Why the First Two Shots Decide Most Points in Tennis — The Key to Control

Key Points

• • Most Points Are Short:

    • ~70% of points end within the first 4 shots

    • ~20% last 5–8 shots

    • ~10% or less go beyond 9 shots

• • Focus on First Two Touches:
    Success often comes down to what you do with your first two shots—on both serve and return.
• • Serve Plan:
    Know where your 1st and 2nd serve are going, and what you want to do with the next ball (serve +1 play).
• • Takeaway:
    Build clarity and intent around your opening shots to win more points and play smarter, more proactive tennis.

• • Extended Rallies Are Rare:
    Despite how much players train for long rallies, most points are decided early.

• • Return Plan:
    Have a clear idea how you’ll neutralize or attack the return, and what your goal is for the second shot after returning.

• • Intent Over Reaction:
    Don’t wait until you’re mid-rally to figure out your strategy—points often end before that.