Tactic is one of the very important aspects of tennis, and not using the correct tactic/strategy is one of the things which holds club players back from winning matches.

To make it easy for you to understand tactics, first answer this question: What do you want the tennis ball to do when you are playing a point? If you have never thought about this, it means you usually do not use any types of strategies or tactics on the court.

Biomechanically, your racket can do 3 things to a tennis ball: 1. Hit the ball high with spin. 2. Hit the ball hard with power. 3. Contact the ball at different angles to get different directions — for example, contacting the ball early to go cross court.

The most basic tactics in a rally situation are moving the opponent around the court — across (right to left / left to right) or forward and backward using deep and short balls. Two common tactics in a serving situation are: serving out wide to create space and attacking the second ball, or serving heavy down the middle to control time and build with an inside-out forehand.

The reason Agassi was known as an aggressive baseliner throughout his career is because he had heavy forehands and could take the ball on the rise, allowing him to dictate from the baseline. Henman, on the other hand, was very fast and had great topspin serves, so his coaches built him into a net player who often used serve and volley. The point is: first know what type of player you are, then decide what your main tactics will be. So, what type of player are you?

For example, if you are an aggressive baseliner serving first and want to attack, you can go for a wide slice serve and finish the point with a heavy forehand down the line. If you are a consistent player being attacked and put in a defensive situation, you can defend using deep slices to stay in the rally and neutralise their shots.