Low bounce: Lift the next ball

The decision

Decision: The ball stays low. How do you clear the net?

You are inside the baseline. The defender is near the middle, deep in court.

• Lift deep middle — Clear the net — GOOD READ: Your shot gives the defender a target they can reach without a long sideways run. The ball lands 1.3 m inside the sideline. The defender travels 1.8 m across court and returns deep in this example.
• Drive low and flat — Try a difficult window — TOUGH CHOICE: Inside the baseline, this low path leaves little room for error. The ball lands 1.3 m inside the sideline. The defender travels 3.9 m across court and returns deep in this example.

What to take into the next point

Low contact calls for enough height to clear the net.

What a good read looks like

The read this lesson trains: Choose a net-safe reply from low contact. Defending under pressure — deep, high or central replies that keep a player in the rally until a better ball arrives. 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 Pressure and defence pattern

Every lesson that trains this pattern is collected on the Pressure and defence pattern page.

Related lessons in this pattern

• Deep backhand to regain time — ORIGINAL LESSON · lesson 17 of 50
• High, deep defensive reset — SIMULATION-BUILT LESSON · lesson 29 of 50
• Flat drive versus net margin — SIMULATION-BUILT LESSON · lesson 30 of 50

Free to play

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