Good Tennis racket for High School Girls

Girls' high school tennis players range in ability from NTRP 2.5 (advanced beginner) to 6.0 (national competitor). Here, we will focus on the average player on a girls' high school tennis team, who is probably between NTRP 3.0 and 3.5. Most of what we see in such a player would apply to most women at the same NTRP level.

At the higher levels, there's great variety among high school girls. You'll find ultra-consistent grinders, power baseliners, spin masters, and even serve-and-volleyers.

But unlike boys, at the average level girls lean more toward consistency than a hit-or-miss power game. We'll focus here on how to throw that consistency off.

Try these tactics against a consistent 3.0 - 3.5 girl:

• Hit low to her two-handed backhand. Probably 90% of high school girls use a two-handed backhand, and low balls are particularly tough for a two-hander. Although you can keep flat shots low, the best way to keep a ball low is with slice, and you might be one of those players for whom slicing is easy. Not many high school girls use slice, so if you have that weapon, most of your opponents won't be used to dealing with it. You can start learning the shot here.
• Try some drop shots. A lot of girls who move extremely well from side to side don't like to run forward for the ball, and the average high school girl almost never uses a drop shot, so you'll again have the advantage of a weapon few opponents have encountered. A good drop shot is hard for a 3.0 - 3.5 player to hit, but even when you hit a mediocre one, you're not likely to pay the price you would at a higher level. Your opponent will probably not be used to putting away short balls, so unless your drop shot is really awful, you're likely to create a good chance to pass or lob her.