Nearly 80% of points in amateur tennis are lost on missed shots, not won on great shots. To win more, stop trying to hit the ball as hard as you can or drop it on the lines. Instead, play patiently and wait for your opponent to make mistakes. Also…

SINGLES

  • Rethink your serves. Most amateurs blast their first serves as hard as they can and frequently miss. Then they lay in soft second serves, which their opponents anticipate and return aggressively. Instead, hit both your first and second serves half to two-thirds as hard as you are capable of serving. This will allow you to get most of your first serves into play. As long as you vary the placement — and spin, if you can — of your serve to keep your opponent off balance, you will be in good shape to win most of your service points. If you do miss your first serve, hit your second serve just as hard.

    • The perfect toss: Bad serves often are the result of bad tosses. Pretend that the ball is a glass of water that you are balancing on the palm of your hand. Lift your hand upward, releasing the glass upward when your arm is fully extended. Begin your swing when the ball pauses at its apex so that you hit it just as it starts to descend.

  • Stop trying to hit winners when you return a first serve. Instead, try to return first serves safely down the middle of the court, five to seven feet above the net (one to two feet above the net and at the server’s feet if the server charges the net after service). The server has the advantage on the first serve. If you try to hit quick winners, you are likely to fail more often than you succeed.

  • Be more aggressive against a second serve. Move three feet forward, then try to drive your return deep crosscourt.

  • Hit most ground strokes cross-court in singles tennis. The ball crosses over the net at the net’s lowest point, the middle, when you hit crosscourt, reducing the odds that the ball will hit the net. Because hitting crosscourt lets you aim at the long diagonal dimension of the court, it also reduces the odds that you will hit long — and increases the distance that your opponent must run.

  • When in trouble, hit up. When your opponent has you on the run, lob your return high and deep. Lobbing forces him to retreat to the backcourt and gives you a chance to regroup.

    • DOUBLES

  • Avoid the one up, one back formation against skilled opposition. This conventional doubles formation is reasonably effective against teams of limited abilities, but skilled opponents will exploit the huge gap that it creates between you and your partner. Instead, play both up if you are skilled at volleying and covering lobs… play both back if you are not. Both back is the best way to remain competitive against a doubles team of greater skill.

  • Don’t try to “hit ’em where they ain’t.” It is very difficult to hit a shot where neither opponent can reach it when two opponents are patrolling the court. Instead, aim…

  • At your opponents’ feet. These shots are very tricky to return.

  • Right down the middle of the court. Your opponents will have trouble finding a winning angle on their return, and there might be a crucial moment of confusion as your opponents decide who will return the shot.

  • Over your opponents’ heads if both opponents are up at the net.