The timeless debate about court positioning and game style
It seems that since the dawn of tennis, there has been a debate about where players should position themselves on the court and the type of style to adopt. Should players rush the net or grind from the baseline? Should they hug the baseline to be aggressive or hang back to improve their defense? Should they attack or defend? These are the questions that continue to be hotly contested today among coaches and players.
If you look at two of the legendary players in the game like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, you can see that both styles of play and court position are effective and can be successful at the highest levels of the game. Rafa plays a typical and classic Spanish style with a tendency to hang back from the baseline deep in the court, defending and grinding many balls, while winning many points without moving forward to the net frequently. Roger plays much closer to the baseline and attacks the net aggressively and consistently to win points.
This dichotomy in style and court position can be found at all levels of the game–from pros to juniors, as well as amateurs at the club.
In my system of training, I believe the physical, technical, and psychological traits of a player will dictate how he or she tends to play. I believe in giving my students a broad range of skills so that they can be successful deep in the court grinding or taking the ball early just off the baseline. For example, if I have a student who is very aggressive mentally and likes to attack, has excellent reflexes and hand-eye coordination, a long wingspan, and relatively compact swings, this player would be a good candidate to play near the baseline with a strategy of moving forward to the net. If I have a player with boundless stamina, larger looping swing shapes, good but not great reflexes and instincts at the net, and a conservative mentality, that player might be a good candidate to play farther from the baseline by grinding out points without prioritizing forward movement to the net and attacking play.
My concern is that most coaches have a favorite player and style–and then they use that player to rationalize how ALL of their students should play. For example, many coaches praise Federer and instruct all their students to attack the ball on-the-rise the way Roger does. Or vice versa, some coaches are Rafa fans and teach the Rafa game style. It’s important to be player centered and teach the style and court position that fits the student’s psychology, physical gifts, and technical skills–not to force every player into one glorified model of play!
It’s concerning to me that I work with countless students who report to me that at their previous clubs they were instructed to ALWAYS move forward and take short balls to the net. Is this good advice generally? Sure. It’s pretty good advice. However, many children may be better off bribing their opponents to the net with an off-speed short slice or drop shot, especially if their passing shots are better than their volleys.
This is a blasphemous idea here in New York and goes against what most American tennis coaches believe. According to most US coaches, every short ball should be attached by going to the net. It’s like a law written in stone. Case closed. Did those coaches ever think that a well placed drop shot–drawing the opponent forward–could be a better mode of attack than approaching the net themselves? It’s sacrilege to suggest this!
I like the philosophy espoused by many of the coaches in Spain: Go forward when you can–but don’t force it–and understand that sometimes it’s better to bring your opponent to net than for you to go there. Move forward with caution and make sure the percentages are in your favor before attacking. Construct the point well before attacking. Remember that you will sometimes need to rally many balls–and even defend–before you can go on the attack. As the legendary Spanish coach Jose Higueras likes to say, “Tennis is a game of give and take. Sometimes you must give ground, and sometimes you may take ground.”
In New York, the US, and other fast court dominated countries, the emphasis is primarily on taking–taking ground. To give ground is often framed as a sin–it’s considered weak. If a young player growing up in America doesn’t want to take risks but would rather patiently grind from the back of the court, he or she will be mocked as a “pusher” by other kids and heavily criticized by most American coaches for “not being aggressive” enough. In Spain, by contrast, this style of player would be allowed to thrive and play his or her preferred style. This player would not be made to feel shame for wanting to grind from deep behind the baseline. In Spain, this player would be encouraged to develop some attacking skills, but would not be forced into a playing style that does not fit his or her talents or personality.
When working with my students, I always try to remember the sage advice from my mentor Jose Higueras–Tennis is a game of give and take. With my young students, I train them to be comfortable both giving ground (defense), taking ground (offense), and holding ground (rallying and counterpunching). I don’t always know what style they will gravitate to when they are older, so I want to build a player who is comfortable moving 360 degrees in all areas of the court. Then, as the player matures, they will naturally gravitate towards playing closer to the baseline and looking to get to net–or the opposite–and I can effectively guild them either way.
Both outcomes are okay! Every player if different, and all players should not be forced into one primary game style or one type of court position “because it’s better,” according to the coach’s esteemed opinion.
It’s a shame when I meet young players who have spent their whole junior career exclusively taking the ball on the rise from right on top of the baseline. They don’t have a clue how to defend or retreat. They only know attacking skills and footwork. It’s equally a shame when I encounter players who always hang far back in the court and have never learned how to take the ball on the rise. They don’t know how to attack and take time away.
All players should know both these fundamental skills; they should be complete in their ability to cover 360 degrees in all areas of the court. And they should be allowed to gravitate towards one primary playing style and court position depending on their personal characteristics.
High performance coaches have a responsibility to develop a complete movement package and skills in all court positions when their players are young. Trust me–Rafa knows how to hug the baseline and take the ball early. Roger knows how to grind and defend. They have complete mastery of all areas of the court, but they choose a primary style and court position that suits them best. These principles should be explained to kids who don’t really know any better when they watch these guys on TV.
Thus perhaps there is an answer to the age old debate: Teach competency in all court positions and complete skills when players are young–then get out of the way as they mature! Develop players with complete attacking and defending skills and guide them with an open and unbiased mind to find their ideal court position and game style combination.
This is a better and healthier way to build champion players.
Chris Lewit, Prodigy MakerChris Lewit runs the best summer sleepaway high performance camp in the US. Train personally with him and his team on the court with only a 2 player to coach/court ratio! Contact Chris directly at Chris@ChrisLewit.com for more details or visit ChrisLewit.com.
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