The #1 secret to a really good overhead is in fact not 1 but 2 simple things to think about when you get the opportunity to do some damage with this shot.
If you’re playing this weekend, then you can get out there and implement these 2 tips right away …
#1a) – Placement: If you’re playing doubles, unless the incoming lob to you is really short where you could easily hit your overhead into an opponent’s alley so that it angles off of the court for a winner, play all of your overheads right down the middle of the court.
Why?
Two good things happen for you when you play your overhead into the middle.
You force your two opponents to decide who’s going to handle your overhead and often there’s enough indecision by them that either they don’t get their shot back in play, OR, they play a short lob that you can knock off for a winner.
#1b) – In singles, unless I have a wide open court over on my opponent’s deuce side, as a righty, I almost always play my overhead over to their ad side of the court.
Why? If they lob back to me, I want their lob coming back into my natural set up position for an overhead.
If I play an overhead to their deuce side, and they lob back from that corner, their lob is starting from my backhand side and now the footwork I have to go through to get set up for another overhead is much more difficult.
You’ll need a little more time to ‘run around’ your backhand so that you can play a standard overhead.
Not always that easy …
———————
#2) – Technique: Our instincts tell us to swing down on top of the ball so that we can play our overhead back down into the court.
In fact, just like a serve, you want to actually swing your racket shoulder up to address the ball and then allow the natural pronation (or relaxed wrist) to snap the racket head flat against the back of the ball.
The overhead way too often get’s ‘pulled back down’ into the court and you lose power and control.
So, the next time you’re out on the tennis court, practice aligning yourself to the path of that incoming lob so that it’s to the side of your racket arm and NOT literally over your head.
That’s a really lousy term for this shot – the overhead.
Let’s go old school on it and call it the Smash so that you never make the mistake of setting up to the lob with the incoming ball directly on top of you.
With the proper alignment, you’re now set up to initially swing your racket shoulder up into the downward path of the incoming lob.
OK, there you have it 
Footwork for alignment spacing, upward swing path coming from your racket shoulder, and placement that best sets you up for the potential next lob.
I guess that’s more than just 1 secret, it’s in fact 3 golden nuggets that will turn your overhead into a stroke that will enhance your overall net game, but it will also increase your overall confidence as a competitor out there.
Get out there this weekend, focus on these tips, and then get back here at the end of the weekend and give me some feedback on how this worked
out for you.
Go get ‘em …
Brent
Hey guys, good morning.
Im really curious to read your comments and questions regarding this video / post.
I’ll be around all day getting some work done, getting a workout, and hanging out with my youngest …
So, hit me, what’s on your mind with this video?
Brent
I don’t agree with the shot down the middle in doubles .
Both players get a chance to hit it ..the geezers I play with
One of them is usually asleep the other is falling backwards
And will by the luck of the draw stick his racket out and make
A return ,,,best to hit wide and deep to the backhand ,,or at the feet of the opponent .
The other problem I encounter is the geezers I am playing with
As my partner stands in the middle of the court so he
Blocks my shot down the middle ,,,
No all the coaching in the world won’t help him ,,
Oh ,,, by the way I’m an old geezer of 70 etc and a
Believer in the single -D Budge backhand ,
Morning Don.
OK, fair enough.
Sounds like a helter shelter alignment over there with your opponents.
Guess the alleys look open, but I’d sure play my overheads more to the ad side (assuming you and your partner are righties) so that another lob coming back isn’t at an angle from over our backhands.
Brent
Hey Brent,
GREAT tip! I have never heard this tip, and this very logical explanation. So, thank you. The added benefit is that it takes away the possibility of opening the left shoulder too soon and hitting the ball too wide on the crosscourt shot.
Aloha
Hey John.
Very good point about that direction helping to keep the shoulder closed …
Aloha to you as well you lucky dude
Brent
Brent …”Great minds…” My current stroke to work on is my overhead, so your timing is perfect. In addition to the singles placement tip, I really like the dubs tip too.
PS I have also adopted your earlier overhead tip on snapping the wrist on lobs well over your head.
Thanks for all the good stuff.
Hey George.
Glad to read you liked this tip and others on the overhead.
Dinner with Drucker tonight in SF.
Always an educational experience
Brent
Solid strategy, deep to the backhand and follow up for volley or smash.
You got it Sam …
Brent
Good strategy, Brent. Would this strategy slightly change if the player is left handed or has a much stronger backhand?
Hi Chris.
I might play a few more overheads over to the deuce side if that was the case, but at crunch time, I’m going to the ad side to prep against another lob coming back.
Brent
Makes a lot of sense.
Claude
Hey Claude.
It does, but always remember, this tennis thing ain’t an exact science …
Brent
Hey Brent!
Great stuff once again! I can openly say that your tips do improve my stroke production and therefore my confidence when I walk onto the court.
You clarify a lot of unasked questions too, oops! not sure you meant that but I could really use your tips. Unfortunately I’m from the far Romania and cannot gratify you properly…
Thank you!
Daniel
Hi Daniel.
Pleased to read that you’re getting a lot from this instruction.
Keep spreading the word …
Brent
Nice tip about the placement and this should work with lots of the guys out there. But, it doesn’t take into account your opponent abilities for example, and if he/she has better backhand that ball might be coming back with more authority in that case (if they get to it of course).
Another thing that I don’t like is that you are taking into consideration that overhead is played softly and there is a chance for that ball to come back. If you execute that shot properly, there is very little chance for the ball to came back almost regardless of the placement. So, should we really take approach to this shot as we are going to play softly for some reason?
Hello Fedja.
Softly? Not sure what you mean there.
The overhead is not played softly.
It’s played with purpose to a specific place on the court, and with sound stroke mechanics, it’s consistent with power.
And it’s played with the assumption that it might come back.
Unless the incoming is really short, the overhead is most likely coming back. I just want to make sure that I’m in the best position on the court to receive that next shot.
Brent
By softly, I mean hitting it more on the safe side and not going to the kill with the shot. If those are executed with high power, changes for that ball to come back are very slim and even if it does, that should be even easier ball then the one before. What I am trying to say it that even at the pro level, very few of those balls are coming back when overhead is played with proper power. Chances for that ball coming back on regular human levels is even lower. So, by trying to pin point the place where you want that ball to hit the court, might be a difference of ball going outside or even mishitting it in the first place.
I agree Fedja.
The trick is to discover what level of power you can play and still be consistent.
Brent
Great tip, Brent. This pointer on the smash shows indeed how every shot we hit — even one we hope ends the point — should help us stay effectively organized for the next one.
Morning JD.
No question that we should never assume that any shot we hit cannot come back to us.
You simply can never assume that your opponent can’t ‘guess’ (anticipate) where you’re going to play your shot and sneak over there, no matter how big the opening is.
The proper mindset we should always have is to play through the current shot to it’s correct finish and move to the next best court position.
If that shot doesn’t come back, great, you’ve just hit a winner …
Brent
I like your advice to aim for the ad court because it forces me to get turned.. less back pedaling, ah, I mean when I don’t remember to turn and cross step.
That’s right Skip.
If you’re a righty and go for that ad court placement, your shoulders naturally get turned and stayed turned …
Brent
Hi Brent,
Thank you so much for this great tip. I’ll give it
a try when playing this weekend . I’m sure it’ll work.
Have a great weekend with Mai (VN?)
Morning Tin.
Full Japanese …
Brent
Great tip thanks i’will work out! Sometimes i get lobbed deep when i attack the backhand side.
It’s then an hard shot, what do you advise for placement? May be not go to close of the net.
Thank you. P.S. Really tryng to be more offensive surely is more fun indeed!
Hi Fabio.
There’s an art to seeing what shot from your opponent is most likely going to happen.
There are several factors involved, but for me it”s mostly about seeing if they’re ‘stretched out’ when they get to your shot.
If so, look for a lob.
We tend to close too much at times when we get our opponent on the defensive.
Brent
Hi Brent – Down the middle in Dubs can quickly change to ‘hit to the backhand’ of 1 player or drill the guy at net !! i doubt you would normally go to net on that approach but it worked a treat for the demo ! This keeps you going down the line, and ready to close in for the kill – Another good tip to put into the equation.
Hi Rhees. I disagree …
A GREAT approach shot in singles is exactly what I showed in the video – roll up a high bouncing topspin forehand to your opponent’s backhand, and get your butt up to net.
And if that backhand is in the ad court, that’s even a better situation for righties.
Brent
Good tips!
What do you think about just spiking the ball into a service box?
Hi Daria.
If I could spike the overhead into the service box and have it bounce over the fence, I would, but since I can’t (and since I realistically can’t teach you or others to bounce the ball over the fence), let’s stick with placements and techniques that can consistently work.
Brent
OK, I’m heading over the Berkeley TC for some dubs this morning with Cornell, Landes, and Budd.
Gorgeous late fall / early winter day here in northern California.
I’ll be playing overheads into the middle of the court all day, mostly because I want the next shot coming out of their middle, and not from out wide.
Every shot you play has to have a consideration of where it might be coming back from.
Lots of shots we play should be based more on this factor than power, spin, etc.
I’m not saying all, but we can get ourselves into trouble out there if we don’t consider their potential return shot geometry.
Some geometry can be good for our next shot, and some geometry can be really bad …
Brent
Hi Brent
Enjoyed your video and will try out your idea of smashing down the middle for a doubles match.
I am aware that one should smash to the Ad Court but for some reason or other I have a natural tendency to small to the corner of the Deuce Court. Any tips or drills to correct this
CCH4TENNIS
Malaysia
Morning …
I’d suggest just some focused practice on playing your overhead to the ad side.
No magic to it, just enough practice so that you start to think differently about your target.
Brent
Thanks for the post. Makes perfect sense to me to hit down the middle in doubles. I get this feeling there are a handful of critical concepts that guide as much as 80% of our choices out there most of the time, but are also to some degree counterintuitive…like going for the open court and not at our opponent…yet sometimes we do go for the body of our opponent – part of the 20%.
Have been going back over some of the Right Shot stuff from previous months. I think the Plan B Play 5 in the new age dubs course is really great…a summary of some of the concepts you have previously discussed. Can’t say I’m wasting my time going back. Seems like I have to have the same concept thrown at me numerous times before it sinks in.
There is also a kind of integration with other concepts that seems to be happening more and more these days in my head.
Morning RS.
You’re smart to go back and review prior posts.
It’s easy to read a post or watch a video and think we’ve got the point.
In fact, for me, and I’m sure lots of others, I don’t start to “get it” until the 2nd or 3rd time reading or watching.
Brent
Watched one of the USPTA pro on the Tennis Channel but forgot his name. This pro urged the watchers to hit all overheads cross court. Now with your tips, I’m more confused by conflicting strategies. Another question is what should I do when my opponent hits a high cross court lob back to my ad corner from his ad court while I ‘m in the middle of service T? Should I turn right or left to chase this over my head lob?
Morning PK.
Hit all overheads simply cross court? What was their reasoning?
You can’t defend the entire court 100% of the time.
If an opponent plays a perfect lob deep into the opposite corner, then by all means, run back, let it bounce, and either lob back (and approach) or play a groundstroke.
I will turn so my back is facing the middle of the court. That way I’m positioned more to the center of the court and have less court to cover after y shot.
Brent
Thank you. Also your high BH volley lessons really help my game.
Hi Brent,
Another great tip. Another reason in singles to hit the “smash” to the ad court (for a righty, deuce court for a lefty) is that if you get good stick on it and your opponent is late the lob will come to your forehand overhead (the other way the late lob will go over your backhand).
In dubs, I think you have to make a distinction between an overhead on a deep lob versus a short lob — deep lob definitely down the middle always — a short lob can be angled off for a winner, esp. if your opponents are back deep looking for the overhead down the middle!
Hi Peter.
You’ve nicely articulated both points I’m making on where to play your overheads in singles and doubles.
Well done …
Brent
Hey PK,
This doubles stuff is confusing as I’m so over my head, which is why I follow Brent’s, Jim M’s and a few others advice because they are not only consistent but I’m also playing at the rec level where I seem to have improved over the last 4 years working with them despite my embarrassing mental and physical limitations.
Sometimes instructors and pros, when they say things that appear to be at odds, are not really of an opposing viewpoint but are speaking based on playing style, playing environment, and their own abilities. If you put Brent and that Pro together, I think the two would talk shop from a completely different perspective and their different points of view would make sense to both of them as they discussed it and to us, such that we would conclude they are NOT at odds with each other but are rather able to flush out options that make sense under the circumstances for the specific abilities, level of play, and styles in effect at that moment in time. Frankly, not everything pros are doing are gonna work for me at my level, right or wrong, agreed or not agreed.
Of course, it may not always be that way, but as I see it, if we grow and become more effective, that really demonstrates the best benchmark for who I personally feel I should be listening to. IMHO
And frankly, the players on this website are an extraordinary crowd. When I look around me, locally, I can’t hardly find anyone in their 40s on up who are making any efforts to improve their games.
You’re right Rodger, it can be tough to find a local mastermind group as opposed to an online group.
Keep spreading the word locally …
Brent
Brent, sorry to go off subject a bit, but having reviewed the previous 13 right shot videos these last two days, I’m struck by three things 1) how different doubles is being played compared to what I’m exposed to on a daily basis at the rec level. 2) how well the players are playing the game of doubles…and I’m not talking about their shotmaking, but their shot choices and court positioning and 3 ) and my being abie now to see things completely different than when you started these videos.
These videos are actually beginning to allow me to improve my understanding of not only how to set up my partner, but also how to improve my court positioning whether I’m on the baseline or at net.
I sure hope my fellow students are discovering how you can chang our outlook given a year or so of this training.
And it really makes it clear how we can limit ourself if we don’t break out of the local rec playing environment status quo.
I usually go by where on the court I am hitting my overhead. If I am hitting from deep in the court then I would go down the middle, but if I am up around the service line or closer where the geometry is more favorable to me, then I’m usually going for the angle to drag my opponent way off the court or, on a good day, to hit an outright winner.
Thank you for the great tip Brent. Always clear and insightful.