Hit on the Rise

Perhaps you’ve played against someone who doesn’t hit the ball hard but nonetheless makes you feel more hurried than normal. That’s the effect of your opponent hitting on the rise. Most players hit their ground strokes when the ball is descending. That’s because the longer you wait to hit the ball, the more it slows down, making it easier to time your point of contact. But the downside is you give your opponent more time to prepare. And by choosing to hit the ball farther back along its flight path, you have to position yourself deeper in the court, which means you’ll need to work harder to get your return deep. By contrast, players who hit on the rise give their opponents less time to react to their shots because the ball comes back sooner and has less distance to travel. Although it’s a relatively advanced way of striking the ball, intermediate players should practice hitting on the rise, especially off less challenging shots and particularly on their stronger side. One easy way to practice this skill is to hit against a backboard.