Latest Posts

A Tennis Life: Stories from a Lifetime of Growing the Game The Code, Principle 18: When Can You Call a Let for a Stray Ball? Inflatable Penguins: My New Favorite Tennis Training Targets Tennis Beyond the Headlines: October 19, 2026 Craig Tiley, the USTA, and the Future of Senior Tennis An Offer Refused: Tennis Australia’s Senior Tennis Proposal Craig Tiley and Senior Tennis: Lessons from Australia

The Net-Cord Stroke

This seems like a good time to inject a topic that is not in the ITF Rules of Tennis, but nevertheless is apparently debated from time to time. We have recently discussed the fact that if a service clips the net cord and falls in, then a let is played. On all other shots, a net-cord strike is basically tough luck. Once again… wait for it… we really don’t know why the distinction even exists.