The High Ball

If you took a poll of tennis players, particularly recreational players, and asked what shot gives them the most trouble, the high ball would rank near or at the top. By "high ball" I mean a ball you play above your normal comfort zone, anywhere from mid chest to shoulder level, or even higher. High balls include groundstrokes both in the backcourt or the frontcourt. They also include high volleys and returns on high kicking serves.

The reality is that playing all these balls doesn’t have to be difficult. Let’s see why, by looking at the problem from two perspectives. First let’s look at strategies to avoid the high ball altogether. Second let’s see what goes into establishing great contact on a ball that is above your normal strike zone.

To do all this, it’s critical that you understand your capabilities and limitations based on your grips, stances, and positioning. The other factor is an awareness of what your opponent is doing. It’s an important and complex topic.

In this first article we’ll look at the options in the backcourt from the forehand side. In subsequent articles we’ll move on to the backhand side, and then on to the forecourt…