An inside-in shot is a directional shot that begins with one decision: You run around the ball, which comes to your backhand side, so you can hit a forehand.
After you hit an inside-in shot, the inside-in aspect determines where it goes. When you take the inside-in shot, instead of hitting your ball from your backhand corner crosscourt, you drive the ball straight ahead.
In most cases, the inside-in shot refers to a forehand made from your backhand corner that you hit down the line to the opposite side of the court. Often, you use the inside-in shot in conjunction with the inside-out shot because both use the same footwork; however, the inside-in target, which is on the same side of the court as the shot, differs from the inside-out target, which is on the opposite side of the court from where the shot comes from.
Continue reading for a deep dive into inside-in shots, how to improve, and tips for success during matches.
Inside-In Vs Inside-Out
Run-around forehands from the backhand side begin the same way, but they finish differently. The inside-out forehand sends the ball crosscourt to the opponent’s backhand, and for a right-handed player, this typically goes into the ad court.
Playing forehands crosscourt is often easier because there is additional court space for depth, higher net clearance, and a more natural swing path for many players. The inside-in forehand sends your forehand down the same side, usually straight down the line.
Hitting an inside-in is riskier because there is less room to redirect the ball, and players are usually moving when they make this shot. Most players learn to play an inside-out forehand before they learn to play the inside-in so they develop the footwork and spacing and can use the inside-in as a directional change or to finish.
Why Players Use The Inside-In Shot
The inside-in play style has gained popularity because of the rapid change in rally geometry that occurs with inside-in shots. For example, a player receives a crosscourt ball into their backhand corner, with their opponent typically anticipating that the player will respond by hitting another crosscourt shot back to them.
When a player runs around their backhand and hits inside-in, they have changed the lane their ball is traveling in and force their opponent to move in a different direction to get to the ball. Inside-in also makes it possible for the player to set themselves up for the next ball. Hitting a well-placed inside-in forehand can pull their opponent out wide to their same-side wing to defend against the shot.
If their opponent returns the shot shorter than expected or to a central position on the court, they have better access to the open side of the court for their next shot. Additionally, players often prefer to attack with the wing they are most comfortable with. Due to the level of play most players compete at, their forehand is the wing most often developed as the preferred method of attacking. When a player runs around to hit their forehand from the backhand side of the court, they may be able to apply pressure to their opponent’s forehand by hitting their inside-in forehand.
Conversely, this is why many beginner players tend to overuse their inside-in forehand; they may feel as if they are hitting an attacking shot. However, if they do not have the appropriate footwork and recovery time when they hit their inside-in forehand, they have difficulty striking the ball into the open space of the court on their following shot.
What Makes Inside-In Risky
Inside-in shots are also subject to two key risks:
1. Down-the-Line Shots
Typically, shots that cross the court have a larger margin for error than those that go straight up and down the sidelines because as you move farther from the center strap of the net, the net height increases and diagonal trajectories are shorter than straight line paths to your opponent’s side of the court.
2. Court Coverage
The second risk of an inside-in shot is covering the court after you hit it; when you hit an inside-in forehand from your backhand corner, you move toward the sideline to create room for your swing, and if you do not apply pressure with your stroke or you watch it for too long, you leave the opposite side of the court open for a cross court return. This is why you often see a two phase motion to strike the ball, then quickly recover into position on the court.
When To Choose Inside-In
Inside-in can often be your best shot if you are given time and a solid contact point with the ball. This means the ball is not coming at you rapidly, you have time to set your feet, and you can strike the ball in front of your body rather than out to the side at your hip. Also, having the ball sit up, land short, or land in front of you can make the inside-in shot a more reliable option for driving the ball down the line by stepping into the ball.
From a strategic standpoint, hitting an inside-in shot is often the best option because your opponent is likely leaning toward the middle of the court or anticipating a crosscourt shot. When your opponent is already positioned to defend against a down the line shot and you are stretched when you hit an inside-in shot, your chances of making a low margin error or sending a weaker ball into open space are very high.
How To Hit The Inside-In Forehand in 4 Steps
There is no need to have a unique swing to execute an inside-in shot because it is primarily based on your footwork, distance from the ball, and body angle to aim at the target.
Step One:
The first step is to make space for the ball and the most common mistake is for players to run right to the spot where the ball lands and then attempt to flick it down the line. Rather than doing this, you position yourself slightly to the side of the ball and establish a clear path to swing through it.
Step Two:
The second step is to stabilize your legs and many players are successful by focusing on either a neutral or slightly closed stance when executing this shot because it is generally struck with a forward trajectory. Using an open stance is possible, but it increases the chances that you lose control of direction because your upper body rotates before you deliver the shot.
Step Three:
The third step is to allow your trunk to assist you in aiming the direction of the shot. The direction of the inside-in shot is easier to identify when you effectively rotate your hips and shoulders toward your intended target, rather than trying to guide the arm while hitting to your target. While the arm position is necessary to deliver the racket for executing the stroke, upper body alignment creates the line of flight for the shot.
Step Four:
The fourth step is to add margin to your shot with topspin and height unless the ball is really close to the net, because a heavy spinning inside-in drive to a large area is generally much more effective than a high risk, low clearance shot into the sidelines of the court.
Common Mistakes & Fixes
A common error causes the ball to go off the intended path of being hit normally. Players sprint to get around the backhand and arrive too close, causing the contact point to be delayed because of a rushed arm and not getting there on time. The solution here is to use large strides to move and small adjustment steps as you move in toward the ball at the time of the bounce so that your distance from the ball remains the same.
Another issue is the tendency to aim too near the sideline too early. The inside-in shot already has a lower margin; therefore, trying to make the shot paint the line changes a smart shot pattern into a high error shot pattern. When practicing the inside-in stroke, aim for several feet inside the singles line, then only tighten your target once you can consistently repeat the shot.
Finally, the last mistake people make is not recovering from their shots properly. This can be seen in players making an inside-in shot and then watching the ball go past them. If you are going to go around your backhand you are giving up coverage on the court. Make the recovery of your shot automatic so you are set and ready to hit your opponent’s crosscourt shot.
Drills To Learn Inside-In
An easy drill for beginners is to have your partner or coach feeding you balls to your left hand side at a moderate pace, then run around these balls and hit a forehand across the whole court into a specific target area. You practice running back to a neutral position after you hit the ball until you complete several reps of this drill successfully without rushing. Two inside out forehands followed by one inside-in are another great way of repeating a pattern drill while also emphasizing smart decision making at your own pace.
For developing a chance to practice making good decisions, you create live ball rallies where you can only run around your backhand if the ball lands inside a predetermined area, for example, a short ball zone, as a marker that you need to pay attention to.
Inside-In FAQs
Here are a few of the most frequently asked inside-in questions:
#1 Is Inside-In Always A Forehand?
Yes, typically this is what most players do. However, most players refer to this when they connect on a forehand from the backhand side. The general idea, however, is the same when moving toward the inside to strike a ball returned to the same side where you struck it originally.
#2 Is Inside-In The Same As Down The Line?
Not so much. Down the line means exactly that, and it refers only to direction. Inside-in means it gives you both your starting orientation, or from the backhand side when you run around, and where you are headed, at least to the same side.
#3 Which Is Safer: Inside-Out Or Inside-In?
An inside-out shot gives the player more distance and more net clearance than if the same shot is made cross-court. An inside-out shot is usually a higher-risk shot than the same shot played cross-court and has the potential to be executed more efficiently.
#4 Do Pros Use Inside-In Often?
Yes. They also look to play balls they control, most often shorter shots or moments when their opponent leans in the most. A change of direction on the ball often factors into this as well.
Learn to Play Tennis Like a Pro in Mountlake Terrace
The inside-in shot travels inside the court, but the difference is that it travels at a high rate of speed toward the same side of the court where it is made. You can create a substantial direction change with this technique to help your opponent become more off balance.
Practice hitting consistently into large targets with your inside-in shots. Recover after each shot. Develop your technique so you can hit the inside-in on your next shot with no forced swing.
You may register online now for your adult or junior lesson. If you would like to improve your game further, you can also schedule private lessons with one of our highly trained instructors.
Otherwise, you are welcome to explore our site. We also recommend reviewing the tennis articles in our blog and consulting our website glossary of tennis terms to learn the language of the game.