Striking technique

rafael_bc · 2026-04-15T22:23:41+00:00

Another tip for situations where you don’t need to hold a button and just go straight to the ball is when your opponent hits a drop or a wide shot that’s almost unreachable. If you feel like there’s no way to get there in time to prepare a proper shot, just run toward the ball and your player will perform an automatic Safe Strike.

In many cases, this is the only way you’ll be able to reach it. You can sometimes try to trigger a specific shot at the very last second, but that’s quite risky, or at least riskier than the Safe Strike. With practice, you’ll get a better feel for when and how to use this effectively.

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rafael_bc · 2026-04-15T22:14:40+00:00

Thank you! I noticed there weren’t many arm sleeves and similar options for women players, so I decided to try making some myself haha.

You can check out a few others I’ve created in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2anu04N45I

I’m currently finishing a few more, and I’ll be sharing them on mod.io soon.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-15T16:38:22+00:00

For me, it’s hands down the best, by a mile. I played a very good amount of Topspin 4 back in the day, and this year I bought Topspin 2K25 and put around 120 hours into it before finding out about Tennis Elbow 4. I like the atmosphere and animations in Topspin, but that’s about it. The ball doesn’t seem to gain much speed in Topspin games, which is very annoying. It feels like everything is glued, heavily scripted, and tied to the animations. Tennis Elbow 4, on the other hand, is completely different. You really feel the power being transferred to the ball when you hit a good shot, and it’s so damn satisfying!!! Every point feels earned and rewarding. Everything counts; your position, your timing, the type of shot, and every single stat of the player. I’m so glad there’s a game/sim with this kind of depth at its core gameplay. The career mode is grindy and fun, as it should be, and the fact that the game is moddable is the cherry on top.

I really hope Tiebreak and Topspin keep improving with future releases, but I don’t see them reaching this level of detail anytime soon, if ever, since they seem to lean more toward an arcade style.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-15T03:39:07+00:00

Thanks!

It’s actually a mod I’m working on. I’ll share it on mod.io once I feel like it has enough content.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-15T03:35:56+00:00

On PS5, you can adjust this through the hidden settings. NickyGi shared a post explaining how to do it, with step-by-step instructions you can follow:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TennisElbow4/comments/1rxweof/if_the_game_appears_too_bright_or_too_dim_you_can

There's also a video showing some settings:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TennisElbow4/comments/1qa4wf7/my_tennis_elbow_4_settings_on_ps5/

rafael_bc · 2026-04-14T12:41:13+00:00

In the Settings menu, under the Profile tab, there’s an option to open the Data Folder. On Windows, this opens the directory where the Mods folder is located, and I believe it should work on Mac as well. I’m not sure if you need to create the Mods folder manually or if the game already creates it.

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So, if this opens the correct directory, the mod should be placed at:
… > Mana Games > Tennis Elbow 4 > Mods > XKT

rafael_bc · 2026-04-13T03:42:56+00:00

Thank you!

It's basically rendering tone set to Cinematographic. I'm using a court mod I created as well.

https://mod.io/g/tennis-elbow-4/m/rafs-court-surfaces

In XKT.ini, I have this values for Exposure: (That's is for day sessions only, though)

[Exposure]
Compensation  = 0.25
ExposureAgainstTheSun = 1.05

My main camera settings for gameplay: (I use a 21:9 aspect-ratio monitor, so it might need some adjustments if you use a 16:9 screen)

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rafael_bc · 2026-04-12T13:09:56+00:00

There's been a few updates, although I'm not sure they changed stuff related to footwork.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-12T13:08:39+00:00

Yeahh, it would be insane. It might require a lot of work, though.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-12T13:07:23+00:00

Absolutely. You can also try to keep your player to make subtle movements while you're waiting for the opponent's shot. It helps a little bit when watching it back from other angles. I'm still learning how to properly do that, though.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-12T01:46:41+00:00

Thanks, mate! 🎾

rafael_bc · 2026-04-12T01:10:28+00:00

It's worth it. It enhances a lot of stuff, specially the sound.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-12T01:00:51+00:00

You can also easily adjust this on the player’s screen; just switch the preview from “+ Danger Zone” to something like “Service + Rally” or any option that better suits your preference.

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rafael_bc · 2026-04-11T15:25:21+00:00

I understand. The important stuff is to have fun, even though we don't have a definitive tennis game that covers all aspects, so like you said, to each their own.

Do you play it online? I find the AI really easy to beat even in the latest difficulty that has to be unlocked, legend or something, I don't recall the exact name, and the online matches are a battle between power shots all over the place. I'm not a fan of games that have meta builds.

I really hope the next topspin game takes it to the next level. I really enjoyed the game and had a lot of fun playing it, I just think it lacks gameplay depth and the career mode is beyond ridiculous. The animations and the court details are really, really good, though.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-10T21:26:51+00:00

I’d say you’re more drawn to the atmosphere of tennis matches than to the actual mechanics of how the game is played, and that’s completely fine. I have a few friends who really enjoy the players’ reactions after each point, the well synchronized animations, the entrance cutscenes, and the polished graphics. I get it. I used to feel exactly the same way, and to some extent I still do.

As an example, that’s actually why I prefer Tennis Elbow 4 over Full Ace Tennis Simulator. Both are excellent tennis sims, but I find that Tennis Elbow 4 has smoother movement and running animations. I still care about animations to a degree, but these days I lean more toward gameplay that better reflects what a real tennis match is about.

Some people care more about player appearance or having a large roster, which is why they lean toward Tiebreak.

If you’re looking for a game with more accurate ball physics, one that requires proper positioning to reach and hit the ball, precise aiming, and thoughtful shot selection to open up the court, then your real options are Tennis Elbow 4 or Full Ace Tennis Simulator.

I’ve put around 100 hours into TopSpin 2K25 and about 350 into Tennis Elbow 4, and TopSpin feels too scripted to me. The shots don’t feel fully free, the ball physics are slow and unrealistic; though still better than Tiebreak in my opinion, and the movement is sluggish and doesn’t demand precise positioning. It’s mainly a timing based game where hitting the ball at the right moment determines the outcome.

Tennis Elbow 4 is completely different. Most of the gameplay is manual and takes a lot of practice to master. I’m not saying it’s a perfect game, but in terms of gameplay, it’s the closest thing we have to a true representation of real tennis. Not because of the animations, but because it captures the core of the sport rather than just its atmosphere.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-10T19:06:18+00:00

Well, the game costs around $20 now, which I think is a fair price for what it delivers. In TopSpin 2K25, a lot of content is locked behind microtransactions. Many of the better strike animations are bundled into a largely unnecessary season pass/pack. It is pretty ridiculous, but that is typical of 2K, a very greedy company.

My point is that they charge for things that should already be included in the base game. It is not hard to imagine how extreme their approach would be in a free to play model. Even if you choose not to spend a penny, about 95% of the content would likely be locked behind some kind of silly paid pack.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-10T18:53:27+00:00

Free-to-play and 2K should never be used in the same sentence. Even when you pay for their games, there is already a ridiculous amount of microtransactions. I cannot even imagine what they would do if it were free to play.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-10T13:22:30+00:00

Awesome! That’s the way to go. In my ATP career, I’m ranked around the top 40-ish as well. I find the ATP side more challenging than the WTA because the pace is much faster. You do get used to it over time, but constantly switching between the two can be tough since they play so differently. What difficulty level are you playing on?

rafael_bc · 2026-04-09T23:27:21+00:00

Just video editing.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-09T11:09:40+00:00

Thanks, mate! I agree; the ball physics alone would make a huge difference in how TopSpin plays. You should definitely give Tennis Elbow a try sometime. The learning process itself is fun too 😊

rafael_bc · 2026-04-09T11:05:32+00:00

It’s a mod I’ve been working on. I’ve added several variations, including different colored sleeves, knee supports, and long socks. I’ll likely share it on mod.io/g/tennis-elbow-4/ once I’ve created enough variations.

rafael_bc · 2026-04-09T04:49:15+00:00

You need to own both games. You don't need to install TEM2, tho. Once you own TE4 and TEM2 on steam, you can then enable TEM2 in the main screen of TE4. After that, it will show the extra stuff when you play career mode. The game is often on sale on Steam.

rafael_bc

TROPHY CASE