By Stephen Huss, Program Director, Huss 75 76 Tennis at Crooked Creek
I often ask the players I coach and support if there are any rules in tennis that tell you where you must stand? This is because almost all players stand in the same place to serve, to return, and around the net.
You can stand wherever you like!
Here are some scenarios where you should consider adjusting your position to increase your chances to win your match:
- When the opponent’s serve is weak. Get up there and apply pressure by taking the ball earlier. When their serve is strong, move back and get yourself more time. A serve’s speed is measured off the racket and then progressively slows down the further it travels.
- When you have a clearly stronger side. Move to your left to get more forehand returns. Serve from wider on the Ad side so your next shot is more often a forehand.
- Serve from closer to the T to improve your angle to find an opponent’s weaker backhand on the Deuce side.
- Further back when at the net if an opponent hits a lot of lob returns. When I played against Max Mirnyi/Jonas Bjorkman, I stood further back against one and closer to the net against the other because one hit lobs and the other never did.
I bet you can think of more if you give it some thought! So, do NOT get locked into standing in the same place just because everyone else does it.
About Stephen: Stephen Huss is from Melbourne, Australia. He was an All American in singles and doubles at Auburn University and is a former National Women’s coach. He has coached Sofia Kenin, Jennifer Brady, and Caroline Dolehide. Huss is a former assistant coach at Virginia Tech (men’s tennis) where the team earned a #12 national ranking. He also is the 2005 Wimbledon Men’s Doubles Champion. Huss has competed in 37 grand slams, won 4 ATP titles, 17 Challenger Titles, and 8 Future Titles. Stephen runs his Elite Tennis Program, Stephen Huss 75 76 Tennis out of Crooked Creek. More info: sceneytennis.net/stephen-huss-75-76-tennis.
