The Three Problems in Tennis (And Why Keeping Them Simple Changes Everything)
Dominic Ross-Hurst - Feb 2026

Tennis has a habit of becoming far more complicated than it needs to be. Players, parents, and even coaches can quickly get lost in technical details: grips, swing paths, tactics, patterns, spins, footwork, and endless “things to fix.” While all of these elements have their place over time, they often distract from what really matters, especially for developing players.

At its core, tennis is a problem-solving game. And when you strip it right back, the sport presents just three problems that every player must learn to solve. Crucially, they must be solved in the right order:

The net
The court
The opponent

When players understand this order and keep it in perspective, the game becomes clearer, calmer, and far less overwhelming. Performance improves not because tennis gets easier, but because the priorities become simpler.

1. The Net: The First and Most Important Problem

The net is the first obstacle in tennis, yet it’s often the most overlooked. No matter how good a player’s technique looks, how fast they swing, or how aggressive their intentions are, the reality is simple: if the ball doesn’t clear the net, nothing else matters. Depth, width, power, and spin are meaningless if the ball never makes it to the other side.

Young and ambitious players often fall into the same trap. They try to hit the ball too hard, aim too low, or go for shots they haven’t yet earned the right to play. The result is usually frustration, errors, and a loss of confidence.

A powerful question every player should ask themselves is:

“Am I giving the ball enough height to clear the net comfortably?”

Respecting the net doesn’t mean being passive or defensive. It means being realistic. Players who solve the net problem first give themselves rhythm, consistency, and time. From that foundation, confidence grows and improvement accelerates.

2. The Court: The Second Problem

Once a player can reliably clear the net, the next challenge reveals itself: keeping the ball inside the court.

This is where smart decision-making starts to matter. Hitting the ball “in” doesn’t mean simply pushing it back. It means understanding margins and accepting that the court, while generous, is not limitless.

Many players attempt to hit too close to the lines too early in their development. They confuse high-risk shots with high-quality tennis. In reality, good players don’t aim for lines. They aim for areas.

By learning to use sensible targets, appropriate height, and controlled speed, players begin to sustain rallies, apply pressure gradually, and stay in points longer. This is where patience develops, where confidence builds, and where many matches are quietly won.

When the court problem is solved, tennis starts to feel far less chaotic and far more controllable.

3. The Opponent: The Final Problem

Only after the net and the court are under control does the opponent truly become relevant.

Too many players worry about their opponent far too early:

• “They’re better than me.”

• “They hit harder.”

• “They don’t miss.”

But the truth is simple: an opponent cannot beat you unless the ball first clears the net and lands in the court. When players focus on consistency and intelligent court use, pressure naturally shifts. Opponents are forced to play more shots. Errors begin to appear. Momentum changes. Matches turn without anything dramatic happening.

At higher levels of tennis, tactics, patterns, and opponent analysis absolutely matter. But they are built on the foundation of consistently solving the first two problems. Without that base, tactics rarely hold up under pressure.

Keeping Tennis Simple

Tennis doesn’t need to feel overwhelming. In fact, when players try to think about too many things at once, performance almost always suffers.

Whenever players, parents, or coaches feel unsure about what to focus on, it helps to return to this simple order:

• Can I clear the net?

• Can I keep the ball in the court?

• Can I now think about my opponent?

More often than not, progress doesn’t come from adding more complexity. It comes from reinforcing the basics and respecting the order of the game. And when tennis is kept simple in the right way, it becomes not only more effective…
but far more enjoyable too.

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