
Left-handers are among the most challenging opponents you’ll face. But with a few adjustments, you can make the experience less painful and improve your odds of winning.
The way you play is probably instinctive and grooved from years of practice. But when you face a lefty, the ball doesn’t do what you expect it to do, so you have to change your habits. You need to start over and think about how the ball is going to bounce. That’s one reason Roger Federer has so much trouble with Rafael Nadal. Federer is an instinctive genius, but Nadal’s lefty strokes force him to think.If you know you have to play a southpaw, the first thing you should do is find a left-handed practice partner to warm you up. Second, and most important, you must adjust your game plan to neutralize your opponent’s advantages. Here are four ways to do that.