Are most errors in the net or out?

Every week, Tennis Analytics dives deep into the data, bringing you a stat of the week to help you understand tennis better and become a little smarter.

Where are more errors hit? In the NET or OUT? Over the years at tennis coach conferences we have been told that 2 of every 3 errors are in the net. A simple teaching “aid” was to cover the net with a tarp or solid covering. The theory was that if the player could not see through the net, they were less likely to hit the ball into it.

So, we ran the numbers using over 32,800 points from last year’s US Open (Women – 10,700, Men – 22,150 points).

Most errors are OUT, not in the NET. As a general rule of thumb, for every 5 errors made, 2 (or 40%) are in the net, and 3 (or 60%) are out..

So, lose the blanket over the net.

There are good errors and bad errors. Generally, errors that are hit OUT are better than those hit in the NET.

Missing most balls long or wide (like the pros), is an indication that your strokes have depth (or angle). Depth and angle are two key areas of controlling a point. Those errors in the net would probably have been short if they had made it over, giving your opponent the opportunity to attack.

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