Tennis Tips: Aggressive Baseline Play and How to Make it Work for You

The most popular style in the tennis world today is backcourt play. Specifically, aggressive backcourt play. The ATP and WTA are filled with them. Andre Agassi, Venus and Serena Williams, and slew of others have used this style and won major tournaments. One reason for this is because the style is easy to move into. You don't have to necessarily do anything different like you would with serve and volley.

Still, playing an aggressive backcourt style takes some work and skill. Following are some tips that will help you to firm out your game.

Fitness and Footwork

The key to having a great backcourt game isn't just possessing great ground strokes. That always helps, but those ground strokes are nothing if you can't get into position to hit the great shots. Also, you have to have the endurance to run around the court. Working on fitness and footwork are a must if you want your backcourt game to be successful.

Running suicides around the tennis court are a great way to start getting your body ready for the long point that you may have to endure. Also, sprints very closely emulate the short bursts that you'll have to endure throughout points.

Your footwork is something that you must constantly work on. Little steps are always the best. Your ground strokes will only be as good as your positioning allows.

Find Your Weapon

Find your weapon, and use it. If you have a thunderous forehand, do your best to place yourself in a position so that you can use it. Having a solid down the line backhand is a decent staple as well. That shot opens up the court and gives you open court to work with. All of the best aggressive backcourt players have a great down the line backhand (see Andre Agassi, Serena Williams).

Also, it would be a great thing to have either a great serve or great return. Think of Jim Courier. He was a persistent grinder, but his serve wasn't a slouch by any means. Andre Agassi is an example of a great returner. Having these assets will make your all around game that much better and allow you to use your other skills at the baseline.

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