One thing that certainly characterized some of the match days at this year's U.S. Open was the presence of wind. Quite frankly, I believe that the vast majority of tennis players (pro, collegiate, intermediate and recreational) will admit that the absolutely most difficult physical conditions in which to play involve wind.
 
From my own experience as a player and as a coach, I can certainly state with confidence that my players and I dreaded playing matches in windy conditions more so than extreme heat or even extreme cold. Given that many of the collegiate matches that I coached were played outdoors in early spring and late fall, windy conditions were quite frequently present.
 
Well depending on where you live, you are probably ending the outdoor season of play (north of the equator) or beginning the outdoor season (south of the equator). You, too, will probably find yourself playing in windy conditions.
 
This month's column is dedicated to helping you come to terms with how to play your very best tennis in this most difficult of conditions.
 
The first thing to realize about playing in windy conditions is that these conditions are the great "equalizer." Any player may find that she/he is capable of beating a superior opponent or losing to a less gifted player on windy days. Indeed when coaching, I would always remind my players NOT to judge their tennis skills or prowess on windy days. Truth be known, tennis played in the wind is basically a crap shoot. Anything can happen, and anyone can win/lose.
 
The realization and acceptance of this reality is the first and most important aspect of learning to play your best in windy conditions. Why? Well, you need to be very forgiving of your errors, never take any opponent for granted, and one needs to have much patience when competing in the wind. You really can't fight the wind. You really can't control the wind. But, you can learn to work within the wind... hopefully, working better than your opponent.
 
Really in examining windy conditions, there are some distinct varieties of windy conditions.

1. A consistent wind that blows north/south. Tennis courts are created with their baselines in the "north" and "south" ends. Thus, a north/south wind puts the wind at your back or in your face depending on which end of the court you are playing.


2. A second kind of wind is where the players experience crosswinds. By this, the winds are consistently blowing either to a player's left to right or right to left, again depending on which end of the court you are playing.


3. A third kind of wind condition that can occur is where the wind is intermittent. It is present at times (regardless of its direction) and at other times it has subsided.


4. The last wind condition is where winds are swirling. By this, I mean that the wind is almost always present, but its direction is frequently changing.

1. Don't be afraid to hit a very hard first serve. Big flat serves become even bigger when the wind is at your back. The key is to try to keep the serve passing low to the net. If you do, you will find that your serve lands near the service line with lots of pace. Even if you miss some first serves, keep trying this serve. Sooner or later, you will find your bearings, and then, your first serve will probably win you some "free" points.


2. Kick serves are usually very safe, and yet offensive, second serves. Their topspin is normally enough to make sure that they drop in safely, but deeply, into the opponent's service box.


3. From the baseline, don't be afraid to hit big, flat groundstrokes. However, you once again need to make certain that they pass lower to the net than you would normally prefer. The wind at your back will carry them deeper into your opponent's court, and they will certainly pack some pace.


4. If you lob, try to strike defensive lobs. I know this may seem strange. The fear is that such a lob hit with backspin will float deep and out. The secret here is to really strike them so that they are hit upward at a very vertical angle. Hit them high and short. The wind will take them deep, and most likely, confuse your opponent as he/she decides whether to hit an overhead smash.

1. The big, flat, first serve rarely pays dividends with the wind in your face. Still, I see many players really muscling their first serves thinking that they have an automatic safety margin. Generally, their serves either land too short or out. In the process, they are expending lots of energy trying for the power serve. In my mind, the slice serve is the best first serve when the wind is in your face. You can normally hit this fairly hard. The sidespin will help you control the serve, and its bounce may be exaggerated by the wind. I have seen many slice serves that have been outright aces when directed wide to the deuce court and into the body of the opponent when served to the ad court.


2. On second serves, I recommend a flat serve that is carefully directed, but hit at a lower pace. The flat serve can usually be directed effectively to the forehand, body or backhand of the opponent, if you don't try to hit the serve too hard. A nice, relaxed serving arm and motion is the key here.


3. When hitting groundstrokes, I try to hit many shots with slice. I hit hard slice shots that travel low to the net and hard hit "floaters." The former lands a bit shorter in the opponent's court, but usually bounces very low. Given the modern player's use of the semi-western and western grips on the forehand wing, these low bouncing slice shots force your opponent to bend low to get "under" the ball. Over time, this takes a physical toll on your opponent. The hard hit "floater" will probably not land out. When it bounces, it has no pace, and sometimes, the ball will actually bounce a bit back toward the net. Either of these forces the opponent to generate his/her own pace. Frequently, they will over hit resulting in a groundstroke that goes out or into the net. On the forehand wing, I try to hit flat groundstrokes that are hit with three quarter pace. I find that I can easily control the direction of the ball even though it is hit flat. By mixing these three up, I can frustrate my opponent as he tries to deal with the wind and my changing spin/pace. In reality, my strokes and the windy conditions can destroy any rhythm that the opponent may establish.


4. When lobbing, I find that one can really hit out on the topspin lob and still have it land in bounds. These "moonballs" can really wreak havoc on one's opponent.


5. Lastly, don't be afraid to try the drop shot when the wind is in your face. Even a drop shot hit from the baseline (normally fatal) can be effective when the wind is in your face. Drop shots are just not as risky as they normally can be.

1. Hit flatter strokes and serves.
2. Don't hit any stroke too hard.
3. Try to center your shots as much as is possible.
4. Don't try for winners. Rather, let your opponent make a mistake.
5. Be patient!!!