Counterpuncher

A defensive baseliner, counter-puncher or retriever, tries to return every ball and relies on the opponent making mistakes. The trademarks of a counterpuncher include consistent shots with low error rate, as well as precise placement that makes it hard for their opponent to execute an aggressive shot.

Counterpunchers also have a tendency to anticipate and are usually equipped with extremely good passing shots, thus enabling them to turn lots of defensive situations into offence. The game of the defensive counter-puncher has more to do with physical endurance and willingness to get every ball back in play as well as mental determination to keep from getting bored or trying for too much.

Their game plan often involves moving their opponents back to the court and outmaneuvering their opponents. One example is former world number one Caroline Wozniacki who moves her opponent around the court without going for high risk winners. While on defense, she gets every ball back and constantly mixes up the pace, to frustrate her opponents.

While they tend to make relatively few errors because they do not attempt the complicated and ambitious shots of the aggressive baseliner, the effective counterpuncher must be able to periodically execute an aggressive shot, either using the pace given by their opponent or using precision and angle.

Speed and agility are key for the counterpuncher, as well as a willingness to patiently chase down every ball to frustrate opponents. Returning every aggressive shot that the opponent provides is often the cause of further errors due to the effort required in trying increasingly harder and better shots. However, it is noted that for some faster players, including Gaël Monfils, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Murray, standing too deep behind the court can hinder their attacking abilities.

At lower levels, the defensive counter-puncher often frustrates their opponent so much that they may try to change their style of play due to ineffective baseline results. At higher levels, the all-court player or aggressive baseliner is usually able to execute winners with higher velocity and better placement, taking the counterpuncher out of the point as early as possible.

Most counter-punchers often excel on slow courts, such as clay. The court gives them extra time to chase down shots and it is harder for opponents to create winners. However, some counter-punchers who have the ability to mix up their game and turn defense into offense, like Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Murray and Agnieszka Radwanska have excelled on faster courts like hard and grass as well as slower courts. Counter-punchers are often particularly strong players at low-level play, where opponents cannot make winners with regularity.

Key strategies to beat the counterpuncher:

1. Attack the net. Counterpunchers do not like to be rushed, and they do not wish to be pressured into trying for too much. Be aggressive at coming in to the net to finish off points.
2. Be patient. You are going to have points where you will need to hit more balls than you want. You must patiently construct points to get your opening to the net. Impatience is how the counterpunch will ultimately beat you. However, don’t stay in long protracted rallys for too long. Otherwise, you are playing right into their hands.
3. Hit behind them. A lot of counterpunchers cover the court well by running to the open court. Hitting balls behind them can effectively wrong foot them and either draw a ball that you can attack and come into the net behind or, if you’re really lucky, an error.
4. Getting lobbed to death? Embrace your overhead. The lob is a high percentage shot–especially for the Counterpuncher. Do not get into a long lob-counter lob fest with them. Hit an overhead, drive the lob, or better yet, hit an overhead from the baseline off of those deep lobs.
5. Move them forward and backward. Counterpunchers are excellent movers from side to side, but often times they are not good movers from forward to back. Hit drop shots and short cross-court angles to move them forward then follow it up with a deep lob or deep, penetrating groundstroke to move them back again. It’s effective at drawing short balls for you to attack or even errors.