Using the attacking boast

The attacking boast

Is a form of boast that has the purpose of scoring a point or forcing your opponent in the front corner.

The distinction between an attacking and a defensive boast consists of the trajectory of the ball:

• In an attacking boast the ball is really low and it has the most speed possible, whilst a defensive boast is slow and high.

Learning the proper setting and target

Therefore to make a properly useful attacking boast you must learn the proper plate orientation and strength.

You can do this exercise by yourself (in the meantime working at your stamina and if you want on your drop shot), by doing boasts and drop shots, or with a partner, by alternating boast and cross-court.

Keep in mind that your target is the nick on the opposite side of the front wall.

Your boast should never bounce on the second side wall, otherwise it will give an advantage to your opponent.

The timing

On paper both boast and cross-court are weak shots. Those shots take more time than a drive to bounce twice, giving your opponent more time to react.

Yet those are the shots with which many players make the most point.

That's because by having the proper timing and possibly an ambiguous body language you can confuse your opponent and score quick easy points.

One of the most common situation is if you and your opponent are exchanging drives and you step toward the front wall and forestall the ball, in this situation if you don't make a volley you will probably be able to choose between a drive and a fast boast. This is the situation in which the attacking boast comes in hand.

What's my point here?

If you catch your opponent off guard by quickly changing your rhythm the attacking boast can be a really powerful shot.

I personally use the attacking boast often when i believe that my opponent is giving for granted that i will make another drive.

I think the boast is a really unbalanced shot and you should use it sporadically and not rely on it too much, even tho it provides a tiresome exercise for your opponent's knees, it has too many weak spot to be used constantly.