The Great Equalizer

Say you are a good counterpuncher. In other words you use your patience and consistency and rely on unforced errors (you counter the other players punches). I mean you are HARDCORE. If tennis was COLLEGE you would have a PhD in counterpunching. I think you get the idea.

NOW say you have a match against another counterpuncher with a PhD from a college of equal or greater value.

Sweet! THAT means that you will have your patience and fitness tested to the LIMIT. Worse yet, what if the person stepping out there against you has HUGE quads. Suggesting that they could go all day...

Now THOSE are quads.

Maybe you are an average size but your opponent is skinnier and lighter. Taking less energy to get to a ball than you spend for the same endeavor.

What do you do when your opponent is better at your game that YOU are? You find an equalizer. And equalizer (and I'm coining this phrase) is basically a technique that you borrow from another playing style. It is something that you are good at that you don't really need unless it is clear that you will not win the match doing your regular play.

As an example, being a counterpuncher is a safe style. You keep the ball in play and try to draw unforced errors. But when the other player is better at keeping the ball in play you might have to learn how to construct points like an all around player and finish things off at the net. OR you could learn how to mix spins like a junk baller to facilitate getting errors from your opponent.

Whatever it is, all great players have the equalizer. The secondary style. Roger Federer has a great aggressive all court game. But he counterpunches unbelievably well.

Serena Williams has an AWESOME power game but occasionally you see her come to the net.

If you don't have a second game, you had better bring a VERY VERY strong first game. And you had better be prepared to do it all the time whatever it takes. If you love power and you hurt your shoulder, you had better be prepared to hit through it. If you like retrieving balls and getting them back and you pull a leg muscle, get ready to do your fastest limp. It's that simple.

Tennis is FULL of players that were very one dimensional and changed because they were getting older and couldn't afford to spend the energy. No one can escape this and still be at an equally competitive level.

Good Luck!