Winning Matches: Winning Baseline Exchanges

When the player goes into the down the line opening too soon, the basic geometry of the tennis court makes him vulnerable to the crosscourt reply.

Just hit the ball into the open court and make your opponent run. You’re in a baseline rally, your opponent
hits the ball crosscourt, and you whack the ball down the line into the opening.

This strategy has a nice simple ring to it. Your opponent will get tired of running and, if he doesn’t run
fast enough, your shot will be a winner. But even among experienced players, this is probably the most common and most costly
strategic error in tennis.

Hitting the ball into the open court at the wrong time may result in more lost points than any other factor
in matches below the pro level. Why? Pro players like Andre Agassi, make attacking from the baseline look easy, because they
know how to set it up and when to do it. This is because they understand the geometry of baseline play and how to exploit it.

The Crosscourt Exchange

Hitting the ball into the open court too soon, especially from wide positions, causes more lost points than any factor in…