone, defend and keep the ball in play; in the yellow zone, hit approach shots to take control of the net by moving into your green zone. When in the green zone with a ball bouncing higher than the net, attack!
This game plan also goes by another name — percentage tennis! It may not be spectacular as ‘first strike tennis’, but success has a nice warm feel to it!
And even if you are trying to play ‘first strike tennis’, there are many times — and particularly on big points, when ‘first strike tennis’ is NOT your best option! Just watch how Roger and Rafa play the big points in tie breakers or when down set point or behind on serve.
Become THE ‘smarter player’. It’s always nice to come off with a win regardless of how poorly/well you hit the ball. In fact Brad Gilbert wrote a book about playing smart when you are outgunned. He called it –“Winning Ugly”.
Rob Muir, USPTA
MTC Tennis Whisperer
Contact Rob Muir
Badge Score Board: Round 2
/in Badge /by RobBadge Results
Rd 2
13-Jun
Thanks to Ron for compiling the results!
Badge Report: Round 2
/in Badge /by RobA much smaller crowd was in attendance at Badge last Saturday as per the previous week when our Mens Division 1 Team played at home.
This Saturday our Ladies Division 1 Team will play the late match on courts 1 and 2 so we need a big crowd there to support them.
Social distancing has been followed in the clubhouse and bar areas but we now need everyone to ensure that they social distance in the grandstand. A total of 19 people are allowed only in the grandstand and it will be marked accordingly this week. Please follow the markings in future.
The Committee has decided that food can be provided after Badge if the team decides to do this. However please ensure no sharing of food and place individually on plates with no dips etc. Also please clean the area afterwards.
Saturday Badge Results
Mens Division 1 Won 7-1 away at Kooroora.
Sean /Cameron won 4 sets. Todd / Bosko won 3 sets and lost a tiebreaker.
Mens 2 Division 4 Lost 3-5 to Neutral Bay at home.
Murillo/ Ben won 2 sets, Dan/ Marcus 1 set. Two close losses now for this team. Saturday will be their chance to win at home.
Mens 3 Division 4 Won 7-1 at home v Marrickville
Milton/Craig won 4 sets. Steve/Rob won 3 sets and lost a tiebreaker. A great win against an experienced team. Now sitting on 19 points out of a possible 20.
Mens 4 Division 4 BYE
Mens 5 Division 7 Lost 3-5 away to Hunters Hill on synthetic courts.
Gavin/ Tom won 2 sets, Scott/Carl won 1 set and lost two tight sets. Two really close matches now so due for a big win this Saturday.
Mens 6 Division 8 BYE
Mens 7 Division 11 Washout at Marrickville
Mens 8 Division 11 Lost 1-7 at home to Wests.
Rob Hill/ Ray Dalgairns took 1 set.
Ladies 1 Division 1 Lost 0-8 at Longueville
Ladies 2 Division 3 Lost 2-6 at home to Longueville
Kristina/Olivia won 2 sets
Thursday Ladies Badge
Ladies 1 Division 2 Round 1 was played last week. Won 6-2 away at Roseville. Narelle /Jane won 3 sets. Michelle/ Lindy also won 3 sets. The ladies now play their next two Thursday matches at Manly. 10am start.
BADGE CONTINUES THIS SATURDAY.
Good luck to all teams this weekend
Denis Crowley
Manly Lawn Tennis Club Captain.
TNSW Badge Links Restored
/in Badge /by RobBrowser Badge links to leagues.tennis.com.au are now restored.
TNSW Badge Links Down
/in Badge /by RobBrowser Badge links to leagues.tennis.com.au are currently down and have been since late Saturday.
Waiting for TNSW to correct error.
ATP: You’re never too old to regain that lost muscle.
/in Ask the Pro, Tennis4Life /by RobStarting sometime in our 30s (the data aren’t precise), we lose up to 8 percent of our muscle mass per decade, a decline called sarcopenia, along with up to 30 percent of our strength and power. This leaves us weaker, less mobile and — especially after we cross age 50 — more vulnerable to injury from falls and similar accidents.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Men and women can regain some of that lost muscle mass and, importantly, stay strong enough to enjoy youthful activities well into their winter years, experts say.
You’re never too old to regain that lost muscle. And you can do it at home. “Building and maintaining strength is one of the most important things you can do at any stage of life, and it’s extremely important after age 50,” a sports medicine physician said.
Read more —>
Source: Washington Post Wellness
Badge Score Board: Round 1
/in Badge /by RobBadge Results
Thanks to Ron for compiling the results!
Badge Report: Round 1
/in Badge /by RobIt was great to see a big crowd back at the club on Saturday to witness some excellent tennis in both Mens and Ladies Badge Matches.
Both Division 1 Ladies and Mens matches were high quality games and our teams went down in both after some long sets.
The bar was busy and Tony Hamilton did a great job supervising all the new Covid 19 rules. He was so busy that he followed Ray Dummetts reminder to call off the players at 245pm for end of Badge session. He forgot that Ray still works on Thailand time zones and there was still plenty of time to go. The players on courts 5 and 6 were not amused! Thanks also to Virginia, Jon Corney and Milton for their work at the bar.
Badge Results
Ladies 1. Lost 5-3 to Longueville. A close loss to with Janelle and Nicola winning 3 sets and losing a tiebreaker. Emily and Francine played together for the first time and lost some close sets.
Ladies 2. Won 4.5 -3.5 at Sydney Uni. Krista and Olivia won all 4 sets to steer the ladies to victory. Kristina and Elaine played together for the first time and lost some close sets and one unfinished
Mens 1. Lost 7-1 at home to Grand Slam Tennis. Michael Tebbutt ex tour professional and now coach, and Australian Open doubles runner up from last year ,Max Purcell played for the opposition. Cameron Green a new player for our club teamed up with Club Champion Andrew Riminton to win one set.The standard of play was extraordinary and the crowd were thoroughly entertained. Boyd and Todd played some great tennis to represent their team. Special thanks to Boyd also for playing as he and Bosko hurried back to Manly after attending the protest march in the city. Bosko joined Harry and Jono on the bench.
Mens 2. Lost 5.5 -2.5 at Marrickville. Mike and Dan and Ben and Howard each won 1 set with one set unfinished. Always a tough match on the grass at Marrickville. Thanks to Howard for reserving.
Mens 3. Won 8-0 on forfeit to Neutral Bay.
Mens 4. Won 6-2 at home to Killara. Sean and Vincent continued on from last season to win 4 sets again. Geoff and Harald won 2 sets to complete an easy victory.
Mens 5. Drew 4.5 -3.5 at home to Marrickville. Unlucky not to get a victory here as some close sets. Carl and Scott and Gavin and Tim both won 2 sets with one unfinished to Scott and Carl. A good start to the season as Marrickville are a strong team.
Mens 6. Won 8-0 away at Hunters Hill. A great start to win easily away on grass. Father and son,Richard and Alec Badham played together to win 4 sets. Graham and Denis also won their 4 sets easily. Hunters Hill had a 14 year old Kings School Boy playing his first Badge match. I almost felt sorry for him when he only won 7 games in 4 sets.
Mens 7. Won 8-0 at home to Strathfield. After being dropped in the revised draw this team is out to win a Badge Title to prove the grading committee wrong. David and Peter and Mark and Roger combined to win 4 sets each easily.Well done,guys.
Mens 8. Won 4 all on games away at Mosman. Bob and Ray Dalgairns won 3 sets and Des and Gordon won the last set 6-0 to set up a win on games. Always tough to play on the Mosman grass so this was a good win.
Badge captains are responsible for returning badge balls to the basket behind the bar for use in Social play on other days. Thursday night players also return the balls to the basket behind the bar please.
BADGE CONTINUES THIS SATURDAY.
Good luck to all teams this weekend
Denis Crowley
Manly Lawn Tennis Club Captain.
Revised Badge Draws Posted
/in Badge, Club News /by RobThe REVISED draws for all Mens and Ladies Badge competitions have been published.
Please note that the draws are still subject to change. Team captains should check for any changes prior to ANY match.Navigating the TNSW web site is frustrating at best….definitely not user friendly…. To ease the pain, here’re the direct links for our Manly teams. ( ) indicate TNSW division numbers.Please note you will need an TNSW account to log in.
Good luck to all.