Don't stop at 'It went shallow...'. If you look at what happens after the bounce, the value of the ball changes.
'That ball ended up being shallow...'
When you think that during a rally, do you ever find yourself almost stopping your play?
Especially for beginners to lower-intermediate players, there are often scenes where they let out an 'Oh' before the ball even crosses the net, or apologize by saying 'Sorry'.
But in reality, 'shallow' doesn't always mean 'bad'.
In this article, I will introduce how to evaluate your strokes more accurately and improve the overall quality of your play by incorporating the perspective of what happens after the bounce.
Don't evaluate the ball only by its landing spot
In a stroke rally, the position where the opponent hits the ball—the 'post-bounce' position—is the point that actually has an impact.
✔ Even if it lands on the service line,
✔ If it is a ball that stretches forward with momentum after the bounce,
✔ The opponent will have to step back behind the baseline to hit it.
For example, like Nadal, when a ball is hit with a strong swing and heavy spin, the high-arcing ball drops suddenly andflies behind the opponent as if it is stretching even after the bounce.
Even a ball that looks 'shallow' at first glance can create a situation that is very difficult for the opponent to attack.
There are also 'shallow but effective balls'
The effectiveness of a ball cannot be measured by the landing spot alone.
The following examples actually create the effect of moving the opponent by making the ball 'shallow'.
Short cross: By making the bounce shallow, you create an angle and force the opponent outside the court
Drop shot: By hitting it so that the second bounce lands near the net, you force the opponent to run forward and break their balance
Also, even at the same depth, a 'ball that was just blocked' may lose speed after the bounce, giving the opponent time.
Observational skills change the quality of your play
To evaluate your own ball correctly, the 'power toobserve what happens after the bounce' is important.
We also do these kinds of exercises in lessons.
Observe other people's rallies from behind
How that person's shot behaves after the bounce
Check where the opponent is hitting from
By doing this, you will be able to view your own ball objectively, and you will find more hints for improvement.
Don't let your guard down just because it went shallow.
In actual lessons, I've seen this kind of change.
When I told the student, 'When you hit it well even if it's shallow, the ball reaches the target effectively,'
the student stopped letting rallies end even when the ball was shallow and became able to respond smoothly to the next shot.
The important thing is not to stop playing the moment you feel the ball has gone shallow.
That is the key to breaking the vicious cycle of 'loss of focus → delayed preparation → mistake in the next response.'
The quality of a stroke can be seen by watching until 'after the bounce'.
Don't judge your own shot just by the bounce point.
If it has spin or momentum, even a shallow ball can be effective.
Observe your opponent's contact point and movement, and look at the play as a whole.
Not stopping at 'It went shallow...' helps you prepare for the next ball.
📝 Is your ball really just 'shallow'?
Balls that look shallow but are effective, balls that are deep but easy to hit—
in lessons, I observe and confirm these differences from behind, which are hard to notice on your own.
Before you get discouraged by thinking 'It went shallow,'why not develop an eye for accurate evaluation?
In private lessons, I carefully observe your play,
and I will verbalize and share both the good points and tips for improvement.
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