Definition of Cross Court Tennis
The term "cross court tennis" is frequently used in discussing a competitor's style of play, particularly by professional commentators and tennis aficionados. Though somewhat self-descriptive, the concept of cross court tennis is about more than just two players hitting the ball "across the court." It can carry very specific implications about a particular player.
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Cross Court Vs. Down-the-Line
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The line judge watches the boundary along the side of the tennis court. Cross court tennis refers to a style of play in which two players hit the tennis ball diagonally across the court, particularly during an extended rally. A contrast to cross court tennis is "down the line" tennis, in which two players exchange shots parallel to the tennis court's sideline. Either type of play can take place on either side of the court, with either a forehand or backhand swing of the tennis racket.
Distance
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Playing the long distance of the cross court shot requires athleticism. When a player favors cross court tennis, it indicates that or she prefers to play the longest part of the court, because the tennis court's diagonal distance is the longest possible distance a player can hit the ball within bounds. Thus, if a player hits a lot of cross court shots, then she also must hit the ball relatively hard and therefore fast; otherwise, the long distance of the cross court would make the player's shots very easy to return.
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Net Height
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A regulation tennis net has a 6 in. dip in the center, making it easier for a cross court shot to clear the net. The cross court shot in tennis is also the highest-percentage shot. The regulation tennis net is 6 in. shorter in the middle of the court than at either of the posts. Because the cross court shot passes over the center of the net, at 3 ft., 36 in. it is easier to clear the net than on a down-the-line shot, which passes over the net at 3 ft., 42 in. near either of the posts.
Court Types
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This clay surface is an uncommon tennis surface in the United States. The game of tennis is played on a variety of different surfaces: hard court, or asphalt, the most commonly used surface; grass court, as at Wimbledon; and clay court, as in the French Open. Grass and hard surfaces favor faster shots by adding more pace to the ball when it rebounds. Clay courts slow down shots when they hit the surface because of loose sediment on the clay. As a result, cross court tennis favors play on grass or hard courts, because those surfaces are best suited for hard-hitting, fast-paced players.
Inside-out Forehand and Backhand
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The inside-out forehand and backhand requires a lot of running and footwork Cross court tennis also favors the use of the inside-out forehand and backhand. This is when a player runs around or past a ball hit to his backhand so that he can hit it as a forehand shot, or vice versa. Because cross court tennis favors repetitive motion as well as fast-paced play, hitting an inside-out shot is well suited for playing the long diagonal of the tennis court.
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References
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- Photo Credit tennis image by Snezana Skundric from Fotolia.com tennis in call image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com tennis player image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com tennis net image by David Ng from Fotolia.com tennis image by Dron from Fotolia.com tennis player image by Snezana Skundric from Fotolia.com
