The Battering Ram (Rafa's Favorite Play)
TAP TO WATCH!
Introducing "The Singles Playbook"
Do you feel like you make too many mistakes in a match, causing you to lose confidence in your shots, abandon your game and just play it safe and keep the ball in play?
If your answer is "yes," then I'd like to invite you to pick up a copy of "The Singles Playbook," because inside there are 41 plays that let you play to your strengths, attack your opponent's weaknesses, and avoid making mistakes.
If you look at other sports, teams run plays. Soccer teams run plays to score goals. Football teams run plays to score touchdowns. Basketball teams run plays to score baskets. Starting TODAY you can runs plays to win more USTA league and club matches.
Very helpful, thanks
Serves plays is what I struggle the most.
Thank you for these videos they are very informative. My vote would be the player who serves and comes to the net
I really appreciate your concise, informative videos. I mainly struggle with serving efficiently (and how do I know which and what play to employ next?) and returns (like is there a play for serve returns?).
The approach shot is what I struggle with the most, taking that short ball and doing enough damage with it to setup the next volley for a winner.
The opposing player coming to the net is the area I would most like to see covered.
I’m the southpaw in this situation and I can confirm as a lefty that our number one play is just to keep pounding forehands at our opponents backhand which inevitably gives us a short ball or error. Righties can do the same, but I think it requires a lot of practice to hit the inside-in FH that most lefties use all the time since we’re usually playing right handers.
Handling serves to my forehand or particularly that jam the body on my forehand side.
Have the most trouble with the villain approaching the net
My struggle is with return of serve.
Villain coming to the net is an area I struggle with!
If you get stuck on the defensive side of a battering ram, how do you get out of it? There is a good drill called shooter/captain, but is that the only way out of it ?
Approaching and finishing the attack. Lobbying when villains are at net. Doubles player
Struggle with return of serve
The serve is my struggle
Return; Do i Play up ?play back ?slice ?come over the ball? Down the line down the middle cross court? Drop down the line lacrosse court?
The battering ram is just hitting 3 or 4 consecutive shots into the same corner, rather than going opposite corners, which would be “the yo-yo”. Or is there more to it than that?
When villain is approaching the net & receiving serve!
Thanks!
I struggle with return of serves.
I struggle with winning the break point from the ad side.
I can get myself to the break point situation then I always feel that I never seem to get the opportunity to be on top in this point.
Lots a semi final where I only took 1/10 break points and that was a
double fault ♂️
Hi thanks for the playbook videos they are very helpful. I think I want to see the approach shot covered as I am a lefty!
Returning has been my biggest struggle. Especially backhand serve return.
Villain approaching the net is the biggest struggle especially when they hit deep to my backhand side. I also struggle to mentally stay in long games that feature multiple deuces and wind up losing more of these games than I should.
So. When you recognize that a play is being run against you, how does one thwart, or counter it?
Surprisingly enough I struggle with the returning phase out of all of them despite me having quality ground strokes.
Great video Will! I struggle mostly with long rallies against opponents who seem to be able to get everything back. I tend to lose patience, overhit to end the point and then make unforced errors.
My toughest phase is rallyling against a pusher.
Once the ball is in play, I run around like the proverbial headless chicken. I never know what to do and try my hardest just to eek the ball back. It’s usually such a tentative shot that it lands short and now I’m stuck in no-man’s-land trying to cover a rifle shot to one of my corners. I am not very successful unless I’m playing someone as clueless as me. As you can guess, I spend the season at or near the bottom of my tennis ladder. Tennis sucks.
Home Base was a great overview. BR provided a nice overview but your counter strategy was not as clear as you provided so well as in HB. I struggle with effective second serves and rally consistency…I do well with having (high risk) answers for heavy pace, chasing lobs or sharp angles…conversely when I have too much time (to overthink) to respond to basic shots (low risk) I commit too many unforced errors.
When I return serve to my backhand I often hit a drop shot short cross court resulting in opponent rushing in and lobbing over my head.
Thanks for posting the videos. They are really useful. My struggle has always been my serve. Lately I’ve also developed a fear of net play. I silently panic at the net, tense up, then hit a lot of volleys out.