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Next is about the positioning of hitting Pressure Shot. The two or more types of Pressure Shot that your opponent has to expect certainly include a shot to the back corner, such as the straight drive or the crosscourt. As mentioned in the previous section, the straight drive and the crosscourt of Pressure Shot must be low and fast, and then hit the back corner on the second bounce. Alternatively, the crosscourt should hit the side wall first and go to the back nick on the second bounce. To do so, you need to get closer to some extent to the front wall. That is because the closer you get to the front wall, the faster your shot will be.
Therefore, the area you can hit Pressure Shot is usually ahead of the backline of the service box, but it depends on how hard you can actually hit the shot. However, if you are near a wall, it would be difficult to swing the racket with force and not be able to hit Pressure Shot. In addition, if your opponent is on the offensive, you are forced to be defensive and can not hit Pressure Shot.
As for situation (2), if you can hit two or more types of Pressure Shot with the same form, your opponent cannot make a quick decision which shot is coming and that could force him or her to get a slow start. Advanced techniques will be needed to hit multiple shots with the same form, but we will discuss only the basics at this time.
Regarding the racket swing, if you see the forehand of the right handed player from above, the racket head rotates counterclockwise around the grip. The player can speed up the swing but cannot swing the racket backwards for even a moment. Now think about the relationship between the shot and the swing. If the player hits the ball in the early stage of the swing, the shot becomes the boast. If he or she hits the ball slightly later, it becomes the straight drive and later than that, it becomes the crosscourt. This means switching your shots from the boast to the straight drive or the straight drive to the crosscourt is possible, but the reverse is impossible.If you hit Pressure Shot during the game, it is important in any case to get close to the ball with the timing as if you hit the boast. To hasten the timing gives you enough time to switch a shot to another with the result that your opponent cannot make a quick decision and you can delay your opponent’s starting towards the ball. Even the shot is the same course and speed, if you contrive a way of stroking it, the shot could be seen as a totally different shot by your opponent.
Always remember, when you practice hitting shots, it is important to think how and where you hit the ball and how your opponent recognizes your intent. |
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