You don’t always have to win the point, you just have to stay in the point.
A good habit/strategy to win more matches is to adopt the mindset that your opponent is going to have to hit an outright winner to win the point. Resolve to get any ball that you can reach back in play.
Most players, especially at the recreational level, have trouble hitting two great shots in a row. If you get the first one back, many times they will make an error trying to hit a better shot.
To help you with this strategy, think about these pointers:
- Don’t try to hit a winner when you are stretched out or on the run
- Hit the ball back high, crosscourt and deep, to give yourself time to recover
Watch your opponent’s frustration, and errors, build as you continue to make them play one more ball…