Weekly Plan #9 + Part 1 Determining Your Playing Style

Greetings from Chile.  In preparation for the up and coming Florida tournaments, this week I am going to change things up a bit.  I am going to blog a different topic everyday as it will contain too much information in one setting.

Topics of discussion this week includes the following:
The weekly plan.
Part 1 - Determining your playing style.
Part 2 - General tactics against different playing style.
Part 3 - Recovery drinks.
Part 4 - Preparation for pre and post matches.
Part 5 - What players should do after their match.
Part 6 - Your one minute bag check for the tournaments.



Part 1 - Determining your playing style.

As we continue to work on developing skills and weapons, it is important the player knows what type of player he or she is.  For the younger players, coaches can help to develop them into a certain game style.  For the older players, it is important for them to know what they are best at because when push comes to shove, there can be no hesitation.  When the going gets tough, they have to bring their skills to compete and to be successful they have to know what they are best at with a minor adjustment to the opponent's weakness.

There are essentially three different playing styles - aggressive baseliner, all court, and counter puncher.  There used to be a serve and volley style but with the advancement of technology making the game faster and more powerful, it pretty much wiped out that game style.

Here is a quick overview of the different styles.

Aggressive baseliner

Aggressive baseliners dictate play with aggressive, powerful ground strokes. Like Serena Williams, most aggressive baseliners have a big forehand, with the ability to hit winners from anywhere on the court. Psychologically, aggressive baseliners often are risk takers, capable of hitting winners from any point on the baseline. These players are not afraid to attempt to hit winners.

All court

All-court players are capable of playing all styles of play as the situation rises. They usually are athletic and have good hands. They often do not have a single clear-cut weapon, but they do have the ability to use nearly all parts of their game offensively to win matches. Typically, all-court players are proficient at transitioning to the net and possess the skills to end points with a volley. Psychologically, these players have aggressive on-court personalities and are risk-takers.

Counter puncher

Counter punchers are, by nature, players who most often allow their opponents to dictate play, then they counter. They are more comfortable playing farther back in the court and run down every ball.  Their emphasis is on depth, consistency, control, and on retrieving every ball. Psychologically, counter punchers must have a “never say die” attitude, with a willingness to stay out on the court as long as necessary to win the match.


So, what type of player are you?  By the way, this question is for parents and players.  If unsure, check with one of the coaches.  You have until Monday night to figure it out.  Because on Part 2, we are going to explore how to play against the different style of game.

Weekly plan for week #9
This week we are going to put everything from the last several weeks of contents together and continues with match play.  The first few weeks were focused on volume then we switched to weapon building with a daily dose of net play.  Now it is time to learn when to neutralize and when to be aggressive on the opportune balls.  Longer matches were also introduced to distinguish the difference of playing a few good points comparing to playing good matches which requires mental endurance.

See you tomorrow.