# Patterns of Play · Tennis Level 6: Advanced

Tennis · Level 6: Advanced · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/tennis/level-6/patterns-of-play/)

Patterns of Play in Tennis (Level 6: Advanced) on Insporta: 40 sourced facts behind 4 tests. Covers: the cross-court contest; and more.

How points are built from repeated patterns: the cross-court contest, the change down the line, the inside-out and inside-in forehand, and the short-long combinations.

## Test 1: The cross-court contest

- For a right-hander the ad corner is the backhand side, so an ad-to-ad diagonal is backhand against backhand. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- A cross-court forehand from the deuce corner lands in the opponent's deuce corner, which is a left-hander's backhand side. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- The safe diagonal is used to force a shorter or weaker ball, and that ball is the one to change direction on. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- Owning a diagonal means winning that exchange more often than the opponent does. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- Cross-court is the highest-percentage rally shot, so using it against the weaker wing adds pressure at little risk. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- If one diagonal is lost, the rally should be moved to one the player wins more often. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- A pattern is a repeatable plan of two or three shots that a player trusts to win points. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- The diagonal builds the point, the weaker ball allows the change, and the hitter moves in behind it. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- Depth and balance tell the player when the shorter ball has come and the change can be made. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- The marked diagonal joins the two deuce corners, which for right-handers are both forehand sides. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))

## Test 2: Changing direction down the line

- The line is shorter than the diagonal, so the ball arrives sooner. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- Aiming inside the line and deep leaves room for error while keeping the opponent back. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- The diagonal is played until it produces a ball worth changing direction on. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- After going down the line the hitter is off-centre, so a good cross-court reply goes into space. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- If both directions look the same until contact, the opponent cannot move early. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- From deep the ball takes long enough to arrive that a fast opponent gets there. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- A short central change gives the opponent time and an angle, so the change has backfired. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- The line change follows a shorter ball and is followed by moving in. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- The easier the ball, the safer it is to redirect it. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- A short ball to the forehand can be taken inside the court and redirected down the line. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))

## Test 3: Inside-out and inside-in forehands

- The player runs around the backhand and hits the forehand across the body towards the opponent's ad corner. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- From the same inside position, the inside-in forehand goes straight down the line instead of across. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- For most players the forehand is the bigger weapon, so they create forehands from the backhand side. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- The player ends up in the backhand corner, so a good reply into the forehand corner is hard to reach. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- Forehand against backhand is a favourable matchup for most players. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- The opponent's line backhand goes straight into the space the hitter left by running around. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- Once the opponent leans towards the expected inside-out target, the line behind them is open. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- The player reads the ball early, moves around it, hits, and recovers to cover the open side. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- Inside-out goes across the body, inside-in goes straight down the line, and the middle sits between them. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- From the backhand corner, the path across the court to the opponent's ad side is the inside-out forehand. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))

## Test 4: Short and long combinations

- The first shot creates the opening and the second uses it. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- A finish that is always the same is soon read and covered. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- Closer to the net, the drop shot reaches the far side sooner and lands shorter. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- An opponent who reaches the drop shot will often push it short or angled, so the hitter moves in. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- The further back the opponent has been pushed, the further they must run for the drop shot. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- Long clay rallies push players deep, so a short ball has a long way to be chased. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- A pattern is kept while it works; its success against this opponent is the test. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- The deep ball sets up the drop shot, and the hitter follows it in. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- A drop shot is best when it is not reached, and worst when it is reached early enough to attack. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))
- A player running forward cannot easily turn and chase a ball over their head. (Source: General coaching reference (patterns of play))

Sources: ITF coach-education materials, ITF Coaching & Sport Science Review, federation curricula, general coaching references; original questions authored, nothing reproduced. Numbered ITF rules belong to the Rules category.

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