Begin a tactical plan with the shots the player can produce under pressure. To attack a high backhand, for example, the player first needs a ball that creates that reply. The next decision depends on what the opponent actually sends back.
The player’s available patterns
Identify the patterns that help you establish useful position and those that expose a limitation. Playing identity should guide priorities without becoming an excuse to avoid development. A player can favour baseline construction while still learning to finish an appropriate short ball.
Court geometry and margin
Direction, depth and court position change the opponent’s options and the space you must cover. The shortest-looking route to an open area is not always the most reliable choice from the ball received. Target selection should consider balance, incoming direction and the next likely reply.
Adapting the plan during play
A plan is a starting explanation of how to compete. Observe whether it creates the expected ball. If an opponent handles your preferred pattern comfortably, change a relevant feature—height, depth, direction or timing—rather than abandoning all structure after one lost point. Serve-plus-one and return-plus-one patterns provide useful places to begin.
Final reflection
Build the plan around shots the player can execute, and agree which replies tell them to continue or change the pattern.
Explore the related book ↗Educational information. Adapt training to the individual; health and return-to-play decisions require an appropriately qualified professional.
