Tennis Singles Strategy – Control The Four Zones In Tennis

When you play singles in tennis, there are four zones that you need to be aware of and control in order to win more tennis matches.

In singles matches, tactics and strategy play a massive part in your success in tennis points. It’s vital that you know how to construct points.

Too often, tennis players simply react to their opponent’s shots and don’t plan their play. This can work against some opponents, and you’ll have good days when you’re playing well.

However, against stronger opponents or players who like to use tactics and strategy, you’ll be exposed.

There are four main zones on the tennis court in singles, they are:
1. The defensive zone, this is when you’re six feet behind the baseline or beyond.
2. The neutral zone, this is when you’re just behind the baseline.
3. The attacking zone, this is when you’re just inside the baseline.
4. The kill zone, this is when you’re around the service boxes.

In each zone, it’s important to know which types of shots to go for and which types to avoid.
If you’re defending in zone one, yet go for a high-risk winner, the chances are not on your side to make that shot consistently.

Likewise, if you’re in the kill zone and play too passive, you’ll lose the edge in the point and let your opponent pass you at the net.

How To Control The Four Zones In Tennis

Defending – when you’re defending, it’s important to hit high percentage shots that give you time to recover and make it hard for your opponent to finish the point.

This can include hitting moonballs crosscourt with lots of topspin, hitting low slices that stay low after the bounce, and hitting shots into the middle of the tennis court which will reduce the amount of angle your opponent can create on their next shot.

Neutral – when you’re in a neutral position in a tennis point, which means that neither you nor your opponent has the upper hand, it’s vital that you hit shots that will challenge your opponent or keep that back, blocking them from attacking you.

This could be with heavy topspin shots that land within 6-8 feet from the baseline, with low bouncing slices or using angles to push your opponent off balance.

Attacking – when you attack it’s important to keep your opponent under pressure. You can do this with power, hitting flatter shots, taking the ball on the rise, using precision, or using the width of the court.

Kill – when you reach the kill zone on the tennis court, you want to finish the point. This is normally possible with either attacking a short ball or finishing the point with a volley at the net.

Video Timeline:
00:00 – Tennis Singles Strategy Intro
1:11 – The Rally Zone (neutral)
1:53 – The Defensive Zone
2:34 – The Attack Zone
2:50 – The Kill Zone
3:07 – How To Control Play When Serving
4:18 – How To Control Play When Returning
7:57 – The Four Zones Drill
10:28 – Thanks For Watching (outro)