Boast- Same preparation as drive: racket up and ready (allows you to DECEIVE your opponent by playing a boast when they expect a drive and vice versa)
- Take ball slightly later, behind leading foot
- Body slightly more turned to back corner
- Execute stroke just like drive keeping the ball low
- Possibly a more compact swing if digging the ball out of a corner
Two types of boast- Recovery boast: normally played to dig the ball out of the back corner when a drive is not possible.
- Attacking boast: generally played towards the front of the court when opponent caught behind you.
Also- Three wall boast: weak as ball bounces out into the middle of the court (side wall, front wall. side wall) only use when no other option!
- Two wall boast: more difficult for your opponent to retrieve (side wall front wall dying before hits other side wall) therefore try to make your boasts two wall.
Use the attacking boast for a Good Reason ie if your opponent is:-- Backing off the T (you can wrong foot them).
- Watching the front wall and not looking at you
- Has feet pointing to side (you can wrong foot them)
- Is very tired (has to run the diagonal to retrieve the ball)
- Grooved in a pattern of play eg deep drives
- Is predictable ie tends to cross-court or lob off the boast. You can step in and volley their return.
- Lacks good short shots in particular a good drop
Use the boast with care: badly used it is an easy shot for your opponent to kill
You must cover the boast : move to the T to cover the drop off a boast
Think ahead - if your boast puts your opponent under real pressure watch for the CC or lob and volley the ball if possible. This keeps the pressure on your opponent.
Routines
Basic: A Cross court feed B boast. A makes the feed progressively deeper as B gets better at boasting. Perhaps use Ball Machine.
- A Boast, B drives deep: progress to making sure movement is through the T
- A Boast, B drive to service box: A can do hard low drives or kills
- A Boast, B drop B drive {B moves to T}
- A Boast, B drop, A drive, B drive, A boast......
- A Boast, B drop, A drop, B drive, A boast......
- A Boast, B CC drive or lob, B drive or volley drive (variation volley crosscourt)
Deception
A drive or cross courts, B boasts (volley if loose cross-court)
A drive or cross courts, B boast or drives
A cross courts, b boasts or straight drives
Two shots
A drops then drives, b drives then boasts .........
A drops and cross-courts, B straight drive/volleys and boasts
Hard work
A straight drive, B volley straight, B volley boast, B cross court .....
Condition Game
Length: All balls must be to length except when have to play recovery boast
Corners: A plays back corners, B plays recovery boast.
Diagonal Game
Ball can only be played in one front quarter and opposite back quarter.
Labels: Boast
