Have you come across a tennis term “heavy ball” but you’re not sure what it means?
What characteristics make a tennis ball “heavy”?
While I will answer this question immediately, I would also like you to understand why each of the three characteristics is important and we’ll perform a few experiments.
Characteristics of a Heavy Ball
A heavy ball in tennis is characterized by three essential components:
- Topspin
- Speed
- Depth
These elements work together to create a challenging shot for your opponent. Topspin provides the ball with a higher trajectory and ensures it dips rapidly as it approaches the other side of the court.
Speed makes the ball difficult to react to, while depth ensures it lands deep within your opponent's court, pushing them back and limiting their offensive options.
To truly understand why all three components are necessary, I conducted an experiment where I applied two components and omitted the third one so that we can see what effect that has on the ball flight.
Experiment 1: Topspin and Height Without Speed
First, I hit balls with plenty of topspin and height but without speed. The results were clear—my assistant Kaja had no difficulty handling these shots.
Despite the heavy topspin and safe height over the net, the lack of speed caused the ball to land short and drop right into Kaja's strike zone (green area) which made it very comfortable to hit it.
My shots were dropping into the green / strike zone of Kaja's groundstrokes which made it easy for her to time the ball and hit it with power.
This type of shot, while safe and effective up to a certain skill level (around 3.5), becomes ineffective against more advanced players who can easily handle slow-moving balls.
Essentially, without speed, the heavy ball loses its sting.
Experiment 2: Topspin and Speed Without Height
Next, I combined topspin and speed but kept the shots low over the net. This approach was riskier and proved to be less effective.
Although the balls were fast, they consistently landed in Kaya's strike zone, making it easy for her to return them.
If I am hitting low fast shots with topspin...
... the ball again ends up in Kaja's strike zone which gives her no problems of controlling it.
At higher levels of play, players are positioned correctly about 70% of the time, allowing them to control and utilize the speed of your shots against you.
The high risk of this strategy, combined with its low effectiveness, makes it an unreliable choice for hitting this way.
Experiment 3: Speed and Height Without Topspin
Finally, I hit balls with speed and height but minimal topspin. As expected, this method was the riskiest.
Without topspin, controlling the depth of the shot was challenging, leading to many errors.
Some of my shots landed very deep and pressured Kaja...
Some balls might trouble an opponent because they fly fast and land deep, but the high risk of mistakes outweighs any potential benefit.
... but I made many errors hitting too long too often.
This experiment reinforced that topspin is crucial for maintaining control and ensuring the ball lands deep in the court.
The Ideal Heavy Ball
After these experiments, it's evident that a heavy ball requires a balanced combination of topspin, speed, and height. When executed correctly, this shot becomes a powerful weapon:
- Topspin ensures the ball dips sharply and lands deep in the court.
- Speed reduces your opponent's reaction time.
- Height provides a safe margin over the net, reducing the risk of hitting into the net.
A heavy ball has to clear the net by a good height so that you almost never hit into the net.
When all three components are present, the ball is not only difficult to return but also safe to execute consistently.
The Main Objective Of A Heavy Ball
In practice, hitting a heavy ball allows you to stay aggressive while minimizing errors.
By consistently hitting deep, fast, and topspin-heavy shots, you force your opponent into uncomfortable positions, increasing the likelihood of them making errors, while at the same time playing very consistent yourself.
Kaja hit a few heavy balls herself and I had to hit a backhand outside of my strike zone way behind the baseline and obviously I am neutralized at this point.
This strategy provides a foundation for controlling the rally and eventually opening up opportunities to finish the point.
In the next video, we'll delve deeper into the technique behind hitting a heavy ball. We'll cover specific drills, stroke mechanics, and strategic scenarios where a heavy ball is most effective.
Stay tuned for these insights, and if you haven't already, check out my previous video on hitting a good neutralizing ball—a foundational skill for mastering the heavy ball.
