How Do You Beat Someone Who Has Your Number?

Ladies & Gentlemen ~

The question of the day is, how do you finally beat someone whom you've had no success with in the past? You've played a match with this person on more occasions then you can count and each time you've come up short.

You've changed your tactics in midstream to throw them off and yet, they continue to prevail over you and what bothers you the most is, you're both rated on the same level.

All you think about is how you will someday beat this person in front of a huge crowd. You've imagined it in your head a dozen times but still you cringe whenever you hear this person call your name out with, "Hey do you want to try again ha ha ha ?" And for some unknown reason, you've yet to say, "No Thank You" because each time you're convinced this is going to be the day you finally pull it off.

So the question is, just how do you win over someone who isn't necessarily more skilled than you but just seems to win each & every match you have together?

If you play someone that has your number and you are roughly equal in skill level you need to elevate your game / concentration / tactics to prevail.

Just like the professional's do, you need to analyze your game plan and your opponents game plan. You should go over all the things that work in your game and that don't work in their game to find the things to exploit.

Adjust your serve tactics if your opponent breaks your serve. Go after their weaknesses relentlessly. Play up your strengths. Play harder AND smarter then them.

Try serving wide to open up the court. The other way is to make sure ypur serve is DEEP notice i didn,t say HARD AND FAST. In this situation it is important to get every ball back, make them hit winners. Now rember this is club tennis. There are people who have a lot of trophies with just one shot
MOON BALL. If you can hit high topspin lobs you will at the very least piss your opponet off. Even if they still win they will be the ones who hate to play you. Think of it as the first battle in a long war!!

Well I declare as they use to say back in the day. First I'd like to welcome our new member Damazing to TennisW.Com

Thank you for not only joining our Community but for providing the answer to this question. We haven't had the pleasure of exchanging ideas as yet however you are absolutely correct and you win the prize.

This answer was not a trick question, it was a very practical question. If you are playing tennis against someone who you can't seem to beat, you have to get better. Which is what our new member stated.

If you are dedicated to the game of Tennis, then I would like to assume you want to be in a constant state of improving. And you had better get to it before you Tennis Opponent does. One of the most important factors in Tennis is to recognize your Strengths & Weaknesses. Whatever you are good at, you want to exploit it as often as possible like wise whatever you struggle with, you want to correct.

Never ever become complacent with your game regardless of how good you are. Even if you are the King of your neighborhood Courts, sooner or later, someone is coming to knock you off your perch.

Constantly take the opportunity to find a hitting partner who is perfectly happy to feed you specific shots to hone your game. As my friend Haretrigger mentioned, the Serve is one of the most critical elements of a person's game. If you are missing 1st serves or barely breaking triple digits then that is first & foremost on your plate. Get to work and don't be satisfied with what you've been doing. Get a bucket of balls, go to the courts and work on that serve. Now a huge question that one must address is, how do you know what to work on regarding the serve? If you aren't getting lessons, then how do you correct something on your own?

You've determined that your serve needs work. If you aren't getting a lot of free points from it, able to set up a Put-Away shot from your delivery or use your serve as a tool to get you out of trouble if you're behind, then you need to recognize that. Work on the two most dependable weapons in serving,

1. Hitting outwide
2. Down the Tee

Hitting down the Tee (Center service Line) you will either hit an Ace or place your opponent in a position where they might have had to lunge for the return and if you are alert, you should find yourself at the Net for an easy put-away. Never goto the Well too often! In other words, if you can hit down the Tee fairly easy, don't do it on every shot or every other shot.

Hitting an Ace is usually produced by the element of surprise. You've gone outwide a few times and you see your opponent leaning in that direction, so now's you chance to hit down the tee. Same as the outwide shot whcih is done by striking the ball on the outside edge of the ball with a follow-through down & across the body. Lean into this shot and use that to pull you into the Court as you head for the Net. DON'T RUSH because if your opponent gets nice contact on your shot, they will most likely find a hard stuck down the line return. Not a lot you can do about that so make your serve as good as you can.

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first analyze their game as well as your own. Then determine whether you need to get some help or up your game

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GavinC360

first analyze their game as well as your own. Then determine whether you need to get some help or up your game

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Please elaborate Gavin for the Members :)

Here are the statements that i love which i think might help you.
From Monfils after defeating Nadal on the Qatar quarter finals, 2009
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"When I started my match, I didn't look at him,"
"I didn't allow him to settle down. I kept my serve and I am very happy about that."
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Beside knowing your opponent strength and weaknesses, just play on your style, keep up your integrity!
Good luck!

You just have to start doing the mental work, even if it seems uncomfortable or awkward. It's worth it because you'll eventually see the benefits in your performance.

Tennis mental coach Dr Patrick Cohn recently (05-September-2010) uploaded a podcast titled: How to think when playing higher ranked opponents.

Here's a summary of what he says:

Approach is everything:
You must embrace the challenge; see it as an opportunity to elevate your game, to learn by playing a better player, and to become a better and stronger player yourself.

Avoid comparisons:
Comparisons are unhealthy for your confidence, because you generally compare yourself to athletes you think are better than you. Avoid comparing your record and their record, your ranking and their ranking, your seeding and their seeding. Instead of focusing on your opponent's strengths, focus on your abilities.

Scouting is good:
There's a difference between comparing and scouting. Scouting and knowing an opponent's tendencies can help with anticipation and build a better game plan.

Confidence:
This has nothing to do with your opponent. It is your belief in your ability to hit your shots, to execute your skills, to do what you're capable of doing, and to stick to your game plan. Do not let your opponent or any external factors affect your confidence.

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Editorial Staff, sportsvisionmagazine.com
Training visual, cognitive and intelligence skills

Quote:

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Originally Posted by coach13

You just have to start doing the mental work, even if it seems uncomfortable or awkward. It's worth it because you'll eventually see the benefits in your performance.

Tennis mental coach Dr Patrick Cohn recently (05-September-2010) uploaded a podcast titled: How to think when playing higher ranked opponents.

Here's a summary of what he says:

Approach is everything:
You must embrace the challenge; see it as an opportunity to elevate your game, to learn by playing a better player, and to become a better and stronger player yourself.

Avoid comparisons:
Comparisons are unhealthy for your confidence, because you generally compare yourself to athletes you think are better than you. Avoid comparing your record and their record, your ranking and their ranking, your seeding and their seeding. Instead of focusing on your opponent's strengths, focus on your abilities.

Scouting is good:
There's a difference between comparing and scouting. Scouting and knowing an opponent's tendencies can help with anticipation and build a better game plan.

Confidence:
This has nothing to do with your opponent. It is your belief in your ability to hit your shots, to execute your skills, to do what you're capable of doing, and to stick to your game plan. Do not let your opponent or any external factors affect your confidence.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Editorial Staff, sportsvisionmagazine.com
Training visual, cognitive and intelligence skills

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Very good response.

I happen to side with the players who think you need to concentrate on just your game. I'm not saying you shouldn't know whether you're playing a lefty or righty - or whether they are a junk baller or baseliner. I'm saying that you need to play the ball to your best ability. Not your opponent. Lastly, I know this approach has been around for many decades; I'm not claiming this as my idea.