Martina Hingis never had a big serve, a lot of power or even a lot of speed. But for the brief time she ruled the game, the Swiss star used angles better than anyone.
When I teach, I identify seven zones for my students: two deep corners, two short angles, two drop-shot areas (inside the service boxes) and down the middle. No one worked the short angles as well as Hingis. She pulled her opponents so far wide that they often ended up far outside of the doubles lines.
Hingis also had amazing hands and uncanny anticipation. It’s a skill just like a forehand or backhand, and you can work on improving it. Here’s one drill that can help.
When you’re hitting with a partner, shout out “yes” or “no” as soon as the ball crosses the net. “Yes” means you can dictate the coming ball with your next shot. “No” means it’s a difficult shot and you need to maintain a neutral rally.
Hingis knew what shot she was going to hit by preparing as soon as the ball crossed the net. Her decisiveness made up for her lack of power. This is a great lesson for club players: Anticipate better and act quicker to see results.