Fortunately, one of our favorite Slams, the Australian Open, is in process, which gives us a chance to watch some great tennis and reinvigorate our own games when we take the courts. The draw for this year's tournament has created its own interesting and highly entertaining match-ups. In the past, we've somewhat presumed that the top 3 players (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic) would make their way through the tournament. But these players are no longer considered default favorites. The field of players and the depth of the game have brought some considerable talent and added excitement for the New Year. In particular, there is now a new dimension of tall players (six-feet plus) who also have uncanny athleticism. This field includes Ivo Karlovic (6'10"), John Isner (6'9"), Juan Martin del Potro (6'6"), Marin Cilic (6'6"), and Sam Querrey (6'6"). Each one of these players has proven that they are more than just tall giants with a huge serves and big ground strokes.

In the professional game, 'smaller' players, with their lower center of gravity, generally move very well around the court and can keep a taller player on the move and, in the process, create some opportunities. Taller players have a lot of moving parts and can move awkwardly in all directions, not just side to side, up and down, turning around. There are ways to attack tall players to take them out of their comfort zones that can work for recreational players as well.

v      Wrong-foot your opponent - if you can control your ground strokes well enough to hit behind your opponent when you have them on the run, you should find that they will have trouble changing direction to get to the ball. This tactic will also work at the net by volleying behind your opponent. They will have less time to react to your shot, change direction, and get their racquet on the ball.

v      Keep your balls low - most players have trouble dealing with a ball that is low to the ground or at their feet. You can do this by hitting a slice ground stroke, short angle shot, or rolling a ball that drops down.

v      Move your opponent into the court - many players are the most comfortable hitting ground strokes from the baseline. This can be done by hitting a drop shot or short angle shot. The key to hitting effective drop shots is knowing when to play them and not over-using the shot. It's easiest to hit a drop shot when you are inside the baseline and directing the shot down the line, as the ball will have less distance to travel, giving your opponent less time to react.

v      Hit to their feet - if you're playing someone who will serve & volley (as the taller players tend to do, following their big serves), you don't have to try to do too much with your return but rather, just block the ball back and try to get it to your opponent's feet. This will make them bend low, and force them to volley up from below the height of the net. If you have time to wind up for a pass, then hit your shot with topspin which will make the ball dip down, creating the same effect; that is, a ball at their feet.

v      Serve into their body - with the tall player, this means long arms and big wingspans usually hit their ground strokes by taking big swipes at the ball. But in order to do this successfully, their hitting zone is further away from their body than normal. With this in mind, serving into their body will give them less time to move around your serve to get a decent swing at the ball. This should set up a defensive return and set up your point.

v      Returning a big serve - most tall players have a big serve, as in the case of Ivo Karlovic, who holds the record for most aces in a tournament. If your opponent has a big serve, think about blocking back your return to neutralize the point. If you can get your return to be short (which means that it's low against a taller player) and down the middle of the court, your opponent will have no angle to work with and you've effectively neutralized their serve. This will also give you a high margin for error on your return.

v      Jump on the second serve - again, most tall players have a bomb of a serve and use this to set up their point. However, this may not also be a consistent serve, which means their second serve may not be as intimidating. A second serve is your chance to strike first. Take the ball early to give your opponent less time to react on their second shot of the rally. If you can move around to hit your favorite shot, whether forehand or backhand, you can control the point from the start and keep your opponent under pressure.

The Australian Open has had its share of surprise finalists and it's possible that this year will be the same. It's so early in the year and those who get a fast start have a chance to do well. It will be a tough call to pick a favorite but no doubt there will be exciting tennis to watch.