“To come to net well, it’s not necessary to hit huge shots; the key is that you make fewer steps towards the net than your opponent does to either side of the court to hit the ball.”

– Pato Alvarez

More Pato Alvarez tennis coaching advice.
Pato can be found teaching at the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona.

Note from Chris:  This is one of my favorite aphorisms from Pato Alvarez regarding transition to the net.  Too often, my players try to go forward without comparing the relative distances between themselves and the net, and the opponent and the outgoing ball.  The opponent should have to move a longer distance to make the passing shot than the distance the approaching player needs to take to get into good position at the net.  I have found that most players whom I coach don’t compare these two distances when making their tactical decision to move forward.