1. Showcase Your Assets
The biggest strength in Ginepri’s game is his movement—the guy is super-swift around the court. Yet through the first half of 2005, he preferred to play an aggressive, high-risk style that took his feet out of the game plan. Instead of using his speed and defense, he tried to hit winners all the time. The results were disastrous.
Then, last summer, he got into great shape and adopted a more sensible strategy. He stayed in points longer and used his quickness and retrieving skills as the foundation of a game that got him to the semifinals of the U.S. Open. If you want to be successful, it’s crucial to know what kind of player you are. Someone who doesn’t move well should figure out ways to end points quickly rather than get into long exchanges. But players who can motor around the court shouldn’t be afraid to use defense as their primary weapon.
2. Serve Like a Pitcher
Ginepri is fit, but he’s not a huge guy. Yet for some reason he used to try to serve bullets the way Andy Roddick does. His first-serve percentage was usually pretty low, which got him into trouble. Now, Ginepri’s serve reminds me more of Andre Agassi’s. He moves it around the box and isn’t afraid to hit a big kicker to start off a point. At times he’ll still go for the ace and uncork a laser, but he’s more selective about it. Like Agassi, he uses the serve to set up points rather than trying to finish them. Unless you’ve got a huge delivery, trying to pound the serve every time is not the best idea. You won’t be able to win enough points to warrant hitting that many second serves. You’re better off keeping your opponents off-balance by changing speeds, spins, and placement.
3. Don’t Hit a Predictable Ball
Besides being overly aggressive, I thought that Ginepri’s strokes were also rather one-dimensional. He would try to drive his groundies hard and flat, right above net level. Not a bad idea on passing shots, but it’s tough to maintain in a rally, not to mention it becomes rather predictable to his opponents. Now Ginepri is incorporating some backhand slices, low balls, and loopy topspins to go along with his powerful drives. It keeps his opponents on their heels, causing them to commit errors and hit short balls that Ginepri can take advantage of. If you always show your opponents the same look, they’re going to catch on. Something as simple as putting a little more or less air underneath your shots or adding extra spin can disrupt their rhythm. In a way, you’re being aggressive without trying to do too much with the ball.