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.
Stat of the Week: 68%
We all know that shorter rallies dominate our game. But we have always looked at ranges:
- 1 to 4 (49%)
- 5 to 8 (32%)
- 9 to 12 (12%)
- 13+ (8%)
What about the exact stroke count? This is what we see from the current B12 data at the 2021 Junior Orange Bowl.
- More than two-thirds of all rallies are done within 6 strokes.
- The most common rally length is 2. This is a serve followed by either a return winner or error.
- If we break down the 5 to 8 range, most of these (63%) end on the 5th or 6th stroke.
- The B12’s at the Jr. Orange Bowl is the only division played on clay (Salvadore Park).
- The other divisions (G12, B14, G14) are played on hard. Does the surface make a difference? Check back next week.
Point of the Week
If the shorter rallies make up the majority of our matches, we should be devoting the appropriate amount of time to the strokes hit in these ranges.
For over two-thirds of the match, you will be hitting just 3 strokes per point, including either a serve or return.
That does not mean that we are advocating only practicing short rallies.
Long rallies with a focus on consistency have other benefits like developing confidence, movement, balance, technique, fitness, etc. Also, if you are good at longer rallies, you are probably also good at the shorter ones.
But, you need to be really good at your first 2 or 3 touches.
How good are you at these? Get your match charted to find out.
Photo of the Week
Reilly Opelka’s backhand.
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