Court positioning for the baseline game

[dlam]

It just occurred to me that the optimal position during the rally is just left of the center hash mark
Reason is the it easier to run around the backhand and hit IO forehand or inside -inside forehand plus option to stay with either a cross court BH or DTL BH
However positioning right of the hash mark it s not strategical
As there is really just two shot options ( no one runs around their FH)
Where do like to position yourself during the rally ?

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Middle of the court, I don't want to give the opponent any patterns and be predictable. Also, leaning towards one side can suggest you're masking a weakness.

[Cheetah]

Ouch.

So let's say you hit a forehand cc... you are going to recover to just left of the hash mark?

This is good only for ball machines or a wall. This is not effective against humans.

[Cheetah]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

Middle of the court, I don't want to give the opponent any patterns and be predictable. Also, leaning towards one side can suggest you're masking a weakness.

middle of the court??

c'mon guys. sheesh.

[Limpinhitter]

What if you hit a forehand cross court within 5 feet of the corner, are you still going to position yourself left of the centerline?

[Limpinhitter]

Originally Posted by Cheetah

Ouch.

So let's say you hit a forehand cc... you are going to recover to just left of the hash mark?

This is good only for ball machines or a wall. This is not effective against humans.

Hahaha! Beat me to it.

[slowfox]

Doesn't court positioning vary according to your last shot and the angle possibilities it gives your opponent?

[Limpinhitter]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

Middle of the court, I don't want to give the opponent any patterns and be predictable. Also, leaning towards one side can suggest you're masking a weakness.

Don't you think where you hit your last shot determines where you should position yourself?

[Limpinhitter]

Originally Posted by Cheetah

middle of the court??

c'mon guys. sheesh.

On the service "T" hahaha!

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

When I get bored, I like to punk my opponent by standing in no-man's land, and half-volley everything.

[Limpinhitter]

Originally Posted by slowfox

Doesn't court positioning vary according to your last shot and the angle possibilities it gives your opponent?

Ding, ding, ding! We have a weener!

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by Limpinhitter

Don't you think where you hit your last shot determines where you should position yourself?

Oh yeah, definitely, but on a neutral shot, I'd like to return to the middle of the court if I can.

Unless I get bored of course.

[LeeD]

Head for the center of your opponent's possible return angles. You dno't need to be there, only headed there in time to cover the other side.

[boramiNYC]

not really center of the possible return angles because the reach for bh and fh are different. Also running fh is much easier than running bh. A slight bias toward backhand side due to reach.

[dlam]

Originally Posted by boramiNYC

not really center of the possible return angles because the reach for bh and fh are different. Also running fh is much easier than running bh. A slight bias toward backhand side due to reach.

I tend to recover quicker from the ad side as my initial crossover move is much better with my left leg
From the deuce side I tend to shuffle initial
Just doesn't feel right to cross my right leg over

[Bobby Jr]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

Middle of the court, I don't want to give the opponent any patterns and be predictable. Also, leaning towards one side can suggest you're masking a weakness.

Yeah, na. Most good players will generally be slightly to the opposite side of the court in a cc scenario and masking a relative weakness on one wing is standard right up to the current number one player in the world. The position is based also on where the ball is when the opponent strikes it.

Standing slightly on one side (your weaker wing) is generally good tennis at all levels - it says to your opponent that you intend to hit 60% forehands for example and if they're good enough to make it otherwise then go for it. You're forcing them to play your game.

99.99% of players in the world are not good enough to usurp that strategy enough to make it not worth doing. If they go for a big shot down the more open side of the court they wont hit winners enough to mask that they'll also be hitting to your favoured wing more often too. Unless of course they can hit winner at will - which is unlikely.

[Mahboob Khan]

Well, it also depends on the quality of your shots:

If you hit a great FH cross court, deep and high, the return is likely to be cross court;

If you hit a normal shot cross court, the return could be down the line;

If you hit a great down the line shot, deep and high, the return will be cross court;

If you serve a great serve out-wide, the returner will think twice to return down the line.

Know your shots and position yourself accordingly.

Mahboob Khan
MKTA, Islamabad Club
Director, Cardio Tennis, Pakistan
Mobile: 0092 300 8568403

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by Bobby Jr

Yeah, na. Most good players will generally be slightly to the opposite side of the court in a cc scenario and masking a relative weakness on one wing is standard right up to the current number one player in the world. The position is based also on where the ball is when the opponent strikes it.

Standing slightly on one side (your weaker wing) is generally good tennis at all levels - it says to your opponent that you intend to hit 60% forehands for example and if they're good enough to make it otherwise then go for it. You're forcing them to play your game.

99.99% of players in the world are not good enough to usurp that strategy enough to make it not worth doing. If they go for a big shot down the more open side of the court they wont hit winners enough to mask that they'll also be hitting to your favoured wing more often too. Unless of course they can hit winner at will - which is unlikely.

Maybe it's a habit for me. I used to run around most of my backhand, and hit forehands instead. I used to have an abysmal backhand.

The problem was, if my inside-out/in forehand wasn't good enough, the entire deuce court would open and I'd have to make a mad dash to cover any down the line shots.

Since those days, I keep telling myself to not give away the court easily.

[KenC]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Head for the center of your opponent's possible return angles. You dno't need to be there, only headed there in time to cover the other side.

This is the textbook answer and I think it should be modified a little to give bias to what is your opponents highest percentage shot and lowest percentage shot. So, if on one side the shot is way more difficult than the other, give more priority to his better percentage shot. In this way you encourage him to go for more risky shots.

[Ash_Smith]

As a general rule...

From the baseline position yourself slightly on the opposite side of the court to the ball (i.e. ball on opponent deuce side, you recover slightly to your deuce side and vice versa).

At the net you position yourself slightly to the same side of the court to the ball (i.e. ball on opponent deuce side, you recover slightly to your ad side and vice versa).

cheers