The Strategy Zone:
Transition and Net Finish

Nick Bollettierri with Lance Luciani

I believe that the all around game is the key to success in modern tennis. We see it time and time again at the pro level. You have to know how to do everything, and do everything well. In today's game "everything" means a lot more than it used to. There are many, many ways to get to the net and win points.

How much should you come in? That depends on the difficulty of the transition sequences you face, and your success in executing them. The fact is that a few successful transition points are the key to winning many close matches. It's true at the pro level, and it can be true in your game as well.

We know that in almost all matches the player who wins the most total points usually wins. This difference is often surprisingly small. Close matches can be settled by two or three points. The margin can be surprisingly small even in routine, straight set matches. How important, then, are those few additional points you win in transition to determining the outcome?

At Wimbledon in 2007, Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal in 5 sets. He won a total of 7 additional points in the entire match. That's a 7 point advantage in 5 sets! What role did the net play? Of his 7 point margin, 5 were points he won at the net! (Click Here to read John Yandell's statistical breakdown of that incredible match.)

So being able to take advantage of transition opportunities is huge at the pro level. This is as true, or maybe even more true, in club tennis. It's also probably more realisticbecause the types of balls you must deal with are in general much less difficult than in the pros. The fact is this: a few positive transition points can give you the advantage..

Developing Your Transition Game

So why don't more players go to the net more of the time? Finishing the point at the net requires confidence. But hitting challenging first volleys and facing aggressive passing shots can make players apprehensive to move forward. If they get passed on the first opportunity, or miss an easy volley, they may not try the transition again for the rest of the match.

The other problem is knowing exactly how and when to approach. Success at the net is related to the effectiveness of the transition shot. In the modern game it's not as simple as "slice the approach down the line, then hit a crosscourt volley winner."

In pro tennis that approach is often a recipe for a routine passing shot. The players are just too good. They are bigger, stronger, faster, more athletic than ever before.

This is also one respect in which the rackets have changed the game. The return of serves are better. There is much more topspin so the passing shots dip harder and sooner. Remember with wood rackets in the golden age of serve and volley most of the best players in the world hit their backhands with one hand, and many players hit predominantly with underspin or slice.

So with the modern rackets players may come in less. But the interesting point is that when they do, they come in on a much great variety of patterns. . If you look at pro tennis, we see that the players will take virtually any opportunity that they believe will give them a favorable transition and the chance to hit a winning volley.

They will come in off hard, flat drives off either side. They will approach both crosscourt and down the line. The will come hitting inside out or inside in. They will come in on returns. They will come in on high looping shots, and also, on short angles. And you do still see some approaches on slice backhands, or even an occasional slice forehand.

It's a different game with many options. Understanding the potential transition shots gives you more ways to open up the court. This is how the game of tennis has evolved. So let's take a closer look at the critical transition shot, and the options players utilize. The fact is all of them can apply in club tennis.

Surprise Attacks Versus Patterns

There are two different ways to make a successful transition. The transition shot can be a surprise attack, and or it can be part of a pattern based tactic.

The goal in both cases is to create a large target area for the finish volley. As we have seen throughout this series, the key to finishing is to hurt the opponent, which opens the court. You want to hit the winner to the largest possible target. Large target areas improve your percentage and build your confidence to come in more. So let's look at both options in more detail.

Surprise Attack

Here are some of the most important variations players use in surprise attack play.

The first transitional shot is to it a high looping shot to push the opponent back and force them to play the ball at shoulder level or even higher. This often forces a weak reply in the form of a high floating ball.

Often when they hit the high looping approach, players sense instantly that the shot will hurt the opponent. Other times there is a slight hesitation before this can be determined. In either case, when the decision is made the movement forward much be decisive and explosive. The first two steps are critical. You must explode forward and quickly close in for the finishing volley to the open court. This can be either a classic or a swing volley depending on the response.

The second alternative is to hit a hard flat drive to the corner that pushes your opponent backward and/or stretches him wide. Again this creates a potential surprise attack. You can instantly come forward, or wait a fraction of a second to sense the response your opponent is able to make. If the shot is effective, you should then surprise your opponent by exploding forward. Again your goal is to close quickly and hit the volley into the open court.

In the modern game you see players hit these flat drives on all possible angles. They hit down the line, but when the opportunity is there they will approach crosscourt, or hitting inside out or inside in. The decision is based on whether in a given situation the surprise transition shot can hurt the opponent.

A third option for the surprise attack is to come forward after a short angle play. Move forward and hit a sharp angle crosscourt to pull the opponent off the court. If the ball is low and wide enough, the opponent may not be able to get the ball back crosscourt, or he may float the ball in an attempt to buy time to recover more fully to the center of the court. In either case you may be able to hit a volley into a huge opening on the other side.

It's simply another way of creating an attackable ball. Your opponent will normally not expect you to approach on a short angle, so you may be able to surprise him with the court wide open. Again, as soon as you recognize the opportunity, accelerate forward and take advantage of the open court. As before, you can hit a traditional or a swinging volley.

A final surprise option is to attack on the second serve. This is particularly effective if you have not made a pattern of attacking returns, but use it occasionally, for example on a big point when the opponent is not expecting you to take a risk. Take advantage of the element of surprise and come forward as rapidly as possible to hit the finishing volley into the open court.

In the modern game you'll see players approach on virtually any type of return. They can hit either way from either wing. Meaning? They approach using the forehand or the backhand and hit either down the line or crosscourt. Or they'll run around the backhand and hit a forehand approach inside out or inside in.

Pattern Based Tactics

Now let's look at the second way the pros come into the net, on pattern based attacks. There are two types of patterns. The first type relies on hitting one shot that opens the court. This is followed by the transition shot, or approach, into the open court. We call these 1-1 Combinations. It's the same concept we used in discussing finishing shots from the baseline. (Click Here.)

1-1 Combinations can lead to easy net finish shots if the opponent is kept on the defensive and running side to side. Using this combination will often force the opponent into a weak or defensive reply, enabling the player to attack to the open court and finish the point.

As with the surprise transitions there is great possible variety in the number of effective 1-1 combinations. A crosscourt followed by a down the line. Or the other way around. Inside Out followed by inside in. Or the reverse. In the modern game, players often hit flat drives, or heavier topspin drives, or even topspin loops on one or both shots. But there are still occasions when the second shot in the combination can be a more traditional slice approach.

Against a given opponent a player must find the 1-1 combination or combinations that works. This is why is our Strategy Zone DVDs and manual we set out drills that will allow to develop the entire range of attacking sequences needed to make effective transitions. (Click Here for more info.)

2-1 Combinations

The final transitional pattern to look at is the 2-1 Combination, in which the player opens the court, but then hits behind the opponent. 2-1 Combinations can lead to easy net finishes by wrong footing opponents. This confuses them and takes them out of balance. You are then able to hit into the open court to the opposite side the player is moving.

In 2-1 combinations, the shot behind the opponent can be the approach. Or it can also be the first volley. Often times, a player may have a volley opportunity into the open court, but with a target area that is too small to ensure finishing the point. If a player volleys crosscourt but does not finish or significantly hurt the opponent, he exposes himself to the down the line pass.

Hitting the volley back behind the opponent is usually the most effective play in this situation. First it, it limits the angles your opponent has to pass, because you are more directly in front of his court position. Second, it gives you the ability to close to a more favorable position for the second volley.

Understanding effective transitional play is a critical dimension in becoming a successful competitive player. It's more complex than most players appreciate and requires a very complete skill set. There may be fewer overall opportunities to attack in the modern game, but the range of options is very wide. It's an area where players at any level can exercise their imagination and creativity to find a way to win those few critical attacking points that can help you win more matches.