One of the big selling points of the sport of tennis is that itis often considered a lifetime sport. This is evident in thefact that the U.S. Tennis Association now offers a division that requires competitors to be at least 80 years old in order to participate.

While some players compete in singles throughout their tennis careers, others opt to compete predominately or entirely in doubles. Each game requires its own set of skills and challenges. The following is a list and discussion of what it takes to succeed in singles.

Singles Skills

The most important shot in the game for both singles and doubles is the serve. While it is at the top of the list for both disciplines, it is used very differently in various cases. Many players use their serve simply as a means of starting a point and then use other strategies to be effective in singles. It would be very hard to implement this strategy in doubles, as it would put the serving team in too much of a defensive posture.

There is a well–known axiom pertaining to the serve that says a player is only as good as his or her second serve. While that may be open to argument, it is hard to deny that havinga good second serve is usually the mark of an accomplished player. In my opinion, the major difference between tennis players that are rated 4.0 and below and those playing 4.5 level and higher is the strength of their second serve. The latter player has the ability to hit a true spin serve while the former must basically push the serve to put it in play with any consistency.

The second prerequisite to being a solid singles player is having good ground strokes. It is almost impossible to be effective in singles without the ability to be at least consistent off both the forehand and backhand. There are four non–technical progressions in the game of tennis: (1) consistency, (2) depth, (3) placementand (4) pace. Once players have mastered these skills with their ground strokes, they can compete at the highest levels in singles. If players have other skills in their arsenal of weapons, they will be that much better, but without a decent serve and an adequate forehand and backhand, they are hard–pressed to be considered a singles player.

Singles Styles

There are three common styles of play in singles: baseline, serve and volley, and all–court. The baseline style requires the previously mentioned physical skills and a very patient personality. Effective baseliners prefer to take their time waiting for their opponents to make mistakes. People who are effective within this style tend to be fleet of foot and have good defensive skills because players who are particularly oriented with the offensive will attack them.

Serve and volley players are very offensive–minded. They love to attack their serves, and if provided the opportunity will be up at net to use their volleys to win points. Because a player has to cover a lot of court to defend against passing shots, the serve and volley player tends to be very quick and pretty athletic in general. A good serve and volley player must possess a good overhead; otherwise, an astute opponent will lob anytime he or she feels pressured by the net player.

All–court players are the total package. They have all the strokes and are equally adept in both offensive and defensive situations. Most all–court players are excellent thinkers on the court because they have many weapons in their arsenal to choose from and realize it would be a waste not to use any weapon necessary to get the job done.

Finally, a good singles player must be competent at all three levels of competition. Physically, he or she must endure on average an hour for easy matches and up to three hours for an evenly matched opponent. At the U.S. Open, two players had a match that lasted five hours and 24 minutes. Obviously you don’t make it through a match like that without being in superior physical shape.

Mentally, players must be able to think clearly enough to recognize weaknesses in opponents and decide which tactics and strategies would be most effective in a particular match.

And players must also be able to keep their emotions in check. You must want to win and compete with an iron will, but you must not want to win so badly that you fall prey to the dreaded choke. I refer to this balance as the ability to compete with “soft” energy.

There you have them: the various components that go into making a complete singles player. Regardless of how many of these competencies you possess or lack, remember the game of singles provides you not only with a great way to stay in shape, but also with the opportunity to keep your mind sharp with all the decision–making required by the sport. Keep swinging that racquet, and maybe we will meet up in the “80 and over” division. I can’t wait. Your serve!