Tennis has several tricks shots to flummox the opposition and the moonball is one of them
Tennis is a sport that mostly pits one sportsperson against another. It is also one of the most strenuous sports out there with some matches even lasting a few hours at a time.
Players have to keep a ton of options at their disposal and one of them is the moonball shot. While many compare this shot to a lob, a moonball is a different tactic that is used by some stars.
A moonball basically sees a tennis player hit the ball with a lot of topspin and is a kind of a lob. The trajectory of the ball sees is cross the net at an extremely high point and then the topspin ensures it comes down near the baseline.
This takes a lot of energy off the ball and can often lead to slowing down a rally. The ball bouncing near the baseline from a high point also leads to a high bounce which has to be navigated properly.
Most of the time, a moonball shot leads in another moonball reply or a shot which doesn’t have a lot of power.
How does a moonball help?
Apart from reducing the speed of the ball during rallies, a moonball can also be helpful to the player.
Since the pace of the ball is cut off and the opponent also cannot return the ball quickly, this allows a player to recover from fatigue in long rallies.
Teeing off multiple moonball shots in a rally can also lead to a frustrating time for the opposition and that can result in a fault.
Further, opponents can also lead to problems for the opposition who isn’t comfortable with a bouncing ball.
Executing a perfect moonball shot isn’t easy and needs a lot of practice but many top stars have perfected it over the years.
The moonball shot isn’t something that is used a lot in professional tennis, but it is a handy shot to have in the arsenal, especially when things are getting too quick and you need time to recover.
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