We begin the month of September with the last Grand Slam Event of the year... The U.S. Open. Okay, I am biased, but this is my favorite of the 4 slam tournaments. For those of us north of the equator we are still experiencing the remnants of summer weather as we head into autumn. South of the equator, my readers are gearing up for their outdoor season. I think it is fitting that as we up north end our outdoor season and those in the south begin theirs, that the transition is marked by such a great event as the U.S. Open. Okay, enough of my ruminations on the U.S. Open.
 
Most U.S. outdoor tennis courts are of the hard court variety. In Central and South America, the red clay surface is the norm. Fittingly, both of these surfaces can lend themselves to a particular strategic approach...inside/out tennis!
 
The presumption is that the aforementioned surfaces are medium fast to slow in the way in which they play. Extremely fast surfaces, like grass courts, many indoor courts, and some outdoor hard courts really do not allow this strategic approach to be successful. I leave it to the reader to determine whether a particular surface is sufficiently slow to permit inside/out tennis. However, newly surfaced or resurfaced hard courts are most likely to be medium fast, and almost all clay surfaces will play slow to medium fast.
 
So, what exactly do I mean by inside/out tennis? If the reader recalls the tour days of Jim Courier, they have seen this approach to the game played to perfection. Although I do not know this with certainty, I believe Jose Higueras, Jim's coach, was the architect of this game style... at least with Jim.
 
If you recall, Jim was an incredibly fit player... actually, he still is. He had/has a devastating forehand groundstroke. His two handed backhand was/is a bit unorthodox. When looking at how he struck this backhand, one was reminded of a baseball player hitting at the plate. Don't get me wrong. I would die to possess Jim's backhand. Last year, I had the pleasure of photographing him on grass at a Masters event held at Newport. So, I can personally testify that this stroke is by no means weak... even today!
 
Still, the manner in which Jim produces his two handed backhand results in a stroke that really is hit a bit close to his body. When stretched, Jim hits the one handed slice with proficiency, but it is not really a weapon for him.
 
I recall seeing Jim compete early on in his career when playing a U.S. Open. He was very young, and had not reached his prime. At the time, Jose Higueras was not his coach. Jim's approach to the game was pretty much what one would expect in the modern game... coast to coast groundstrokes with a serve that had some pace. He triumphed over many opponents, but just couldn't seem to make that breakthrough.
 
Once Jose Higueras became his coach, a marked change in Jim's game emerged. He began to run around his backhand to hit forehands. He would literally stand in the ad court and hit forehands crosscourt as often and with as much angle as possible. Because of his great fitness, Jim was able to track down any drop shots that his opponent might attempt, and any down the line shot from his opponent usually found him able to hit great running forehands... often times for winners. In short, this strategy proved very effective for Jim, whom I consider one of the best to have ever played this wonderful game. (Frankly, I don't think he receives as much kudos as he deserves.)
 
Well this month, I want to encourage readers to experiment with this tactical approach. It is not as difficult as it may seem to the reader, and it can pay huge dividends on the right surfaces. Of course, one can't expect to master this approach to the level of Jim Courier, but as a game plan, most of us can benefit.
 
This approach is particularly useful if:

• You have a powerful, forehand groundstroke that can be struck with direction and control.
• Your backhand is your weaker wing, and opponents seem to exploit this weakness.
• You are comfortable hitting forehands on the run.
• You have a reliable kick serve.

• A crosscourt shot with pace and topspin that lands deep. This is usually your best option. Your opponent must now run to hit a forehand... assuming she/he is right handed. If he/she goes crosscourt, you are ready to begin a forehand rally exchange. If she/he goes down the line, you are able to get to her/his reply and hit crosscourt for a probable winner. Usually, the impatient opponent simply tries a flat or topspin down the line shot. These are usually not that difficult to handle. For some players, hitting a reply to the down the line shot may be difficult, if their opponent's shot is hit with severe slice and pace. This slice variety is usually a challenge to handle when on the run... particularly with a western or semi-western grip. The key is to not overplay your reply. Simply get under the ball, lift it as high over the net as you can and do not attempt to hit with pace. Just get your ball deep into the opponent's deuce court.


• A crosscourt shot that is hit with a severe angle that pulls your opponent forward and wide. A difficult but not impossible shot if you can roll your forehand crosscourt. This shot is often times a clean winner. Again, the key is not to over hit. Here, less is more. This is not really a viable option if the opponent's down the line shot has severe slice and pace.


• A top spin lob that lands deep in the center of your opponent's court. This will allow you to recover back to center court if you were stretched, and begin the inside/out rallies again when the right backhand shot comes your way. This is usually the easiest option for recreational and intermediate players. It doesn't win you the point, but it does allow you to regroup and begin the process of inside/out tennis again. If your opponent hits that down the line shot that has plenty of slice and pace, hit your lob as a defensive/backspin lob. Really, this latter reply is often referred to as a "squash" forehand.