Down the Line is the Difference
Rafael Nadal reaffirmed his position as the Number Two Player in the world, on any surface, with his victory during the recent Pacific Life Open. As Andy Roddick pointed out after Nadal totally outplayed him to win their semifinal encounter, it was Nadal’s down the line forehand which really caught Roddick off guard. Rafa would often run around his backhand and hit inside out forehands, but it was the flattened-out down the line forehand winners that made the difference. It seems as
if the down the line backhand is the shot which has made a big impact on tour in the past few years. David Nalbandian, Marat Safin, Justine Henin and Amelie Mauresmo have all used it very effectively in recent years. Ironically, a left-handed down the line forehand has the same impact against right-handed opponents, i.e. catches them leaning towards their backhands. So the next time you practice the down the line and cross court running drill with your tennis buddy, try drilling a few up the line to finish off the rally!
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