TENN360 | THE FAN'S GUIDE TO THE TOUR
tennis is more than the score.
SHOTS
APPROACH SHOT
A shot used to move forward and prepare to play at the net.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
The moment you decide the baseline has done enough work for one point.
BACKHAND
A stroke played on the opposite side of the body from the dominant hand.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
The shot that can look effortless when it's Federer — and considerably less so when we're trying it.
BODY SERVE
A serve directed towards the receiver's body to restrict their ability to swing freely.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Where do you return a serve when it's basically coming straight at you? Exactly.
DRIVE VOLLEY
An aggressive volley struck with a full or powerful swing rather than a short blocking motion.
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A volley that has absolutely no intention of being polite.
DROP VOLLEY
A soft volley designed to land short on the opponent's side.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
A volley with a little less muscle and a lot more mischief.
DROPSHOT
A softly hit shot intended to land close to the net on the opponent's side.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
The tennis equivalent of whispering when everyone else is shouting.
FLAT SHOT
A shot hit with relatively little spin, often travelling quickly through the court.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Less spin, more speed. Sometimes you just want to hit the thing.
FORCED ERROR
An error caused by the pressure or quality of an opponent's shot.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Yes, they missed — but let's give credit to the person who made them miss.
FOREHAND
A stroke played on the same side of the body as the dominant hand.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
For many players, the big weapon. When it's firing, you know about it.
HALF-VOLLEY
A shot played immediately after the ball bounces, usually close to the net.
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Too late for a volley, too close to the bounce for comfort.
HEAVY BALL
A shot with significant pace, spin or both, making it difficult for an opponent to handle.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
It doesn't just arrive. It arrives with baggage.
INSIDE-IN FOREHAND
A forehand hit from the backhand side down the same side of the court.
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The surprise direction: same side, big forehand.
INSIDE-OUT FOREHAND
A forehand hit from the backhand side of the court towards the opponent's opposite side.
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A favourite way to turn a backhand corner into forehand territory.
LOB
A shot hit high over an opponent, often when they are near the net.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
They're at the net? Send the ball over their head. Simple. Sometimes.
MOONBALL
A very high, deep shot with a large amount of height and usually topspin.
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Not exactly rushing things. Up it goes, over the net and back down again.
OVERHEAD
A shot hit above the player's head, usually in response to a lob.
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The ball is coming down from the sky. Time to smash it.
PASSING SHOT
A shot hit past an opponent who is positioned near the net.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
They're at the net. You're aiming for the space beside them. Good luck.
ROLL-UP
A shot hit with pronounced topspin and a high, looping trajectory, often used for control or defence.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Up and over, with plenty of spin and plenty of patience.
SHORT BALL ATTACK
An attacking shot played when an opponent leaves a shorter ball that can be exploited.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
They've given you an opening. Please don't waste it.
SHORT-ANGLE SHOT
A sharply angled shot designed to land close to the sideline and pull the opponent wide.
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Not interested in sending them backwards. Send them sideways.
SLICE
A shot hit with backspin that keeps the ball low and can skid after bouncing.
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Less boom, more bite. The ball arrives low and awkward.
SQUASH SHOT
A defensive shot, often played with slice, used to escape a difficult position on court.
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You're in trouble, so you improvise. Sometimes ugly works beautifully.
SWING
The movement of the racket as a player prepares for and strikes the ball.
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The racket's journey from behind you to the ball — and hopefully somewhere inside the lines.
TOPSPIN
Forward rotation applied to the ball, making it dip and bounce higher.
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Hit it hard, spin it forward and let physics do some of the work.
TOUCH
The ability to play delicate, controlled shots with feel and precision, particularly around the net.
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Not everything needs to be hit hard. Sometimes the racket just needs a little finesse.
TWEENER
A shot played between the legs, usually while running towards or away from the net.
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When normal tennis simply isn't dramatic enough.
UNFORCED ERROR
An error made without significant pressure from the opponent.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Nobody forced that one. And that's exactly why it hurts.
VOLLEY
A shot hit before the ball bounces, usually close to the net.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
No bounce, no waiting — just stick out the racket and hope for the best.
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