Bare minimum strokes to master for tennis if you want to play a singles game:

• Basics like grip, footwork, etc
• Groundstroke – forehand
• Groundstroke – backhand
• Service – decent deep serve with few double faults
• Return of service

And if you want to play doubles or level up, add in these:

• Slice
• Volley

Next, to level up further, add in these:

• Drop shot
• Lob
• Overhead (smash)

NTRP – National Tennis Rating Program

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• For forehand ground stroke: Continential (Eastern) or Semi-Western or Full Western grip
  • Continental grip is easier to hit flatter and lower shots, but harder to hit spinny and higher balls
  • Full Western is easier to hit spinny and higher balls, but harder to hit flatter and lower shots
  • Semi-Western is somewhere in between
• For single backhand ground stroke: Semi-Western grip
• For double-handed ground stroke: Continental grip
• For slices, lob, drop shot, service, overhead, volley: Continental grip

Types of Steps:

• Split step, stutter step, shuffle step
• Side shuffle, cross step, karaoke step
• Back-peddle, forward stride
• Adjustment steps (hop step, flow step, walking step)

Moving to Hit the Ball:

• Use the split step. Get used to the timing. Stay alert on the balls of your feet.
• Run quickly to the perfect position to hit the ball with the same form. Always stop before hitting the ball.
• Shuffle with small steps to fine-tune your positioning as you get nearer. The key is the final step you land just before the shot.
• Keep your footwork fluid, elegant, dynamic and nimble.
• Keep moving

Types of Hitting Stance:

• Open stance is great for when you are pushed out wide and have to defend. As well as when your opponent rushes you and takes your preparation time away. Also it’s used when the ball is high and out of your hitting zone.
• The neutral stance is important for when you wish to take the ball on the rise to avoid always having to move back and give up your court position. It helps you generate your own pace off slower balls. As well as helps you deal with shots that bounce lower.

Generally, your hitting stance will be based on the direction you approach the ball, as you can see from the diagram above. The 2 yellow ovals represent your 2 feet, and shows how you should be standing based on how you approach the ball (see the arrows).

For example, if you are running left or right to reach the ball, your feet will parallel to to the baseline and pointing towards the front (open stance) when you hit the ball.

• Grip your racket handle with both hands in ready position
• Hit the ball flatter for more pace, visualise a flatter trajectory path
• Shoulder TURN and run towards the ball
  • Point your shoulder towards the direction you want to hit the ball to
  • Stop before hitting to ensure that you have a stable base (weight on back leg)
• Start your acceleration earlier for smooth stroke – easier to hit rising shot
  • Do not wait till last minute to start swinging
  • Rather than thinking “i’m going to hit hard” think “i’m going to swing fast”
  • Think VRROOOMMM not BOOM
  • Focus more on getting a good contact point
  • Use more compact and smaller swings for fast balls
• Focus fully on every shot. Keep your EYES ON THE BALL on contact
  • Make sure you hit the sweet spot every time. (perfect strike zone)
  • Run and adjust (shuffle) your body so that your strokes will always be hit in that same strike zone
  • Ball should be in front of me. Hit the outside of the ball.
  • Do not contact ball higher than shoulder
  • For low shots, bend your knees to get my contact height consistently waist-high, and keep your body and head in an upright position.
  • Say “ISH” (or any sound that promotes exhaling) upon contact – anchor the perfect form of every shot, and exhale upon contact for proper breathing and relaxation.
• Follow through and BRUSH FORWARD instead of upwards to generate maximum topspin, pace & depth.
  • Whip the ball instead of hitting it, stay relaxed for explosive power
  • Step in if you need to create more pace
  • Power comes from transfer of body weight (not the arm) into the ball
    • Transfer weight into the ball, not into target
  • Swing must end with hand touching neck
  • Face the front after completing your stroke
  • Keep your base firm, and do not jump or jerk when executing the swing.
  • Must drop the racket to below the ball to generate topspin
• Hit the ball on the rise
  • Defend your strike zone, not hit the ball really early
  • Try to hit every shot 10% earlier
• Most rallies should go deep. Offensive shots should be sharp and angular.
  • Deep shots should aim to cross the baseline before the sideline
  • To return shots with lots of topspin, step forward to hit rising shot. Do not step back.
• To return a groundstroke with topspin, players normally swing the racquet upwards at an angle of about 30 degrees to the horizontal
• For high balls, do not hit downwards or upwards, but rather horizontal (L-shape)

• Are you turning your shoulders and rotating your shoulders to swing your racquet?
• Are you swinging with a loose arm instead of muscling your swing?
• Are you getting low to the ball and using your legs to push through?
• Is your weight moving forward as you hit?
• Are you being too wristy and putting too much spin on it?
• Timing is EVERYTHING! You can get plenty of power if you time it right, and you can get no power if you time it wrong.

• If you cannot go for the kill, set up a chance for a volley on the return (move up)
• Reach there as early as possible
  • Aim to hit the ball slightly earlier (in front)
  • Just stand closer to the ball so that your racket contacts it earlier
• Early preparation – shoulder turn and racket set up while waiting for ball to rise
  • Keep wrist loose, effortless power
  • little backswing
• Acceleration must be smooth/gradual
  • Think of hitting the ball “fast/through” instead of hitting “hard”
• Accelerate racket after getting contact point
  • Stay relaxed prior to contact
• Hit the ball perpendicular to racket face, works best for short balls
  • low (below knees): whip it up and dash to net
  • mid (waist): hit it flat and put weight into it
• To avoid over-hitting when killing a short ball, aim for service line

• Serves: consistency, placement, power
• Stand with weight on back leg before tossing, not leaning forward
• Toss consistently to the same height. Toss with the palm and fingers and do not snap the throw.
• Keep my wrist loose and relaxed
• Stretch out your arm to get the full swing. Contact the ball at the highest point.
• Instead of relying on your arm, use your body weight to add power to the serve by throwing your weight into the serve, thus landing on my left foot slightly within the court.
• Serve with controlled power (70%) for better placement and consistency
• Stand about 1/3 away from centre line, toss ball slightly in front, aim to get the stroke
• Start your acceleration earlier as well (hit max accleration just before contact)
  • This means starting to accelerate BEFORE the ball starts to fall
• Left Shoulder point at direction to aim
• Look at contact point
• Toss ball properly – depending on type of serve

Flat Serve

• Hit straight across the center, where the net is lowest.
• Free movement of wrist. Loose wrist. Snap wrist at highest point
• Imagine point of contact, contact path while in contact
• Bend knees to transfer weight, do not arch back
• Toss ball slightly in front
• Adjust back foot slightly to change angle

Slice Serve

• Thrown slightly to the dominant side of the server
• Aim to draw opponent out wide

Kick Serve

• Stand sideways. Toss the ball @12 o’clock. Toss it above/behind you.
  • Toss ball higher
• Start swing at 9. Brush ball from 7/8 to 1/2. Generate power form the legs.
• Bend knees, do not arch back
• Point of contact is just a brush
• Open the racket slightly to give it topspin contact
• In order to bounce to shoulder height, the ball must land at high speed and at a relatively steep angle.
  • Land well before baseline, then kick up to shoulder height near baseline
• Despite the fact that the server swings up at the ball in a kick serve, the ball must be projected downward below the horizontal for a good serve

• Be alert. Make a guess of his likely serve based on playing style and success rate.
• Adapt and get used to the spin and pace of the serve.
• If the serve is powerful, use a smaller swing or a slice block, and aim to neutralize the shot. Or stand back. Or shorten grip.
• For weak, shallow serves, aim for wide blind spots (power shots), a passing shot (DTL), or a dropshot.
• Stand at baseline, split step into box
• Even a short swing should have follow-through
• Ball projection vs Ball reception – the former is how well you can hit the ball, the latter is how well you can receive balls coming towards you.

The “Rule of 10” is a simple way to remember how hard you should return a ball. This applies to return of service, ground strokes, volleys, basically any form of ball reception. Eg. If an incoming ball has a power of 8, you return it with a 2. If it has a power of 3, you return it with a 7. The total always adds up to 10.

• Use the Continental grip
• When contacting the ball, racket face is almost perpendicular to ground
• Use Low slices to change pace
• Like catching and throwing the ball back. Similar to tapping a shot, but with follow-through.
• Do not slice on the run. Stop before hitting.
• Follow-through with the stroke. The direction which the racket head is pointing directs the direction of the ball upon leaving contact with the racket.
• Angle your body more for forehand slice (refer to backhand slice body angle)