Tip of the Day: Throw in a Moonball for a Change of Pace

Serve. Volley. Forehand. Backhand. Overhead. Lob. The basic tennis strokes. Advanced variations include topspin, slice, swing volley and drop shot. If you're a tennis player, you definitely need all these in your arsenal, plus one more. The moonball.

Somewhere between a high drive and a lob is the moonball. Hit more aggressively than a lob, and sometimes with more topspin, the moonball is used to keep your opponent behind the baseline. It's also a good tactic against "pushers" who like to play off your power. With a moonball, they will have to generate their own power as they try to hit from deep in the court.

A moonball is almost a glorified lob, but it's used in different scenarios. A lob is effective when your opponent is on top of the net and you put it over their head. The moonball is hit with a slightly lower arc than the lob, and is used in baseline rallies for a change of pace. It is hit deep with lots of spin, and forces the opponent to hit on the rise.

As you start to incorporate the moonball into your game, you will find many players that don't like to hit on the rise. Your opponent must also have very good control of their timing to hit a winner off it. This will do wonders to disrupt their game and make them think, which may be just what you need to turn things around.

Many of today's young players like to pound the ball. Give them pace and they're in heaven. If you get the opportunity to play against someone like this, throw them a moonball and see what happens. If they can handle it, then they're just too good. More often than not, they will try to put the moonball away and get frustrated when it goes long.

The best thing about a moonball is that it's a great weapon against hard hitters as well as pushers. It's a difficult ball to do much with, and especially for a pusher because there's no pace on it. A good play is to hit a moonball to the weak side of the pusher, and follow it in looking for a putaway. Of course this won't work every time, but is a great way to take your opponent out of their rhythm.

Keep in mind that you don't always have to hit winners to win a match, especially at the social and recreational level. Don't be afraid to throw in a moonball every now and then to mix up your opponent and give them something to think about. It may be just the thing you need to come out on top.