Sword, shield and moves in tennis

In modern tennis it is often said that the forehand is the sword on the tennis court, and the backhand (played with both hands) is the protective shield. In other words, you can attack with your forehand and do a lot of damage, and with your backhand you can keep your opponent in check with a high level of security. If we analyze a little more closely: the free movement of the forehand allows you to generally hit harder and create more angles, but statistically many “unforced errors” occur on the forehand side.

The two-handed backhand is technically more compact and simpler, you can easily match the opponent's speed and absorb various spins and slices. However, it is very difficult to play aggressively and score free points with the two-handed backhand. Since exceptions prove the rule, there are of course some types of players who tend to score points with their backhand or even only use their forehand as a neutral safety shot. However, these are exceptions when you look at today's top players.

A lot also depends on which surface you play on. For example, on sand, a variable and powerful forehand is very important to be successful. Rafael Nadal, the best clay court player of all time, not coincidentally also has the best topspin forehand in tennis history. However, on a lawn or carpet, the topspin is not as heavy.

It is now time to leave the Middle Ages, sword and shield fighting is no longer enough on today's battlefield.

Today's tennis players have a combination of cannon and rifle:

The serve combined with a forehand!!!

The most effective move in tennis to win the point is to place the first serve outwards and then play the forehand into the free corner. A point guarantee that, if executed well, is almost impossible to defend. Once again, Rafael Nadal is a prime example; for years he has served the slice serve outwards on important points and then played his forehand into the free corner. The opponent knows full well that Nadal will use this move, and Nadal himself knows that his opponent is expecting this move. Nevertheless, he plays this play over and over again because he is aware that this play is extremely efficient.

You don't need a forehand like Nadal to have success with this move, you just need to be willing to perfect this move. And that only works through repetition. Most points in tennis are decided within the first 2-4 strokes of the rally. The medieval examples of sword and shield are accurate and will help you win longer rallies. However, in order to improve your playing strength quickly and significantly, you must first concentrate on the first 2 shots. The effective move slice outwards, plus forehand into the free corner alone will not be enough. In combination with other moves (e.g. serve and volley) and their correct execution, you will gain more and more control over your serving game.

In order to drive your next opponent to despair and constantly collect balls, I have put together the best moves of the professionals for you in the e-book “Serve Chess”. You can get this e-book here on the site from February 23rd. I'll provide the link in a timely manner.

Good luck and sporting greetings,
Hendrik

Update:Here you can find mineE‑Book “Serve Chess”.