Rally? Or Attack? Here's How to Decide...
I recently shared a post about how to ‘level out’ the drive forehand.
It’s a shot primarily used during attacking situations. Or at the very least, when a player wants to put some additional pressure on their opponent.
The thing is, I still see a ton of players struggling here. And the majority of the time, it’s not because they lack the skill of hitting the ball more direct and with more pace, but because their ability to decide when to hit the drive forehand just doesn’t add up.
But we also need an alternative solution. You see, when it’s NOT the right time to hit a drive forehand (yet we’re also not in a defensive position) what should we do? What type of shot is most appropriate?
Enter the shape vs drive drill. I call it a drill but like most of the so-called ‘drills’ I share, they lie more on the ‘cue’ end of the spectrum. An idea or concept to focus on, simplified to its smallest form so that it can be easily (and quickly) used on the court during an actual exchange.
Check out this post for more on cues.
But before we tackle the drill, allow me to outline decision-making in tennis.
Simplifying Decision Making in Tennis
I shared a reel a little while ago, showcasing a point played by Carlos Alcaraz. The reel was a depiction of what players ‘should’ focus on during a rally, in terms of decision making.
I offered 5 different ‘phases’:
Rally
Attack
Defend
Build
Counter
After reviewing many of the comments, it seems that this decision-tree is probably a bit too complex for most (at least early on).
While I do believe that every player, at some point in their development, needs to make a conscious effort to identify the ‘phase of play’ that they are experiencing from shot to shot, we also want to make decision-making more automatic.
Given that, simplifying the decision-making process - early on - is a priority for most amateur players.
A good starting point that I have found beneficial is to identify the difference between a ‘drive ball’ and a ‘shape ball’.
The following is a general rule of thumb - there are always exceptions (keep that in mind)...
In most situations, a drive ball is also considered an attacking ball. Recall that when hitting a drive, the impact point is typically higher (around shoulder height), the ball is therefore a bit higher bouncing, slower and inside the court.
So, drive = attack.
If, on the other hand, you receive a ball that’s keeping you behind the baseline, doesn’t have the same type of high bounce to it, we’re probably looking at a neutral situation. A neutral situation is typically synonymous with a ‘rally ball’. And because most rally balls are hit around waist height - from a deeper position on the court - we want to ensure that there is some ‘shape/height’ to it.
This shape provides a better opportunity for us to hit the ball with some depth and most importantly, it gives us net clearance… I mean, is there anything more frustrating in tennis than hitting the ball into the net?
So, shape = rally.
To perform the drill below (we’ll get there don’t worry), all you’ve got to do is think about those 2 decisions, attack vs rally (drive vs shape).
Drive vs Shape
If you’re reading this, you struggle identifying the right time to hit a neutral shot + extend the rally, versus being aggressive and aiming to put pressure on your opponent.
That’s where the drive vs shape drill comes into play.
The Setup + Tips:
I prefer starting players out on half court but full-court works too. From there, players simply begin rallying.
On EVERY ball, each player must make a decision to either hit with ‘shape’ or to ‘drive’ the ball. Remember, shape means hitting a quality rally ball with some height + topspin. Drive, on the other hand, means leveling out the ball and hitting it more direct.
Again, drive is best when the ball is a bit slower + higher bouncing. The ideal impact point for this type of ball is between chest and eye-level.
Any ball that’ll be hit below chest level, is therefore going to be a ‘shape’ shot.
Keep these racquet path cues in mind:
- shape = steeper racquet path (low to high)
- drive = direct racquet path (back to front)
Here’s a video of the drill in action:
Now, as with anything, there are exceptions. Here are just a couple (others may exist):
You’re an advanced player that has the ability to drive the ball from anywhere on the court. If that’s you, even a ball that keeps you well behind the baseline could be considered a ‘drive’ ball. Just keep in mind that you may not be able to hit an outright winner from this position (i.e. it may just be a ‘set-up’ shot to close the point out on the next ball, or the one after that).
If you’re not yet at that point where you’re comfortable ‘leveling’ out the shot, and the ball is hit high + deep, it’s probably best that you back up, let the ball drop, and treat this as a ‘shape’ ball. You’ll probably just have to add more shape + height than if you were standing closer to the baseline.
Wrapping it up
Not only does this drill simplify the decision-making process, it allows players to log a ton of quality reps practicing shape and drive shots, instead of aimlessly banging balls from the back of the court.
My final recommendation here would be to bring this back into a live situational setting, while still using the cues. For example, you might play a baseline rally game with your partner where you call out (in your head), shape vs drive on every ball (the only exception would be if you’re on defense…but you should know instinctively that you’re on defense). In that case, just fight to get the ball back into play (and back into a neutral rally situation).
Otherwise, make a decision and try to execute on that decision. If you make a mistake, ask yourself, was that a decision making mistake or an execution mistake. Continue like that and you should start to see a pattern. Then tackle that problem next!
Give it a try and get after it!