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Heavy forehand topspinning lefthander cross court

by Walter
(Belgium)

Hi,

My sparring partner (lefty) plays deep high bouncing topspin forehand cross court on my backhand. I can stay in the rally for 4 or 5 exchanges but then my shot lands short and he then plays a very short angle cross and he also can play it longline.

In the first set I can run for every shot and force some errors with inside-in forehand long line or play some nasty backhand slice very cross court so he can't hurt me as much, but he keep on playing that scenario until more of my shots land short and he takes control of the center!

I am also having trouble with his backhand slice cross court that he plays of my longline backhand. This happens when I can't reach well his very short crosscourt forehand topspin. I often play it in the net. Lately I slice it back with my forehand and I stay a little bit longer in the point...

I'm an all courter playing style with almost semi-western grip on the forehand and a onehander eastern backhandgrip, he's defensive baseliner with a almost western grip on the forehand and a continetal backhand slice (backspin), his return of serve is not very pressuring but deep and his service is heavy flat or heave slice, no topspin.

On fast surfaces I can play with better results a more attacking style (serve-volley, attacking his backhand and volleying in open court)

On clay court my volleys aren't sharp enough, because of the heavy topspin.

Thanks for any strategy tips!

Comments for
Heavy forehand topspinning lefthander cross court

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Oct 22, 2007
Rating
starstarstarstar 		to play against heavy top spin crooscourt
by: Kwok

Hit slice strokes, from your forehand or backhand , deep into the middle. If you can keep your slice strokes really low, all the better. Or,
try to hit the top spinned balls on the rise. If you are not good at it, try using a wider stance, turn your shouder, lower your body and shorten your swing. Don't try to hit a winner off it, just send it back deep.
Hope this can help.

:-)

Kwok
Aug 06, 2008
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Hit a Drop Shot and force him to come to the net
by: Nick L.

It has been my experience that most aggressive base liners don't enjoy the net all to well. My advice to you is simply bring him into the net with a drop shot, From here be wary of the drop shot back otherwise pass him with his weakened return and win the point or throw up a lob if need be. Use all your options to keep your opponents playing outside of their medium.

Thanks,

Nick L.
Aug 07, 2008
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		How to handle top spin
by: Anonymous

Drop shot is a risky shot. How often do you see the pros usw a drop shot to win a point. I am not saying they don't, but how often ? For a drop shot to be successful, it has to be best positioned, it has to bounce really low and it has to be really short, and it will help if you can put a good spin on it. Also if you hit drop shot too often, your opponent will pick up your cue real fast. Unless your opponent is an overweight middle age man, he will chase it down and pound on it. Yes you can use drop shot, but only sparingly. Don't use it at game point, because when under pressure, chances are you will not pull it off.
I think the best way ( and easier way )to handle heavy top spin is to hit your balls deep because heavy top spin balls tend to be short. If they are short, they cannot hurt you. Also, if they are short, they will become a sit up and you can pound on them. Just see how Jokovich beat Nadal in Cincinati. So, keep your balls deep, make them low is even better. Try it out and you will see.
Aug 07, 2008
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I vote to assess the situation at hand
by: Nick L.

by Walter
(Belgium)

Hi,

"My sparring partner (lefty) plays deep high bouncing topspin forehand cross court on my backhand. I can stay in the rally for 4 or 5 exchanges but then my shot lands short and he then plays a very short angle cross and he also can play it longline."

Ok, obviously people are having issues thoroughly assessing the problem at hand so let me restate myself once again. Obviously Walter if your returns are already short more the better to result in using a shorter ball like a "drop shot" right away to bring your opponent up and to the net or hit wider angles. Now I understand the pro's don't do this as often for an abundance of reasons simply being THERE PROS! they don't need to use this shot quite simply because they can handle anything thrown at them short of an airplane. But you see here lies the genius to the strategy YOUR NOT PLAYING NOVAK OR RAFA, so feel free to try hitting a drop shot or taking a wider angle because odds are after the drop shot you can successfully lob him and or pass him, (simply because HES NOT AS FAST FIT OR QUICK AS ANY OF THE PROS). If he gets wise and cheats in then put a little more "umph" on the ball and what do you know the shots at his feet and he's in a sticky situation. Or if you choose to take a ball with a wider angle close in on the net and put the ball away. Your opponent only has the angle that you provided him with so finish it with a cross court volley. Trust me if your fundamentals are sound this will work.
Good Luck,

Thanks

Nick L.
Aug 08, 2008
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Playing against heavy top spin crooscourt
by: Anonymous

I think there is another issue we have to look at here. Do we want to develope to be a complete player or use a drop shot to hide our weaknesses ? Hitting our ground strokes as deep as we can is as fundamental as we can get.
Walter has been quiet for a while, I am really interested in knowing what he thinks about the different solutions suggested to him so far. Has he tried out the suggestions ? Which one works better for him ?
Actually there may be another solution for his problem, how about hitting to his oppenent's weaker side ?
Aug 10, 2008
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		strategy against heavy topspin lefthander
by: Walter

Hi guys,

Thanks a lot for your excellent advise.
Let me tell how I used your tips.

SERVING:
I play serve & volley and so I give him little opportunities to use his heavy topspin. I serve 25% on the body and 25% slice serve to his backhand on the deuce side.
On the add side I serve 50% flat to his forehand 20% on the body and 30% with topspin through the middle.

This is a simple but effective strategy and it works when my serve is on. (2 out 3 times)

RETURNING:

I keep my backhand-slice return low, deep and in the middle but on his backhand side. Occasionally short to force him to the net where he's like a fish out of the water.
My forehand return is less effective but mostly on his backhand. So when he is not playing his backhand deep I can control the point.

Here is where I have some work to do (fysically). I can control the point but I cannot finish the point often enough.

The good news is that I'm getting stronger so his heavy topspin don't hurt as much anymore.

Thanks again guys and remember Tennis with Passion.

Walter




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