Tennis Performance Code

  • Part 2: Why Net Play Is a Reward …. Not a Strategy

    This article is a continuation of “Why Great Volleying Has Never Guaranteed Grand Slam Success.”

    In Part 1, we established an uncomfortable but necessary truth ….
    great volleying has never guaranteed Grand Slam success.

    That insight naturally leads to the next question many serious players ask ….

    “If net play isn’t the strategy, then why do champions still come to the net?”

    The answer is simple, and often misunderstood.

    The Net Was Never the Battlefield

    At the highest level, the net has never been the place where battles are fought.
    It has always been the place where battles are concluded.

    Champions do not go to the net to fight.
    They go to the net to finish.

    This distinction changes everything.

    Why ‘Using the Net More’ Is the Wrong Goal

    Many players tell themselves:

    • “I must use the net more”
    • “I must look aggressive”
    • “I must play complete tennis”

    These goals sound positive …. but they are dangerously vague.

    They shift focus away from ….

    • Rally quality
    • Decision-making
    • Timing
    • Court awareness

    And they replace it with forced intention.

    Net play driven by intention is pressure.
    Net play driven by opportunity is freedom.

    How Champions Actually Reach the Net

    Elite players arrive at the net only after one of these conditions is met ….

    • The opponent is stretched
    • The opponent is late
    • The ball is short
    • The court is clearly open

    In other words, the opponent has already lost balance, time, or control.

    The net appearance is not brave.
    It is logical.

    The Most Important Skill Is Not the Volley

    This may surprise many players.

    The most important net skill is not volley technique.

    It is approach selection.

    A simple volley after a good approach wins more points than ….

    • A beautiful volley after a neutral approach
    • A stylish touch volley under pressure

    Most volley errors happen before the volley, at the moment the player chooses to come forward.

    What High-Percentage Net Play Looks Like

    When net play is used correctly, it looks boring, and that is a compliment.

    • No rushing
    • No drama
    • No forced angles
    • No unnecessary touch

    Just ….

    • One good approach
    • One simple finish

    Champions are not artists at the net.
    They are accountants …. collecting what is already earned.

    Why Rushing the Net Backfires Under Pressure

    Under pressure, forced net play causes ….

    • Tight hands
    • Poor footwork
    • Low-percentage volleys
    • Momentum swings

    That is why many players “feel” net play is unreliable.

    In reality, it was not the net that failed.
    It was the decision to go there.

    The Sequence That Never Fails

    Elite tennis always follows this order ….

    1. Control the rally
    2. Take time away
    3. Force a short ball
    4. Step forward
    5. Finish simply

    When this sequence is respected, net play becomes easy.
    When it is skipped, net play becomes risky.

    A Simple Reality Check for Players

    Ask yourself before every approach:

    “Is my opponent defending …. or am I just bored?”

    If the opponent is defending, the net is correct.
    If you are bored, the net is a trap.

    Why This Understanding Changes Careers

    Players who understand net play as a reward ….

    • Stay patient longer
    • Choose better moments
    • Reduce unforced errors
    • Win ugly matches

    Players who treat net play as a strategy ….

    • Rush points
    • Lose close sets
    • Feel confused under pressure

    The difference is not skill.
    It is clarity.

    Final Closing Thought (Part-2)

    The net does not create winners.
    It reveals them.

    Those who arrive there after doing the hard work look calm.
    Those who arrive there early look rushed.

    In modern tennis, success belongs to players who understand one timeless rule ….

    First earn control.
    Then accept the reward.

    About the Author

    Alex Gomes is a high-performance tennis coach and mentor with decades of on-court experience working with serious junior and competitive players.

    His coaching philosophy, The Gomesee Way, focuses on understanding why improvement stalls, how training disconnects from match performance, and how players regain clarity under pressure.

    This platform reflects lived court-side observation …. not borrowed theory.

  • Why Great Volleying Has Never Guaranteed Grand Slam Success

    Part 1 of a two-part series on net play and modern match reality.

    For decades, tennis players have been told a simple story ….
    “If you want to become a champion, you must be great at the net.”

    It sounds logical.
    It sounds elegant.
    And it sounds completely convincing.

    But tennis history …. real match history, not highlight reels …. tells a very different story.

    The Myth That Refuses to Die

    Volleying has always been associated with ….

    • Skill
    • Courage
    • “Complete tennis”
    • Classical beauty

    Because of this, many players grow up believing that net play is the ultimate separator between good players and champions.

    This belief has damaged more careers than it has helped.

    Not because volleying is unimportant ….
    but because volleying has never been the deciding factor at the highest level.

    What Tennis History Quietly Shows Us

    If great volleying alone created champions, then tennis history would look very different.

    Some of the cleanest, most natural volleyers the game has ever seen ….

    • Had textbook serve-and-volley skills
    • Possessed beautiful touch and instincts
    • Finished points effortlessly at the net

    Yet many of them ….

    • Never won a Grand Slam
    • Or had only brief success
    • Or were exposed over long matches

    Why?

    Because matches were not decided at the net.
    They were decided before the net ever came into play.

    The Real Battleground of Modern Tennis

    Modern tennis is not decided by ….

    • Who volleys better
    • Who looks more stylish
    • Who finishes prettier points

    Modern tennis is decided by ….

    • Depth control
    • Quality of return
    • Rally tolerance
    • Movement under pressure
    • Mental patience

    The baseline is no longer a waiting area.
    It is the command center of the match.

    Why Even Great Volleyers Struggled at the Top

    Even the best volleyers faced unavoidable realities ….

    • Passing shots improved dramatically
    • Returns became more aggressive
    • Heavy topspin pushed them back
    • Neutral net approaches were punished

    Volleying became a reaction skill, not a domination skill.

    And at the highest level, reaction is never enough.

    The 67% Net-Point Myth …. What the Data Really Means

    Modern match analytics, often highlight an important statistic ….

    • Points won at the net: ~63–67%
    • Points won from the baseline: ~45–48%

    At first glance, this seems to suggest that net play is more effective than baseline play.

    The data itself is correct.
    The interpretation is where mistakes happen.

    Why Net Points Show a Higher Win Percentage

    Net points do not show a higher win percentage because volleying is superior.

    They show a higher win percentage because players usually come to the net only after they have already won the baseline battle.

    In most professional matches, a net point begins when ….

    • The opponent is stretched or late
    • The ball is short or floating
    • The court is already open
    • The rally advantage is already established

    The volley does not create the advantage.
    It collects the reward.

    What the Data Does Not Say

    The data does not say ….

    • Rush the net early
    • Serve-and-volley more
    • Volley better to win more

    In fact, the same analytics consistently show ….

    • Neutral-ball net approaches lose points
    • Forced approaches fail under pressure
    • Most volley errors come from poor decisions, not poor technique

    The problem is not volleying.
    The problem is approaching without earning the advantage.

    Baseline Tennis Is the Engine …. Net Play Is the Finish

    Baseline play:

    • Builds pressure
    • Steals time
    • Breaks legs
    • Breaks patience

    Only after this work is done does the net become a high-percentage option.

    That is why net points show higher success rates …. not because net play dominates,
    but because dominance was already achieved from the baseline.

    A Hard Truth Most Players Don’t Like Hearing

    You don’t win matches at the net.
    You earn the right to finish at the net.

    Ignoring this sequence leads to ….

    • Forced approaches
    • Low-percentage volleys
    • Momentum loss
    • Emotional frustration

    Volleying without advantage is not bravery.
    It is misjudgment.

    What High-Percentage Tennis Actually Looks Like

    At the elite level ….

    • Net approaches are earned, not attempted
    • Volleys are simple, not artistic
    • Finishes are inevitable, not rushed

    The best players don’t look aggressive.
    They apply pressure quietly until the opponent cracks.

    Why This Matters for Serious Players Today

    Many players stall their progress by ….

    • Chasing “complete tennis” too early
    • Forcing net play to look aggressive
    • Copying highlights instead of match patterns

    What actually builds winners is ….

    • Mastery of neutral balls
    • Comfort in long rallies
    • Physical and mental endurance
    • Clear decision-making

    Volleying is a support skill, never the foundation.

    A Final Word

    Tennis has never rewarded beauty in isolation.
    It rewards control before courage.

    Players who dominate from the baseline decide when the point ends.
    Players who rush the net hope it ends quickly.

    That difference …. between deciding and hoping …. is the difference between admiration and trophies.

    Stats Clarification Box (For Parents & Juniors)

    “Why do net points show a higher win percentage?”

    • Net points are usually played after the opponent is already under pressure
    • Players come forward when the ball is short or weak
    • The rally advantage is already established

    👉 This does NOT mean ….

    • Net play is better than baseline play
    • Players should rush the net early

    👉 It means ….

    • First win the rally from the baseline
    • Then finish at the net when it is easy

    Sequence matters more than style.

    One Line to Remember

    History is full of beautiful volleyers without trophies.
    It is ruled by players who first controlled the baseline.

    Continued in Part 2: Why Net Play Is a Reward …. Not a Strategy

    About the Author

    Alex Gomes is a high-performance tennis coach and mentor with decades of on-court experience working with serious junior and competitive players.

    His coaching philosophy, The Gomesee Way, focuses on understanding why improvement stalls, how training disconnects from match performance, and how players regain clarity under pressure.

    This platform reflects lived court-side observation …. not borrowed theory.