Dominating Tennis

How to build a point in tennis

Open, build, finish. Stop finishing from everywhere.

Key facts

  1. 1

    About two points in three end within four shots, so a point is usually settled by the second ball you planned, not the fifth you improvised.

    Fitzpatrick (2021), Wimbledon 2015–17

  2. 2

    A figure attributed to Craig O'Shannessy, still to be confirmed at its source, says about 91 % of match winners won the majority of points that ended within four shots.

  3. 3

    About 62 % of rally balls in pro tennis are hit cross-court.

  4. 4

    Craig O'Shannessy treats the first four shots and the back-court regions as the unit of point construction.

Why it works

Great points look improvised, but mostly they're rehearsed. A pattern turns a decision under pressure into a sequence you've practised, so you play forward instead of reacting. The three acts are what a pattern is made of.

Open with a ball that asks them to move, usually cross-court and deep. Build with a ball that keeps them moving or keeps the space open, and read what comes back. Finish into the space, but only off a reply that's short, high, or hit from off the bisector.

The same opening can be manufactured on demand. Cross, cross, line opens the court. The run-around goes inside-out to the backhand, then inside-in to the open corner. A lefty forehand to a righty backhand is a diagonal of its own. Heavy topspin above the shoulder attacks a one-handed backhand's weakest zone.

The line to say on court

“Don't finish what you haven't built.”

Drill: Cross, cross, line

15 min · with a partner
  1. Trade two or three cross-court balls. Have your partner feed a short ball on the third or fourth, and take it down the line. Do 8 cycles.
  2. Have your partner mix it up so the third ball is sometimes deep. Go cross again on the deep one and take the line only on the short one. Do 8 cycles.
  3. Play live points. Score a bonus point whenever you take the line off a short ball and it lands in.
Number to beat6 of 8 line balls taken off a short ball and made

More drills like this: point play

Faults and fixes

Finishing from behind the baseline
Nothing was built, so the target is small.
FixOpen first. The finish comes to you.
Practising too many patterns
None of them runs on autopilot.
FixPick two patterns and give each 30 to 40 quality reps before you play them in scored points.
Going down the line off a deep ball
The net is higher, the court is shorter and their cone is wide.
FixSend deep balls cross-court and wait for the short one.
No plan for the next ball
A good opening ball with nothing behind it hands the point back.
FixDecide your next shot before you hit the opener.

Questions players ask

When should I go down the line in tennis?

Go down the line when the reply is short, around hip height, and your opponent is recovering from wide. Off a deep ball, keep it cross-court.

What are the three phases of a tennis point?

Open, build and finish. Open makes them move, build keeps them moving while you read the reply, and finish goes into the space off a ball that was built for it.

How many shots does a typical pro point last?

About two points in three end within four shots.

Do tennis patterns work against everyone?

No. Pattern success depends on the matchup. The lefty forehand to the backhand diagonal, for example, works against right-handers.

What this doesn't cover

Open, build, finish is a coaching frame, not a measured category. Transition cues should come from a coach who knows your game. Patterns depend on the matchup, and any success rate means little without its context.

Sources

Read next

Know the gameHow long are tennis rallies, and what to practiseMost tennis points are short: about two points in three end within four shots, and more than 70 % on grass, and the most common rally length is one shot. By surface the share runs from 65% to 77%. That means the serve, the return and the next ball decide most points, so they're worth a bigger share of your practice time.Play the pointWhat is serve plus one in tennis, and how to use itServe plus one means planning your serve and the next shot as one play. On the deuce side, serve wide to pull the returner past the sideline, then hit your forehand into the open court. The serve is the only shot you fully control, so use it to make the reply predictable. Decide the plus one before you toss.Play the pointWhen to hit cross-court or down the line in tennisHit cross-court as your default and go down the line only when the court opens: the ball is short, you're inside the baseline and your opponent is wide. Cross-court crosses the net where it's lower, travels into a longer court, and brings the reply back to your side. Down the line reverses all three.StrikeWhen to go for a winner in tennisGo for the winner only when the reply lands short, inside the service line, or comes slow enough to step in on. Until then, hit the rally ball: high over the net, deep and mostly cross-court, to build the opening. The put-away is a different shot: flatter, earlier and aimed at open court, two metres inside the line.