Tennis - Play the percentages
Play the percentages.
On the baseline, this means hitting around 80% of your groundstrokes crosscourt. By hitting crosscourt, we gain three major advantages:
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The net is the lowest in the middle. In singles, the net should be 3 feet in the middle and 3.6 feet at the singles sticks. That’s a six-inch difference.
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We have much more space to hit into when we hit crosscourt. If you aim down the line and hit the ball slightly late, the ball will end up in the tramlines or beyond.
If you aim crosscourt and hit the ball slightly late, the ball will end up in the middle of the court.
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We reduce the amount of space we need to recover before the next shot.
When approaching the net, aim most of your approach shots down the line. This will help you position yourself properly to cover the down the line pass.