Tennis strategy

An offensive or aggressive baseliner tries to control and dictate play by hitting powerful groundstrokes for winners usually from the area of the baseline or behind it.[1] An effective offensive baseliner can overpower many opponents; however, when going for winners, they can also produce many errors since they have to repeatedly and correctly execute some difficult strokes, such as down-the-line winners landing near the corner. Fatigue, loss of focus, mis-hitting the ball, and hesitating are some reasons for errors. Two great old-time players, R. Norris Williams and Ellsworth Vines, were famous for being unbeatable when their strokes were "on". However, they played with such little margin for error in making their strokes that when they were making more mistakes they could be beaten by other players. Another advantage of this strategy is that the player can weaken his opponent's confidence by successfully landing difficult shots which in turn may increase his own confidence.

Hard courts are generally considered to be the best surface for an offensive baseliner who often hit higher risk shots. However, offensive baseliners can often excel on both grass and clay courts as well. On grass, they can execute their "winners" and the fast, low bounce makes it harder for opponents to retrieve; whereas on clay courts, some offensive baseliners might like the slow and high bounce because it gives them a longer time to change their grip and foot-positions in order to set up for an offensive shot or winner. Offensive baseliners with height especially have an advantage on clay courts because the high bounces land in their hitting zones, allowing them to strike the ball cleanly and more powerfully. Maria Sharapova, who is 6'2"(188 cm), had the hardest hit backhand at the women's 2013 French Open, when she punished a first serve from Jelena Janković, producing a backhand return winner.

Ivan Lendl was the first player to popularize this style of playing in modern era professional tennis. Steffi Graf and Monica Seles were the pioneers on the women's side. Serena Williams is also known for excelling with this style. Rafael Nadal is accomplished at an offensive baseline playstyle, using a variety of high-spin shots and powerful flat strokes to dominate play, most notably on clay, at which he is known to be very good (though he usually prefers to play a defensive baseline style). Novak Djokovic is also a notable aggressive baseliner, with his powerful and precise backhand which is widely regarded as the best backhand in the men's game. Serena Williams is considered the greatest offensive baseliner in women's tennis history due to her powerful serve and powerful forceful groundstrokes.

A defensive baseliner, counter-puncher or retriever, tries to return every ball and relies on the opponent making mistakes. The trademarks of a counterpuncher include consistent shots with low error rate, as well as precise placement that makes it hard for their opponent to execute an aggressive shot. Counterpunchers also have a tendency to anticipate and are usually equipped with extremely good passing shots, thus enabling them to turn many defensive situations into offence. The game of the defensive counter-puncher has more to do with physical endurance and willingness to get every ball back in play as well as mental determination to keep from getting bored or trying for too much. Their game plan often involves moving their opponents back to the court and outmaneuvering their opponents. One example is former world number one Caroline Wozniacki who moves her opponent around the court without going for high risk winners. While on defence, she gets every ball back and constantly mixes up the pace, to frustrate her opponents.

While they tend to make relatively few errors because they do not attempt the complicated and ambitious shots of the aggressive baseliner, the effective counterpuncher must be able to periodically execute an aggressive shot, either using the pace given by their opponent or using precision and angle. Speed and agility are key for the counterpuncher, as well as a willingness to patiently chase down every ball to frustrate opponents. Returning every aggressive shot that the opponent provides is often the cause of further errors due to the effort required in trying increasingly harder and better shots. However, it is noted that for some faster players, including Gaël Monfils, Gilles Simon, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Murray, standing too deep behind the court can hinder their attacking abilities.

At lower levels, the defensive counter-puncher often frustrates their opponent so much that they may try to change their style of play due to ineffective baseline results. At higher levels, the all-court player or aggressive baseliner is usually able to execute winners with higher velocity and better placement, taking the counterpuncher out of the point as early as possible.

Most counter-punchers often excel on slow courts, such as clay. The court gives them extra time to chase down shots and it is harder for opponents to create winners. However, some counter-punchers who have the ability to mix up their game and turn defense into offense, like Lleyton Hewitt,[2] Andy Murray[3] and Agnieszka Radwańska have excelled on faster courts like hard and grass as well as slower courts. Counter-punchers are often particularly strong players at low-level play, where opponents cannot make winners with regularity.

The ideal is both-up strategy, often called "Attacking Doubles" because the net is the "high ground", and the both-up strategy puts both players close to it, in a position to score because of their excellent vantage points and angles. A team in the both-up formation, however, is vulnerable to a good lob from either opponent at any time. To be successful with Attacking Doubles, teams must have effective serves and penetrating volleys to prevent good lobs and good overhead shots to put away poor returns.

Teams that play attacking doubles try to get into the both-up formation on every point. When serving, their server follows most first serves to the net and some second serves. As a result, attacking doubles is also called serve-and-volley doubles. When receiving, their receiver follows most second-service returns to the net.

At the professional level, attacking doubles is the standard, though slowly degrading, strategy of choice.

At lower levels of the game, not all players have penetrating volleys and strong overhead shots. So, many use up-and-back strategy. The weakness in this formation is the large angular gap it creates between partners, a gap that an opposing net player can easily hit a clean winner through if they successfully poach a passing shot.

Nonetheless, up-and-back strategy is versatile, with elements of both offense and defense. In fact, since the server must begin each point at the baseline and the receiver must be far enough back to return the serve, virtually every point in doubles begins with both teams in this formation.

Teams without net games strong enough to play Attacking Doubles can still play both-up when they have their opponents on the defensive. To achieve this, a team would patiently play up-and-back for a chance to hit a forcing shot and bring their baseliner to the net.

Australian Doubles and the I-Formation are variations of up-and-back strategy. In Australian doubles, the server's partner at net lines up on the same side of the court, fronting the opposing net player, who serves as a poaching block and blind. The receiver then must return serve down the line and is liable to have that return poached. In the I-Formation, the server's net partner lines up in the center, between the server and receiver to be able to poach in either direction. Both Australian Doubles and the I-Formation are poaching formations that can also be used to start the point for serve-and-volley doubles.

Both-back strategy is strictly defensive. It is normally seen only when the opposing team is both-up or when the returner is passing the net player on the return. This might be a good tactic when the opponent has a serve with a lot of pressure and an aggressive player at the net. From here the defenders can return the most forcing shots till they get a chance to hit a good lob or an offensive shot. If their opponents at net become impatient and try to angle the ball away when a baseliner can reach it, the defender can turn the tables and score outright. However this strategy leaves the volley court open to drop shots from the opposition.