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"Combos: The 1-2 Punch"
Combo is a word that we more frequently use to order fast food, however it is a good way to describe how we can put together a couple of shots that usually can unbalance our opponents.
The more familiar you are with “your” combos, the easier it is put together a good attack. When we watch amateurs playing, one thing that stands out is how irregular their tactics are. They seem to be guessing what to do after a each shot.
Pros seem to repeat their plays over and over. It’s not that they have a million different plays, they probably have only 3 or 4 with some exceptions, but because of the fact that they know these are “their” plays or tactics, they get to execute them with success. Let’s see some of the most popular ones:
- Serving wide, on either side, and then volleying to the open court. It’s a classic done by many players years ago, now we only see it as a surprise tactic even on guys with big serves.
- Wide kick on the ad side (righties, lefties do it on the deuce side) and the forehand or backhand down the line for a winner. Spaniards invented this one, Agassi made it famous.
- Crosscourt/crosscourt is the easiest way to move your opponent from side to side. The best clay court players use it with heavy topspin all the time as it is very hard to stop and change directions.
- Down the line/down the line is obviously riskier, as we use a flatter shot, but also a better one to come in behind.
- Inside out forehand/down the line either with a hard or a drop shot is a great play because of the amount of distance you make your opponent cover.
- Approaching/volleying is another classic combo where it’s better to stick to the rule of: if the approach is down the line your volley should also be down the line, if your approach is crosscourt, your volley should also be crosscourt.
- Drop and lob is an excellent finesse play you can use on any surface. It’s best to drop down the line, and lob crosscourt but other combinations can work as well if the drop is good.
These are simple guidelines to save you from guessing or constantly making up new strategies that can only drive you crazy and more likely make your game very inconsistent. Just develop the ones you like best and stick to them over and over mixing them up occasionally with something different to keep your opponent from reading you too easy or becoming too predictable. Good luck and play smart. |
