Hard Hit

Tennis players must hit most of their basic strokes with some topspin to get the ball over the net. Flat strokes have less spin, but a hard, low, flat shot can be a good choice for an offensive or winning shot, when you are in position to hit it. The best professional players know how and when to use this shot.

Basic Preparation

Flat strokes pass low over the net and are usually hit harder, but they are more difficult to control. The ball is more likely to hit the net or fly out of the court. The preparation for a hard, low shot is similar to hitting your basic strokes. Move to the ball with quick short steps so that you can contact the ball and swing through with your arm fully extended. Keep your backswing short so you can hit faster and harder.

Hitting the Ball

Power in your strokes comes largely from weight transfer. Bend your knees, step forward as you hit, and rotate through your hips and shoulders as you drive the ball with your arm relaxed. The differences in hitting a hard, low shot have to do with the contact point on the ball and your follow through. Start low, hit the ball squarely at its center point with your racket face perpendicular to the ball, not angled up or down.

Finishing

Let your arm move forward through the stroke and bring the wrist up to finish. If you hit down on the ball, it will probably not clear the net unless you are returning it off a higher bounce. If you hit up, that’s where the ball will go. These are fundamental aspects, whether you are hitting a forehand or backhand. More experienced players can also direct their shots to specific targets on the court. Flatter shots work better if you are moving forward into the court to finish a point.

Direction

If you play with your right hand, strike the ball in the center to direct the ball straight ahead with your forehand or backhand, whether that’s down the middle of the court or down the line. Hit the ball at the 3 o’clock position to drive it crosscourt with your forehand. For a backhand, strike the ball at the 9 o’clock position to drive it crosscourt. If you are a lefty, it’ll be 3 o’clock for a crosscourt backhand and 9 o’clock for a crosscourt forehand.

Playing Against Hard Hitters

These days, the courts seem to be filled with players who come out swinging – and swinging hard.

Playing against hard hitters in tennis can be intimidating. There will always be players who hit bigger than you and are more consistent. However, there are players at all levels who take a lot of big swings, but are not always pinpoint accurate, and can only hit one or two balls in the court in a row.

When battling a big hitter there are things you can do to throw your opponent off of their groove to try to neutralize their power. There are also ways to prepare to return the hard strokes if you’re not comfortable doing so.

There’s no need to match a big hitter’s power with your own. Most big hitters like it when their opponent hits the ball hard, because it helps them generate power as well. If you try to match power for power and that is not your normal game plan, you’ll fall right into the hands of your opponent.

Take some pace off of the ball and use placement. Force your opponent to generate all the pace off of their shots. This can help you draw more errors out of your opponent if you can place the ball well.