Yes, you can place shots, but not using obvious, intuitive methods. In real life if you face a racket to the right, and swing right, the ball hit will go right. One of the key-elements to Wii is that you shouldn't need to learn any skills to play games. The skills needed are motor skills you've developed as a toddler and refined over your entire life. Sure you have to practice to get good, but the game mechanics should be transparent if you want everyone to be able to play the game without worrying about how they are to play it. What's been lacking so far in my experience is that 'it works like real life' interface. There's motion control, but it's motion control you have to learn still.