Chapter 8 – Control of the Landing Point
“Forehand VS Forehand”!
This is a common duel of the strongest weapons in tennis matches since most players have stronger forehands than backhands. The forehand is often a powerful tool for breaking through defenses and seizing victory.
The 2009 US Open champion, affectionately called “Big Brother” by fans, Juan Martín del Potro, possessed a devastatingly powerful forehand akin to a nuclear missile.
Mackenzie McDonald’s forehand is flat and fast. Although limited by power and lacking sustained momentum, the speed of his shots flies like an arrow, seemingly compressing the tennis ball into an oval shape as it rockets toward the target. It’s clear he’s using about 80% of his strength, holding back slightly.
Since this is forehand practice, there’s no need for excessive movement or anticipation; simply waiting in place is enough.
However, in tennis matches, if you slack off with your footwork and stand completely still, losing is the only outcome.
Small adjustment steps and split steps must constantly be executed. While the ball is in flight, players must keep observing and continuously adjust their footwork to find the most comfortable and ideal position and timing for the shot.
Tap. Tap.
Gao Wen’s eyes were locked on the tennis ball. He noticed McDonald’s return lacked spin but landed deep—less than fifty centimeters inside the baseline. Even without aiming directly for the sideline, it was already close. This meant the ball’s bounce would leave Geo Wen little room to hit.
He had two options:
- Take a big step back to create space and find the best hitting point.
- Do what he was doing now—adjusting his footwork, planting his stance firmly, bending his knees, lowering his center of gravity, and striking the ball early as it quickly rose after the bounce, aiming below waist height.
Pop!
The racket absorbed the ball’s immense impact, but Gao Wen’s wrist remained stable. He swiftly lifted and brushed the racket, ensuring full contact with the ball while pushing his entire body forward. The power transferred from his heels through his arms to the racket, with his shoulders and arms pressing forward together in a broad, looping swing.
Whoosh!
The tennis ball shot off like an arrow, tracing a high parabola and soaring with the wind!
Although McDonald’s build was relatively slight, his upper-body strength outmatched Gao Wen’s, giving him a more powerful forehand.
Even though McDonald hadn’t hit with full force this time, his return was deep and fast. However, it still gave Gao Wen room to counter. By fully utilizing his body’s strength, Gao Wen’s return gained impressive rotation, making the ball spin rapidly like a meteor plunging toward the intersection of the sideline and baseline—an almost impossible to hit corner.
Spin!
Bounce!
Gao Wen’s shot had noticeably more spin, targeting the corner precisely. After landing, the ball’s bounce climbed higher. For the shorter McDonald, striking the ball above shoulder height would diminish the return’s quality and make the entire shot feel awkward.
With just one return, McDonald could sense a marked improvement in the quality of Gao Wen’s shot.
Yet he remained calm, taking quick adjustment steps. His footwork spread out to the doubles alley, followed by a step forward to intercept the ball mid-rise, striking it at chest height before it fully bounced. Then—
One step forward! A sudden charge!
McDonald struck downward with full force before the ball reached its peak bounce, skillfully using its incoming energy to create a sharp and forceful return.
Bang!
The tennis ball was returned with even greater speed and power. Earlier, Gao Wen had deliberately used spin to create a high-arcing parabola over the net; now, McDonald countered with a direct, downward shot. The ball flew low, skimming just above the net, like a mischievous rabbit darting straight toward Gao Wen’s chest.
Gao Wen could clearly feel his return space shrinking further, while McDonald’s shots’ force and speed only increased. Although he tried to keep up with McDonald’s rhythm and return the ball at high speed by leveraging its momentum, the comprehensive skill gap left Gao Wen at a disadvantage.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
Even in this forehand duel, the gap between the two players gradually widened. As the rally lengthened, McDonald became more fluid and comfortable, maintaining high-quality returns. In contrast, Gao Wen’s return quality steadily declined—losing depth, bounce, power, and spin.
As a result, Gao Wen’s returns grew increasingly shallow, and McDonald began creeping closer to the baseline with his footwork.
In a formal match, McDonald would have already taken the opportunity to smash a decisive winner. But since this was forehand practice, he continued to adjust and persist without going for a kill shot.
Gao Wen realized that this wasn’t sustainable. If the gap in their strengths and weaknesses continued to grow, he would soon lose all chances of recovery.
He had to make a change.
Since he couldn’t compete with raw power, he would have to rely on spin.
Fixing his eyes intently on McDonald’s return, Gao Wen noticed that this time the ball wasn’t as deep, leaving a significant step of space between it and the baseline.
An opportunity!
Gao Wen recognized it immediately. Pushing off the ground forcefully, he took a large step forward and simultaneously shifted his body outward, intentionally positioning himself slightly wider. Striking the ball a fraction earlier, just as it bounced to waist height, he swung his racket.
This time, he didn’t use full strength. Instead, he opted for a crafty slice shot, carefully feeling the tennis ball glide across the racket strings. Applying ample friction to generate significant spin, Gao Wen utilized the power McDonald had imparted on the ball. The intense vibration between the racket and strings became an ally, allowing Gao Wen to redirect that energy onto the ball.
Then, with a subtle flick of his wrist—
Whoosh!
The trajectory of the ball changed slightly.
Where Gao Wen’s shots had previously targeted deeper near the baseline, this one landed closer to the service box. The shallower placement also created a sharper angle.
Swish!
The tennis ball seemed almost weightless, yet its speed suddenly increased. It darted through the air with agility, its angle of deflection widening from thirty degrees to sixty. After landing, it veered sharply toward the stands on the sideline.
With just one adjustment in the depth of his shot, Gao Wen had instantly turned the tables!
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