Total Tricks

Definition

The count of a single suit in your own plus the same suit in your partners hand equates to the number of tricks you and your partner can bid to in an auction. So if you and partner hold 10 heart suit cards between you then you can fairly safely bid up to 4H (10 heart cards in combined hands = 10 tricks)

Example

The opposition open 1H, your partner overcalls 1S, opposition player passes and you have 3 spades cards in your hand. How high can you safely bid supporting your partner? Total tricks states that you and your partner should be able to bid to take 8 cards in spades equals 8 tricks in spades which equals 2S.
Players in a partnership can bid to the level of the total number of trumps held by their partnership combined almost regardless of points. Total tricks is especially useful when the HCP are reasonably evenly divided between the two sides, the number of trumps held by each side is a very good indicator of the potential tricks available to each side.

Try this

Partner has shown at least 4+ club cards with their opening bid, you have 7 club cards in your hand so you have 11 club suit cards between you. This means you should be able to safely bid up to the Level of 11 tricks in clubs = 5C.

Explanation

For example, if North-South between them hold 8 cards in the spade suit and East-West hold 9 in the club suit - Total Tricks says that the total number of tricks available is 17 (8 + 9). Total Tricks does not say how many tricks each side will win; which depends on the split of the HCP as well as the number of trumps held altogether. This method works on the assumption that for shapely hands, the combined length of the trump suit is more significant than points or HCP in deciding on the level of the final contract. It is of most value in competitive bidding situations where the HCP are divided roughly equally between the partnerships.