5 Wildly Ego-Boosting Shots In Tennis

I’ve always viewed tennis as one of the most self-gratifying - even mildly arrogant - sports out there.

Much of it comes down to the way the sport is set up – it’s an individual sport, spectators need to remain silent and stifle that hayfever-induced sneeze while you do your thing, your name is emblazoned across a billboard-sized screen (on the pro tour, of course) and there are more than enough opportunities to throw daggers at your opponent with the knowledge that all they can really do is stay on their side of the net and deal with it.

But more than all of these things, tennis on the pro tour and at club level is hugely gratifying because you only really have yourself to thank and to praise for those paranormal shots you’ll no doubt execute over the course of a match. Shots that leave your opponents well and truly incensed. Shots that send you walking back to the service line with just a little bit more swag than you had a few seconds earlier.

These are the most satisfying shots to hit in the sport of tennis:

THE ACE

I have a very reliable service: reliably in the confines of that little block and reliably S-L-O-W. This means that I hit about three aces per year, and all of them take me by as much surprise as my opponent. Still, there is a ton of confidence to be gained by striking an ace.

By hitting it, you’ve expelled barely any energy and bagged yourself a point. Plus, mentally, your opponent has lost a point without having had a sniff at getting into it at all. If every ace was followed by the expletive ‘BOOOM’, I don’t think anyone would argue with it.

In this example, Serena Williams was down 1-2 in the final set of the 2012 Wimbledon final. She then hit four consecutive aces to level the set at 2-2 and after that, never lost another game:

THE RETURN WINNER

In tennis, it’s generally accepted that the server - by virtue of starting the point - has the upper hand. If you put in a good serve, you’re likely to have control of the point from the get-go.

The return winner is therefore extremely demoralizing to the server. A single, slick movement from their opponent has wiped out their alleged upper hand. For the returner, seeing your opponent still in recovery from his or her service motion as your winner zips past them is reason enough to hop and skip your way to the other side of the court to try the same thing all over again (although, if you’re a club player, attempting that magic twice in a row will probably see the second attempt trying to break a hole in the bottom of the net). 

Still, I have vivid memories of return winners I’ve pulled off and that feeling of hitting the sweet spot on the first attempt in the rally is wonderful.

In this example, Novak Djokovic hits what is regarded as one of the best return winners in history - not only was it hit at the perfect angle and at a ferocious pace, but he saved a match point with the shot. A few minutes later, the whole match turned around and he won it:

THE ON-THE-RUN PASSING SHOT

This could be my favourite shot of all.

Because I am completely inadequate at the net, I’m generally very good at defending when opponents attack me by coming to the net themselves, so I’ve developed a good passing shot.

Again, in general the player who has found a moment to come into the net should theoretically have the upper hand and be able to put away a volley. As the defensive player in that situation, you can either lob the ball over your opponent’s head or bludgeon it into an open space and hope that they won’t get there – I prefer the second option, and when I get the execution right and have a clear target to aim for, it’s hard to resist an internal fist pump.

Rafael Nadal hits passing shots like nobody I've ever seen and by so doing, wins points he should almost certainly have lost. Enjoy:

THE DROP VOLLEY

This is another shot that I’ve very rarely hit, except by reflex, but it’s one of the ultimate crowd pleasers in tennis matches everywhere. Why? Well unlike a regular groundstroke, whereby you gradually move the ball around until you get the chance to let rip, you’re generally playing a volley with the intention to aggressively and powerfully send the ball into the open court for a clean winner.

This means that volleys are generally clinical, fast, point-ending shots.

The drop volley almost always takes your opponent by surprise. They’re waiting for something fast and hard, and the last thing they’re expecting is the ball to delicately, nonchalantly drop just over the net – unlike a regular drop shot, drop volleys are also very difficult to read until it’s far too late.

Federer executes these shots beautifully - I just said that Nadal hits the best passing shots. Well, in this point, Federer's delicate drop volley > Nadal's powerful passing shot:

THE WRONG-FOOTING WINNER

Winners in a regular tennis rally are generally the result of the more aggressive opponent sending the weaker opponent scurrying to the left or right, and then powerfully driving a great shot into the open court.

The wrong-footing winner bucks this more popular means of winning points and makes it clear to your opponent and the crowd that you’re not just hitting the ball, but have the clarity of mind to outwit your opponent. So after a few ‘predictable’, side-to-side, left-then-right shots, you hit one in the same direction twice – your opponent has already begun moving in the other direction and then can’t turn back quickly enough. The successful wrong-footing winner generally leaves the defeated player floundering like a baby wildebeest that has just been born. It’s hilarious, and very satisfying.

Instead of a wrong-footing winner, though, take a look at Polish tennis player Agnieszka Radwanska's ridiculous reflex skills when she is wrong-footed by a net cord:

Radwanska is very quiet and not known for emoting on court, but even she had to take a moment and acknowledge her greatness after that shot.

These are just a few of the most satisfying, ego-boosting shots in the sport of tennis. So often, just one or two of these great shots played in close succession (see Djokovic shot above) can change the entire mood and momentum of a match, such is the mental impact of this game on its players.

Fellow tennis players, I’d love to hear about your favourite shots in the game too, so please – do share!