The Strategy Zone: Introduction

Winning tennis is much more than just hitting the ball. There is more to this game than just hitting ball. After 50 years in tennis I can tell you that for certain. Many, many players become proficient at striking the tennis ball. In terms of ball striking they may reach the world class level. But so many times, when it comes to performing during competition, they come up short. Ball striking alone will not win matches. It's true at the professional level, and it's true at all levels. Too many players see tennis points only in terms of the spectacular shots that make TV highlights. They see players hitting winners from various points on the court, and think that these shots are the most important shots in tennis. Unfortunately, by emphasizing these shots, they are setting themselves up to fail. What determines who wins points, what sets up the highlight shots we all love to see, are the underlying patterns of placement and shot combination. Hitting the ball is one part of the game. Hitting the ball to certain places is another part of the game. Putting these two factors together creates the total package you, or any player, needs...