Tennis for the Small Person
by Robert Soloway PhD
Sports Psychologist in Atlanta
In case you haven’t noticed (impossible), the game of tennis is drawing larger players, some are giants. Even on the women’s tour, 6 feet tall is not uncommon.
If you’re like me (I’m male, 5’6”, 140 lbs., 58 years old), you show up to almost every match and look across the net to discover your opponent is younger, bigger, stronger, and faster.
And if you’re like me, you think, “Oh good”.
In basketball or football the larger players would have different jobs or positions. A basketball guard has a different job than the center, and a football wide receiver trains differently than a tackle.
In boxing, participants of different sizes don’t even fight each other.
Unfortunately, we don’t have height classes in tennis. If you are going to win, you have to beat players of all sizes.
Many coaches are training players in a certain style of play that looks like that game of maybe Federer (6’2”) or Nadal (6’1”) or maybe Venus Williams or Maria Sharapova (6’1”+).
That’s fine if you’re that big or you plan to get that big.
But what if you’re my size? Is it realistic to teach the same style game to every player? Can all players win by playing Power Tennis. Power tennis is dominated by a big serve, followed by a big forehand. But what if you don’t possess those weapons?
I believe there are ways that the smaller player can compensate for his or her lack of height, even in this day of power tennis.
If you are smaller, don’t be intimidated. The first thing you have to learn is, do NOT retreat behind the baseline and try to track down the abuse. I know it give you more time to react, but it gives your opponent more time to react too,
Instead, stand right up at the baseline and learn to use the power coming at you so you just have to redirect the ball. By standing up at the baseline, you shorten the time your opponent has to react. That’s the same effect as hitting the ball harder. Remember, every foot you move closer to the net cuts off TWICE that distance in ball travel, once coming towards you and once going back.
Truthfully, you will have to hit more balls on the rise or on a short hop, but these shots are no longer the nightmare they once were in the days of wooden rackets. Keep the ball in front of you with a firm wrist and you will be surprised how fast the ball is back on the other side.
Second, by standing up at the baseline, you will have the opportunity to jump on every short ball and hit bigger angles. Your larger opponent will hate tracking these down. The combination of hitting a big angle from closer in towards the net, forces your opponent to run further and do it in less time.
Third, learn to take the ball out of the air around the service line. That’s right, the area we commonly call “no-man’s land” is going to become comfortable to you. Whether you hit swinging volleys or punch the ball, as long as you impact the ball in front of you and above the height of the net, these shots are not difficult, and murder on your opponent. If you are already standing up at the baseline, you should be able to reach most floating shots that your opponent hits at about the service line and while the ball is still higher than the net. When you take a ball out of the air, your opponent has almost no time to react. Usually just hitting the ball anywhere on court produces a winner (just not right back at them).
Fourth, the slice is a necessity against these giants. Since most large players these days enjoy pounding the ball from the behind the baseline, you need a way to move them in and around, without giving them a set up. If you hit a short topspin they will crush it, but short slices that stay low, usually forces the large player to reach and just pushing back. This is how you move them around the court.
The loopy “paceless” shot is also very effective. If you can keep these deep, your opponent is forced to either retreat or take the ball on the rise. Ever try hitting a very loopy ball on the rise? No one likes these. I have seen good players swing and completely miss a very loopy ball that they tried to time on a short hop. Once you force your larger opponent back, you can torture them with angles. From 10 feet behind the baseline, they can’t produce much angle, so by taking a position closer to the net, you control the court.
Lastly, learn to serve with spin, variety, and accuracy. In baseball, the pitchers that don’t possess a great fastball learn to use different spins and accuracy to get the job done. You can too. A spinning ball will break more when hit slowly. Learn to slice the ball and kick the ball with the same toss. When your opponent least expects it, you hit one flat or serve and volley. The guessing will drive them crazy. Don’t expect to hit aces or winner, but expect weak replies and get used to crushing these.
This style of play will look very different. If most rallies are a series of baseline blasts, you are not playing this style. If the game has become about running and court coverage, about consistency with lots of variety in trajectory, about off speed and odd spins, the big guy is probably losing.
One piece of advice: When this technique starts to work, don’t laugh at the big guy. They are still the big guy, and they are holding a racket.
_______________________________________
