Moonballers!
I
recently recorded a podcast for my show, Prodigy Maker, in which I discussed the topic of Moonballing, especially in junior tennis. The topic got a lot of commentary online and I wanted to share some thoughts from the show with the Long Island Tennis Magazine readership, and my experience coaching many world-class juniors.
Moonballing is a legitimate strategy In the “Little Mo” Regionals and Nationals there was some controversy about kids moonballing and whether it should be allowed, or if the tournament should try to limit this strategy. The controversy unfortunately flared up online in an ugly way between some parents. From my vantage point, people need to stop complaining about players who hit the ball high up in the air. This is a legitimate strategy, just like hitting the ball very low is a legitimate strategy. Parents—stop complaining. Students— stop complaining. Coaches—stop complaining. Stop whining and start learning how to win. It’s hard and painful to watch a kid lose to a 18
moonballer—or pusher—for that matter. It’s a painful lesson, but that kid needs to learn how to deal with different types of tactics. Many players, especially young ones, don’t like receiving high balls above the shoulder. It’s foolish to penalize and/or criticize a kid for exploiting this fact. Players who hit moonballs have developed a tactic that is legal and smart. It may not be the best approach for their own long-term development—and I will discuss this below—but hitting the ball high or lobbing the ball can be a very smart play to win. Don’t complain—improve your brain! Players who moonball are demonstrating that they have a good brain. They are demonstrating that their tactical computer is turned on, and the kids who complain about it need to try to improve their own brains. They need to learn how to deal with this approach, and learn how to mitigate and counter a high lob; more on this later. Generally the players who lose to moonballers don’t have a great tactical mind and haven’t learned to problem solve.
New York Tennis Magazine • November/December 2021 • NYTennisMag.com
By Chris Lewit
Pretty technique doesn’t win matches Some parents, coaches, and players seem to think that pretty technique should earn the win—like a tennis match is a beauty contest. It is not. A tennis match is a lot more like a cage or a street fight. The sooner a kid figures this out, the better. In a cage fight, there are limited rules. In a street fight, there are no rules. Tennis has some limited rules. There is no rule, for example, that limits the height at which you are allowed to hit the ball. You can hit it as high, or as low, as you want. You just can’t hit any obstructions like the roof, of course. Exploring the limits of the rules is good problem solving. If your opponent doesn’t like high balls, by all means, hit them more of those. If your opponent doesn’t like low balls, give them more of those. If your opponent is slow, give them short balls like drop shots. This is just common sense and good strategic play. But for many people, lobbing someone is viewed in a negative way, frowned upon, criticized, and even vilified.
