When you’re playing tennis, timing is everything– but it’s a skill that can be difficult for a beginner to learn. It’s not unusual for tennis novices to not fully understand how to properly pace their shots. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, though. Here are some quick tips on how to make the perfect hit, in the best amount of time and with the best possible speed.

What Is Pace?

When you play tennis, pace is how fast your ball leaves your racket, and what kind of spin you might leave on that ball. Players with a lot of pace means that they hit the ball really fast, but if you have no pace, that means that your balls are slower than average. Pace is one of the easiest ways to control the outcome of a match, but it doesn’t work unless you know how to use it.

Building Your Pace

Overpowering your opponent oftentimes isn’t the best strategy when you’re on the court. Instead, you should vary how hard you hit the ball, to switch things up and throw your opponent off of their routine. The best way to build pace when you serve is to put your weight behind a shot, and keep your racket head higher than the handle when you hit. Don’t keep the head of your racket straight back, either- instead, keep it slightly inclined so that you can hit the ball at about a 30 to 50 degree angle. 

Lowering Your Pace

If you hit with the same pace during an entire game, it’s easy for your opponent to learn how to defend against you and gain the upper hand. This is the opposite of what you want while playing- so instead, vary your pacing, and learn how to cool it down. To calm your pace, slow down your swinging motion as you serve. This will deliver less power to the ball and make it move through the air much less quickly than before.

Pacing Your Practices

As you can see, pacing is a crucial skill in tennis, but many novices and students don’t understand how to vary their shots. Practicing your pacing can help you win matches, and it will also help you become a better athlete as you continue to play tennis.