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:
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!
