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TennisOne Lessons
Crosscourt or Down the Line? The Groundstroke Rally Alan Chandronnait Once the serve and return are made, over 90% of points begin with the groundstroke rally, and many times, end in this same situation. During the groundstroke rally (in singles), players battle back and forth with their forehand and backhand groundstroke like a chess match with both players attempting to out maneuver the other to gain an advantage. Choosing wisely during a groundstroke rally can often lead to opportunities to approach the net, create an unforced error, force an error, or even create a winner. On the other hand, choosing unwisely can lead to unnecessary errors or leave you out of position.
The most often asked question about the groundstroke rally is, “When should I hit crosscourt and when should I hit down the line? In a few minutes you will understand why the crosscourt is a good choice and when and why to hit down the line. Hitting Crosscourt “Hit your groundstrokes crosscourt because it is a higher percentage shot than the down the line.” Many players have heard this statement from coaches, read it in books, or even heard TV match commentators mention it. This is a true statement but what makes the crosscourt a good choice? Here are the five reasons:
It is easy to understand why the crosscourt is a sound choice but many players are uncertain of when and why to go down the line. There are six specific situations when a player should go down the line during a groundstroke rally. A player should fulfill one of these six reasons or risk the chance of making an unforced error. 1 - If It Is Your Opponents’ Obvious Weakness If your opponents’ obvious weakness is their backhand groundstroke, hit all of your groundstrokes to their backhand side. By doing this, your opponent will either make an unforced error or give you an opportunity to take control of the point. So, if you are right handed, and your opponent is also right handed but has a weak backhand, play your forehand down the line to your opponents’ vulnerable backhand whenever possible then feast on the weak response. 2 - You've Created an Opening Down the Line
The key to creating an opening down the line is to move your opponent off the court. If you do move your opponent off the court, and he returns his groundstroke crosscourt, the down the line will be open. But, in this situation you should feel comfortable with your groundstroke down the line; for example contact should be in your hitting zone and you should be on balance and feel you are in good position. If for any reason you are uncomfortable, it is safer to hit your groundstroke back crosscourt and wait for a better opportunity. In the above (Move your opponent off the court), note how the player in the near court uses his groundstrokes to gain a clear advantage. His sharply angled backhand pulls his opponent off court on the backhand side forcing a short return and opening up the down the line. He then chooses to hit a forehand instead of a backhand, knocking off the down the line winner. The down the line groundstroke in this situation; however, doesn’t necessarily have to be a winner. It can be used to control the point by keeping the opponent on the run or in a defensive position. 3 - The Element of Surprise
If you have establish a good, consistent crosscourt groundstroke your opponent may begin to anticipate your crosscourt and over position himself. In this situation, use the down the line groundstroke to keep your opponent off balance so he has to recover properly each time. If you fail to use the down the line in this situation, your crosscourt will begin to lose its effectiveness and your opponents’ groundstroke effectiveness will go up. In the video (The Element of Surprise), when the players get into a crosscourt backhand rally, the player in the near court over positions himself a bit in anticipation of another crosscourt response. His opponent observes the over positioning and surprises him by cracking a shot down the line. This shot elicits a weak, floating return which is easily put away with a volley at the net. 4 - Hit Behind Your Opponent
Hitting behind your opponent can be a valuable asset. This situation is created when you move your opponent off the court and he returns the ball down the line. In this case, he had better hit a winner because attempting a down the line from outside the court leaves far too much court to cover on the response. Your opponent knows the crosscourt is open and he must react by running to the opening. When this situation occurs, hitting behind the player with the down the line will force an error or weak response. This tactic works well against a very fast player who is great at anticipating openings. In the video, (Hitting Behind Your Opponent) the player in the near court hits an ill advised backhand down the line then realizes he has just opened up the crosscourt forehand for his opponent. He anticipates and commits to the opening to his forehand. The pro on the far side recognizes this and hits behind him forcing the off balance error.
5 - Use It if You Own It Use the weapons you have! If you own the forehand or backhand down the line, and can annihilate your opponent with it, use it! Eliot Teltscher, a former world’s top ten player, built his game on the strength of his backhand groundstroke down the line. In the video ( Use It if You Own It), the pro on the far side crushes his backhand down the line for a winner. The best way of setting up your down the line weapon is to get into a crosscourt rally with your strong side and then rip it down the line when you are ready. 6 - In a Desperate Situation, Go for It! If you are pulled off the court and find yourself in a desperate situation, it is worth the gamble to go down the line for the winner.
In this situation, you are probably in a full sprint off the court and if you return your groundstroke crosscourt, you wouldn't have much of a chance to reach your opponent's down the line reply. And, there is also the chance he could hit behind you. So, trying for the out right winner by firing the groundstroke down the line is the logical choice and worth the gamble. Let's face it, you are in a huge amount of trouble with very limited options, so what is there to lose? In the video (In a Desperate Situation, Go for It!), the player in the near court gets pulled off the court to his backhand side. He is in a desperate situation and decides to pull the trigger on the down the line and gets the winner.
Conclusion The crosscourt is a good choice when in a groundstroke rally. Yet, it is important to understand that the down the line adds an important dimension to your game if used at the right times. When you do choose to hit down the line, remember that the ball coming from the crosscourt will tend to go towards the doubles sideline off of your racquet. To compensate for this, make sure to aim a couple of feet closer to the center of the court than you normally would. Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Alan Chandronnait's article by emailing us here at TennisOne.
Alan Chandronnait has been coaching tennis for over 25 years and currently directs his own tennis academy in Bow, N.H. Alan has coached over 80 sectionally ranked players and over a dozen nationally ranked juniors. He has coached 46 New Hampshire high school singles and doubles champions. As a player Alan was voted to the All-SEC team for LSU, won the New England Men’s Open Singles twice, was ranked No. 1 in New England men’s doubles, and held ATP rankings in both singles and doubles. Alan and his daughter, Amber, were ranked No. 8 in the U.S. in Father/Daughter Doubles and No. 1 in New England Father/Daughter Doubles twice. Alan has been inducted into the USTA/New England Tennis Hall of Fame for 2006. |
Alan Chandronnait