Modern-day tennis sees the ball being hit harder and with more spin than ever before. With racquet technology, ball and court speed, and player physicality at an all-time high, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get the ball past your opponent. So, if players cannot hit the ball any harder and hit through their opponents, how are they going to make them break down?
One approach is using the forecourt. Players are moving to the net more often to finish off the point with a volley, or they are using the drop shot to lure the opposition player to the net, setting them up for the passing shot. Carlos Alcaraz has made the drop shot popular again at the pro level, and players known as baseliners for most of their careers are venturing forward.
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One of the most popular ways to break down opponents in the era of massive hitters is using the slice.
Ash Barty cut a swathe through the women's game, dismantling her competitors with her slice. She could use it to change the rhythm of a rally, create angles and keep the ball low out of the swing arc of the girls who loved hitting the cover off the ball. Many of her opponents did not deal with the slice at all well and, as a result, made countless unforced errors.
Roger Federer also had an excellent slice. He could use a slice or a chip to return some of the big servers deliveries and, like Barty, utilise the slice to change the dynamics of the rally and keep the opponent off balance. Another thing Barty, Federer and several others did/do well was using the slice to approach the net. After receiving a short ball they would knife a slice deep and hard or at an angle, follow it into the net and more often than not would be presented with an easy volley.
When stretched out wide, players invariably use a slice to get the ball back into the court and back into the point. As they can't reach the ball to hit an effective two-hander or a one-handed topspin shot, the players who have a strong slice will find themselves back to a neutral position far more consistently than the players who do not have a slice in their tool belt.
Coaches should be teaching the slice on a regular basis to players of all ages. It is a great skill for juniors to learn as part of their development, and it helps adults to continue their growth, add some variety to their game and learn to be adaptable.
It also helps players get comfortable with using the continental grip, which will help their serve, volleys, overheads and two-handed backhands. The slice will also help students learn to problem solve and when, where and why they will use a particular slice. It should be, or it could be, a fun way to practice as well, trying to use all the different varieties that the slice has to offer.
So, the next time one of your students asks, "How can I break this person down?", you can paraphrase the great Vanilla Ice and reply, "It's easy: just slice, slice baby!"
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