Open the Court with Deep-Short Combinations

Doug Eng EdD, PhD

When we think of good baseline rallies, we think of deep topspin drives. The average junior or club player will try to out-rally an opponent by hitting deep. On the WTA tour, we see many pros try to drive through their opponents with relatively flat, powerful groundstrokes. When we hit deep groundstrokes, many players feel rhythm in their comfort zone.

But what feels good is not always good so to speak. Too many players never really try to develop more advanced tactics besides hitting deep groundstrokes. Driving the ball deep down-the-line or crosscourt doesn’t fully utilize the court. Sometimes we see incredibly long rallies (as with high school girls) where the ball is consistently hit deep down the center of the court. Neither player understands how to close out the point. Some players will try to hit the ball harder to produce winners but instead, they just make more errors.

There are several ways to close out points: step in and hit winners, approach the net for a winning volley or overhead, or bring the opponent to the net and pass her. A final way is using shot combinations that open the court. Although net play is a preferred offense, let’s take a look at a baseline tactic that move beyond neutral rallies – the deep-short combination.

Court Geometry

You might have heard the expression, "tennis is a crosscourt game." The expression refers to the geometry of the court with the diagonal being the longest and safest place to aim. Figure 1 shows the court geometry and general
choice of shots.

In general, if you (“Y” at the bottom of the left court) are behind the baseline, you may have two choices of shots: the down-the-line (green line) and the crosscourt (orange line). A third option would be a short angle (yellow dotted line) but from that position (behind the baseline), it would be a fairly difficult shot to hit. If you stand inside the baseline (“Y” at the bottom of the right court), you again have the first two options, but your third option of the angle (yellow solid line) becomes easier to play.

Basically, I am illustrating a fact most of us understand: you have more offensive shot options the closer you are to the net. For example, drop shots are easier to play from inside the baseline. Volleys and overheads are also easier to play inside the baseline.

The great Monica Seles excelled at hitting sharp, crosscourt angles off of short balls.

In Figure 1 (right), your opponent (“O” at the top of the court) has to cover more court when you are inside the baseline. The blue lines denote how much your opponent might have to run. Your opponent won’t have to work as hard if you are behind the baseline in the left court. If you are inside the baseline, not only does your opponent have to cover more court but it becomes harder for your opponent to anticipate your shot. Given your opponent may have to run more and can’t anticipate as well, your chances of winning the point dramatically increase.

Deep-Short Combinations

Figure 1 (right) shows how you can make your opponent run hard if you are inside the baseline. But how can you make your opponent hit short to set you up?

The most basic pattern is hitting deep shots that force your opponent to cough up a short ball. So now you have options to attack the short ball. But taking advantage of a short ball isn’t easy for some players who lack feel for the ball. So when their opponent hits short, they can only drive the ball deep again. If they go to the net, they may be able to end the point. But if they don’t go to the net, the point often continues and the cycle starts over again. Even if they go to the net, many baseliners are not comfortable volleying and get passed.

So, most baseliners need to develop mid-court options which are deep-short combinations. These combinations create a bigger court for an opponent and allows the player to end the point, given the right opportunity. Let’s go over a few of these.

Patterns

Deep Drive, Drop Shot: One of the most well-known combinations relies on driving your opponent well behind the baseline or past the doubles alley. If your opponent hits a slightly short ball, you can go to the opposite half of the court with a drop shot. If you play on clay courts, you may find this combination very useful.

Deep Down-the-Line, Crosscourt Topspin Angle: After a great down-the-line, if your opponent has to run hard, often your opponent will play a down-the-line back or a ball to the middle. In either case, if you take pace off and roll the ball crosscourt to the open court, you have a winner.

Deep Crosscourt, Short Crosscourt: This great combination works against speedy players. If you and your opponent just exchanged crosscourts, hit another crosscourt, shorter and with more angle. Often your speedy opponent is recovering and running back into the court. Hitting behind your opponent with a better angle is often a winner. If your opponent is slow, a short angle forces him to move up and past the doubles alley.

Deep Drive, Slice Crosscourt Angle: This combination is similar to the second and third combination above as it forces opponents to run forward and wide. Against an opponent with a western forehand grip or a double-handed backhand, the slice keeps the ball low and uncomfortable. Roger Federer uses this combination often to open the court.

Deep Loop, Short Slice: This isn’t really a winning combination but it takes rhythm away from an opponent who is steady at the baseline. It is a bit harder to play as it involves more skills. The loop is a heavy, high topspin drive which bounces high and is uncomfortable for many. Adding a slice again keeps the ball out of the strike zone. The idea is keep your opponent uncomfortable.

Roger Federer is a master of the half-volley. Practicing inside the baseline gives you plenty of opportunities to work on this difficult shot.

Deep Crosscourt, Short Down-the-Line: This is an underrated combination but occurs more often than we think. After hitting a great crosscourt, often we think ripping a down-the-line ends the point. However, defenders often run to the ball along the baseline. A craftier approach after a great crosscourt, is just the roll the ball down-the-line. Taking pace off the ball allows it to dip low around the baseline where most opponents like to run along. It is amazing how often it works since most opponents anticipate a ball that is ripped through to the baseline. Taking off pace gives no second chances for an opponent who gets to the ball on the second bounce.

Skills and Drills to Practice

Deep-short tactics don’t involve getting to the net but they offer the baseliner alternate ways of ending points. They do, however, require some skills worth practicing. Basically you need good touch, the ability to play a short slice, drop, or chip and to roll the ball with topspin. Let’s go over some skills and drills routines.

1. Play Inside the Baseline: All true offensive opportunities occur inside the baseline. Many players practice mostly behind the baseline. Instead of your normal practice, try warming-up with a few extra minutes inside the baseline. First ask your partner to hit a little short so you get easy opportunities to play the ball as you stand several feet inside the baseline. Then have your partner hit normally as you move and stand just inside the baseline as shown in Figure 2A. Don’t move back on deep balls but instead try to take many balls early. Don’t add pace since you are already taking time away from your opponent. Shorten your swing to get used to the quicker timing.

2. Drop Shot Practice: Many people don’t practice drop shots enough. In today’s power game where everything is ripped to the baseline, the drop shot makes the court bigger for the opponent who hangs back and is uncomfortable closing the net.
   
   

   Pete Sampras was a master of the ship and charge. Note the compact steep swing.

   Practice your drop shots using a soft grip. Your grip should be close to a continental to get a good amount of underspin. A great drill is to stand halfway between the baseline and the service line and hit drop shots to a friend close to the net who returns it back to you as shown in Figure 2B. Your friend should stand just inside the service line and you should try to make every ball bounce in front of him.

3. Chip (or Short Slice): Learn to slice high balls with a sharp, downward swing. Like the drop shot, you need soft hands since it’s very easy to turn a short chip into a deep slice which isn’t your objective. Shorten your swing from your regular slice to keep the ball short. As with the drop shot, the continental grip applies the underspin best.
   
   A great drill is to stand halfway between the baseline and service line. Have your opponent feed you fairly high balls that you have to turn your shoulders into the ball and step in. Aim your crosscourt chips into the service boxes as shown in Figure 3A.

4. Rolling a short angle: We all heard of the windshield wiper stroke which comes in handy here. Keep your swing compact and elbow close to the body through the whole stroke. Don’t’ try to swing through the ball.
   
   

   Click photo: Rafael Nadal plays a defensive reverse forehand while moving back behind the baseline. It is one of the reasons he is able to generate such massive topspin.

   The short windshield wiper swing, keeping the elbow down and close to the body, imparts plenty of topspin without adding much power. Practice a mini-tennis rally crosscourt with a friend. Stand near opposite sidelines and roll the ball crosscourt to each other. After you get grooved, move back behind the service line and again practice rolling the ball crosscourt as shown in Figure 3B. Finally, move slightly behind the baseline and practice this shot.

5. Buggy Whip or Reverse Follow-Through: Learning the buggy whip or reverse swing helps you develop the skills to roll the ball or hit high loops from the baseline. The buggy whip is when you swing sharply upwards and the racquet ends up over or even behind your head. You will go through the ball just a little but the emphasis is on topspin.

Closing Comments

Keep in mind that baseline play is not about just hitting deep groundstrokes. When the opportunity arises, step in and make the court bigger for your opponent. Practice opening up the court with angled balls and short balls. You may find yourself playing smarter and winning more often.

Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Doug Eng's article by emailing us here at TennisOne.

Doug Eng