Net Notes: Keeping the ball out of your opponent's reach

Singles is pretty straightforward. If your opponent is prone to unforced errors, keep the ball in play well away from the boundaries of the court and allow them enough rope to hang themselves.

If they're a more solid player, you may have to play a bit more toward the edges of the court to create openings for yourself to place the ball out of their reach — and perhaps force them into errors by degrading their balance.

In doubles the same strategy of keeping the ball in play applies if the opponent isn't steady enough to keep the ball in play on routine exchanges, but if you are playing more consistent and experienced players in doubles, you must degrade their balance — not by playing near the edges of the court, but by playing soft and low in front of them or teasingly over their backhands with deft lobbing.

Poor balance is the error producer and it's your job to induce poor balance in your opponent without taking the risk of missing the court yourself.

Make them bend low and then stretch up rather than try to run them side to side.

Run them by lobbing the net player if they close in too close. Force them to scramble and switch as often as you are able.

Once they are back a bit to cover your incessant lobbing, pepper their shoe tops with soft low junk. Don't wait to get deep into the point to get them moving. Do it before they can make your team the one doing the running.

Avoid the edges, use the lob then and play at their feet. Singles and doubles are not the same game so make sure you use the tactics and strategies that apply best to the game you are playing.

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Howie Burnett is a member of the United States Professional Tennis Association and tennis director at the Island Country Club on Marco Island. Burnett welcomes questions on strokes, tactics or etiquette. To reach him, call the tennis shop at 394-4464 or e-mail him at islandclubtennis@hotmail.com.