The three types of courts

Today I taught my first lesson on a clay court, so I think it is a good time to understand how the different surfaces affect the game.

Hard Court

The most common court is a hard surface court. Chances are, if  you have played tennis court at a park, local court, or almost anywhere else, you have played on a hard court. Hard courts are characterized by a medium speed between the three types, and has a higher bounce relative to the others. Note that there are two types of hard courts, there are acrylic courts, which are the most common court in the US and are seen in the US Open, and there are Rebound Ace courts which are synthetic and can be seen in the Australian Open.

Clay Court

Clay courts, as seen in the French Open, reduce the speed of the ball and make long rally points very common. Matches can last much longer and be more exhausting on clay easily because of the speed. The bounce is close to hard courts, but is noticeably lower. Clay courts can be found in the US but are much more common in Europe and South America. It is important to note that when running on clay, knowing how to slide into far shots is a skill that must be learned, as the clay makes it much easier to slide on.

Grass Court

Grass courts are the most uncommon court in the US. When playing on grass, points will be very quick because of the increased speed of the ball and decreased bounce. Grass courts are mainly played on in Wimbledon, which is the only grand slam played on grass today. These courts require much more care than hard or clay courts.

The backspin slice

Backspin

Okay so you've been working on your shots and you have them down pretty good. What's next? A good step to go to once you can confidently hit 8/10 or 9/10 shots without 'pattycaking' them over the net is the backspin or back slice.
This shot can be done from either the forehand or backhand side. To hit a  back slice, start in either your normal or a continental grip. (Try out both and see which feels more natural for you.) Start with the racquet high as opposed to low or waist high. Make sure you have about a 45 degree angle on your racquet head, not vertical or horizontal with the court, but somewhere comfortably in between. Bring the racquet through the ball, keeping that angle throughout the shot, and bring the racquet slightly downwards with your swing, ending at about your waist. Keep visual contact with the ball, and leave your head down as you would with any other shot after the hit is made. It is very important that you retain the angle your racquet head makes throughout the shot or you may end up hitting the frame or fail to have enough power to hit the ball over the net.
This shot on the backhand side can be done either one or two-handed. If you try the one hand, make sure you bring your weak hand up to the bridge or throat (shown below) of the racquet to stabilize the shot. 

Parts of a racquet

Then, as you swing, let the racquet come out of your weak hand and bring it down through the shot, keeping your weak hand up in the air as you swing.

This is one of the harder shots to understand the 'feeling' of how you should hit the ball, and by that, one of the harder shots to master. However, once you add this shot to your repertoire, it can be a great tool as it can be used for offense, defense, or a neutral shot.