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What is your unique shot?

6K views 21 replies 16 participants last post by  Kowchi 
#1 ·
Has anyone tried to create and hone their own tennis shot that pretty much no-one else uses?

Lately I've been finding that when hitting with heavy topspin and good net clearance I've been unable to beat my opponents by getting them out of position and putting away a winner. It seems that the opponents (namely up and coming teenagers) are just so damn fast, with such good footwork and stamina that they are always in position and my shots probably due to spin and bounce are just not moving through the court quick enough go past the opponent without them being able to track them down and then grind some sort of topspin recovery shot back fairly deep effectively resetting the rally...

This has got me thinking about learning or even creating some sort of funky flat laser type shot kind of like a "horizontal smash" with a tiny amount of slice. The idea of this shot is that it would be hit seriously hard and flat so it would hopefully pierce through the court on a low trajectory, travelling fast enough so my opponents wouldn't be able to chase it down if I could get it anywhere on the court.

Anyways, I've just started working on my shot now on the training wall at the local tennis academy. I'm yet to pull it out in a match play situation.

Anyone got an opinion on this?
Does anyone else have a story of a unique shot they have tried to create for particular game situations?
 
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#2 ·
Um, you can't play a practice match using the shot..? Or play some practice points? I mean what the hell are you at an academy for? Saying you've practiced against such a low-percentage shot against the wall and then talking about it, just a waste of time :shrug:

As far as unique shots go, well, if it is unique, in general you won't be finding anything "truly" unique. I guess if I have to speak personally, the one shot I sometimes hit, is a overhead where I nearly get on my knees to hit if the ball doesn't bounce as high as I thought. I saw Baghdatis play such a shot several times especially at Wimbledon 2006 and I have used it a couple times to decent effect. Tough to pull off, especially since it has to be off a bounce that isn't too high and without too much forward momentum.
 
#4 ·
I don,t know if it,s a unique shot but, if the ball goes high and is going over me I hit a topspin block , I have no idea if this is unique but I haven't seen anyone else hit one so far .
 
#5 ·
My signature shot is the jumping backhand swinging volley(JBSV). I use it mostly because I have the worlds worst volleys so the jumping and swinging helps me get more pace ;)
 
#6 ·
Definetly sounds unique , FairPlay . I may have another unique shot where I cut under the ball like a dropshot to block sometimes . It goes high in the air and usually lands at the back of the court. ( on the other side obviously ) lol . Not a shot I use enough .
 
#12 ·
My unique shot is my aggressive slice. I can hit in as hard as I can hit a big forehand sometimes and the ball just dies on the court. Effective against players without great movement in getting out of the way of a ball.
 
#13 ·
I trained pretty regularly for a few years, and then one day I strained all the ligaments in my right wrist player soccer (keeper). So for a year, I couldn't hit forehands, volleys or serves, just two handed backhands (right wrist is just support). I used to go out every day for an hour and hit backhands with the ball machine. When I had to play matches (I work in a tennis club), I would run around all my forehands and hit inside-out backhands cross-court. I can hit forehands again, but still prefer my backhand, so if a ball is down the middle, or even slightly to the forehand side I still hit inside-out backhands.
 
#14 ·
Topsin Forehand...
 
#17 ·
Playing doubles I do a lot of very tight angle delicate banana shot forehands cross court (lefty) I also do it playing singles and I can hit it on the backhand when my game is on. So maybe a cross court banana shot drop shot although I don't intend it to bounce twice that quick .
 
#21 · (Edited)
Mine is a random forehand slice in which I just make a low slice as hard as I can just before it reaches the ground. It usually goes really high and close to the lines and just literally bounces to the left of my opponent. Sometimes it really trips them out when it bounces with that spin.

My co-unique shot is the aggressive backhand slice and onehanded backhand slice down the line. Usually I play two handed, but I've learned to slice it really hard down the line when the opponent is way out of the court, they can't get to that shit. The other aggressive slice I channel it from any frustration I experience and hit it literally as a rage shot. When it passes the net, the ball commits suicide and doesn't bounce more than a couple inches off the court. Whenever it comes on it usually goes really deep, when it goes into the net it adds to the frustration which fuels my next attempt. :)

Worthy mention; When an opponent moonballs to my forehand side I slice it as high as I could reach which ends up being a wide dropshot in the service box. I usually trick people thinking I'm going to smash it hard.
 
#22 ·
Mine is a random forehand slice in which I just make a low slice as hard as I can just before it reaches the ground. It usually goes really high and close to the lines and just literally bounces to the left of my opponent. Sometimes it really trips them out when it bounces with that spin.

My co-unique shot is the aggressive backhand slice and onehanded backhand slice down the line. Usually I play two handed, but I've learned to slice it really hard down the line when the opponent is way out of the court, they can't get to that shit. The other aggressive slice I channel it from any frustration I experience and hit it literally as a rage shot. When it passes the net, the ball commits suicide and doesn't bounce more than a couple inches off the court. Whenever it comes on it usually goes really deep, when it goes into the net it adds to the frustration which fuels my next attempt. :)

Worthy mention; When an opponent moonballs to my forehand side I slice it as high as I could reach which ends up being a wide dropshot in the service box. I usually trick people thinking I'm going to smash it hard.
Me too.
 
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