Approach Shot Insight
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Lee Couillard, USPTA, Head Tennis Professional, Punahou School, Honolulu, Hawaii explains the variations of the approach shot. The approach shot is a hybrid stroke, more so than any other shot in tennis. There are a variety of approach shots that you can use like the serve and volley approach, chip and charge approach, half-volley approach, swinging volley approach, deep approach, short angle approach, drop-shot approach and the moon-ball approach (this works great in junior tennis.) Without an approach shot, you'll be rooted on the baseline for life.
Approach shots need to be conditioned and driven from an early age, however, the personality and athletic ability of the player must also be considered. Are you a good leaper and lunger? How is your dynamic balance? Your opponent's strengths and weaknesses should always enter into what type of approach shot you decide to use. For example, how good are they on the dead run? What about just pressing them with a safe approach right down the middle of the court. Do they fold under moderate pressure or only extreme pressure?
You may not need all of the approach shots mentioned above, however, experiment with them and see what works best for your style of play. Remember that you are trying to set up a situation which will enable you to win the point with a volley when you reach the net. So the approach shot will rarely be a winner. Lastly, don't expect to make every volley and never get passed, that's an unrealistic expectation.