You don’t have to be better than your opponent to pressure him.

1. Attack wisely. If you don’t have the most powerful strokes or precise approach shots, don’t worry. The next best thing to putting opponents in a terrible position is to put them in a seemingly good position that’s actually quite difficult. One way to do it is by approaching down the middle. This forces your opponents to create angles on passing shots; if they miss a few, they’ll begin to feel the heat. You can also try short, angled slice approaches, to see if your opponent is good at moving forward. The chip-and charge serve return is a great pressure tool. Few people expect to see it, so the element of surprise should make up for any deficiencies in your stroke.

2. Serve for percentage. If you want to pressure a superior opponent, you must get a high percentage of first serves in. I like to see 65 percent, maybe more. If this means that you have to take something off your first serve, then so be it. Let your opponent feast on too many second serves and you’ll be the one feeling the pressure.

3. Use your feet. There’s no better way to make your opponent feel the heat than to get to every shot. Move early and often. Stay on your toes. Even if a ball is well out of reach, chase after it. Your effort will make your opponent tense, even if you don’t have the better strokes.

4. Think spin, not speed. Pace is a great weapon, but it doesn’t really make your opponent feel pressure or get nervous. If you can just blow someone off the court with lots of pace, by all means do it. If you need to make them stress, though, use more spin. Nothing makes a player more nervous than an opponent who hits with a lot of spin and depth. They’ll know that your shots are going to go in every time, land near the baseline and bounce high. That breeds impatience and nerves. If your opponent starts to overhit on tough shots, you’ll be in great shape.

5. Attitude is everything. Most people think it takes superior skills to put pressure on your opponent. Not true. What you need is the right attitude—ask Brad Gilbert. He antagonized opponents with his persistence and confidence. Be aware of your court attitude. Always look your opponent in the eyes. Maintain good posture and try not to look like you’re breathing hard. This has a great impact on how your opponent responds to you.

Nick Bollettieri has trained many collegiate and professional players, including 10 who reached the world No. 1 ranking.

Photo by AP

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Originally published in the April 2011 issue of TENNIS.

Nick, what exercises are there to train a player to spot and read the ball as fast as possible?—Marek

If you want good vision and anticipation, pay attention during the warm up. Observe your opponent's strokes. Do they hit with lots of spin and height, or do they slice? Where do they position themselves to hit groundstrokes? During a match, look at your opponent’s racquet head, especially on the backhand side. If it’s open on the backhand side, you’re going to see a slice or a drop shot.

Here’s a drill to improve your recognition and reaction time. Divide the court into these three zones:

Zone 1: Net to service line
Zone 2: Service line to baseline
Zone 3: Baseline to the back fence

Before the ball bounces you must yell out the zone where you'll be standing when you hit your ball.

Dear Nick, how do you explain to people what it means to prepare early on groundstrokes? How should their bodies feel? Do you describe at as coil and release? Is that an adequate description? If not, what is missing?—Arturo Hernandez

So many coaches use the old expression “take your racquet back.” I suggest this: As soon as you know whether it is a forehand or backhand, turn your hips and shoulders immediately. This will take the racquet back naturally. Early preparation is the single most important factor in groundstrokes and volleys. Today's inside-out and inside-in shots demand very early preparation.

Have a question for Nick? Write to him at asknick@tennis.com

Nick Bollettieri of the Bollettieri Tennis Academy has trained many collegiate and professional players, including 10 who reached the world No. 1 ranking.

Hi Mr. Bollettieri, I play an attacking game and it helped me win quite a few matches when I was younger. But I’m about to turn 18 and haven't grown much in a few years, so I'm now quite small for my age and starting to get pushed around by my opponents. Also, I use a very explosive Eastern forehand which only helps me when I’m in control, and when I don’t, I make a lot of unforced errors. I try changing to semi-Western but because I’m small, I don’t get as much power on it as my Eastern forehand grip. What should I do to reduce errors and start attacking again?—Kenny T., Auckland, New Zealand

Let’s go over the facts: You are small, you love to hit hard and control play, you are almost 18 and are still small, you have a strong Eastern grip, and when you try hitting with a semi-Western grip you feel you lose power (I don’t agree with your theory; you can have plenty of power with that grip with practice). My solution is, you must now change your style of play and not try to outhit your bigger opponents. Yes, with a semi-Western grip you might lack power (for now), but you will add spin, which allows you to hit the ball higher over the net and deep to the backcourt. Adding this to your game will break down the rhythm of your opponent and give you chances to attack.

Dear Mr. Bollettieri, I find myself at the net quite often with an easy volley that could allow me to win the point. Unfortunately, I have had trouble putting away these volleys. Instead, my volleys just pop up and give the opponent an easy passing shot or lob. Any advice on how to keep the volleys lower and how to have a better “pop” to them?—John Anderson, Georgia

You don’t need power to win your volley points. Instead, use the power of your opponent’s shot and redirect it. Hit the volley deep if you are only a few feet in front of the service line for your first volley. Angle your volley if you are several feet inside the service line. Make sure you have a Continental to weak Eastern grip and use your non-hitting hand to hold the racquet a little longer. And you shouldn’t “pop” your volleys. Do not accelerate on contact unless you’re hitting a swinging volley.

Have a question for Nick? Write to him at asknick@tennis.com

Nick Bollettieri of the Bollettieri Tennis Academy has trained many collegiate and professional players, including 10 who reached the world No. 1 ranking.

Dear Mr. Bollettieri, I’ve been playing tennis for a long time—I actually met you when I was 8 (I’m 54 now) at John and Ann Miller’s Las Vegas Racquet club. I played college tennis and continue trying to improve my game. When I was playing competitively, my approach was simple: Beat the hell out of my serve, get to the net and try to finish the point within two or three hits. I can’t play that way anymore, and I find that I focus for a point or two but then I seem to move into a “deer in the headlights” mental state. The result is a very fractured strategy, and inconsistent playing (e.g., lots of unforced errors or poor shot selection).  I hope this is enough information to ask this question: Can you suggest any ways to improve my concentration, and improve my strategic execution?—Paul C. Peterson, Nashville, TN

Those were the good old days with John and Ann Miller; great to hear from you. I know it gets tougher to play a quick, attacking style when you get older. But my advice is, worry more about your conditioning than your tennis right now. Get yourself into the best shape possible. This will have mental benefits, too. When you’re tired, the mind goes in many different directions and you often choose to play low-percentage shots. Get in the best shape you possibly can and go back to your old style of play, which is less common today and will give your opponents fits. Attack, attack, attack: This will force your opponents to hit all passing shots and drive them nuts.

Hi Nick, I have single-handed backhand and I have learned to hit topspin with an Eastern backhand grip. This has allowed me to compete better against players rated at 4.0, but I still struggle a lot when the ball bounces above my shoulder. Should I move in, step back or try a different grip?—Selvam J. Mascarenhas

You have two options. You can move in and strike the ball on the rise, before it gets above your shoulder. Or you can adjust your grip to a semi-Western, which will give you additional racquet-head speed and more strength behind the handle. Many top players play this way. The key is to accelerate the racquet more than ever and stay loose as you swing. You must allow the racket head to brush up on the ball and come over it.

Have a question for Nick? Write to him at asknick@tennis.com

Nick Bollettieri of the Bollettieri Tennis Academy has trained many collegiate and professional players, including 10 who reached the world No. 1 ranking.

Hi Nick, I play first singles on my high school team. I have trouble when my opponent serves toward my backhand. My backhand isn’t very good, so I switch to my left hand and hit a forehand (I’m ambidextrous). My left hand is consistent during practice, yet I have trouble with it during real matches. Should I switch back to my one-hand backhand or continue to adjust and progress with my left-handed forehand?—Peter Siv

First thing you can do: Try to force your opponent to serve to your forehand. Change your position when you return serve. Shade toward the middle on the deuce side and see if your opponent can beat you with a wide serve (my guess is he can’t). In the ad court, move toward the alley and tempt him to serve up the middle. The best part about this position: You’ll be moving toward the middle of the court to return. As far as whether you should keep hitting a left-handed forehand or work on your backhand, I’d suggest working on your backhand. You can learn it and it will serve you better in the long run.

Hi Nick, here is my question: Are there any firm rules about chipping and charging?  I figured that you would be an authority on this as Boris Becker used to do it once in a while.—Simon 

The chip and charge is a great play, especially at the recreational level. Here are my rules:

—Use an Eastern backhand grip (on your backhand).
—Prepare early and bend down to the level of the ball.
—Drive the ball deep into the backcourt. This gives you time to move in close to the net and gives your opponent a difficult shot.

You could also mix things up by hitting a few short slices that force your opponent to move forward. This can induce them to lunge and hit up on the ball, giving you an easy volley.

Have a question for Nick? Write to him at asknick@tennis.com

Nick Bollettieri of the Bollettieri Tennis Academy has trained many collegiate and professional players, including 10 who reached the world No. 1 ranking.

Dear Nick, I am a pretty solid player and play quite a few USTA tournaments. I can beat good players and get far in the draw, but the moment I play someone with a lot of power, I end up being overpowered. I have pretty good strokes and footwork, but somehow I cannot even put on a good match against these players. I am tall (6-foot-3) yet lack their power. What should I do to be able to compete with these players and even beat them? It would be nice to finally win a big USTA tournament.—Overpowered and Overwhelmed in Chicago

The first thing you need to do is accept the truth, which is this: “I cannot compete with power players.” So what’s the solution? Make your powerful tormentors less powerful. How, you ask? By changing the pace of your shots. Mix in slices, high-rolling shots and dink shots, and increase your serve percentage with more kick serves. You can also try to apply pressure of your own by going to the net when your opponent hits more defensive shots.

There are ways you can learn to better handle power, too. You need to develop a stronger lower body foundation so you can stand your ground when the ball is hit hard at you. And here’s my final tip: Don’t throw in the towel before the match begins. There is a way to beat these players. Just keep trying.

Hello Nick! I live in Spain and I’m coaching my daughter Elizabeth. I have a question about the backhand. She uses this grip combination: an Eastern forehand on the top hand and an Eastern backhand on the bottom hand. As far as I know, Andre Agassi used the same grip combination for his backhand. My question: If in the future she would like to change her backhand from a two-handed backhand to one-handed backhand, will it be a problem for her? When should we start to change? What is your recommendation?—Christian

For her grips, an Eastern forehand on the top hand is good. For the bottom hand, just make sure it’s not a strong Eastern backhand grip. I prefer it if players use a grip between a Continental and a weak Eastern for the bottom hand.

As far as switching to a one-handed backhand, I’ll just say be careful. It’s difficult for me to answer this question without knowing more about your daughter’s physical makeup, speed and results to date. But there may be no reason to change, especially if she is comfortable with a two-handed backhand. It has worked for many top players.

Have a question for Nick? Write to him at asknick@tennis.com

Nick Bollettieri of the Bollettieri Tennis Academy has trained many collegiate and professional players, including 10 who reached the world No. 1 ranking.

When strokes won’t win a match, the mind should take charge.

You’re on the court against one of your rivals. He’s the sort of player who beats you as often as you beat him. On this day, Plan A isn’t getting the job done. What do you do? If you want to win more matches like this, you should worry a little less about winning and a little more about making your opponent lose.

I look at Plan B as the mental option. If you can’t win a match with serves, forehands and backhands, you have no choice but to win with your mind. If your opponent is too good on this day, wear him down and make him worse. We all have limited reserves of willpower, and we can only withstand stress and concentrate for so long. The aim of Plan B is to take your opponent to the point of mental exhaustion. Even if you see no signs of weakness in your adversary at first, two hours later, when your opponent’s mind has tired and his will has dissipated, his game may look a little worse.

Everyone, even champions, eventually breaks mentally. When this happens, player loses intensity and his errors increase. Small setbacks make him lose emotional control and speed his disintegration. Average players run out of mental energy relatively quickly. The trick is to get your opponent to run out before you do.

Recognize the times when your opponent is under the most stress and slow the match down so he stays that way as long as possible. One of these times is when he’s ahead. In close matches, most players feel more pressure when they’re ahead than behind. Let him stew. Your opponent is hungry to get on with it and suspects, correctly, that the longer he stays on court the more likely that something will go wrong.

I’m not suggesting that you be a bad sport and stall by repeatedly tying your shoelaces or going to the towel. Just take a few extra seconds between points to gather yourself and give your opponent a little more time to think. The extra time will feel like an eternity to him and keep him from developing momentum.

Plan B is especially important whenever you’re down game point or break point. Here your opponent is under pressure to win the game. Keep him there. If he’s serving, avoid risky returns. Think of how happy  and relieved you are on your game point when your opponent overplays and misses right away. Don’t give him that satisfaction; force him to play out the point. If you’re serving, take extra care to get your first serve in. Under pressure, your opponent wants a nice, easy second serve to return. Don’t give it to him.

Another essential part of Plan B is never to give your opponent an easy point or game, no matter how far behind you are. When you’re down 0-40 in a game or 1-5 in a set, you may feel despondent and try careless, low-percentage shots. Instead, force your opponent to concentrate and struggle to finish the game or set. It’s mentally tiring, which is part of your plan, and every once in a while you’ll come back and win the game or set as a bonus. You’ll also tempt him to relax a little at the beginning of the next game or set, as he may want a break from the stress.

We all want to overwhelm our opponents with aces, winners and flashy volleys, but in tennis, as in life, the ideal is not the norm. Next time you’re in trouble on the court, try Plan B rather than panicking or going for broke. You might like it so much that it becomes your Plan A.

Author and coach Allen Fox, Ph.D., is a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist. Visit him at allenfoxtennis.net.

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Originally published in the January/February 2011 issue of TENNIS.

A well-centered opponent can make for an easy point.

Like most tennis players, you probably think that an approach shot has to be perfect. Instead of aiming for perfection, just try to be smart. The down-the-middle approach is one of the most intelligent plays in the game, yet few people rely on it. The reason why it works so well is simple geometry. When you approach down the middle and charge the net, you force opponents to hit sharp angles to put the ball by you. And the closer you can get to the net, the tougher their task—and the more pressure they’ll feel as you close in. The backhand slice, shown here, is the perfect shot for a down-the-middle approach. If you hit it deep and with enough spin, it will stay low and make your opponent have to hit the ball up into your ideal volley range. And here’s the final benefit to the down-the-middle approach: Now that your opponent is stuck in the center of the court at the baseline, you’ll have a lot of options for angled volleys that will win you the point.

Kelly Gunterman is the Director of Tennis at Amelia Island Tennis Plantation and author of the book Tennis Made Easy: Essential Strokes & Strategy for the Modern Game

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Originally published in the January/February 2011 issue of TENNIS.

What does it take to win on a tennis court? Here’s what you need to know.

1. Be steady. Most people come to me and say they need a bigger serve or a harder forehand to win matches. Those things would be nice, but they’re not the most important tools on the tennis court. What you need most is consistency. Unforced errors lose matches. Don’t believe me? Pull up the stats of any match, in men’s or women’s tennis, and see for yourself. It’s rare when a player commits more errors and wins the match. Here’s one thing you can do right away to improve your consistency: Don’t go for broke when you’re trapped well behind the baseline. Instead, hit a high ball deep into your opponent’s court. This will give you time to recover, move closer to the baseline and assume a strong ready position.

2. Get in shape. Winning takes patience, and in order to be patient, you have to be in shape. If you’re carrying a few extra pounds or can’t survive long rallies in the heat, you’re going to look for quick points and play low-percentage shots. Mardy Fish is a great example of what I mean. Once he lost weight, he made better decisions on the court because he knew he could execute a smart strategy the entire match without getting tired.

3. Do what you do best. Say you’re a club player with a strong first serve but erratic groundstrokes. It’s 30-40, and you decide to take a little something off your serve to make sure you get a first serve in. No! That’s a bad move. If the serve is your strength, go for a big serve. Maybe even go for two big serves and forget about your second serve. You need to ask yourself, ‘What’s my best chance of winning this point?’ Then use that shot. You would never see Goran Ivanisevic holding back on his serve when the pressure was on. He went for it. You should use your best shot as often as possible, and with conviction.

4. Play, don’t pray. Make things happen on the court, rather than hope that your opponent misses. Unforced errors lose tennis matches, but your opponent isn’t going to make as many errors if you’re just standing around hitting weak shots while hoping he or she will miss. Move the ball side to side, change the height of your shots and make your opponent run as much as possible. Your opponent’s errors will surely follow.

5. Have an attitude. All physical skills being equal, you need a mental edge to win a tennis match. It’s here where you should look to the pros. Rafael Nadal, Lleyton Hewitt, Serena Williams, Monica Seles—the list goes and on. These players never give in. That’s the attitude you need to have on court. Every point is a new one, different from the last. And it can be won.

Nick Bollettieri has trained many collegiate and professional players, including 10 who reached the world No. 1 ranking.

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Originally published in the January/February 2011 issue of TENNIS.