G’day,
The majority of points are built through the Ad court and directed towards a right-hander’s backhand. You play to the backhand much more than the forehand at the beginning of a point because you are less likely to get hurt off that wing.
In the 25 Golden Rules of Singles Strategy, I talk about the Sword & Shield (Rule #16). The forehand is the sword, and the backhand is the shield. It’s a great analogy to understand the differences between the two shots and why you want to first attack the shield before tackling the sword.
The 1-1, 2-1, and 3-1 baseline patterns are all predicated on attacking the backhand first to “open up” the forehand to be attacked later in the point. Sometimes, it takes just one shot to the right-hander’s backhand in the Ad court before the Deuce court is wide open to attack. Sometimes, it takes two shots, and sometimes even three.
Watch my Wimbledon Channel analysis below, which focuses on body serves and building the point through the Ad court and finishing in the Deuce Court.