Wide first serve, open-court +1

The decision

Decision: Your wide serve draws a return. Where is the +1 opening?

You are behind the baseline. The defender is toward your left, deep in court.

• Open-court +1 — Use the serve space — GOOD READ: Your shot targets the opponent’s right, away from where the defender started. The ball lands 0.9 m inside the sideline. The defender travels 5.1 m across court and returns deep in this example. ON TOUR — Top-20 players find their forehand on 68% of serve+1 shots. (Serve Plus One)
• Back toward returner — Covered side — FAIR OPTION: Your shot gives the defender a target they can reach without a long sideways run. The ball lands 1.6 m inside the sideline. The defender travels 0.6 m very little and returns deep in this example.

What to take into the next point

Notice which half of the court the returner left open.

What a good read looks like

The read this lesson trains: Aim your first ball after a wide serve. How the serve shapes the return and the first groundstroke that follows it. In the interactive lesson you play the rally, make the call, and then read why it worked or did not. The coaching grades the decision, not just the point outcome — a good read can still lose the rally, and the lesson says why.

Part of the Serve and the first ball pattern

Every lesson that trains this pattern is collected on the Serve and the first ball pattern page.

Related lessons in this pattern

• T serve and the first groundstroke — ORIGINAL LESSON · lesson 10 of 50
• Follow a blocked return through the middle — SIMULATION-BUILT LESSON · lesson 11 of 50
• High second serve and recover — ORIGINAL LESSON · lesson 12 of 50

Free to play

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