How to Play Against Lefties, Grinders and Serve-and-Volleyers
The game plan that beats 80% of opponents you face often falls apart completely against the other 20% — the lefties, the patient grinders, the net-rushers who don't play the rhythm you're used to. Each of these styles requires a specific, different adjustment, not just 'try harder.'
Against lefties: retrain your pattern recognition
A left-hander's serve out wide in the ad court, their forehand cross-court angles, and their typical rally patterns are all mirror images of what your instincts are trained on from thousands of reps against right-handers. The fix isn't tactical so much as deliberate exposure: consciously slow down and actively think through cross-court geometry rather than relying on the instant, unconscious reads that work against right-handers.
Specifically: expect their heavy serve out wide in the ad court (mirroring a righty's deuce-court wide serve), and be ready for their forehand to open the court in the opposite direction you're used to defending.
Against grinders: take away their time
A patient, heavy-topspin grinder's whole game depends on time — time to load up a big topspin swing, time to retrieve and reset. Take the ball earlier than you're comfortable with (on the rise, or a step inside the baseline) to deny them that time, and mix in net approaches more than usual, since a volley ends the point before their topspin rhythm ever gets going.
Varying pace and depth also disrupts a grinder more than raw power does — they're comfortable absorbing pace in a steady rhythm, but changes of speed and height break that rhythm the same way slice does against any heavy topspin player.
Against serve-and-volleyers: the return is everything
A serve-and-volleyer's whole strategy depends on getting a comfortable first volley. The single highest-value adjustment is aiming returns low, at their feet, as they're closing in — a low, dipping return forces a difficult half-volley or defensive first volley, which is far more effective than trying to blast a return past them outright.
Passing shots and lobs matter in the rest of the point, but most points against a good serve-and-volleyer are actually decided by the quality of the return, before the passing shot ever becomes necessary.
The general principle behind all three
Each of these styles beats players who bring their default, one-size-fits-all game plan and hope it works anyway. The actual skill isn't a secret counter-tactic — it's recognising early in the match which specific adjustment this particular opponent requires, and committing to it instead of playing your normal game and wondering why it isn't working.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it so hard to play against left-handed opponents?+
Almost all of your practice reps are against right-handers, so a lefty's serve angles, spin direction and preferred cross-court patterns are mirror images of what you're used to reading instantly. The adjustment isn't about the lefty being inherently better — it's that your pattern recognition is calibrated for the wrong mirror image.
What's the best way to beat a heavy topspin grinder?+
Take the ball earlier (on the rise, or a step inside the baseline) to deny them time to load up their heavy topspin, and vary pace and depth rather than trying to out-rally them at their own preferred, patient tempo. Coming to net more than usual also removes their biggest weapon: time.
How do I beat a serve-and-volleyer?+
Prioritise a low, dipping return aimed at their feet rather than trying to hit a big return past them — a low first volley is the hardest for anyone to put away. Passing shots and lobs matter too, but the return itself is the single most important shot in the point.
Facing a patient pusher specifically rather than a true grinder? There's a dedicated plan for that.
Read: How to Beat a Pusher →