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Aggression spread aggression. It is easy just to follow the other player and bang harder back. You need to outsmart the other player somehow particularly if you are about the same level or you feel you may not last long enough in the tempo.

What kind of strategies have you used to outsmart an aggressive tennis player?

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  • Maybe the tags strategy and technique are applicable to this question. (Or at least some of them.)
    – Martin
    Dec 6 '14 at 7:37
  • @Martin agree. This is not about one specific technique so I think strategy is the best fit here :)
    – hhh
    Dec 7 '14 at 13:58
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If they are at the same level as you, but more aggressive, they will usually make more errors, so if you hang in there, and keep getting the ball back, they will tend to make mistakes. If they are really aggressive, they like to come to the net, so keep them back by hitting deep shots as much as possible, don't give them short balls.

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  • I like the view "[i]f they are at the same level as you" +1. I started totally amateur 1 year ago using too much power and losing easily, I realised that I need to be technically superior before using any power. Now when I see players using too much power, I gonna use this strategy "let them do the mistakes", "deep shots" forcing them to the back and sensing the game. At some time, aggression stops and you have a time to revenge/point. It requires guts to play softly against aggressive players to avoid your mistakes: focus, focus and focus.
    – hhh
    Dec 12 '14 at 0:36
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I list some basic strategies below, you can mix them to your needs.

General

  1. Let him/her run out of energy? Continue deep baseline shots without risks (not letting him/her to net)?

  2. Hard to come to net unless a mistake or a change in tempo (hit a slow shot to get some extra time to come to net)?

  3. Surprise: do not make your intentions apparent, fool the other by acting to do something while you do something else.

  4. Brute-force: you make the other to fear you. When he/she rises to the net, you bang as hard as possible (to the torso or side signalling do not come close to me) -- this can make the other totally paralyzed if she/he realizes aggression does not work against you.

Exploiting wide wingspan/arm span/reach

  1. Hit against the torso with powerful topspin shots so the player does not get benefits due to his/her size: the player needs to hit further away stumbling more easily. When you play corners, make sure about timing -- you don't want the player to get maximum power due to the long lever (arm).

Serves

  1. What is the safest technique to return very aggressive serves?

  2. Techniques to return aggressive tennis serves?

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  • I would like to know downvoter what is wrong with this?
    – hhh
    Dec 7 '14 at 14:00

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