Court Positioning is Key
As the tennis world bounces between the hard courts in Indian Wells, California, for the BNP Paribas Open and Key Biscayne, Florida, for the Sony Ericsson Open, pay attention to the players’ court position during the baseline rallies. More often than not, the player
controlling the baseline rallies is standing closer to the baseline.
As players have developed large backswings, they often require more time to prepare to hit their groundstrokes. At the same time, many stand far behind the baseline, especially on clay courts. However, top players such as Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic are standing closer to the baseline and even hitting more balls on the rise as part of a more aggressive approach, especially on faster surfaces. Compare the court positioning of the winners to the losers and you’ll realize what leads to controlling play in baseline rallies on faster hard courts – move in!
As players have developed large backswings, they often require more time to prepare to hit their groundstrokes. At the same time, many stand far behind the baseline, especially on clay courts. However, top players such as Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic are standing closer to the baseline and even hitting more balls on the rise as part of a more aggressive approach, especially on faster surfaces. Compare the court positioning of the winners to the losers and you’ll realize what leads to controlling play in baseline rallies on faster hard courts – move in!
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