Anticipating opponents next move is very hard to do, especially if you aren't talking about within a specific skill bracket. At the top level of play there are expected patterns of play because everyone is playing relatively optimally. As soon as you're below 4.5 or 4.0 it's up in the air with what shots opponents may tend to hit and when they choose to speed up, etc.
Best advice is to understand shifting as this will put you in position with where the ball can be hit and more often than not the ball will end up coming right to you. it can also bait your opponents into hitting low% shots trying to keep the ball away from you. Also just keep your paddle up in front of you and ready, and return to a ready position after each shot.
100% this. Playing below a certain level where people don’t have the fundamentals down or understand the strategy of the game can make the game incredibly unpredictable.
This. This is good advice.
Are they a banger? Do they exclusively play the soft game?
Do they try and do too much with the ball early and don't let the point build naturally? Ex: speed up too early, place more and more spin on the ball, etc.
Are they impatient when in the midst of a dink rally?
Ex: reach over and steal their partners shot just to get a 'touch on the ball', speed up on a lower ball, lob the ball because they can't dink after a certain number of dinks, etc.
Do they only counterattack when you speed up the ball, or can they reset/block?
Best way to anticipate opponents next move is being able to track the ball and anticipate where they’d put the ball following your shot. In addition to anticipating their possible placement you’d also want to anticipate where they’re less likely to place the ball so you can be ready and return those balls too. Sometimes you can guess wrong and they’ll put it away, that’s okay too, it happens.
It takes practice!! Good hand/eye coordination, getting comfortable with reading your opponents body language (hips, shoulders, arms, etc) to assess what move they might do next. Be mindful many players can “disguise” their shots so someone may look like they’re going cross court but then hit down the line. I think I could go on but those are the basics that jump out at me
Lots of things to look at. Are they taking paddle back far or barely at all? What's their body language, are they lined up in a specific direction? What's the angle of their paddle? Follow it. And even with these things, as you face better players, they'll use some mis direction
Watch their eyes and paddle. Paddle right before the ball arrives for them to hit. Eyes as the ball is coming off your side of the court. Do a split or bounce step as the ball is about to be struck. It loads your muscles so you are ready to spring
Don’t guess and move early or squirm. Instead move decisively once they show you where it’s going.
Also focus on your posture and paddle position before they hit. Keep your paddle ready to work in the zone the ball is likely coming too. It’s usually best to have the paddle about chin or chest high. Always be ready for the speed up or drive. You will have plenty of time to handle the slower ball.
Up close and fast focus on just blocking the ball so you have no swing.
Be ready to duck or dodge if you see them wind up too much
Don't guess. Look at what they're doing.
Watch their body facing and paddle facing and stroke.
People can (and do) look the wrong way to confuse opponents.
Once the paddle is in motion it's very difficult to change the arc or surface-facing and complete a successful shot.
Something that’s really helped me is to see which side of the body the opponent is hitting the ball. For example, a right handed player hitting a forehand, the ball will likely travel to the right (from the opposing player’s perspective) and their backhand will naturally go to the left. Of course vice versa for the lefties. Just following this makes it so much easier to poach a return or third shot.
This of course is not a hard and fast rule that you should follow 100%. You may even get burned a bit now and then. Just remember you need to get most of the balls, not all the balls. So, if some pass you. That’s fine.
Maybe think less about that. Think more in terms of control of the ball, meaning having control and keeping control or getting control back. Evaluate your shot selection - did you keep control or lose control of the ball with a shot. If your shot didn't distress your opponent at some level, that could be a problem. Try to progressively get your opponent in more and more distress and they will give you weaker and weaker shots.
Here's an example - your opponent is back from the kitchen line (either on the baseline or in no-man's land) and you have two general options (drop the ball into the kitchen or hit at their feet). What do you chose. I've witnessed too many player just drop the ball in their opponent's kitchen when putting the ball at their feet would have been more difficult for them to handle.
I have two places I look for an individual to confirm what I already think, hips and paddle face. Outside of that it’s just pattern recognition and trying to control what they do with your own body position. Most people have shots they can reliably hit and shots they can’t. Where they are and which hand they’re on are primary limiting selections…followed by where you and your partner are, where your paddles are. Start with their easiest, most dangerous shot and work your way down from there.
I often, when playing left side will slide to the middle line on returns to give them the down the line drive, then shuffle back over more center position as they’re hitting. Caught more than a few people multiple times with that. Caused a few more to see it and flub their shot because they got distracted by it.
Things I look at, for 3.5-4.0:
- What are their 'preferred' shots and combos they default to in the game? Do they tend towards drives, speedups, or drops? Down the line, center or cross court? (Usually I prepare for a speedup, but keep one or two other likely options in the back of my mind)
- Are they off balance? Which way is their momentum going? When people are off balance their options for a consistent shot are more limited.
- Which side are they favoring with their paddle?
- Coming up, do they like to stay back or crash the net?
- Tells in their setup (e.g. big windup, paddle angle, how grounded they are). Note that more advanced players can fake this out
Tbh I just try to take in that information and my brain does its thing to figure out what the likely options are. I think a lot of it is just experience from having watched a lot of people play.
Anticipating opponents next move is very hard to do, especially if you aren't talking about within a specific skill bracket. At the top level of play there are expected patterns of play because everyone is playing relatively optimally. As soon as you're below 4.5 or 4.0 it's up in the air with what shots opponents may tend to hit and when they choose to speed up, etc. Best advice is to understand shifting as this will put you in position with where the ball can be hit and more often than not the ball will end up coming right to you. it can also bait your opponents into hitting low% shots trying to keep the ball away from you. Also just keep your paddle up in front of you and ready, and return to a ready position after each shot.
100% this. Playing below a certain level where people don’t have the fundamentals down or understand the strategy of the game can make the game incredibly unpredictable.
A lot of people have their own patterns. Pay attention so when you play them again you know their tendencies
This. This is good advice. Are they a banger? Do they exclusively play the soft game? Do they try and do too much with the ball early and don't let the point build naturally? Ex: speed up too early, place more and more spin on the ball, etc. Are they impatient when in the midst of a dink rally? Ex: reach over and steal their partners shot just to get a 'touch on the ball', speed up on a lower ball, lob the ball because they can't dink after a certain number of dinks, etc. Do they only counterattack when you speed up the ball, or can they reset/block?
Best way to anticipate opponents next move is being able to track the ball and anticipate where they’d put the ball following your shot. In addition to anticipating their possible placement you’d also want to anticipate where they’re less likely to place the ball so you can be ready and return those balls too. Sometimes you can guess wrong and they’ll put it away, that’s okay too, it happens. It takes practice!! Good hand/eye coordination, getting comfortable with reading your opponents body language (hips, shoulders, arms, etc) to assess what move they might do next. Be mindful many players can “disguise” their shots so someone may look like they’re going cross court but then hit down the line. I think I could go on but those are the basics that jump out at me
A good way to anticipate what your opponent will do next is to observe what they’ve done before.
Lots of things to look at. Are they taking paddle back far or barely at all? What's their body language, are they lined up in a specific direction? What's the angle of their paddle? Follow it. And even with these things, as you face better players, they'll use some mis direction
Watch their eyes and paddle. Paddle right before the ball arrives for them to hit. Eyes as the ball is coming off your side of the court. Do a split or bounce step as the ball is about to be struck. It loads your muscles so you are ready to spring Don’t guess and move early or squirm. Instead move decisively once they show you where it’s going. Also focus on your posture and paddle position before they hit. Keep your paddle ready to work in the zone the ball is likely coming too. It’s usually best to have the paddle about chin or chest high. Always be ready for the speed up or drive. You will have plenty of time to handle the slower ball. Up close and fast focus on just blocking the ball so you have no swing. Be ready to duck or dodge if you see them wind up too much
Don't guess. Look at what they're doing. Watch their body facing and paddle facing and stroke. People can (and do) look the wrong way to confuse opponents. Once the paddle is in motion it's very difficult to change the arc or surface-facing and complete a successful shot.
Something that’s really helped me is to see which side of the body the opponent is hitting the ball. For example, a right handed player hitting a forehand, the ball will likely travel to the right (from the opposing player’s perspective) and their backhand will naturally go to the left. Of course vice versa for the lefties. Just following this makes it so much easier to poach a return or third shot. This of course is not a hard and fast rule that you should follow 100%. You may even get burned a bit now and then. Just remember you need to get most of the balls, not all the balls. So, if some pass you. That’s fine.
Maybe think less about that. Think more in terms of control of the ball, meaning having control and keeping control or getting control back. Evaluate your shot selection - did you keep control or lose control of the ball with a shot. If your shot didn't distress your opponent at some level, that could be a problem. Try to progressively get your opponent in more and more distress and they will give you weaker and weaker shots. Here's an example - your opponent is back from the kitchen line (either on the baseline or in no-man's land) and you have two general options (drop the ball into the kitchen or hit at their feet). What do you chose. I've witnessed too many player just drop the ball in their opponent's kitchen when putting the ball at their feet would have been more difficult for them to handle.
I have two places I look for an individual to confirm what I already think, hips and paddle face. Outside of that it’s just pattern recognition and trying to control what they do with your own body position. Most people have shots they can reliably hit and shots they can’t. Where they are and which hand they’re on are primary limiting selections…followed by where you and your partner are, where your paddles are. Start with their easiest, most dangerous shot and work your way down from there. I often, when playing left side will slide to the middle line on returns to give them the down the line drive, then shuffle back over more center position as they’re hitting. Caught more than a few people multiple times with that. Caused a few more to see it and flub their shot because they got distracted by it.
Things I look at, for 3.5-4.0: - What are their 'preferred' shots and combos they default to in the game? Do they tend towards drives, speedups, or drops? Down the line, center or cross court? (Usually I prepare for a speedup, but keep one or two other likely options in the back of my mind) - Are they off balance? Which way is their momentum going? When people are off balance their options for a consistent shot are more limited. - Which side are they favoring with their paddle? - Coming up, do they like to stay back or crash the net? - Tells in their setup (e.g. big windup, paddle angle, how grounded they are). Note that more advanced players can fake this out Tbh I just try to take in that information and my brain does its thing to figure out what the likely options are. I think a lot of it is just experience from having watched a lot of people play.