Secret techniques from legendary players: Tennis strokes, grid and more

Tennis, just like most mainstream sports games, involves a lot of tactical and strategic endeavors. Some of these maneuvers are basic knowledge and can be practiced by anyone who learns the art. However, there exist certain abilities that have only been honed by the very best of players, legends of the game, so to speak. 

Over to these covert techniques and strategies, there is no better place to learn than from the masters of the game. On that note, we’re digging deep into some wholesome playing techniques, mastered by the best, that are not so spoken about. 

Mental Preparation for Playing Tennis 

Tennis may be more physical than psychological, but that has never diminished the place of mental fortitude and practice. Very often, opponents are very much at the same level of skill and physique, making the mental factor a major player. 

Gathering insights from the best of players and coaches around, here are some vital tips to staying on top of your mental game in the tennis game; 

• Have a Game Plan 
• Stay in the moment 
• Visualize only winning and positives 
• Slow down and make Assessments regularly 
• Stick to what works and learn from there. 

Basic Tennis Techniques For Beginners 

Before we head into the advanced techniques common to the best of players, let’s explore some of the most basic skills and playing techniques every beginner should master;

Get a grip

This relates to a player firmly holding a racket and positioning themself to have full control of the ball.

Continental grip

This sort of grip is used by players when delivering two-handed backhand and volley tennis shots at them.

Eastern Forehand

This grip is used when delivering powerful forehand strokes

Semi-western Forehand

This type of grip provides a balance between control and power so it is useful when delivering accurate tennis strokes.

Double-handed backhand

In this case, the player holds the racquet with both hands for power and stability then move the racquet backward and forward to hit the ball

Single-handed backhand

Here the racquet is swung with one hand (usually the dominant hand) from backward position to forward, delivering versatile strokes and smash.

Ready position

This is the player’s stance at the start of each point. The player stands with knees slightly bent and shoulders apart with the racket in front

Split step

This is a swift sideway movement used to react to the opponent’s serve and positioning for coming shots

Basic serve

This is a tennis serve motion where a player tosses the ball in the air and hits it overhead with a racket.

Move towards the ball

Tennis Players spend most of their playtime doing this. They reach for the incoming ball by stepping or lunging toward it and follow-through with a shot propelling it deep into the opponent’s court.

Fun Fact: Steffi Graf, winner of the 1988 Golden Slam is married to another Tennis legend, Andre Agassi, and the couple have children together.  

Be fluid and Adjust every Game – Roger Federer 

Billie Jean King – “Tennis is 90% mental. The ability to stay focused and composed under pressure is what separates the good from the great.”

Federer is unarguably one of the greatest tennis players of this age. The Swiss former professional still holds the record for ranking as world No.1 for the most consecutive weeks (237). Feats like those never come by chance and in Federer’s case, it certainly wasn’t. 

The former champion himself has shared severally that his secret to tennis intelligence is being fluid and not approaching every game with the same set of strategies. Adjusting to every game may sound cliche and easy to achieve, but it takes so much effort to be slightly different in every game and still win. 

Much like in gambling endeavors, a good player knows how to go at different sessions with a renewed approach. Whether it is altering bet sizes, parlaying bets, or utilizing bonuses like online casino free spins, ace gamblers know how to explore their resources. The same can be said for the Swiss tennis legend.

Federer’s former coach, Paul Annacone speaking to the ATP’s website on Federer’s ultimate game confirmed his little secret technique. 

“When I look at the evolution of the sport, I think a seasoned champion such as Roger is forever adding to his tennis intelligence, and as that IQ gets higher it allows him to adjust his game and to win more efficiently,” Annacone told ATP. 

Fun Fact: Roger Federer speaks multiple languages fluently, including Swiss German, English, French, and German. 

The Powerful and Precise Serve – Serena Williams 

Serena Williams – “The serve is the most important shot in tennis. It’s the one shot where you have complete control.”

Serena Williams needs no introduction. Aside from being the second most decorated female tennis player in history, she is also on the list of overall greats, male and female. Without a doubt, Serena has a few tricks up her sleeve, which have all contributed to her groundbreaking success. 

However, her most covert and yet effective technique, which is not talked about enough, is “the serve”.  Now this may sound ordinary, but Serena’s serving is not very typical. Usually, most players either have power or precision behind their serving and strokes, but Serena deploys both. Her ability to pinpoint and put enough power behind her serves makes her more likely to serve an Ace than the average player. 

Turn Defense into Offense, rapidly – Novak Djokovic

Djokovic’s flexibility and agility are not the only legendary qualities that have placed him among the greats. His much less-discovered technical quality is his ability to return serves and shift from defence into offence in a heartbeat. All along, this subtle element has contributed a lot to the Serbian’s dominance in most of his games.

Here are some iconic tennis games where Djokovic demonstrated his unique prowess of shifting defenses into offence; 

• 2012 Australia Open Final vs Rafael Nadal 
• 2021 French Open Final vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas
• 2020 Australian Open Final vs. Dominic Thiem

Always Slice in Position – David Nalbandian

David Nalbandian may not be considered by many as a tennis legend, but he’s certainly among the best. The Argentine was a joy to watch in his prime, but his secret technique went right over the heads of many. While most players work on the perfect backhand slice, Nalbandian developed a special skill of always slicing in the perfect position. 

More importantly, Nalbandian’s backhand was never slow, whilst always being in position. His slices were mostly on time, with speed and on position, which was beyond special. 

Conclusion

In the end, secret techniques are not really secrets per se, but special and rare technical abilities that are intrinsic or honed over years of practice. So be it Serena’s serve combination of power and precision or Djokovic always turning defence into offence, these techniques are all a result of discovered prowess.