Strategy
Hey coaches, i've been having this problem of hesitating too much when i receive. The situation is that when i get the chance to attack a serve be it high, little spin or side top, i make it but after being at a losing end of a match, i tend to be nervous and afraid thus making me choose to 'play safe' by returning passively with a push which gives the opponent a chance to attack. How can i overcome this mental block?
Thanks.
Hi Jack,
You need to have a clear idea of what you want ot do with long serves. You need to make it an automatic response that if the ball is long that you make the attack.
This will only come with repetitive practice. Work on practicing this by getting your training partner to serve lots of serves to you that are sometimes short and sometimes long and you need to topspin the long and push or flick the short.
Once you get this firmly in your mind it will be easier in a match situation.
When playing penhold players it is important to remember to first analyse your opponent as you would if they used any grip. What are their strengths and weaknesses? A common weakness of penhold players is their forehand block especially against a slow spinny topspin. Their backhand may be a weakness if they use the traditional style, or you may wish to explore the crossover point if they are using the reverse penhold backhand.
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