The inside-out stroke is a common singles tactic. You take a ball coming to your backhand side, move around it to hit your forehand, and send it crosscourt, typically to your opponent’s backhand corner.
The inside-out is a popular stroke because you can hit a solid shot with your forehand in a more conservative area of the court, crosscourt. Crosscourt shots let you send the ball over a longer distance to the net than if you hit your forehand straight down the line.
You hit an inside-out shot when you run around the backhand side of the ball to hit a forehand from the corner of the court and then attack your opponent’s backhand. This is often a very successful pattern of play to create opportunities to be aggressive with your forehand by making the crosscourt a safer direction.
Below, we dive into how to hit an inside-out shot, the benefits of the stroke, and how you can improve at it.
What “Inside-Out” Means
The concept of inside-out refers to the contact area when you strike the ball and its direction after you hit it. After you move either to the center or around the inside of the ball, you create enough space to hit an inside-out shot from the backhand side.
An inside-out shot is usually made with a forehand and is typically hit toward the sideline on the opposite end of the court. Most players describe an inside-out ball as a forehand that they run around rather than an inside-out shot.
Inside-Out Vs Inside-In
Starting with a run-around forehand from the backhand side, an inside-out shot finishes crosscourt while an inside-in shot finishes back to the original side, usually down the line.
Inside-out is generally the higher percentage option because the diagonal line is longer and the net is lower in the center, giving you more margin for both height and depth.
Inside-in is definitely an option, but it tends to require more precise timing and faster recovery because you redirect the ball with less margin.
Why Players Use Inside-Out
Using inside-out shots gives many players an opportunity to rely on their forehand to generate pace while rallying.
At the recreational and junior levels, most players find it easier to produce power and place the ball with topspin on their forehand side. Therefore, running around the ball on their right gives a player the ability to turn a defensive situation into an offensive one.
The use of inside-out also creates pressure on your opponent, even without hitting a winner.
A deep crosscourt shot may pull your opponent too wide of the court for them to step into their next shot, creating an opportunity for them to hit a defensive reply. Also, if your opponent hits a strong backhand but you place your shot deep, with an angle, you can reduce your opponent’s options for the next shot.
Finally, hitting inside-out also creates space on the court. When you pull your opponent wide to the crosscourt, their safest and easiest shot back is to hit a crosscourt return.
If you recover to hit your next shot, you now have a strong chance at executing the next part of your plan, whether it is hitting another deep inside-out, driving the ball through the middle of the court to reset, or changing direction when you are in balance.
When To Choose Inside-Out
Hitting a ball on an inside-out path is ideal when you have good timing and a balanced position. You are looking for a ball that is not going too fast, not too wide, and not too deep behind the baseline when it reaches you.
If you have enough space in front of you to make contact and extend out, you are in a strong position to drive the shot. Be careful when making contact with a ball that is heavy or deep, has a lot of topspin, or forces you to chase it out to the side of the court beyond the sidelines.
Running late around the outside of the court often jams your contact point and leaves open court behind you. A good rule of thumb is to run around the baseline only if you have enough time to get your feet set and hit your backhand when you are reaching for a ball, fading away, or making contact behind your hip.
How To Hit An Inside-Out Forehand
Recognizing an opportunity early is the key hidden skill. Your decision has to be made while you are in contact with your opponent, not after the ball bounces. Always use your own body as a reference point for the angle of attack to the ball. Use small, short adjustment steps to ensure that you do not overrun your ideal contact position.
You want a swing lane that allows you to contact the ball from the farthest distance without getting jammed and being forced to reach, which typically results in lower quality contact.
Many developing players develop the skill of being outside the ball before their swing, which gives them room to attack the ball with their forehand. You want to aim for what most players consider margin and depth. Aim one foot or more away from the sideline while giving yourself the deepest landing zone to hit into.
Depth keeps your opponent from attacking and allows you to recover. As soon as you are done swinging and your ball leaves your racket, recover the same way you always would, and shift your body position while running around your opponent.
If your inside-out is played as neutral, you want to recover toward solid balance in the middle of the court after you finish your swing. If it is hit short or soft, you should expect your opponent to counterattack your inside-out into the space you opened and look to shade toward that space before your inside-out leaves your racket.
Common Mistakes & Fixes
One of the most common mistakes made when playing the game is running around too many balls. As you continue to get burned from behind, look to reduce the amount you run around and only run around the balls you can hit on time.
Players commonly make errors when they swing at balls with timing that is too late or with no timing. So, if you find yourself swinging late, such as getting jammed, or taking an off balance swing, such as on a floater, and you do not connect with the ball when it arrives in front of you, you need to move earlier and create as many adjustment steps as possible before the bounce so your contact point stays at your feet during your swing until the moment of impact.
The second reason why people make unnecessary mistakes is due to too much precision in aiming. Start by establishing an accurate pattern of using larger targets at first with depth such as aiming for something big if you are at a long distance and then tighten your aim do not try to make any adjustment in angle until necessary.
Lastly, recovery time is another reason a good shot is turned into a scramble play. Look at recovery as part of your general pattern and not just an additional step.
How To Defend Against Inside-Out
Taking prep time away from an opponent is one of the easiest ways to defend against them. Hitting deep groundstrokes to an opponent’s backhand side reduces their ability to run around the court without getting caught behind. A ball hit to the middle of the court has less angle and is not nearly as rewarding.
If your opponent over commits early, you can play behind your opponent because there is now space behind them. Do not get lackadaisical; there must be a clear change in your opponent’s shot before you select a target. Use a margin of error for your target selection and always be consistent in executing the changing speed and height you use to disrupt your opponents timing.
Variations You’ll See In Real Points
Not all inside-out shots require a big sprint toward the corner. The ball may land near the center of the court and require minimal movement to the forehand side to create enough space for your shot to go crosscourt.
An inside-out shot is also considered part of your approach pattern. For example, if you hit an inside-out forehand to the back of the court, your opponent must hit a shorter return that allows both players to move forward and approach the net together.
Quick Practice Checkpoints
An inside-out shot is an early, balanced shot. You contact the ball out in front at full extension, place the shot deep enough for adequate clearance above the net, and take your first recovery step almost instantly after you hit the ball.
When you miss wide, try not to make your target bigger. When you hit into the net, you typically contact the ball late or stay too close to the ball, so start the motion earlier and create more space with your feet. Another note is that when you read the other player’s pattern, you anticipate the direction of the incoming shot before you commit to your own.
If you wait until the last second to decide, you make more cramped swings and rushed recovery moves. Late decisions cause a breakdown in your strokes under pressure.
Learn to Play Tennis Today in Mountlake Terrace
An inside-out forehand is one of the best weapons in a tennis player’s arsenal. If you want to learn how to hit an inside-out shot, serve better, and return shots with purpose, you should take tennis lessons.
Basha Tennis offers adult and youth tennis classes in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. Our coaches bring a wealth of experience to every group class and offer one-on-one lessons for those who want to progress their tennis skills at a more rapid pace.
To learn more about lessons, click here. Otherwise, please take a few minutes to check out our tennis blog and glossary or click here to get to know our coaching staff.